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A Bio-Inspired Alternative Positioning, Navigation, And Timing Approach Based On A Potential Game-Theoretic Model, Md Sadman Siraj

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This thesis addresses the challenge of designing of alternative Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) solutions. Inspired by the evolution of biological ecosystems, we introduce a novel symbiotic PNT solution, based on the principles of Game Theory and the exploitation of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs). A set of actors, consisting of anchor nodes and RISs with known coordinates, collaborator nodes having a rough estimate of their positions, and targets of unknown positions, are cooperating to accurately determine the targets’ positioning and timing. The key objective is to minimize the estimation error of each target and collaborator node, as well as of …

A Preliminary Study On Floating Flexible Otec Cold Water Pipe, Nai Kuang Liang, Hai Kuan Peng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) requires a large amount of cold seawater. The traditional rigid pipe, semi-rigidly fixed onto the ship bottom is not easy to install and disassemble, so the Floating Flexible Cold Water Pipe (FFCWP) flexibly connected to the ship is proposed. A small FFCWP was designed, fabricated, and successfully installed and recovered in the sea. The flexible pipe adopts commercially available fire ventilation snake pipe. The pipe wall material strength must be improved in the future. Assuming that the drag coefficient Cd value is 1.5, a numerical calculation is employed to simulate the FFCWP attitude from the …

Machine Learning With Multi-Source Data To Predict And Explain Marine Pilot Occupational Accidents, Gokhan Camliyurt, Youngsoo Park, Daewon Kim, Won Sik Kang, Sangwon Park

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Marine pilot occupational accidents during transfer to/from ships are the primary concern of the International Marine Pilots’ Association (IMPA) and industry professionals. There are multiple transfer methods for marine pilots, with the most common being the pilot boat. To reach the mother ship bridge, the following stages must be safely completed: car transfer, walking on the pier, pier to pilot boat, pilot transfer by boat, cutter to pilot ladder, mother ship freeboard climbing, and ship deck to the bridge. Each stage has its own risk. Previous accident records and expert opinions are commonly used to conduct a risk analysis and …

Evaluation Of Operational Performance Of Wusongkou Cruise Port Through Network Data Envelopment Analysis, Qian-Feng Wang, Guo-Ya Gan, Xin-Liang Ye, Hsuan-Shih Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

As major hubs for cruise berthing and passenger transfers, cruise ports in China were developing rapidly in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic because of an ever-growing regional market. Wusongkou Cruise Port is the most important port for cruise ships in China, and this study evaluated the operational performance of this port during 2011–2020. To this end, two-stage network data envelopment analysis was conducted to evaluate the port’s operation performance; subsequently, the change trajectory of the port’s operational efficiency during 2011–2020 was determined, and the potential reasons for the identified changes are discussed. Finally, suggestions for improving the operational performance …

Air-Jet Bioprinting Of Stem Cell-Encapsulated Alginate Micro-Droplets For Organoid Biomanufacturing, Mirabella B. Stump

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomanufactured 3D-organoids show promise for modeling and treating various conditions, particularly insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type-1 diabetes). Pancreatic islet organoids serve as sustainable sources of insulin-producing β-cells, potentially restoring insulin regulation in patients and providing a long-term solution for diabetes. Hydrogel droplet printing is an emerging technique in regenerative medicine due to its advantageous tunability and biocompatibility; however, challenges of consistency, quality control, and scalability persist. To address these issues, we developed a novel air-jetting based droplet bioprinting system for the generation of monodispersed alginate micro-droplets. The objective of this project was to incorporate human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into …

Large - Scale Manufacturing Of Fluorescent Perfluorocarbon Nanoemulsions For Oxygen Delivery, Anneliese Troidle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over 100,000 Americans are currently waiting for a life – saving organ transplant, yet 17 patients die daily waiting for a transplant they will never receive [1]. Preservation of organs is an area that has seen innovation throughout the years and can improve rates of transplantation, yet vascularized composite allotransplantation preservation has not followed suit [2]. Current standard of care is use of electrolyte solutions such as Histidine – Tryptophan – Ketoglutarate (HTK) or University of Wisconsin (UW) Solution, yet these perfusates lack an oxygen carrying component [3]. Hemoglobin – based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) …

Monitoring Time Domain Characteristics Of Parkinson's Disease Using 3d Memristive Neuromorphic System, Md Abu Bakr Siddique, Yan Zhang, Hongyu An

Michigan Tech Publications

INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of patients. Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation (CL-DBS) is a therapy that can alleviate the symptoms of PD. The CL-DBS system consists of an electrode sending electrical stimulation signals to a specific region of the brain and a battery-powered stimulator implanted in the chest. The electrical stimuli in CL-DBS systems need to be adjusted in real-time in accordance with the state of PD symptoms. Therefore, fast and precise monitoring of PD symptoms is a critical function for CL-DBS systems. However, the current CL-DBS techniques suffer from high computational demands for real-time …

Solar-Powered Microgrids In Northern California: An Opportunity For Resilience, Marina Riddle

Master's Projects and Capstones

Planned and unplanned power outages have been increasing in frequency and duration, negatively impacting all public sectors, and threatening public safety. These outages are deadly to those who rely on medical devices. As climate change-fueled extreme weather events (wildfires, earthquakes, storms, etc.) also increase in frequency, our electrical grid must be prepared to bounce back. Microgrids provide necessary redundancy and reliability. Through a novel GIS suitability analysis, based on solar radiation, land use type, local energy demand, distance to transmission lines, distance to roads, and slope, optimal locations for solar-powered microgrids throughout Northern California were determined. The counties of Fresno, …

Paper-Based Ratiometric Sensor Array For Pathogenic Bacterial Species Identification, Aayushi Laliwala

Theses & Dissertations

Bacterial infections are the leading cause of mortality worldwide due to the lack of accurate diagnosis of the pathogens causing infections. Currently, microbiological and molecular techniques are used to identify pathogenic bacteria. However, these techniques have limitations as they are time-consuming, cost-inefficient, and require trained personnel. Therefore, timely and precise identification of pathogenic bacteria is crucial for public safety. Our lab previously synthesized a fluorescent sensor array (3-hydroxyflavone derivatives) encapsulated in hyaluronic acid-based nanoparticles to identify bacterial species and recognize their Gram status. Though promising, this technique was relatively time-consuming and required high sample and volumes.

To overcome these limitations, …

Terahertz Permittivity Parameters Of Monoclinic Single Crystal Lutetium Oxyorthosilicate, Sean Knight, Steffen Richter, Alexis Papamichail, Megan Stokey, Rafał Korlacki, Vallery Stanishev, Philipp Kühne, Mathias Schubert, Vanya Darakchieva

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

The anisotropic permittivity parameters of monoclinic single crystal lutetium oxyorthosilicate, Lu₂SiO₅ (LSO), have been determined in the terahertz spectral range. Using terahertz generalized spectroscopic ellipsometry (THz-GSE), we obtained the THz permittivities along the a, b, and c^⋆ crystal directions, which correspond to the ε_a; ε_b, and ε_c? on-diagonal tensor elements. The associated off diagonal tensor element ε_ac? was also determined experimentally, which is required to describe LSO’s optical response in the monoclinic a–c crystallographic plane. From the four tensor elements obtained in the model fit, we calculate the …

Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Inertial Geomagnetic Passive Navigation, Andrei Cuenca

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

In recent years, the integration of machine learning techniques into navigation systems has garnered significant interest due to their potential to improve estimation accuracy and system robustness. This doctoral dissertation investigates the use of Deep Learning combined with a Rao-Blackwellized Particle Filter for enhancing geomagnetic navigation in airborne simulated missions.

A simulation framework is developed to facilitate the evaluation of the proposed navigation system. This framework includes a detailed aircraft model, a mathematical representation of the Earth's magnetic field, and the incorporation of real-world magnetic field data obtained from online databases. The setup allows an accurate assessment of the performance …

Deep-Learning Based Multiple-Model Bayesian Architecture For Spacecraft Fault Estimation, Rocio Jado Puente

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis presents recent findings regarding the performance of an intelligent architecture designed for spacecraft fault estimation. The approach incorporates a collection of systematically organized autoencoders within a Bayesian framework, enabling early detection and classification of various spacecraft faults such as reaction-wheel damage, sensor faults, and power system degradation.

To assess the effectiveness of this architecture, a range of performance metrics is employed. Through extensive numerical simulations and in-lab experimental testing utilizing a dedicated spacecraft testbed, the capabilities and accuracy of the proposed intelligent architecture are analyzed. These evaluations provide valuable insights into the architecture's ability to detect and classify …

Survey Of Transfer Learning Approaches In The Machine Learning Of Digital Health Sensing Data, Lina Chato, Emma Regentova

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

Machine learning and digital health sensing data have led to numerous research achievements aimed at improving digital health technology. However, using machine learning in digital health poses challenges related to data availability, such as incomplete, unstructured, and fragmented data, as well as issues related to data privacy, security, and data format standardization. Furthermore, there is a risk of bias and discrimination in machine learning models. Thus, developing an accurate prediction model from scratch can be an expensive and complicated task that often requires extensive experiments and complex computations. Transfer learning methods have emerged as a feasible solution to address these …

12.04.2023 Orsp Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Week of December 4, 2023

Synaptic Plasticity Emulation By Natural Biomaterial Honey-Cnt-Based Memristors, Zoe Templin, Md Mehedi Hasan Tanim, Feng Zhao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Artificial synaptic devices made from natural biomaterials capable of emulating functions of biological synapses, such as synaptic plasticity and memory functions, are desirable for the construction of brain-inspired neuromorphic computing systems. The metal/dielectric/metal device structure is analogous to the pre-synapse/synaptic cleft/post-synapse structure of the biological neuron, while using natural biomaterials promotes ecologically friendly, sustainable, renewable, and low-cost electronic devices. In this work, artificial synaptic devices made from honey mixed with carbon nanotubes, honey-carbon nanotube (CNT) memristors, were investigated. The devices emulated spike-timing-dependent plasticity, with synaptic weight as high as 500%, and demonstrated a paired-pulse facilitation gain of 800%, which is …

Impact Of Irrigation On Vulnerability Of Winter Wheat Under Extreme Climate Change Scenario: A Case Study Of North China Plain, Yulian Gao, Lin Wang, Yaojie Yue

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

An inadequate understanding of the impacts of adaptation countermeasures tends to exaggerate the adverse e􀀀ects of climate change on agricultural systems. Motivated by proposing reasonable climate change adaptation countermeasures, the present study applied the EPIC model to quantify the impacts of climate change and irrigation changes with future socioeconomic development on agricultural production. Winter wheat yield losses using dynamic irrigation parameters in the North China Plain (NCP) from 2010 to 2099 under a scenario coupling climate change and future socioeconomic development (RCP8.5-SSP3), and those under an extreme climate change scenario (RCP8.5), were simulated. Results show that EPIC model demonstrates superior …

Clean Energy & Sustainable Environment By Carbon Dioxide Mitigation Strategies, Md Fahim Shahriar

Mechanical Engineering Theses

Dissolution trapping is one of the most dominant mechanisms for secure storage of CO₂ injected in porous subsurface formations saturated with brine. This study uses a 2D visual Hele-Shaw cell to investigate and visualize the impact of CO₂ injection locations, reservoir dipping angle, permeability heterogeneity, and brine with different initial ionic concentrations on the density-driven convection during CO₂ dissolution (Chapter 2). Also, the role of complex heterogeneity, i.e., irregular permeability distribution in CO₂ dissolution, is investigated using a novel experimental approach to create medium permeability heterogeneity in Hele-Shaw cells (Chapter 3). We observed that the presence …

Biophysical Study Of The Von Willebrand Factor Via Optical Tweezers—Investigating The Collagen Binding Force Profile To Distinguish Types Of Von Willebrand Disease, Leigh Hardin

Honors Theses

von Willebrand disease (vWD) is a genetic disorder due to quantitative or qualitative abnormalities of the von Willebrand factor (vWF). There are three main types of vWD in addition to acquired von Willebrand syndrome. Type 1 is due to a deficiency of vWF, while Type 3 is due to a complete absence of vWF. Type 2 is due to malformed factors and broken into four subtypes: 2A, 2B, 2M, and 2N. Each subtype corresponds to different abnormalities of the protein that affect its binding to other proteins such as collagen, Factor VIII, platelets, etc. Therefore, determining a patient’s type and …

A Tunable System For High Frequency Bioimpedance Plethysmography, Daniel H. Tebbs

Theses and Dissertations

Bioimpedance measurements are useful for determining a variety of biological conditions. By accounting for small impedance variations due to the arterial pulse, the effect of the blood can be studied more closely. The quasi-circulator system presented enables monitoring of pulsatile impedance changes with input frequencies above 1 MHz. The adjustable Rmatch allows for dynamic tuning of the system to increase sensitivity. By tuning Rmatch to be near the match point, the pulsatile signal in the output magnitude can be amplified, and tuning Rmatch to be at the match point causes the pulsatile signal in the output phase to be amplified. …

Dynamic Segmental Kinematics Of The Lumbar Spine During Diagnostic Movements, Paul Mcmullin

Theses and Dissertations

While lumbar kinematics can be measured in vivo, most measurements are invasive (such as percutaneous bone pins), provide high doses of radiation (such as biplane fluoroscopy), or are taken with the patient in a static position (such as MRIs). Recent work suggests that lumbar kinematics can be determined by dynamic measurements of epidermal strain in the lower back. This work aims to develop and examine a method of examining lumbar kinematics via optoelectronic motion capture utilizing skin-mounted markers in the lumbar region. Two studies were performed. One study examined lumbar epidermal strain in 28 asymptomatic subjects during diagnostic movements, while …

Development Of An Automated Delivery System To Apply Copper Sulfate Crystals Using Precision Dry Fertilizer Application Technology, Kevin Charles Wise

Theses and Dissertations

The digenetic trematode, Bolbophorus damnificus, poses a substantial threat to catfish aquaculture, causing significant economic losses. Infestations lead to suppressed feed consumption, secondary bacterial infections and poor production performance. Survey data reveals widespread infestation in the in the southeastern United States. Current control strategies involve the application of a concentrated copper sulfate solution to reduce snail populations which serve as the first intermediate host of the trematode life cycle. This study aimed to improve treatment efficacy by developing a granular copper sulfate application system. A modified Gandy fertilizer applicator, equipped with a programmable control system, demonstrated accurate distribution of copper …

Stream Water Quality Under Baseflow Conditions In A Livestock Production Area, Maryi Lorena Chavarro Chaux

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates the spatial and temporal impacts of implemented Best Management Practices (BMP) on stream water quality under baseflow conditions in a stream segment affected by livestock production. The BMPs includes 10-m fenced riparian zone and crossing paths along the reach segment. Grab water samples and water quality monitoring were collected biweekly from July 2019 to March 2022. Water quality parameters included temperature, dissolved oxygen, electric conductance, total dissolved solids, turbidity, and pH. Water samples were lab analyzed for sediments and nutrients. Results evidenced poor water quality before BMPs implementation, with nutrient concentrations exceeding the nation's and state's criteria. …

Design, Development, And Validation Of A Perfusion-Compression Bioreactor To Study Osteogenesis In Bone Explants, Alexis Victoria Graham

Theses and Dissertations

The current gold standard treatment for bone defects is autologous cancellous bone graft, which involves increased surgery time and donor site morbidity, and limited supply of bone and cells for regeneration. Bioreactors may aid in the generation of mechanically conditioned bone grafts with more cells compared to traditional grafts. However, the specific parameters of fluid flow and mechanical loading which contribute to osteogenesis and cell viability in bioreactors are not fully characterized. Here, a perfusion-compression bioreactor system was developed to study osteogenesis in porcine trabecular bone explants. Loading accuracy was over 88% across six bioreactors at a 0.1 s-1 strain …

Assessing The Relationship Between Soil Health/Quality And Water Quality In The Mississippi Delta, Laura Andrea Sarmiento Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Several studies have reported agronomic benefits by improving soil health/quality, but uncertain knowledge remains when determining specific impacts on water quality off-field. This study investigated the links between runoff water quality and soil health/quality in agricultural fields of the Mississippi delta under three land management scenarios: Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), vegetative buffer (VB), and row crops (RC). Using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF), a Soil Quality Index (SQI) was obtained based on ten soil health/quality indicators from 2008 and 2012 datasets. The SMAF identified significant differences in soil health/quality improvements among scenarios over a four-year period. Varied relationships between …

Electroencephalography And Biomechanics Of The Basketball Throw, Phong Ky Phan

Theses and Dissertations

According to various studies, compared with novice athletes, experts exhibit superior integration of perceptual, cognitive, and motor skills. This superior ability has been associated with the focused and efficient organization of task-related neural networks. Specifically, skilled individuals demonstrate a spatially localized or relatively lower response in brain activity, characterized as ‘neural efficiency’, when performing within their domain of expertise. Previous works also suggested that elite basketball players can predict successful free throws more rapidly and accurately based on cues from body kinematics. These traits are the result of a prolonged training of specific motor skills and focused excitability of the …

Study Of Surface And Groundwater Quality And Quantity At Watershed Scale In Mississippi, Dipesh Nepal

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrology and water quality are affected by land use and climate changes. Mississippi’s diverse agro–ecosystem comprises of a range of land use land cover (LULC) including agriculture, forest, wetlands, urban, and grasslands. The objectives of this study were to investigate the impacts of various factors such as Best Management Practices (BMPs), wetlands, LULC, and climate changes on water quality and quantity. The hydrologic and water quality responses to dynamic LULC input in Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) were evaluated. Results showed that agricultural and forest expansion were major drivers of hydrologic and water quality changes in Big Sunflower River …

Cement Stabilization Of Poorly Graded Sand, Lana Grayson Brown Sisung

Theses and Dissertations

Stabilization of poorly graded sand in full-scale applications is challenging. This thesis evaluated cement-stabilized sand and had two objectives: (1) evaluation of stabilized material using the PM device to quantify engineering properties for future comparison to alterative materials and to investigate the effectiveness of the device with sand and (2) investigation of the merits of alternative application of cement to sand to benchmark against other topically applied materials. The PM device was successfully used to recommend 10% cement for field studies with one sand, successfully allowed data collection in laboratory and field applications, and its potential in sand seems promising …

Moisture Effects On Visible Near-Infrared And Mid-Infrared Soil Spectra And Strategies To Mitigate The Impact For Predictive Modeling, Francis Hettige Chamika Anuradha Silva

Theses and Dissertations

Instrumental disparities and soil moisture are two of the key limitations in implementing spectroscopic techniques in the field. This study sought to address these challenges through two objectives. The first objective was to assess Visible-near infrared (VisNIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopic approaches and explore the feasibility of transferring calibration models between laboratory and portable spectrometers. The second objective addressed the challenge of soil moisture and its impact on spectra. The portable spectrometers demonstrated comparable performance to their laboratory-based counterparts in both regions. Spiking with extra-weight, was the most effective calibration transfer method eliminating disparities between instruments. The samples were rewetted …

A Review On Ship Recycling Industry In Bangladesh From Global Perspective, Ahammad Abdullah, Zobair Ibn Awal, M Ziauddin Alamgir, Md. Jobayer Mia, Farihatul Mim, Utpal K. Dhar

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

At present, the global center of the ship breaking and recycling industry is in South Asia, specifically Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. These three countries account for 70–80 percent of the international recycling market for ocean-going vessels, with China and Turkey covering most of the remaining market. Only about 5 percent of global volume is scrapped outside these five countries. Bangladesh has environmentally beneficial coastal region and affordable labor that make the shipbreaking and recycling business as a potential sector for the country. In addition, ship recycling and its related businesses are helping to solve our nation’s unemployment issues at all …

Cobalt Chromium In Biomedical Applications And The Development Of A Pspp Map, Nouralhouda Jamal

BCoE Publications

During the world wars, Cobalt-Chromium (Co-Cr) alloys gained prominence for their use in aircraft engine components, where they exhibited high temperature strength and durability. They are used in a wide range of industries due to their unique set of qualities, particularly strength, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. They have emerged as versatile materials with a broad spectrum of applications, from aerospace and automotive components to biomedical implants.

This paper presents a thorough analysis of its composition, processing techniques, microstructure, mechanical properties, and performance characteristics. The primary goal of this project is to develop a PSPP (Process, structure, properties, and performance) map …