Digital Commons Network^™

National Urban Database And Access Portal Tool, Nudapt, Jason Ching, Michael Brown, Steven Burian, Fei Chen, Ron Cionco, Adel Hanna, Torrin Hultgren, Timothy Mcpherson, David J. Sailor, Haider Taha, David Williams

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Based on the need for advanced treatments of high resolution urban morphological features (e.g., buildings, trees) in meteorological, dispersion, air quality and human exposure modeling systems for future urban applications, a new project was launched called the National Urban Database and Access Portal Tool (NUDAPT). NUDAPT is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and involves collaborations and contributions from many groups including federal and state agencies and from private and academic institutions here and in other countries. It is designed to produce and provide gridded fields of urban canopy parameters for various new and advanced descriptions of model …

Nano-Surface Engineering On Copper Substrate For Friction Reduction, Julius Morehead

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Nano-engineered-textures on a material surface used to conduct fluids can significantly improve the hydrophobicity or wetting property of the surface, resulting in lower resistance of the surface to the fluid?s movement. In this work, aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon was investigated for generating nano-textures on copper substrates, a common material in heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. Flat copper substrate was utilized. Several experiments were conducted to study the effects of annealing temperature, annealing duration, a-Si and Al thickness, and the sequence of film structure. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to characterize the surface nano-topography. The results showed that …

Proton Irradiation Effects On Semiconductor Cdse/Zns Core/Shell Nanocrystals, Stephen Graham Charter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The absorbance and photoluminescence measurement of semiconductor CdSe/ZnS core shell nanocrystals were reviewed and investigated after they were exposed to proton irradiation. The CdSe/ZnS core shell nanocrystals of 3.2nm and 4.4nm were commercially purchased and investigated. These nanocrystals were embedded in UV resin. Proton irradiation of energy 2MeV was applied at doses from 3 x 1013 protons cm-2 to 1.47 x 1015 protons cm-2 for both nanocrystal sizes. Absorbance measurements were conducted at 300K. Results from absorbance measurements showed slight broadening of the first exciton peak of both samples but was most noticeable in the 3.2nm nanocrystal sample. UV resin …

The Very Basics Of Sustainability - An Alternative Viewpoint (Slides With Audio) (Large File! To Speed Up Download, Right-Click On "Download" Link To Save To Own Pc.), Jim Mcgovern

Other resources

This presentation sets out the very basics of ‘sustainability’, although a definition of sustainability is not attempted. Some of the very basics are the context in which the Earth and humankind exist in space and time, the Earth’s climate, the Earth’s population and humankind’s options and choices. The author advocates keeping an open mind on all available options, including the use of oil, gas, coal, tar sands, carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear power etc., as well as the technologies that are more widely considered ‘green’. The author also argues that, in addressing the challenges that humankind faces, globally concerted effort …

Multilayer Image Inpainting Approach Based On Neural Networks, Quan Wang, Zhaoxia Wang, Che Sau Chang, Ting Yang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper describes an image inpainting approach based on the self-organizing map for dividing an image into several layers, assigning each damaged pixel to one layer, and then restoring these damaged pixels by the information of their respective layer. These inpainted layers are then fused together to provide the final inpainting results. This approach takes advantage of the neural network's ability of imitating human's brain to separate objects of an image into different layers for inpainting. The approach is promising as clearly demonstrated by the results in this paper.

Integration Of Multiple Data Types In 3-D Immersive Virtual Reality (Vr) Environments, George Demetrius Lecakes Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Intelligent sensors have begun to play a key part in the monitoring and maintenance of complex infrastructures. Sensors have the capability not only to provide raw data, but also provide "information" by indicating the reliability of the measurements. The effect of this added information is a voluminous increase in the total data that is gathered. If an operator is required to perceive the state of a complex system, novel methods must be developed for sifting through enormous data sets. Virtual reality (VR) platforms are proposed as ideal candidates for performing this task-- a virtual world will allow the user to …

The Production And Filtration Efficiency Testing Of Nonwoven Electrospun Fiber Mats, Jan Uecker

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis the production and filtration performance of electrospun nylon-4,6 nanofiber mats was experimentally studied. The average fiber diameter of nylon-4,6 fibers is controlled by altering the polymer concentration in solution. Adding small amount of pyridine to the electrospinning solution controlled fiber beading and other defects. These fibers were then deposited onto a wide variety of conductive and dielectric substrate materials. A corona ion source was used to eliminate surface charging effects observed at the surface of all substrates. The resulting fiber mats, uniform in size and distribution as verified by SEM imaging, are tested for filtration efficiency and …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Bioactive, Composite Electrospun Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds Intended For Cleft Palate Repair, Parthasarathy Madurantakam

Theses and Dissertations

Tissue Engineering is a scientific discipline that aims to regenerate tissues and organs that are diseased, lost or congenitally absent. It encompasses the use of suitable synthetic equivalents of native extracellular matrix that may or may not be supplemented with cells or relevant growth factors. Such scaffolds are designed to reside at the site of implantation for a variable period of time during which they induce the regeneration of native tissue. During this time, they also provide a template for new cells to attach, infiltrate, differentiate into appropriate phenotype and eventually restore function of the concerned tissue. Among the factors …

Analysis And Design Of Earthquake Relief Virtual Logistic Information System, Chi Chen

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Predictive Archaeological Modeling Using Gis-Based Fuzzy Set Estimation: A Case Study In Woodford County, Kentucky, Philip B. Mink, John Ripy, Keiron Bailey, Ted H. Grossardt

Kentucky Transportation Center Faculty and Researcher Publications

Analytic predictive archaeological models can have great utility for state Departments of Transportation, but it is difficult to model the likelihood of prehistoric settlement using geographical proxy predictor variables because of the complexity of how settlement choices were actually made, and the complex interaction between these variables using GIS. In many cases classic statistical modeling approaches require too much data to be useful. This research reports on a preliminary predictive model that combines Spatial Analyst and fuzzy logic modeling to capture expert archaeological knowledge and convert this into predictive surface. A test area was defined in Woodford County, KY and …

A Methodology For Designing Product Components With Built-In Barriers To Reverse Engineering, Stephen P. Harston

Theses and Dissertations

Reverse engineering, defined as extracting information about a product from the product itself, is a common industry practice for gaining insight into innovative products. Both the original designer and those reverse engineering the original design can benefit from estimating the time and barrier to reverse engineer a product. This thesis presents a set of metrics and parameters that can be used to calculate the barrier to reverse engineer any product as well as the time required to do so. To the original designer, these numerical representations of the barrier and time can be used to strategically identify and improve product …

An Investigation Of Middle School Student Interest, Perception, And Attitude Toward Technology And Engineering, Kari Marie Cook

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate middle school student perception and attitude toward technology and engineering and to better understand how the gender of the teacher, gender of the student, and information provided in technology classes affected their perception and attitude. To accomplish this, the Technology Attitude Scale, and the Pupil's Attitudes Toward Technology—United States assessment instruments were used to form the basis of a new survey instrument focused on technology and engineering perception, use, and interest. The new survey instrument is called the Technology and Engineering Attitude Scale (TEAS) survey. Multiple 7th grade technology engineering classes from …

Hardiness, Well-Being, And Health: A Meta-Analytic Summary Of Three Decades Of Research, Celina Marie Oliver

Dissertations and Theses

In recent decades, as scientific understanding regarding the effects of stress on health and well-being has grown, researchers have shown increasing interest in personal factors such as hardiness that may enhance one's ability to remain resilient under stressful conditions. Hardiness is a complex trait composed of three components (commitment, control, and challenge) that combine synergistically to increase stress tolerance. Over time, a large and complex body of research has accumulated, and while many qualitative reviews have been conducted, quantitative summaries remain rare. This study provides an empirical synthesis of research findings examining the relationships between hardiness and correlates related to …

Video-Rate Near Infrared Tomography To Image Pulsatile Absorption Properties In Thick Tissue, Zhiqiu Li, Venkataramanan Krishnaswamy, Scott C. Davis, Subhadra Srinivasan, Keith D. Paulsen, Brian W. Pogue

Dartmouth Scholarship

A high frame-rate near-infrared (NIR) tomography system was created to allow transmission imaging of thick tissues with spectral encoding for parallel source implementation. The design was created to maximize tissue penetration through up to 10 cm of tissue, allowing eventual use in human imaging. Eight temperature-controlled laser diodes (LD) are used in parallel with 1.5 nm shifts in their lasing wavelengths. Simultaneous detection is achieved with eight high-resolution, CCD-based spectrometers that were synchronized to detect the intensities and decode their source locations from the spectrum. Static and dynamic imaging is demonstrated through a 64 mm tissue-equivalent phantom, with acquisition rates …

Crack Identification By Multifractal Analysis Of A Dynamic Rotor Response, Grzegorz Litak, Jerzy T. Sawicki

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Multifractal analysis has been used to diagnose cracked and healthy rotors. Is has been shown that the complexity and regularity criteria of the dynamical systems defined by the multiple scaling of the time series can indicate the damages of the rotating shaft. Relation to the standard power spectrum technique has been also discussed.

Department Of Biological Systems Engineering Newsletter, Volume 5, Number 1, July 2009

BSE Department Magazine

No abstract provided.

Micro, Nano Encapsulation Methods For Sustained Release Drug Formulations And Biomimetic Applications, Shantanu Balkundi

Doctoral Dissertations

The Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assembly technique was used to obtain a new type of protein/polyphenol microcapsule based on naturally occurring polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and gelatin, type A. The dependence of permeability on the molecular weight of permeating substances was studied and compared with commonly used polyallylamine/polystyrene sulfonate capsules. A quartz crystal microbalance was used to monitor the regularities of EGCG adsorption in alternation with type A and B Gelatins and electrophoretic mobility measurements were used that indicated that the nature of assembly was dependent on Gelatin properties. It was shown that EGCG retains its antioxidant activity in the LbL assemblies. …

Applications Of Electricity In The Rehabilitation And Health Monitoring Of Concrete Structures, Saiprasad Vaidya

Doctoral Dissertations

The dissertation research work presented herein consists of two separate findings: one investigates a potential new coating technique that could be used to rehabilitate deteriorated concrete sewer pipes, and the other researches inducing electrical conductivity into geopolymer concrete to serve as smart material by being able to sense stress changes. Both applications utilize electricity to enhance the performance and/or functionality of hardened cementitious materials.

Microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC) in concrete wastewater conveyance systems is a leading deterioration mechanism in such structures. This work focuses on breaking the MIC cycle by preventing colonization of the bacteria responsible for converting hydrogen sulfide …

Rna Search With Decision Trees And Partial Covariance Models, Jennifer A. Smith

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The use of partial covariance models to search for RNA family members in genomic sequence databases is explored. The partial models are formed from contiguous subranges of the overall RNA family multiple alignment columns. A binary decision-tree framework is presented for choosing the order to apply the partial models and the score thresholds on which to make the decisions. The decision trees are chosen to minimize computation time subject to the constraint that all of the training sequences are passed to the full covariance model for final evaluation. Computational intelligence methods are suggested to select the decision tree since the …

Vertical Carbon Nanotube Devices With Nanoscale Lengths Controlled Without Lithography, Aaron D. Franklin, Robert A. Sayer, Timothy D. Sands, David B. Janes, Timothy S. Fisher

PRISM: NNSA Center for Prediction of Reliability, Integrity and Survivability of Microsystems

Vertical single-walled carbon nanotubes (vSWCNTs) are synthesized within highly ordered porous anodic alumina (PAA) templates supported on Si substrates. A process for obtaining thin-film PAA with long-range ordered nanopores is presented in this paper. Each nanopore contains at most one v-SWCNT that is supported by a dielectric and addressed by electrochemically formed Pd nanowire source contacts and evaporated Pd drain contacts. Characteristics of these completely vertical, two-terminal nanotube devices are presented. Control of the v-SWCNT length is demonstrated using a straightforward etching process with lengths of less than 100 nm achieved without the need for complex/expensive lithography. This effective nanoscale …

Simplified Model For Periodic Nanoantennae: Linear Model And Inverse Design, Joshua Borneman, Kuo-Ping Chen, Alexander V. Kildishev, V. M. Shalaev

Birck and NCN Publications

We determine and use a minimal set of numerical simulations to create a simplified model for the spectral response of nanoantennae with respect to their geometric and modeling parameters. The simplified model is then used to rapidly obtain best-fit modeling parameters to match experimental results, accurately predict the spectral response for various geometries, and inversely design antennae to have a desired performance. This method is structure and model independent, and is applied here to both nanoantenna pair arrays and strips modeled using a 3D finite-element method and 2D spatial harmonic analysis, respectively. Typical numerical simulations may need hours per model, …

Ultrasensitive Protein Detection In Blood Serum Using Gold Nanoparticle Probes By Single Molecule Spectroscopy, Jiji Chen, Chungang Wang, Joseph Irudayaraj

Birck and NCN Publications

A one-step rapid and ultrasensitive immunoassay capable of detecting proteins in blood serum is developed using gold nanoprobes and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). In this approach we take advantage of the inherent photoluminescence property of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) to develop a fluorophore-free assay to observe binding entities by monitoring the diffusion of bound versus unbound molecules in a limited confocal volume. 40-nm GNPs conjugated separately with rabbit anti-IgG (Fc) and goat anti-IgG (Fab) when incubated in blood serum containing IgG forms a sandwich structure constituting dimers and oligomers that can be differentiated by to detect IgG in blood serum at …

Use Of Co2 Concentration Difference Or Co2 Balance To Assess Ventilation Rate Of Broiler Houses, Hongwei Xin, Hong Li, Robert T. Burns, Richard S. Gates, Douglas G. Overhults, John W. Earnest

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Ventilation rate (VR) is one of the two key elements for quantifying aerial emissions from animal production facilities. Direct, continuous measurement of building VR can be challenging and impractical under certain circumstances,e.g., naturally ventilated animal housing or a large number of ventilation fans in the building. This study examined the suitability of estimating VR of broiler houses with built‐up litter (mixture of manure and bedding), when supplemental heating was not in use, through either carbon dioxide (CO₂) balance or the relationship of VR to CO₂ concentration difference between exhaust and inlet air. The reference VR was based …

Estimating Water Application Efficiency For Drip Irrigation Emitter Patterns On Banana, Alisson Jadavi Pereira Da Silva, Eugênio Ferreira Coelho, Jarbas Honorio De Miranda, Stephen Ray Workman

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The objective of this work was to evaluate root and water distribution in irrigated banana (Musa sp.), in order to determine the water application efficiency for different drip irrigation emitter patterns. Three drip emitter patterns were studied: two 4-L h^-1 emitters per plant (T1), four 4-L h^-1 emitters per plant (T2), and five 4-L h^-1 emitters per plant (T3). The emitters were placed in a lateral line. In the treatment T3, the emitters formed a continuous strip. The cultivated area used was planted with banana cultivar BRS Tropical, with a 3-m spacing between rows and a …

An Investigation Of The Use Of A High Resolution Adc As A Digital Biopotential Amplifier, Damon Berry, Frank Duignan, Richard Hayes

Conference Papers

Sigma delta analogue to digital converters have been used in many signal processing applications including some commercially available systems for sampling of bio-signals Bio-potential amplifiers have traditionally utilised specialised highquality analogue components to amplify bio-signals.

The central aim of this work is to investigate the benefits of using high-resolution sigma delta conversion as a digital amplification stage in the signal path of a bio-potential amplifier. A number of system arrangements specific to bio-potential measurement are presented and discussed. These arrangements are designed to use the high resolution capacity of the sigma delta converter in different ways, providing different benefits. To …

Section Abstracts: Astronomy, Mathematics, And Physics & Materials Science

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Astronomy, Mathematics and Physics & Materials Science Section for the 87th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 27-29, 2009, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA.

Prediction Of Disorder With New Computational Tool: Bvdea, Irem Ersoz Kaya, Turgay Ibrikci, Okan K. Ersoy

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technical Reports

Motivation: Recognizing that many intrinsically disordered regions in proteins play key roles in vital functions and also in some diseases, identification of the disordered regions has became a demanding process for structure prediction and functional characterization of proteins. Therefore, many studies have been motivated on accurate prediction of disorder. Mostly, machine learning techniques have been used for dealing with the prediction problem of disorder due to the capability of extracting the complex relationships and correlations hidden in large data sets. Results: In this study, a novel method, named Border Vector Detection and Extended Adaptation (BVDEA) was developed for predicting disorder …

A Study Of Meta Learning For Regression, M. Fatih Amasyali, Okan K. Ersoy

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technical Reports

In regression applications, there is no single algorithm which performs well with all data since the performance of an algorithm depends on the dataset used. In practice, different algorithms / approaches are tried, and the best one is selected in each application. It is meaningful to ask whether there is a different way instead of running such tedious experiments. In meta learning studies, one investigates clues for the performance of an algorithm over a dataset using several features of the dataset. In this context, it is important to estimate which dataset features (meta features) are most significant for the performance …

Access Mars: Assessing Cave Capabilities Establishing Specific Solutions: Final Report, Abdul Mohsen Al Husseini, Luis Alvarez Sanchez, Konstantinos Antonakopoulos, Jeffrey (Johannes) Apeldoorn, Kenneth Lowell Ashford Jr., Kutay Deniz Atabay, Sara Langston, Et Al.

Publications

The human race has evolved, grown and expanded through the exploration of Earth. After initial steps on the Moon, our next challenge is to explore the solar system. Mars shows potential for both scientific discovery and future human settlement, and so is a prime candidate for the next leap of human exploration. Such a bold endeavor will be a driver for an unprecedented worldwide cooperative effort and the catalyst for a new era of international, intercultural and interdisciplinary human relations. Scientific and technological progress will also accelerate as mankind is ushered into a new era of space exploration.

Currently proposed …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.