Digital Commons Network^™

Individual Differences In Music-Evoked Autobiographical Memories, Kelly Jakubowski, Edith Lee, Elena Bai, Amy M. Belfi

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Music is increasingly used as a cue for autobiographical memories in psychological research and clinical interventions. Despite the burgeoning body of evidence on the phenomenology of music-evoked autobiographical memories (MEAMs), few previous studies have focused in detail on how the capacities and experiences of individual listeners impact features of MEAMs. The present work examined the relationship of individual differences in visual and auditory imagery, musical familiarity and engagement, musical reward sensitivity, musical training, and gender to MEAM features. Participants (N = 304, ages 18–25 years, 156 female) completed a self-selected MEAM task, in which they described an autobiographical memory they …

Hoodies In The Halls Of Power: A Rhetorical Materialist Critique Of Professional Decorum In The United States Senate, Ryan Cheek, Samuel T. Allen

English and Technical Communication Faculty Research & Creative Works

This brief paper explores the controversy surrounding Senator John Fetterman's sartorial choices of casual attire in the hyper-professionalized space of the United States Senate. Fetterman's clothing choices transcend mere fashion; they embody a statement of class identity and challenge the established power dynamics within the Senate. His attire reflects Pittsburgh's industrial and labor-oriented history, in contrast to the conventional, affluent image most associated with politicians. Although controversial, Fetterman's white male privilege minimized the consequences of his indecorous behavior. The reactions to Fetterman's attire highlight the debate over what constitutes appropriate professional decorum, unveiling the underlying biases and demonstrating how something …

Enhancing Pricing Practices Of Subcontractors: A Comparative Analysis Using Simulation Modeling, Muaz O. Ahmed, Islam H. El-Adaway, Kalyn T. Coatney

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The construction industry often relies on subcontracting, where subcontractors bid for portions of a project before general contractors bid for the entire project in a process referred to as multi-stage bidding (MSG). MSG can be complex, and winning bidders may be burdened with underestimating their bids and encountering the winner's curse. Despite various studies investigating this issue, further research is necessary to examine bidding strategies for subcontractors. This paper addresses this research need by exploring and comparing how bidding strategies based on reinforcement learning and game theory could aid subcontractors in mitigating the winner's curse in MSG. The authors used …

Fabrication And Analysis Of A Gas Sensor Utilizing A Fabry-Perot Interferometer With Varied Thicknesses Of Zif-8 Coating On End-Faced Single-Mode Optical Fiber, Nahideh Salehifar, Rex E. Gerald, Jie Huang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This research investigates the potential of integrating optical fiber and sensitive thin film coating materials to develop diverse chemical sensing platforms. We utilized a layer-by-layer synthesis technique, along with specific pre- post treatment methods, to create highly effective nonporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), specifically ZIF-8, ranging from the nanometer scale to the micrometer scale (800 nm to 110 μm). Additionally, we successfully cultivated ZIF-8 on both sides of a single-mode fiber (SMF) with thicknesses of 25 μm and 50 μm. In a separate experiment, we successfully grew ZIF-8 on one side of an optical fiber, achieving a thickness of 10 μm. …

A Compact And High-Efficiency Antenna Design For Tire Pressure Monitoring System Applications, Lei Deng, Lidong Chi, Francesco De Paulis, Yihong Qi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This article proposes a novel design for a compact antenna that exhibits high efficiency and low interference and is suitable for tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMSs) based on Bluetooth communication interface at 2.4 GHz. Tires constitute a dissipative environment, where the efficiency of the TPMS is affected by both antenna losses and losses from the tire parts, both conductive and dielectric. This article conducts an analysis and simulation of the electromagnetic (EM) environment of the tire and identifies the optimal polarization and placement position for the TPMS antenna to minimize resonance losses of EM waves within the tire, enhance lateral …

Modified Thermographic Signal-To-Noise Ratio For Active Microwave Thermography, Logan M. Wilcox, Kristen M. Donnell

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Active microwave thermography (AMT) is an active thermographic nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) technique that utilizes an active electromagnetic-based excitation. This excitation is achieved through a radiating antenna and is spatially nonuniform in nature. As such, the electromagnetically-induced heat is also spatially nonuniform, as it is directly related to the radiated power density incident on the specimen under test (SUT). After excitation, infrared measurements on the surface of the SUT are completed using an infrared camera. Common post processing techniques including thermal contrast (TC) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are often applied to these measured results. As these post processing techniques …

How To Frame The Frame Of Reference: A Comparison Of Contextualization Methods, Ann E. Schlotzhauer, Matthew A. Ng, Shiyang Su

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Personality measures are popular and useful in employment selection and academic contexts; however, concerns have been voiced regarding the strength of their association with desirable criteria. Contextualization (i.e., modifying measures to reflect the desired frame of reference, like work or school) has emerged as a promising option. Research has demonstrated that contextualizing personality measures increases predictive validity and enhances participants' perceptions of the assessments. However, few studies have compared contextualization methods to one another and, to date, only one study has compared the two most common forms of contextualization (i.e., instruction and tag contextualization), returning inconsistent findings. In a within-person, …

Optimal Tilt-Wing Evtol Takeoff Trajectory Prediction Using Regression Generative Adversarial Networks, Shuan Tai Yeh, Xiaosong Du

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have attracted tremendous attention nowadays due to their flexible maneuverability, precise control, cost efficiency, and low noise. The optimal takeoff trajectory design is a key component of cost-effective and passenger-friendly eVTOL systems. However, conventional design optimization is typically computationally prohibitive due to the adoption of high-fidelity simulation models in an iterative manner. Machine learning (ML) allows rapid decision making; however, new ML surrogate modeling architectures and strategies are still desired to address large-scale problems. Therefore, we showcase a novel regression generative adversarial network (regGAN) surrogate for fast interactive optimal takeoff trajectory predictions of …

Survey Of Hidden Markov Models (Hmms) For Sign Language Recognition (Slr), Iwan Sandjaja, Ahmad Alsharoa, Donald Wunsch, Jian Liu

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper surveyed several significant papers on specific topics applying the Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) for Sign Language Recognition (SLR), divided into five main episodes: Classical HMMs, Extended HMMs, HMMs and Machine Learning, HMMs and Sensor Fusion, and HMMs and Big Data. This stringent survey would contribute significantly to advanced research on unification brain models such as neural networks, adaptive resonance theory, and confabulation theory. First, the HMM was introduced as one of the popular methods of performing SLR, and each episode of its development was expounded. In each episode, a main paper and several supporting papers were summarized. Next, …

Musical Reward In Young Children, Haley E. Kragness, Kendra Mehl, Amy M. Belfi

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Musical pleasure stems from an interplay of social, emotional, and cognitive factors. In adults, there are large individual differences in musical reward, with some individuals (deemed "hyperhedonic" to music) reporting very high reward and others (deemed "anhedonic" to music) reporting very low reward. Musical anhedonia is, therefore, a selective lack of pleasure in response to music, defined by self-reported low musical reward in the absence of generalized anhedonia. While this phenomenon has been investigated in adults in recent years, little is known about musical anhedonia or musical reward more generally in children. To address this, we investigated parents' perceptions of …

Uncertainty Quantification For Peec Based On Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Network, Yuan Ping, Yanming Zhang, Lijun Jiang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This article proposes a modified generative adversarial network (GAN)-based approach, namely Wasserstein GAN (WGAN), for the uncertainty quantification (UQ) in partial equivalent element circuit (PEEC) models. Initially, the stochastic PEEC is constructed to obtain the sample data of the quantities of interest (QoI). This sample data, along with the fake data from the generator, serves as input for the discriminator in WGAN. The loss function of the generator in WGAN is constructed using the Wasserstein distance to provide a more usable gradient than that in the traditional GAN. By estimating the distribution of sample data using the fake data in …

Adaptive Critic Optimal Control Of An Uncertain Robot Manipulator With Applications, Ravi Prakash, Laxmidhar Behera, Sarangapani Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Realistic manipulation tasks involve a prolonged sequence of motor skills in varying control environments consisting of uncertain robot dynamic models and end-effector payloads. To address these challenges, this article proposes an adaptive critic (AC)-based basis function neural network (BFNN) optimal controller. Using a single neural network (NN) with a basis function, the proposed optimal controller simultaneously learns task-related optimal cost function, robot internal dynamics, and optimal control law. This is achieved through the development of a novel BFNN tuning law using closed-loop system stability. Therefore, the proposed optimal controller provides real-time, implementable, cost-effective control solutions for practical robotic tasks. The …

Modelling Weave Effect In Pcbs Using 2d Cross-Sectional Analysis, Victor Khilkevich, Scott Hinaga

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Printed circuit board dielectric substrates are composite materials produced by embedding fiber glass fabrics into epoxy resin. Because of this the medium in the PCB transmission lines is inhomogeneous which often leads to degradation of the signal integrity performance of the lines, particularly due to the differential skew. The detrimental effect of the fiber weave can be modeled relatively accurately using full-wave analysis, but at a high computational cost. Alternative modelling techniques are less demanding but often lack accuracy. This article investigates a possibility of using the 2D cross-sectional analysis for the fiber weave effect modeling, which considerably decreases the …

Towards Explainability Of Dimension Reduction Plots Of Unsupervised Learning Model Outcomes, Tony E.Astuhuaman Davila, Daniel B. Hier, Tayo Obafemi-Ajayi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Dimension reduction methods are used to visualize the output of unsupervised learning models when applied to complex data. These techniques improve interpretability by transforming a high-dimension space to a lower-dimension space (usually 2D or 3D). The results are typically viewed as 2D scatter plots, and class centroids may be added to increase interpretability. Although useful, the relationship of these class centroids to the underlying feature space remains opaque. The innovative aspect of this work is to create a strong link between the dimension-reduced space and the underlying high-dimension feature space by adding selected feature centroids to the 2D scatter plots. …

Statistical Analysis Of Electromagnetic Coupling To Printed Circuit Boards, Shengxuan Xia, Victor Khilkevich, Daryl Beetner

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Determining electromagnetic (EM) coupling to printed circuit boards (PCBs) is essential to finding potential EM susceptibilities early in the design process. For realistic PCB structures, analysis usually relies heavily on time-consuming full-wave simulations because of the complexity of the geometries and the lack of analytical solutions. In this paper, we adopt a segmentation approach based on far-field reciprocity which allows for rapid estimation of the voltage induced at trace terminations over frequency, and which is then used to estimate statistical characteristic of coupling across trace geometries. Frequency-domain results can then be used to estimate time-domain responses with appropriate transformations. Super-position …

Towards A Concurrency Platform For Scalable Multi-Axial Real-Time Hybrid Simulation, Marion Sudvarg, Oren Bell, Tyler Martin, Benjamin Standaert, Tao Zhang, Sun Beom Kwon, Chris Gill, Arun Prakash

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Multi-axial real-time hybrid simulation (maRTHS) uses multiple hydraulic actuators to apply loads and deform experimental substructures, enacting both translational and rotational motion. This allows for an increased level of realism in seismic testing. However, this also demands the implementation of multiple-input, multiple-output control strategies with complex nonlinear behaviors. To realize true real-time hybrid simulation at the necessary sub-millisecond timescales, computational platforms will need to support these complexities at scale, while still providing deadline assurance. This paper presents initial work towards supporting (and is influenced by the need for) envisioned larger-scale future experiments based on the current maRTHS benchmark: it discusses …

Exploring The Root Factors Impacting Work Zone Accidents: A Mixed-Methods Study, Bahaa Chammout, Muaz O. Ahmed, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Work Zones Are Vital For Improving Infrastructural Utilities Yet Pose Significant Dangers For Workers And Drivers Who Are Often Unfamiliar With These Areas. Prior Research Examined Various Aspects Of Work Zone Accident Causation; However, The Interrelationships And Critical Combinations Among The Contributing Factors Have Not Been Fully Analyzed. This Study Aims To Identify The Underlying Factors Contributing To Work Zone Accidents And Evaluate The Different Combinations Among Them. To This Purpose, Accident Factors Were Derived From A Total Of 133 Research Articles Addressing Work Zone Safety. Social Network Analysis (SNA) And Clustering Were Used To Comprehensively Model The Identified Factors. …

Contextualizing Renewable Energy Adoption: An Examination Of The Role Of Community Choice Aggregation, Ankit Agarwal

Doctoral Dissertations

"The rapid expansion of renewable energy generation in the U.S., both through distributed and utility-scale facilities, is largely driven by top-down policy measures and the growing engagement of residential consumers on both individual and community levels. Previous studies on motives behind residential renewable energy adoption have examined procurement options in isolation and within a static context, primarily focused on intrinsic attributes like economic incentives, emission reductions, and peer popularity. This research introduces a novel context, assessing renewable procurement options in the presence of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), a more prevalent and accessible alternative. This dissertation makes four pivotal contributions, offering …

Non-Linearity Modeling And Quantifications For Practical Rf Interference Control, Shengxuan Xia

Doctoral Dissertations

"Radio frequency (RF) interference can degrade the receiving sensitivity of antennas (desense problem). It is essential to model the nonlinearity as it is the root-cause of the unwanted frequency components. Understanding the electromagnetic (EM) coupling or radiated emissions is also important.

Nonlinearity causes modulation-involved desense problems, and it consists of two categories: upconvertion of the baseband noise by the transmitting (TX) signal, and the passive intermodulation (PIM) of the transmitting signal itself. The upconvertion caused desense can be modeled and analyzed with the dipole-moment based coupling framework. PIM has been identified as another nonlinear distortion mechanism, specifically in the metallic …

Applications Of Computational Intelligence And Data Fusion Techniques For Biomedical Images, Anand Krishnadas Nambisan

Doctoral Dissertations

"The realm of melanoma diagnosis has been significantly advanced by deep learning (DL) techniques, yet the current approaches are not without limitations, including missed diagnoses and the challenge of interpreting these "black box" models. The research is comprised of three studies, each contributing uniquely towards advancing melanoma detection accuracy and interpretability. The first study focuses on improving the detection of specific dermoscopic structures through a deep learning-based segmentation approach, while the second study builds upon this by employing a fusion technique that combines traditional image features with advanced deep learning models. This method significantly improves melanoma detection, particularly in recall …

Lithospheric Drip And Mantle Thermal Upwelling Beneath Central Asia And The Southern Great Plains Of North America: Evidence From Receiver Function Imaging, Yangyang Liao

Doctoral Dissertations

"Investigating the depth of mantle transition zone (MTZ) discontinuities provides insights into mantle dynamics, including regional-scale downwelling of mantle lithosphere (i.e., lithospheric drip) and upwelling of thermal materials (i.e., mantle plume). In our study, we employ receiver functions to image the 410 km (d410) and 660 km (d660) mantle discontinuities and to ascertain thickness of the MTZ beneath Central Asia and the Great Plains in United States. The findings unveil a significantly thickened transition zone, exhibiting an average thickness of 284 km beneath East Sayan. When considered alongside geochemical observations, our results indicate that the descent of the lithosphere is …

Processing-Microstructure-Properties Relationships In Additively Manufactured Zrb2-Sic Ceramics, Marharyta Lakusta

Doctoral Dissertations

"The study explores the pressure less sintering (PS) and chemical compatibility of ZrB₂-30 vol.%SiC produced by additive manufacturing (AM) with CO₂. The oxidation kinetics and scale microstructures were compared for ZrB₂-SiC made by hot pressing (HP) and by AM coupled with PS. All specimens exhibited parabolic oxidation kinetics. The difference in oxidation behavior becomes evident at temperatures of 1100-1400°C (200-900h). Oxidation rates increased as grain size increased. Similar oxide scale morphologies were observed in both CO₂ and air, with an outer borosilicate layer and an inner porous ZrO₂ layer containing partially oxidized …

High Viscosity Friction Reducer Evaluation At High Temperature And High Tds Environments, Ghith Ali Ahmed Biheri

Doctoral Dissertations

"In unconventional reservoirs, proppant transport during hydraulic fracturing treatments could be successful when the proppant is placed further within the reservoir's fracture networks. This could increase the reservoir formation conductivities and improve the productivity of the wells. This job of improving the reservoir conductivity by distributing and transporting proppant can be conducted by reliable fracture fluids with excellent fluid rheology (e.g., viscosity and elasticity). However, several challenges, including the high temperatures and the presence of high TDS in produced water, may limit the capability of fracture fluids to transport proppant. Additionally, the use of fracture fluid has raised fears regarding …

Liposomes-Encapsulating Double-Stranded Nucleic Acid (Poly I:C) For Head And Neck Cancer Treatment, Vidit Singh, Anna Chernatynskaya, Lin Qi, Hsin Yin Chuang, Tristan Cole, Vimalin Mani Jeyalatha, Lavanya Bhargava, W. Andrew Yeudall, Laszlo Farkas, Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Polyriboinosinic acid-polyribocytidylic acid (Poly I:C) serves as a synthetic mimic of viral double-stranded dsRNA, capable of inducing apoptosis in numerous cancer cells. Despite its potential, therapeutic benefits, the application of Poly I:C has been hindered by concerns regarding toxicity, stability, enzymatic degradation, and undue immune stimulation, leading to autoimmune disorders. To address these challenges, encapsulation of antitumor drugs within delivery systems such as cationic liposomes is often employed to enhance their efficacy while minimizing dosages. In this study, we investigated the potential of cationic liposomes to deliver Poly I:C into the Head and Neck 12 (HN12) cell line to induce …

Novel Modified Polyethersulfone High Temperature And Low Humidity Fuel Cell Membrane: Experimental And Simulation Study, Mohammed K. Al Mesfer, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan, Mohd Danish, Mumtaj Shah

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Present Study Focuses on Synthesizing a High-Temperature Stable Membrane Working under Low Relative Humidity (RH) by Aminating the Traditional Polyethersulfone Polymer with Aniline for Fuel Cell Applications. a Condensed-Phase Optimized Molecular Potentials for Atomistic Simulation Studies Force Field-Based Molecular Dynamics Simulation Was Used to Explore the Microscopic Properties and Transport of Water and Hydronium (H3O+) Ions Across the Electrolyte at Varied Temperatures and RHs. COMSOL Calculates Oxygen and Hydrogen Concentrations after Examining the Polymer–ion Interaction with the Radial Distribution Function (RDF). the High H3O+ Diffusion Coefficient of the Aniline-Treated Membrane Shows the Benefit of the Modification. the RDF Confirmed …

Robust Triso-Fueled Pebble Identification By Digit Recognition, Roshan Kenia, Jihane Mendil, Ahmed Jasim, Muthanna Al-Dahhan, Zhaozheng Yin

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nuclear Power Plays a Vital Role in Providing Reliable and Clean Energy to Fulfill Increasing Demands in Electricity Worldwide. It Continues to Be an Essential Source of National Power Supply as Growing Concerns About Fossil Fuel Depletion, Global Warming, and Emissions Require Utilizing Sustainable Energy Sources. One Area Contributing to the Growth of Nuclear Power is the Development of Reactors that Have Enhanced Protection and Security, Thermal Efficiency, and Design. Reactor Efficiency Can Be Studied by the Burnup that Occurs When a TRISO-Fueled Pebble is Inserted into the Nuclear Core and Subsequently Removed. the Levels of Burnup Are Measured based …

Thermal Decomposition And Kinetic Parameters Of Three Biomass Feedstocks For The Performance Of The Gasification Process Using A Thermogravimetric Analyzer, Rania Almusafir, Joseph D. Smith

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is a powerful technique and useful method for characterizing biomass as a non-conventional fuel. A TGA apparatus has been utilized to experimentally investigate the impact of biomass feedstock diversity on the performance of the gasification of hardwood (HW), softwood (SW) pellets, and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) materials. The solid conversion rate and the volatile species formation rate have been estimated to quantify the rates of devolatilization for each material. In addition, the combustion kinetic characteristics of the three biomass feedstocks were investigated using TGA at different heating rates, and a thermal kinetic analysis was conducted to describe the …

Injectable Dendrimer Hydrogel Delivers Melphalan In Both Conjugated And Free Forms For Retinoblastoma, Remy C. Cooper, Juan Wang, Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We report the successful synthesis of an injectable dendrimer hydrogel (DH) carrying melphalan, a clinical drug for retinoblastoma treatment, in both conjugated and free forms. Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer generation 5 (G5) is surface-modified with an acid-sensitive acetal-dibenzocyclooctyne linker and then undergoes azide-alkyne cycloaddition with melphalan-PEG-N3 conjugate to form G5-acetal-melphalan. During the DH gelation between G5-acetal-melphalan and PEG-diacrylate, free melphalan is added, resulting in a hydrogel (G5-acetal-melphalan-DH/melphalan) that carries the drug in both conjugated and free forms. Melphalan is slowly released from G5-acetal-melphalan-DH/melphalan, with the conjugated melphalan released more quickly at pH 5.3 due to acid-triggered acetal bond cleavage. The formulation's …

Thermal Management Of Adsorption-Based Biogas Upgrading Systems Via Incorporation Of Phase-Change Materials, Kyle Newport, Khaled Baamran, Ali A. Rownaghi, Fateme Rezaei

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Thermal management of adsorption columns is necessary to maintain their effectiveness while reducing the energy requirements of the overall separation process. In this work, we aimed at investigating the suitability of blending adsorbents with phase-change materials (PCMs) to adjust the thermal profile of a biogas upgrading column. A commercially available PCM (Nextek 28D) in quantities of 10, 20, and 30 wt. % was blended with zeolite 13X in two configurations, namely, traditional pellets and 3D-printed monoliths. The use of different structures allows for better analysis of thermal profiles and assessment of the effectiveness of the PCM in a packed bed …

Integrated Downhole-Measurement-Enabled Coiled Tubing And Mechanical Wireline Recovery Of E-Line Cable In A Live, Sour Gas Well, C. Villagrana, A. Abouganem, A. M. Afsal, M. Al-Dahhan, J. Delaune, W. R. Tapia, M. Amri

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study details a complex wire recovery operation in a live well that involved transitioning from coiled tubing (CT) to mechanical wireline (MWL), in both slickline [MA1] or braided line, to retrieve the wire in good condition and later hand it over to an electrical wireline (e-line) unit to spool it onto a drum. the operation was carried out on a live, sour gas well, demanding a unique setup and emphasizing safety. Two successful recovery operations removed a significant amount of e-line left in the well plus the upper section of the e-line bottomhole assembly (BHA) while safely pushing the …