Digital Commons Network^™

Optimal Network Reconfiguration Based On Discrete Metaheuristic Techniques For Reduction Of Power Loss And Carbon Emission In Distribution Networks, Asad Ali, Hazlie Mokhlis, Nurulafiqah Nadzirah Mansor, Hussain Shareef, Hasmaini Mohamad, Munir Azam Muhammad

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Power distribution systems play a crucial role in transmitting electrical power from generation sources to end users. During transmission, significant power losses occur in the form of heat as the current flowing along the lines/cables has resistance. To minimize power losses, distribution network reconfiguration (DNR) has been widely adopted. This paper proposes optimal DNR based on metaheuristic techniques with discrete mutation feature targeting active power loss reduction, which subsequently lowers carbon emissions and operational costs. Through the discrete mutation feature, computational time to find optimal solution has been reduced significantly with fewer iterations compared to conventional mutation techniques. The proposed …

Impact Of Glass Powder As A Sustainable Material On The Workability, Strength, And Durability Properties In High-Performance Basalt Fiber Reinforced Concrete: A Statistical Analysis, Ahmed Fathi Mohamed Salih

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

The global construction sector is increasingly challenged to balance environmental sustainability with the growing demand for durable, high-performance materials. As cement production continues to be a major source of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, the incorporation of alternative, low-impact binders has become a key strategy for reducing the environmental footprint of concrete. In this context, glass powder (GP)—a finely ground industrial by-product rich in amorphous silica—has emerged as a promising partial replacement for Portland cement. Its pozzolanic reactivity contributes to improved hydration and matrix densification, while its use also supports circular economy principles by diverting waste glass from landfills. At the same …

Symmetry And Scale: The Precise Engineering Of Chitosan-Based Polyhedral For The Delivery Of Therapeutic Materials At The Nanoscale, Ahmed. J. Jasim, Noor Malik Saadoon

AUIQ Technical Engineering Science

Preparation of chitosan-based drug delivery carriers requires converting linear polysaccharide chains into individual 3D objects. By building on the natural structural properties of chitin-based polymers, in addition to control the geometry of organically derived raw material from feedstock to submicron polyhedral or spherical dimensions. This geometric change is governed by a surface area-to-volume ratio that maximizes the exposure of the therapeutic payload to the external environment. The approach centres on the development of such carriers using ion-complexation and emulsification methodologies, which involve electrostatic cross-linking of ion-binding pairs to define an impenetrable boundary separating a liquid from a solid phase. Critical …

Roadmap: Integrating Artificial Intelligence In Structural Health Monitoring Systems, Simon Laflamme, Erik Blasch, Flippo Ubertini, Zheng Liu, John Wertz, Christine Knott, Matthew Cherry, Eric Lindgren, Fu-Kuo Chang, Amrita Kumar, Jack Poole, Keith Worden, Austin Downey, Jie Wei, Patrick F. Musgrave, Adrian S. Wong, Guiseppe Quaranta, Marco Martino Rosso, Giuseppe Carlo Marano, Yu Chen, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

Advances in computing and machine learning (ML) methods have led to a rapid rise in artificial intelligence (AI) research and applications in many fields. AI research benefitted from advances in computation hardware, collection and distribution of large data sets, and proliferation of software techniques. AI techniques include ML for provable results, deep learning for data exploration, reinforcement learning for control, and active learning for adaptive systems. Likewise, AI algorithms can handle large amounts of data, construct unknown representations, and provide a direct link between data and classification for decision making. These unmatched capabilities have been seen as a path to …

Etv2 Mediated Differentiation Of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Results In Functional Endothelial Cells For Engineering Advanced Vascularized Microphysiological Models, Shun Zhang, Zhengpeng Wan, Lei Wang, Caihong Wu, Junkai Zhang, Sarah Spitz, Xun Wang, Marie A. Floryan, Mark F. Coughlin, Francesca M. Pramotton, Liling Xu, Ron Weiss, Roger D. Kamm

Michigan Tech Publications

Patient-specific microphysiological models have become a valuable tool for broad applications, revolutionizing biomedical research. However, limitations persist, with functional vasculature being a significant challenge. With the discovery of ETV2's determinant role in specifying EC lineages during differentiation, researchers have adopted techniques involving ETV2 overexpression to produce h-iECs more efficiently and consistently. Here, we generated multiple h-iPSC lines with inducible ETV2 expression, and subsequently differentiated them into h-iECs, which were validated functionally and by key endothelial markers and RNA-seq analysis. These cells are capable of reproducibly self-organizing into stable microvascular networks (MVNs) in a microfluidic chip, forming lumenized and functional vessels …

Availability Model To Evaluate Ai Data Centers’ Role In Grid Stability, Troy Mcsimov, Trevor S. Kunz, Jeffrey Billo

SMU Data Science Review

The United States has made it clear; it is imperative that the US wins the global AI race. This paper focuses on one of the most challenging puzzle pieces surfaced at the POWER Data Center conference (San Antonio, Sept. 30.); for Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) the limiting factor is not generation alone but the need to balance generation and load to preserve grid reliability.

The regulatory landscape fundamentally changed with the passage of Texas Senate Bill 6 in June 2025, which mandates new large loads must "contribute to the recovery of the interconnecting electric utility’s costs" (Texas Legislature, …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Cognitive Overload In Manufacturing Engineers During Online Training In An Industrial Environment, Sarah J. May

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore experiences of cognitive overload among engineers in manufacturing during digital training in industrial environments. Engineers in manufacturing manage substantial physical and cognitive demands in order to maintain safe and efficient industrial environments. In addition to these responsibilities, engineers are often expected to engage in digital training within active work settings, frequently without physical or cognitive separation from job-related tasks. A qualitative research design was employed, with data collected from 10 participants and analyzed through triangulation and thematic coding. Data collection methods included a qualitative questionnaire, individual interviews, and a letter-writing …

Three-Dimensional Printing Of The Epineurium For Peripheral Nerve Repair: A Comprehensive Review Of Novel Scaffolds For Nerve Conduits, Alynah J. Adams, Iulianna C. Taritsa, Kaavian Shariati, Aaron Dadzie, Jose A. Foppiani, Maria Jose Escobar-Domingo, Daniela Lee, Angelica Hernandez-Alvarez, Kirsten Schuster, Helen Xun

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Nerve conduits are used to bridge peripheral nerve defects caused by trauma, iatrogenic injury, or oncologic disruption. Three-dimensional (3D) biomimetic scaffolds for peripheral nerve regeneration have advanced significantly in recent years, driven by improvements in printing technology and neuronal seeding techniques. We report on published designer conduits that can recreate the epineurium, a critical yet challenging-to-manufacture feature of nerve tissue.

Methods: A medical librarian conducted a literature search for our systematic review on EMBASE, Web of Science, and PUBMED, following PRISMA guidelines, for articles from January 2010 to January 2026 for the systematic review. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed …

When Irl Is Not An Option: Social Media Bans And The Exclusion Of Autistic Youth, Melanie Gruben, Ashley Sheil, Anne Ryan Duffy, Jacob Camillleri, Michelle O'Keeffe, Hazel Murray

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

After the roll-out of the social media ban in Australia in 2025, policy makers are considering psychosocial benefits and logistical implications. However, the needs of autistic people, who may rely more on the Internet for social connection earlier in life, should be taken into account. This white paper proposes a responsibility to support alternative means of social connection for autistic young people where bans are considered, as IRL (in real life) socialising is not always accessible.

Selfhealth: Continuous Semantic Intelligence For Privacy-Aware Lifelogging, Allie Tran

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

Lifelogging — the continuous digital recording of everyday experience through wearable cameras and sensors — has long promised benefits for memory augmentation, health monitoring, and lifestyle analysis. However, current systems follow a capture–store–retrieve model that delays analysis until after data collection, limiting their practical usefulness and creating significant privacy risks through prolonged retention of sensitive raw data. This paper argues that lifelogging should instead analyse data at the moment of capture, enabling timely, context-sensitive support and safer handling of personal information through privacy-by-design. We demonstrate the feasibility of this approach through SelfHealth, an early prototype system built on a custom …

Molecular Origins Of Non-Frozen Water In Polyelectrolyte Brushes, Ali Dhinojwala, Saveen Jayaweera, Md Golam Kibria, George Mallinos

University Research

Polyelectrolyte brushes (PEBs) are promising coatings for reducing ice adhesion and regulating water freezing at interfaces, yet direct measurements of nonfrozen water retention at subzero temperatures remain scarce. Here, we investigate the freezing behavior of water confined in poly([2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium) (PMETA) brushes with chloride, iodide, and sulfate counterions using a custom-built low-temperature attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy system. Furthermore, we quantify the fraction of water that was present within the brush that does not freeze as well as the changes in polymer volume fraction within the brush as a function of temperature. Spectroscopic analysis of water vibrational modes reveals that PMETA …

Multimodal Thermal And Mechanical Characterization Of Cryopreservation Effects In Biological Cells, Subhrajyoti Sourav Kumar Kundu

LSU Master's Theses

Cryopreservation is critical for long-term storage of cells, tissues, organs, and reproductive cells in medicine, biotechnology, and conservation. However, its success is limited by ice formation and cryoinjury, prompting extensive research into analytical tools for understanding and improving cryopreservation outcomes. We outline the principles of each technique and how they are used to detect key thermal and physical events such as ice nucleation, vitrification, devitrification, and cryoinjury. DSC enables quantitative thermal characterization including critical cooling/warming rates (ranging from 1-200°C/min for various systems) and glass transition temperatures. Cryomicroscopy provides direct real time visualization of ice crystal dynamics, distinguishing intracellular versus extracellular …

Fiber Optic Polarimetric Stress Sensor Improvements, Maxwell R. Richter, Max Randall, Mark C. Harrison

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

The progression of diseases such as cancer has been correlated with tissue stiffness. For example, breast cancer tissue has been found to be stiffer than healthy mammary tissue. At present, stiffness measurement devices are not suitable for nondestructive, high-resolution measurements on small, delicate samples. We report a compact, portable, and sensitive fiber optic stress sensor that overcomes many of these limitations and is suitable for soft materials such as tissue. We demonstrate several improvements to a previous fiber stress sensor in physical hardware, software, and data analysis. We have designed and fabricated a custom enclosure to shield the sensitive setup …

Sensing Negative-Cone Rotational Diffusion Of Dipole-Like Emitters, Yuanxin Qiu, Kaizhi A. Nie, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

Fluorescence anisotropy and single-molecule orientation-localization microscopy (SMOLM) are powerful techniques that quantify the rotational diffusion of dipole-like emitters, which is important for sensing molecular interactions and chemical environments at the nanoscale. Numerous theoretical and experimental studies have thoroughly characterized single-molecule rotations even when those rotations are much faster than the detector integration time. Here, we extend the theory of measuring rotational diffusion to situations where a single dipole rotates uniformly everywhere outside of an isotropic cone of a certain size, termed a negative cone. This scenario corresponds to negative fluorescence anisotropy 𝑟 and has been observed in emitters exhibiting strong …

Pid Control For Lower Limb Exoskeletons: A Framework Evaluation, Javlonbek Rakhmatillaev, Vytautas Bučinskas

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

This research provides a detailed guideline for implementing and evaluating Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) control frameworks in lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton robotics. It examines the role of control systems within rehabilitation robotics, outlines the principles of PID control, describes exoskeleton architecture, explores applications of PID control, reviews optimization strategies, presents experimental validations, and considers future developments in the field. The proposed control framework incorporates aspects of mechanical design, actuator and sensor selection, and PID-based control algorithms, thereby promoting safe, accurate, and individualized rehabilitation support. Recommendations and effective guidance for future work are also presented.

Review Of Modern Methods For Identification, Forecasting, And Intelligent Control Of Wastewater Biological Treatment Processes, Mirkhalil Agzamovich Ismailov, Boburbek Zokirjon O'G'Li Mannobjonov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

This article presents a comprehensive review of contemporary approaches to the automation and intelligent control of wastewater biological treatment processes. Particular emphasis is placed on the digitalisation of wastewater treatment plants, ranging from the implementation of automated process control systems (APCS/SCADA-based solutions) to the application of predictive algorithms and the development of digital twins of bioreactors.

Special attention is devoted to mathematical models that underpin the control of bioprocesses. The evolution of the most widely used activated sludge models—ASM1, ASM2d, and ASM3—is examined, as these models describe key processes such as microbial community growth, nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal. It …

Co-Electrospinning Polyacrylonitrile (Pan) / Polymer Of Intrinsic Microporosity-1 (Pim-1) For Electrochemical-Based Sensor For Pyridine Detection And Absorption, Samar A. Salim

Nanotechnology Research Centre

The electrospinning of the polymer of intrinsic microporosity-1 (PIM-1) poses challenges due to its limited solubility and tendency to form bead-like structures at high concentrations. This work details the synthesis and analysis of electrospun composite fibers made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and PIM-1 for electrochemical applications. The data analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of PIM-1 into the PAN matrix. The fiber characteristics were significantly influenced by PIM-1 loading (1–10%), resulting in fiber diameters ranging from 0.8 to 1.7 μm. A 10% concentration of PIM-1 results in the formation of macropores with diameters ranging from 0.5 to 1.7 μm. Optical analysis using …

The Impact Of Human Myoblasts On Macrophage Polarization In A Coculture Model, Elisabeth Ann Stodola

Biomedical Engineering

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is characterized by the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque in the lower extremities that occludes blood flow, and affects over 200 million people worldwide. Without effective treatment, PAD can lead to claudication, ischemia, ulcers, and gangrene. PAD causes more amputations in the United States than any other condition, and for severe cases that require revascularization, procedures benefit fewer than 50% of patients. This demonstrates a clear need for alternative therapies. Potential therapies for PAD target expansion of collateral blood vessels around the area of occlusion – a process called arteriogenesis to compensate for loss of blood flow …

Design And Validation Of A Wearable Respiratory Protection System For Wildland Firefighters, Oliver Pilon

Master's Theses

Wildland and Wildland–Urban Interface firefighters are routinely exposed to hazardous smoke with fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and other toxic combustion products. Existing protective gear has significant limitations and shortcomings for these conditions. Respirators with tight-fitting facepieces make it difficult to breathe and speak. On the other hand, self-contained breathing apparatuses are too heavy, have a limited duration of use, and do not work well with long wildland fire scenes, while smaller protective equipment like N-95’s and gaiters provide very little protection. These constraints contribute to low adoption rates and prolonged occupational exposure.

This thesis presents the …

A Borophosphate Glass Doped With Cobalt Oxide Improves Skeletal Muscle Structure And Function In Myopathic Mice, Jacob A. Kendra, Alexandra G. Naman, Rebekah L. Blatt, Carla D. Zingariello, Richard K. Brow, Steven S. Segal, Aaron B. Morton

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Skeletal muscle myopathy remains a significant cause of disability with limited treatment strategies. Advancements in tissue engineering have led to the development of borophosphate bioactive glasses (BPBGs) capable of enhancing skeletal muscle structure and function. Using a mouse model of severe myopathy (D2.mdx), we investigated muscle force, regeneration, angiogenesis and inflammation at 14, 70 and 140 days post-treatment (dpt). Tibialis anterior (TA) muscles of D2.mdx mice that received a single injection of cobalt oxide-doped BPBG (CoO-TRIM) particles exhibit greater active force, myofiber size, and regeneration through 70 dpt compared to control D2.mdx mice injected with Saline. Vascular endothelial growth factor …

Sustainable Pathways For Fish Waste Oil Valorization Into Biofuel: Process Synthesis And Case Study, Hany A. Elazab, Radhi H. Alazmi, Abdelrahman El-Bagalaty, Hossam Tammam, Mahmoud El-Sayed, Mohamed Omar, Fathi Shokry, Mamdouh A. Gadalla, Fatma H. Ashour, Thokozani Majozi

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Biodiesel is a promising, sustainable alternative to fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel. Currently, biodiesel can be produced from edible plant oils and non-edible sources and wastes. Notably, fish waste oil is a sustainable resource for transesterification reactions to produce biodiesel. This research proposes a general process design methodology to investigate the potential of biodiesel production from fish waste oil as a pathway for waste-to-energy. The methodology integrates Pinch Analysis principles and process simulation to optimize the energy efficiency of a process design. Real data are collected on fish waste from fish industries in Egypt, focusing on three regions …

On Signifiable Computability: Part Iii: A Note On Unnameable Functions On Natural Numbers, Vladimir A. Kulyukin

Computer Science Faculty and Staff Publications

A writing system 𝔚 on an alphabet 𝒜 is a tuple (ℜ,𝔐), where ℜ is a finite set of text formation rules and 𝔐 is a finite rule application mechanism that generates texts on 𝒜. A natural writing system forms natural language texts on an alphabet such as Sanskrit on Devanagari. An artificial writing system generates formal language texts on an alphabet such as Lisp on Unicode. Let ℕ ={0,1,2,…} be the set of natural numbers. A function on natural numbers 𝑓 :ℕ^𝑘 ↦ ℕ, 0 < 𝑘 ∈ ℕ, is nameable by a writing system on an alphabet if, and only if, the system can generate a text on the alphabet that names f and no other function. We show that there exist functions on natural numbers unnameable in principle in that they cannot be named by any writing system on any alphabet. Our results imply the following computability-theoretic hierarchy of functions on natural numbers: computable ⊊ partially computable ⊊ nameable ⊊ 𝔉, where 𝔉 is the set of functions on ℕ.

Mechanistic Framework Of Wood Decomposition In Post-Storm Vegetative Debris Piles Using Continuous Quality Theory, Thomas T. Lee

Master's Theses

Storm events generate significant quantities of vegetative debris composed of wood, branches, twigs, and other organic materials. Efficient post-storm resource recovery and carbon accounting depend on reliable predictions of decomposition within these large, heterogeneous debris piles. While small-scale wood decay is well studied, decomposition dynamics within multi-layer debris piles remain poorly characterized, limiting municipalities' ability to estimate material longevity and resource recovery potential.

To address this gap, this study develops the WOOD_DK (Wood Organic Oxidation and DegraDation Kinetics) model, a preliminary, exploratory one-dimensional multilayer decomposition framework simulating coupled temperature, moisture, oxygen, and carbon dynamics in MATLAB. Microbial decomposition follows Continuous …

Data-Driven Non-Precipitation Echo Removal Of Nexrad Radars Based On A Random Forest Classifier Using Polarimetric Observations And Goes-16 Data, Munsung Keem, Bong Chul Seo, Witold F. Krajewski, Sangdan Kim

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Highlights: What are the main findings? A Random Forest-based model using dual-polarimetric radar features achieves >99% accuracy in classifying precipitation and non-precipitation echoes. Multi-scale spatial variability features enhance discrimination between genuine precipitation and spurious echoes. Fusion of GOES-16 infrared satellite data with NEXRAD radar effectively removes non-precipitation echoes with precipitation-like signatures, including wind turbine clutter. A CAPPI scan strategy improves near-radar precipitation detection by recovering valid echoes misclassified at the lowest elevation due to side-lobe interference and limited sampling volume. What are the implications of the main findings? The model's robustness to noise and overfitting, combined with minimal hyperparameter tuning, …

Unhsc Scm Performance Fact Sheets, Unh Stormwater Center

UNH Stormwater Center

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Existing Wwtp Using Gps-X Modelling And Simulation Software, Mohamed Hussein Hegazy, Mohamed Ibrahim Sobhy, Mohamed Nouh Meshref, Marwan Ahmed Elghonimy

Civil Engineering

Research on ways to make WasteWater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) work better is still limited. In this study, GPS-X simulation was used to predict how a WWTP behaves under different operating conditions and to suggest ideas for future improvement. GPS-X version 8.5 was applied for dynamic modelling and simulation to check the performance of the Arab Abo Saed Wastewater Treatment Plant in Helwan, Egypt. Two operating cases were studied: one with the highest water flow and the lowest pollutant levels, and another with the lowest water flow and the highest pollutant levels. Real data from two years (2022–2023) was used for …

Design And Tissue Engineering Applications Of Microporous Annealed Particle (Map) Scaffolds, Nic D. Leipzig, Oluwaseyi Shofolawe-Bakare

University Research

Microporous annealed particle (MAP) scaffolds are emerging as a facile, yet sophisticated biomaterial platform with tremendous potential for tissue regenerative applications. These scaffolds are fabricated in situ through interparticle crosslinking of microgels using a variety of covalent or non-covalent techniques and possess excellent tunability and biocompatibility. The microporous structure of MAP scaffolds allows cellular infiltration and vascularization independent of degradation rate, making them more advantageous than traditional nanoporous bulk hydrogels. Moreover, the incorporation of in situ crosslinking allows MAP scaffolds to retain the key advantages of traditional microgel-based scaffolds—such as injectability and modularity—while providing the added benefit of a fixed …

Plm-Effector: Unleashing The Potential Of Protein Language Models For Bacterial Secreted Protein Prediction, Dandan Zheng, Lihong Chen, Guansong Pang, Jian Yang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Bacterial secreted proteins, particularly effectors delivered by specialized secretion systems, are key mediators of virulence and host-pathogen interactions. However, accurate computational identification remains challenging, as many existing methods rely heavily on sequence similarity or handcrafted features, and often focus on a single secretion system. Recent studies have reported that some bacterial effectors may be associated with more than one secretion system, highlighting the complexity of secretion system annotation and motivating the development of system-aware computational prediction approaches. Here, we present PLM-Effector, a hybrid deep learning framework that integrates modern protein language models (PLMs) with multiple neural architectures via a two-layer …

Sustainabake, Kevin Kunta Swanson Ii

Electrical Engineering

This senior project outlines the development of an oven that utilizes renewable energy to operate safely and effectively. It aims to test building an oven using mostly basic hardware students acquired during their time at Cal Poly and provide a starting point for those interested in creating a solar-powered oven. As our society continues to innovate and increasingly relies on electricity, it is important to place more emphasis on how we can make our lives sustainable to take care of our environment without introducing excessive pollutants. Food preparation is a daily activity that typically involves significant energy consumption, making this …

Impact Of Femalized Kinesthetic Learning Model On African American Middle School Girls’ Career Interest, Mercy F. Fash, Andrea Ofori-Boadu

Journal of Global Education and Research

Engaging African American middle school girls in out-of-school-time (OST) Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) programs can boost interest in male-dominated AEC careers. This study adopts Lent’s Social Cognitive Career Theory to evaluate the impact of an OST feminized AEC kinesthetic learning model (fAEC-KLM) on the career interests of this demographic. Through a qualitative research approach, fourteen (14) African American middle school girls from Guilford County, NC, completed pre- and post-interviews on how fAEC-KLM interactions influenced their AEC career interests. Inductive thematic analysis was carried out on transcribed interviews. Results show that effective components, such as lectures on AEC, bridge construction …