Digital Commons Network^™

Multistage Random Key Genetic Algortihm Optimization For Scheduling Flexible Flow Lines With Sequence Depenedent Setup Times, Aadithan Anbuvanan

All Theses

This thesis proposes a new variation to the Random Key Genetic Algorithm (RKGA) for scheduling optimization in flexible flow line manufacturing with sequence dependent setup times. The proposed RKGA representation decodes scheduling information independently at each stage, unlike the traditional RKGA, which is only sequenced based on the first stage, limiting flexibility. The proposed method's performance is compared to the traditional method with varying numbers of jobs and stages. It is compared regarding performance ratio and statistical significance of differences through the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. Results show that the proposed RKGA outperformed traditional RKGA in high complexity (8 Stage …

Impact Of Shear Flow On Marine Biofilms Using Hyperspectral Imaging, Shantanu Mahesh Kore

All Theses

Various microbial communities in marine biofilms cause biofouling on submerged surfaces, posing challenges to marine industries. Despite their ecological and economic importance, biofilms' biomechanical and biochemical responses to hydrodynamic shear stress are insufficiently understood, particularly in dynamic flow conditions. To fill this gap, our study uses an innovative fiber-optic hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system and a supercontinuum laser source to examine marine biofilms' structure, composition, and detachment behavior at different shear stress levels.

To detect spectral and spatial heterogeneity in live biofilms without labeling, we created a custom imaging pipeline that captures reflectance spectra in the 600-850 nm range, targeting microbial …

Stability Of Holes In Granular Raft, Plabon Kumar Saha

All Theses

A granular raft at an oil–water interface exhibits unique mechanical properties, including the ability to form and sustain stable holes. In this study, we experimentally investigate the formation, stability, and collapse dynamics of holes in particle rafts composed of micrometer-sized particles. Holes are created using a hollow cylinder, which generates a meniscus that inhibits particle motion, thus stabilizing the hole. Stable holes are formed when their size reaches a critical value, which depends upon the capillary length. The critical hole size does not depend upon the circularity of the hole. We show that capillary forces due to the presence of …

Gene Editing Combined With Apap Diet-Mediated Selection In A Ldlr-/- Mouse Model Of Familial Hypercholesterolemia, Pramita Suresh

All Theses

Cell-based gene therapy has garnered significant interest in treating familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), an autosomal co-dominant disorder characterized by elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. However, achieving a therapeutic threshold level of engraftment of gene-modified cells is a significant hurdle. In FH, as in most liver diseases, the transplantation of healthy gene-modified hepatocytes does not result in a selective advantage for the healthy hepatocytes over native hepatocytes for clonal expansion in the liver. In FH, as in most liver diseases, the transplantation of healthy gene-modified hepatocytes does not provide a selective advantage for the healthy hepatocytes over native hepatocytes regarding clonal …

Applying Residence Time Distribution Theory To Coronary Thermodilution Curves., Jacob Michael Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide and coronary microvascular dysfunction is one cardiovascular disease which is particularly challenging to diagnose and treat. Coronary thermodilution is a widely used, invasive procedure to evaluate microvascular function by generating physiological indices such as coronary flow reserve and the index of microvascular resistance. Although commonly cited as an indicator dilution method in the cardiovascular literature, current coronary thermodilution techniques lack rigorous application of the accompanying mathematical framework, thereby leaving potentially valuable diagnostic information unexploited. This study bridges that gap by demonstrating the equivalence between indicator-dilution theory and residence time distribution theory …

Bayesian Model Updating Of Structural Parameters Using Temperature Variation Data., Ujjwal Adhikari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Physical digital twins have now emerged as a technology in structural health monitoring and other domains of structural modeling. A Finite Element Model can be a tool for digital twin technology in conjunction with measured physical data. Developing an accurate digital model requires the integration of various parameters to replicate the real structure; however, temperature is dynamically changing, resulting in difficulty in the identification of structural parameters. Typically, temperature is considered noise or filtered out. Limited research has addressed the physics-based model using temperature variation related to structural modal properties. Finite Element Model Updating (FEMU) is a typical inverse problem-solving …

Development Of Soil Water Characteristic Curves Through Control Of Relative Humidity, Lauren E. Johnson, Julia I. Loshelder, Richard A. Coffman

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The relationship between soil suction and soil water content in unsaturated soil mechanics is important but can be difficult to measure. The objective of the research described herein was to develop soil water characteristic curves (SWCC) from relative humidity values by incorporating the use of glycerin-water mixtures. Glycerin-water mixtures can be used to achieve different relative humidity levels by varying the concentration of glycerin within the mixture. The relative humidity created by each mixture was measured with a relative humidity sensor, and the relative humidity values and Kelvin’s equation were used to compute the total suction.

Soil water characteristic curves …

Blink-Related Brainwaves As Digital Biomarkers For Cognition Assessment During Complex Tasks, Lexine Carmlixa Sibert-Jolissaint

Theses and Dissertations

Blink-related oscillations (BROs) are neurophysiological responses observed in electroencephalography (EEG) following spontaneous blinking, reflecting the brain processing of new visual information. Prior research has demonstrated BRO responses across various cognitive states, such as resting, cognitive loading, and sensory stimulation, highlighting their potential as a non-invasive biomarker of brain function. We conducted the first investigation of BRO responses during a verbal fluency (VF) task, which is a complex, dynamic task state combining memory, visual perception, executive function, and language processing. Using publicly available EEG data from 22 healthy adults, we measured BRO responses over the left anterior frontal region corresponding to …

Effects Of Different Blue Light Conditions On Saos-2 Cell Viability, Differentiation, And Mineralization, Jamielyn Alcantara Jarvis

Theses and Dissertations

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a low-intensity light therapy that uses non-ionizing forms of energy to induce a directed cellular response. Prior work has investigated the effects of blue light exposure at energy densities ranging from 1 J/cm2 to 10 J/cm2 on osteogenic differentiation of human gingival mesenchymal stem cells (hGMSCs), human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs), and stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAPs) and shown promising outcomes at 4 J/cm2 and then having a detrimental impact at higher energy densities. One key caveat in prior studies is that the blue light energy density was modulated by changing the light exposure …

Tribological Characterization Of Laser Microtextured Ti-6al-4v Eli Alloy For Biomedical Applications, Nicholas Ricardo Perez

Theses and Dissertations

Titanium alloys have been gaining popularity in multiple fields due to their impressive physical properties, but struggle with poor tribological performance. This thesis aims to mitigate the poor tribological performance of titanium alloys through a laser microtexturing process. Ti-6Al-4V ELI (Extra Low Interstitial) alloy disks were evaluated against ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) pins. Four texturing patterns were created by changing the texture area fraction from 5 to 20% that were evaluated against untextured control samples. The tribological properties of the laser textured Ti-6Al-4V ELI disks were determined using a pin-on-disk tribometer under lubricated sliding …

Spin Coater Design With Pid Algorithm Using Polynomial Regression Approach And Bias Tuning For Tio2 Deposition Process, Geo Surya Andika, Nofrijon Sofyan, Donanta Dhaneswara, Akhmad Herman Yuwono

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

The thin-film deposition technique using spin coating offers a cost-effective alternative to Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). The spin-coating process requires precise control of the motor drive system to ensure that the rotational speed, measured in rotations per minute (RPM), aligns with the set point and remains stable. This study presents the design and development of a spin coater prototype to achieve uniform thin-film deposition. The control method employed utilizes a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) algorithm, incorporating a polynomial approach with bias tuning. The PID control was chosen to achieve stable operation in a non-linear system. The performance …

Development Of Rolipram Loaded Pgp Nanoparticles For Spinal Cord Injury Repair, Zhen Liao

All Dissertations

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to devastating neurological deficits due to primary mechanical damage and secondary injury mechanisms, including inflammation, oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, and inhibitory scarring, which collectively impede neural regeneration. One key aspect of SCI pathology is a significant reduction in cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels, primarily due to increased phosphodiesterase (PDE 4) activity. As a ubiquitous second messenger, cAMP regulates key signaling pathways, including protein kinase A (PKA) / cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and exchange protein activated by cAMP 2 (EPAC2). Therefore, restoring/increasing cAMP level is one of the major therapeutic strategies to reduce neurotrauma and restore …

Development Of Translational Microscale Systems To Interrogate How Biophysical And Biochemical Cues Alter The Phenotype Of Hormone Positive Breast Cancer, Braulio Ortega Quesada

All Dissertations

Cancer is a complicated disease and one in every three diagnoses are women with breast cancer. Recent research shows that the progression of cancer depends strongly on interactions with other non-cancerous cells and non-cellular components. Metastasis, the spread of cancer to other parts of the body, is a key step in cancer progression and makes treatment harder, leading to poor response to treatments culminating in death in ~90% of patients. This dissertation focused on creating a series of microdevices as novel pre-clinical models of breast cancer. Two different devices were fabricated to (1) study how exposing cancer cells to the …

Learning Through Online Participation: From Breakout Rooms To Discord, Makayla Moster

All Dissertations

For software development teams, teamwork is an essential part of their day-to-day lives. However, due to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, more companies have allowed employees to have more hybrid and remote work options than before. As more companies are adopting hybrid and remote workstyles, we need to ensure that we are preparing the next batch of young software developers to conduct teamwork in remote and hybrid settings. In this dissertation, I address the tools students use for teamwork and how to improve their teamwork inside and outside of the classroom. I present my research on improving student experiences …

Toward The Application Of Natural Language Processing In Electronic Health Record Analysis For Taxonomy Development, Latoya Mcdonald

All Dissertations

Electronic health records (EHRs) are pivotal resources for nurse practice because they increase the timeliness and reliability of patient information at the point of care and support access by multiple healthcare providers and the individual patients themselves. However, it is widely recognized that data extraction from EHRs is challenging due to the variability in the language used in clinical care notes and the lack of standardized terminology across healthcare systems. The broad objective of this dissertation is to develop taxonomy-based classification models for nursing care by applying feature engineering approaches to EHRs that include nursing care of ostomy patients following …

Ex Vivo Multiplex Knockdown Of Angptl3 And Cypor In Hepatocytes As A Novel Cell Therapy For Familial Hypercholesterolemia, Callie D. Clark

All Dissertations

Inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) affect approximately 1 in 800 individuals. The only curative treatment for IMDs is liver transplantation. However, transplantation carries significant risks, including organ rejection and a lifelong need for immunosuppression. Therefore, gene editing has emerged as a promising alternative to liver transplantation for treating IMDs.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is and IMD characterized by elevated LDL-C levels resulting in premature cardiovascular disease. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing to disrupt the gene encoding angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) in the liver represents a novel therapeutic approach for FH. Nonviral delivery performed ex vivo is safer than systemic delivery because gene editing is in …

Ceramic Membrane Evaluation Via Automated Filtration Systems For Water Treatment And Resource Recovery, Weiming Qi

All Dissertations

Membranes are an advanced and mature water and wastewater treatment technology. Membrane fouling is a key difficulty for all membrane filtration processes, leading to significant attention in the literature over the years. A common problem in laboratory-scale membrane research is that the testing methods in the laboratory are often quite different than industrial applications due to the limitations of manual experimental setups. An automated membrane filtration apparatus was built in the lab to solve this problem by allowing long-term filtration, frequent backwash and CIP, and high-accuracy operation. The filtration system achieves different cleaning strategies for both theoretical research and practical …

A System And Method For Measuring Spatially Varying Surface Appearances With A Study Of Feathers, Jessica Baron-Lis

All Dissertations

Real-world materials, particularly biological structures such as feathers exhibit complex appearances that vary spatially across their surfaces. The field of computer graphics provides a means of understanding such surfaces through material modeling which uses both analytical models and data acquired from light-surface interactions. There are many efforts within the past decade in measuring materials for graphics, but common limitations in these works include not accounting for spatially varying properties and reliance on neural networks and synthetic datasets.

Feathers from modern birds present diverse appearances due to how light interacts with their unique hierarchical microstructures. Variations in those structures lead to …

Design And Characterization Of Lignin-Based, Thermoresponsive Soft Composites With Improved Mechanical And Transport Properties, Missoury D. Wolff

All Dissertations

In an attempt to reduce reliance on petroleum-based polymers, lignin – an abundant biopolymer – has gained popularity as a sustainable alternative. However, research on lignin-containing soft composites – i.e., hydrogel (bio)composites – has largely been heuristic, providing limited insight into the fundamental structure-processing-property relationships that govern performance improvements in this emerging class of ‘green’ soft composites. As such, this dissertation presents a systematic investigation of how lignin molecular weight (MW), composite composition, and the concentrations of crosslinker and accelerator impact the mechanical and transport characteristics of soft composites composed of lignin, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA).

In the …

Understanding Conversion Of Long Chain Fatty Acids In Anaerobic Digestion Systems, Julia Ann Funk

All Dissertations

Anaerobic co-digestion with fats, oils, and grease (FOG) waste can increase energy production due to the high methane potential of lipids. However, adding FOG can lead to operational issues caused by accumulating saturated long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). My research explored why saturated LCFAs are often the primary intermediate that accumulates and the microbial sensitives of the populations responsible for their degradation. In each batch or semi-continuous experiment, all intermediates of FOG degradation, including LCFAs, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), Hydrogen gas (H₂), and endpoint methane production, were paired with temporal quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) of the Syntrophomonas genus …

Real Time Adaptive Control Of A Pid Via Genetic Algorithm Machine Learning Systems, Cemre Tas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The most common control method that is utilized by all industries across the world is the proportional-integrative-derivative controller (PID) due the relatively low cost and complexity of the system. However, there are draw-backs with PIDs, it is not adaptative to a changing system, so it works on nominal systems, and it starts breaking down when a system begins to have a non-linear response. The method chosen to overcome both is the utilization of machine learning with the use of genetic algorithms.

This method allows any PID system to be capable of adapting in real-time, while not adding significant additional cost …

Low Speed Water Tunnel Flow Testing, Humberto Cesar Grimaldo Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Water tunnels serve as controlled environments for simulating fluid dynamics, providing an essential platform for studying flow patterns for hydrodynamic effects. This report presents a comprehensive overview and refurbishment of the water tunnel system located at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, focusing on its design, operation, calibration, and visualization capabilities for fluid dynamics research. The water tunnel, originally installed in 1995, was restored and updated with structural repairs, including resolving persistent leaks and implementing an improved drain system. A calibration process using a pitot tube and differential pressure transducer was conducted to establish accurate relationships between flow velocity …

Single Valued Neutrosophic Hypersoft Set Based On Merec-Moosra Mcdm Methods For Evolution Of Sustainable Strategies For The Circular Supply Chain Based On The Beverage Industry, Alaa Salem, Rayan Hussein, Ahmed Abdelmouty, Mohamed Abouhawwash

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Corporate enterprises around the world are facing increasing pressure to operate sustainably due to rising environmental concerns such as climate change, resource scarcity, and ecological degradation. In response, circular supply chain (CSC) practices have emerged as a promising solution, especially within the manufacturing and beverage sectors. CSC focuses on reusing materials, minimizing waste, and creating value from products that have reached the end of their lifecycle. This study investigates the challenges and opportunities of applying circular supply chain management (CSCM) in the beverage industry, which is known for generating significant waste due to high production volumes. The research identifies key …

Investigating The Effects Of Hepatocyte Growth Factor On Primary Myoblast Proliferation, Grace Heller

Biomedical Engineering

Peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD) is a progressive vascular condition that affects over 200 million people worldwide and approximately 8 million in the United States. It is characterized by atherosclerotic narrowing of peripheral arteries, leading to reduced blood flow, ischemia, and, in severe cases, tissue loss and limb amputation. Although surgical revascularization is the gold standard, many patients—particularly those with comorbidities like diabetes— continue to experience poor outcomes, emphasizing the need for alternative therapies. One promising strategy is to enhance collateral arteriogenesis, the remodeling and enlargement of collateral arterioles that naturally bypass occluded vessels. Satellite cells (SCs), which give rise …

Assessment Of Energy Efficiency Measures Recommended For Industrial Facilities: Environmental, Economic, And Life Cycle Perspectives, Dariush Jafari

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study assesses the economic, environmental, and life cycle impacts of more than 800 industrial Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs) identified in manufacturing facilities across Nebraska. These EEMs are notable for their rapid implementation and minimal disruption to the facility’s building structure or core processes.

The research evaluates the financial viability of EEMs by analyzing utility savings, implementation costs, and payback periods. It also examines their cost-effectiveness in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including calculations of net cost and cost of mitigated CO₂-eq.

Key findings indicate that adding insulation to hot pipes and buildings, replacing personal fans with High-Volume, Low-Speed (HVLS) …

Computationally Guided Liquid Crystal-Based Competitive Binding Sensing Platform For Optical Detection Of Spike Protein, Homa Ghaiedi, Shubham Pandey, Sophia Ezendu, Tibor Szilvasi, Karthik Nayani

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A liquid crystal (LC)-based sensing platform for the rapid optical detection of SARS-CoV-2 ' s spike protein's receptor binding domain (RBD) domain is introduced. This platform utilizes a thermotropic LC, hosted on metal-cation decorated substrates, onto which the spike protein can competitively bind. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations guide the experiments that reveal a homeotropic-to-planar transition in the LCs upon exposure to SARS-CoV-2 spike-decorated yeast, providing a basis for sensitive virus detection. The sensor's reversibility/specificity is confirmed through antibody-induced orientation recovery of the LCs initial orientation. Strikingly, the sensor can detect approximate to 2000 copies of the spike protein per …

Influence Of Boundary Conditions And Blood Rheology On Indices Of Wall Shear Stress From Ivus-Based Patient-Specific Stented Coronary Artery Simulations, R. Patrick Mccarthy, Peter J. Mason, David S. Marks, John F. Ladisa Jr.

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The long-term clinical efficacy of coronary stents is limited by restenosis. Coronary stenting results in altered arterial geometry, local blood flow patterns, and wall shear stress (WSS), all of which can influence restenosis. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations employ assumptions about blood properties and boundary conditions, which also influence WSS alterations from stenting. Our objective was to evaluate three common assumptions applied with stented coronary artery CFD simulations (inlet velocity profile, outlet boundary conditions, and viscosity) to provide insight for future studies. A patient-specific right coronary artery was reconstructed from intravascular ultrasound and computed tomography imaging. Time-averaged WSS (TAWSS) and …

Computation-Driven Design And Synthesis Of Molecular Sensors For Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy In Liquids, Junhu Zhou

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The reliable detection of molecules in liquid environments is a continuing challenge in chemical sensing and biological diagnostics. While surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is well-recognized for its high sensitivity and molecular specificity, conventional platforms – based on colloidal nanoparticles or patterned substrates – have shortcomings. These conventional configurations struggle with signal reproducibility, non-uniform hotspot distribution, and, critically, restricted accessibility for large targets such as proteins and exosomes.

This thesis develops a computation-guided approach to developing next-generation SERS sensors capable of overcoming these persistent obstacles. At the heart of the study is the design and fabrication of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) nanoparticles, where …

Compartmental Disaggregation: Bridging Simulation And Sampling Methods For Synthetic Population Data Generation, Dylan Mack

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

As agent-based models (ABMs) grow increasingly widespread in public health, their associated challenges have become all the more significant. Lauded for their ability to capture population heterogeneity, nonlinear dynamics, and emergent behaviors, disease ABMs are also computationally expensive and often require detailed inputs that describe each agent at the individual-level, known as synthetic population data. Current approaches for synthetic population data generation generally fall into one of two categories: sampling or simulation. These methods are both feasible only under restricted conditions and suffer from challenges surrounding data availability and computing power. This thesis proposes compartmental disaggregation, an intermediate method for …

Predicting Which Genes Will Respond To Transcription Factor Perturbation, Eric L. Jia

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

A fundamental issue in mapping regulatory networks between transcription factors and their target genes is the poor overlap between the set of genes bound by a given transcription factor (TF), and the set of genes that are differentially expressed after knocking out or overexpressing the same TF. We began with the hypothesis that to predict whether a gene will respond to perturbation of a TF, it is important to not only consider whether that TF is bound at the gene’s promoter, but also whether other TFs bind at the same promoter.

In this work, we propose a novel modeling procedure …