Digital Commons Network^™

2-D Electrophoresis Modeling Of Multienzyme Cutting Of Polypeptides, Howard Mayes

Theses

2-Dimensional Electrophoresis is one of the tools in the identification of proteins by molecular weight and pH. The display of molecular weight allows the researcher to quickly identify whether a specific protein or peptide string is in the sample. The pH measurement allows even better resolution between different species in the sample. The MultiEnzyme ElectroPhoresis (MEEP) program tries to model that by providing a graph that displays separated protein strings by both molecular weight and pH. The ability to cleave the protein with 43 different enzyme variations allows the researcher to analyze appropriate enzymes to isolate a protein subsequence before …

Thickness And Morphology Analysis Of Squaraine Based Films Using Advanced Afm And Xrd., Kenny Baptiste

Theses

The thickness and morphology of squaraine based OPV’s have been explored by our group and the accuracy of their measurement is the focus of this study. The effect of thickness on these squaraine based devices still suffers from a lack of detail. This lack of understanding about the role of thickness in SQ: PCBM devices, specifically, retards optimization efforts. Before we can deduce how active layer thickness affects performance in OPV SQ: PCBM devices, data need to be generated. The determination of the thickness of the active layer and phase domain size in OPV’s is facilitated by instruments that can …

Pitch Control Of Wind Turbine Through Pid, Fuzzy And Adaptive Fuzzy-Pid Controllers, Silpa Baburajan

Theses

As the penetration of the wind energy into the electrical power grid is extensively increased, the influence of the wind turbine systems on the frequency and voltage stability becomes more and more significant. Wind turbine rotor bears different types of loads; aerodynamic loads, gravitational loads and centrifugal loads. These loads cause fatigue and vibration in blades, which cause degradation to the rotor blades. These loads can be overcome and the amount of collected power can be controlled using a good pitch controller (PC) which will tune the attack angle of a wind turbine rotor blade into or out of the …

Visualization And Analysis Of A Numerical Simulation Of Gw150914, Nicole Rosato

Theses

We present a visualization and analysis of a supercomputer simulation displaying the apparent horizons' curvature and radiation emitted from a binary black hole system modeling the LIGO observed signal GW150914. The simulation follows the system from seven orbits prior to merger down to the resultant final Kerr black hole. Apparent horizons are calculated during the simulation with mean curvature data displayed on them. Radiation data was visualized via the real part of the $\Psi_4$ component of the Weyl scalars, which were determined using a numerical quasi-Kinnersley method. We also present a comparative study of the differences in using the quasi-Kinnersley …

Re-Envisioning Kindergarten Learning Spaces In The U.S Education System, Suhina Agarwal

Theses

The thesis work aims at improving the learning environments of the Kindergarten classrooms in the United States by taking inspiration from a very simple and popular play element namely the ‘blocks’. The classroom environments and learning methods have not seen a significant change since the time of the Industrial Revolution. The essence of school education remains the same, which is expected to be a closed classroom, conventional furniture and the teacher determining the learning activities. With the changing times, as new studies on multiple styles of learning and brain functions emerge, there is a need to customize education and cater …

General Relativistic Gas Dynamics In The Central Cavity Of Binary Black Holes, Dennis B. Bowen

Theses

Supermassive binary black holes (SMBBHs) represent an excellent candidate for future combined gravitational wave and electromagnetic astrophysics, commonly referred to as multimessenger astrophysics. While much is known about the gravitational wave signal of merging BBHs, little is known about the electromagnetic emission. Modeling the electromagnetic emission coincident with gravitational waves requires simulations of SMBBHs coupled to their astrophysical environment, particularly during the late stages of inspiral and merger. These simulations necessitate a broad range of physics including general relativity, magnetohydrodynamics, and radiation physics.

In this Dissertation we present simulations of SMBBHs coupled to their astrophysical environment. We explore, for the …

Control Of Thermal Power System Using Adaptive Fuzzy Logic Control, Nastaran Naghshineh

Theses

Controlling thermal power systems increases the overall system efficiency and satisfies the desired requirements. In such a large system, fuel reduction of even a small percentage leads to large energy saving. Hence, power systems are gaining significant attention from engineers and scientists.

In this thesis, the uncontrolled power system for single area, two area, and three area is modelled using state space representation. Frequency deviation is simulated using MATLAB and SIMULINK. PID control is added to the system to analyze the effect of conventional control on system output response. Adaptive fuzzy logic control is added to the uncontrolled system using …

Vertical And Cross-Shore Distributions Of Barnacle Larvae In La Jolla, Ca Nearshore Waters: Implications For Larval Transport Processes, Malloree Lynn Hagerty

Theses

Many marine organisms begin their lives as tiny larvae that are at the mercy of ocean currents. Understanding the transport and subsequent dispersal of larvae is crucial, as it drives population connectivity in the ocean. Larval transport is a complex process involving both physical motions of the water and larval behavior. Vertical positioning is especially important because currents vary throughout the water column, and larvae at different depths will be advected differently. With swimming speeds insufficient to swim against currents, marine larvae can mediate cross-shore transport by controlling their depth distributions. Thus, the overall objective of this study was to …

Spatial And Temporal Deformation Pattern Of The Brain From Blunt Trauma, Abdus Ali

Theses

It is widely accepted that under extreme loadings the soft tissue of the brain will deform inside the skull, creating large amounts of both stress and strain on the tissue. This can result in a focal injury, or in the case of acceleration and deceleration, diffuse injuries. Any attempt at understanding the underlying mechanisms and effects of TBI, have to start by focusing on what is actually occurring within the brain. The objective of this experiment is to record differences in the spatial and temporal patterns of deformation within the brain during blunt trauma when changing impact parameters. A linear …

Matrix Completion Algorithms With Applications In Biomedicine, E-Commerce And Social Science, Yiran Wang

Theses

This thesis investigates matrix completion algorithms with applications in biomedicine, e-commerce and social science. In general, matrix completion algorithms work well for low rank matrices. Such matrices find many applications in recommender systems and social network analysis. On the other hand, biological networks often yield high rank matrices. For example, the adjacency matrix representing interactions between transcription factors and target genes in the cell is a highly sparse matrix, in which most entries correspond to absent interactions and only a few entries correspond to present interactions. This sparse matrix is a high rank or even full rank matrix. Matrix completion …

Subject And Group Level Changes And Comparison In Functional Connectivity Under Low Vs. High Cognitively Demanding Naturalistic Viewing Conditions Using Fmri, Rakibul Hafiz

Theses

Resting State fMRI is used extensively for analysing brain regions. fMRI is also used to determine task induced activations from cerebral networks. This study involves both rest and task activation data and implements statistical methods applied on Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) signals. The conventional task based designs are very specific and may not reflect day to day activities. The two task conditions in this study are watching a movie called INSCAPE with low cognitive load and segments of contextual Hollywood movies under continuous and natural conditions.

The aim is to investigate individual and group level Functional Connectivity changes between …

New Concepts For Use In Low-Energy Cardiac Defibrillation, Kayleigh Wheeler

Theses

The presence of three-dimensional rotating action potential waves, called scroll waves, in the heart causes ventricular fibrillation. Recently, there has been interest in developing low-energy methods, consisting of applying an electric field to terminate these waves, as a means of defibrillation. The success of these methods often depends on the orientation of the waves. We present computer simulations of a method that applies multiple electrical fields in a hemispherical shell system representative of the ventricles of the heart. Scroll waves in this system persist when the filament (the curve around which the wave rotates) connects the inside and outside surfaces. …

Implications Of Consumer Lifestyle Changes And Behavioral Heterogeneity On U.S. Energy Consumption And Policy, Ashok Sekar

Theses

Understanding the relationship between consumer lifestyle and energy use is essential to solving many of the energy and sustainability challenges. By studying shifts in consumer lifestyle over time and behavior heterogeneity, this dissertation provides valuable insights into understanding energy consumption trends and improving energy efficiency programs.

Technologies continue to change our daily lifestyles, influencing energy demand. In the first part of the dissertation, changes in how people spend their time (time-use) patterns are used as an indicator of lifestyle shifts. Using decomposition analysis changes in energy use due to these lifestyle shifts are measured. The results show that for an …

Predicting Underperformance From Students In Upper Level Engineering Courses, William J. Darlington

Theses

Recent research in academic analytics has focused on predicting student performance within, and sometimes across courses for the purpose of informing early interventions. While such an endeavor has obvious merit, modern contructivist learning theory expresses an importance on more individualized support for students. In keeping with this theory, this research describes the development of a model that predicts student performance within a course, relative to their past academic performance. This study is done using the minimum sources of data possible while still developing an accurate model. Useful logistic models using data from the institution’s student information system, learning management system, …

Multi-Objective Optimization Of Hospital Inpatient Bed Assignment, Brenden Hoff

Theses

Choosing which bed to assign an admitted patient to in a hospital is a complex problem. There are numerous factors to consider including the patient’s gender and isolation requirements, current bed availability, and unit configurations. This problem must be solved each time a new patient seeks admission resulting in rearrangement of already admitted patients. Each movement of an already admitted patient increases the workload for hospital staff and also increases the risk of nosocomial infections for the patient. In order to alleviate these problems we propose optimizing the patient admission process through a multi-objective model which first maximizes the overall …

Exploring Gria2 Sequence Variations Using Virtual Reality, Jimmy Fan Zhang

Theses

The effective visualization and presentation of biological data is of critical importance to research scientists. The increasing rate at which experiments generate data has only exacerbated the problem. While bioinformatics datasets continue to increase in size and complexity, the shift to adopt new user interface (UI) paradigms has historically lagged. Consequently, a major bottleneck for analysis of next-generation sequencing data is the continued use of UIs primarily inspired from the 1990’s through the early 2000’s. This paper presents the novel use of virtual reality (VR) as a medium for visualizing genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data. Using the Gria2 (GluR2 or …

Using The Opposition Effect In Remotely Sensed Data To Assist In The Retrieval Of Bulk Density, Brittany L. Ambeau

Theses

Bulk density is an important geophysical property that impacts the mobility of military vehicles and personnel. Accurate retrieval of bulk density from remotely sensed data is, therefore, needed to estimate the mobility on "off-road" terrain. For a particulate surface, the functional form of the opposition effect can provide valuable information about composition and structure. In this research, we examine the relationship between bulk density and angular width of the opposition effect for a controlled set of laboratory experiments. Given a sample with a known bulk density, we collect reflectance measurements on a spherical grid for various illumination and view geometries …

Enhanced Piezoelectric Performance Of Printed Pzt Films On Low Temperature Substrates, Jing Ouyang

Theses

Since piezoelectric effect was discovered in 1880, it has been widely used in micro-actuators, sensors, and energy harvesters. Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) is a commonly used piezoelectric material due to the high piezoelectric response. The basic PZT film fabrication process includes deposition, sintering, and poling. However, due to the high sintering temperature (> 800 °C) of PZT, only high melting point material can be served as the substrate. Otherwise, complex film transfer approach is needed to achieve flexible and foldable PZT devices. The exploration is accordingly necessary to realize direct fabrication of PZT films on low melting point substrates without …

Discovering A Domain Knowledge Representation For Image Grouping: Multimodal Data Modeling, Fusion, And Interactive Learning, Xuan Guo

Theses

In visually-oriented specialized medical domains such as dermatology and radiology, physicians explore interesting image cases from medical image repositories for comparative case studies to aid clinical diagnoses, educate medical trainees, and support medical research. However, general image classification and retrieval approaches fail in grouping medical images from the physicians' viewpoint. This is because fully-automated learning techniques cannot yet bridge the gap between image features and domain-specific content for the absence of expert knowledge. Understanding how experts get information from medical images is therefore an important research topic.

As a prior study, we conducted data elicitation experiments, where physicians were instructed …

Applying Hierarchical Contextual Parsing With Visual Density And Geometric Features To Typeset Formula Recognition, Michael Patrick Erickson Condon

Theses

We demonstrate that recognition of scanned typeset mathematical expression images can be done by extracting maximum spanning trees from line of sight graphs weighted using geometric and visual density features. The approach used is hierarchical contextual parsing (HCP): Hierarchical in terms of starting with connected components and building to the symbol level using visual, spatial, and contextual features of connected components. Once connected components have been segmented into symbols, a new set of spatial, visual, and contextual features are extracted. One set of visual features is used for symbol classification, and another for parsing. The features are used in parsing …

Hyperspectral And Hypertemporal Longwave Infrared Data Characterization, Nirmalan Jeganathan

Theses

The Army Research Lab conducted a persistent imaging experiment called the Spectral and Polarimetric Imagery Collection Experiment (SPICE) in 2012 and 2013 which focused on collecting and exploiting long wave infrared hyperspectral and polarimetric imagery. A part of this dataset was made for public release for research and development purposes. This thesis investigated the hyperspectral portion of this released dataset through data characterization and scene characterization of man-made and natural objects. First, the data were contrasted with MODerate resolution atmospheric TRANsmission (MODTRAN) results and found to be comparable. Instrument noise was characterized using an in-scene black panel, and was found …

The Effect Of Microstructure On Mechanical Properties Of Powder-Based Materials For 3-D Printing, Yuan Tian

Theses

The Thesis simulates the microstructure of powder-based materials for the Powder-bed Fusion 3D printing processes. The microstructure is created with the Random Ballistic Deposition methodology, which simulates the sedimentation of spherical particles under the influence of an external field. For the bulk of particles of the same size, the packing fraction depends on the inter-particle forces among them. In the Thesis, different contact areas between particles are created to simulate the sintering effects. The specimens of simulated microstructures of different contact areas are produced with a 3D stereolithographic printer. The printed specimens are then subjected to testing for their differences …

Measurement Of Ferroelectric Films In Mfm And Mfis Structures, Jackson D. Anderson

Theses

For many years ferroelectric memory has been used in applications requiring low power, yet mainstream adoption has been stifled due to integration and scaling issues. With the renewed interest in these devices due to the recent discovery of ferroelectricity in HfO2, it is imperative that the properties of these films are well understood. To aid that end, a ferroelectric analysis package has been developed and released on GitHub and PyPI under a creative commons non-commercial share-alike license. This package contains functions for visualization and analysis of data from polarization, leakage current, and FORC measurements as well as basic modeling capability. …

Beauty Or Love, Khorvash Khayati

Theses

Mia is a pretty girl who has attracted many men who present her with empty love only because of her beauty. The film starts with an interior of Mia’s room and then transforms into the past; her memories depict what is in an exterior, outside of her house. She’s dancing and surrounded by many guys. She meets a guy with a hat in the crowd and likes him because he doesn’t try to show off to get her attention. Men start fighting over her; during the fighting, they forget about her. She accidentally gets injured in the middle of the …

360° View Camera Based Visual Assistive Technology For Contextual Scene Information, Mazin Ali

Theses

In this research project, a system is proposed to aid the visually impaired by providing partial contextual information of the surroundings using 360° view camera combined with deep learning is proposed. The system uses a 360° view camera with a mobile device to capture surrounding scene information and provide contextual information to the user in the form of audio. The system could also be used for other applications such as logo detection which visually impaired users can use for shopping assistance.

The scene information from the spherical camera feed is classified by identifying objects that contain contextual information of the …

The Design Of A 24-Bit Hardware Gaussian Noise Generator Via The Box-Muller Method And Its Error Analysis, Lincoln Glauser

Theses

In regards to data transmission in communication systems, there is need for robust emulation of communication channels via Gaussian noise generation. Over time, larger sample sizes are desired to reach farther into the tail ends of the distribution and faster sample generation speeds are desired versus the software implementations. This paper proposes a Gaussian noise generator utilizing the Box-Muller method written in Verilog HDL targeting a 65nm ASIC process utilizing Synopsys Design Compiler. The design creates two 24-bit noise samples per clock cycle and each sample is accurate to one unit in the last place. A sample can represent up …

Better Text Detection Through Improved K-Means-Based Feature Learning, Kardo Othman Aziz

Theses

In this thesis, we propose a different technique to initialize a Convolutional K-means. We propose Visual Similarity Sampling (VSS) to collect $8\times8$ sample patches from images for convolutional feature learning. The algorithm uses within-class and between-class cosine similarity/dissimilarity measure to collect samples from both foreground and background. Thus. VSS uses local frequency of shapes within a character patch and uses it as probability distribution to select them. Also, we show how that initializing Convolutional K-means from samples with high between-class and within-class similarity produce discriminative codebook. We test the codebook to detect text in the natural scene. We show that …

Hyperspectral Spectroscopy For Detection Of Charcoal Rot (Macrophomina Phaseolina) Toxin Effect On Soybean (Glycine Max) Seedlings, Ameer H.A. Al-Ahmadi

Theses

The objective of this study was to test the potential of using hyperspectral spectroscopy to detect the effect of the charcoal rot (Macrophomina phaseolina) toxin in soybean (Glycine max) seedlings and to discover the most sensitive spectral range to that effect. This study consists of two experiments. The first experiment used one cultivar of soybeans called “Pharaoh” with two levels of treatment (control and toxin-treated). Hyperspectral data were collected during five measurement events. Four analytical methods were used including one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Jeffries Matusita distance (JM distance), principal component analysis (PCA), and spectral angle mapper (SAM). The ANOVA …

Approximation Of Continuously Distributed Delay Differential Equations, Roshini Samanthi Gallage

Theses

We establish a theorem on the approximation of the solutions of delay differential equations with continuously distributed delay with solutions of delay differential equations with discrete delays. We present numerical simulations of the trajectories of discrete delay differential equations and the dependence of their behavior for various delay amounts. We further simulate continuously distributed delays by considering discrete approximation of the continuous distribution.

Understanding High Resolution Aerial Imagery Using Computer Vision Techniques, Fan Wang

Theses

Computer vision can make important contributions to the analysis of remote sensing satellite or aerial imagery. However, the resolution of early satellite imagery was not sufficient to provide useful spatial features. The situation is changing with the advent of very-high-spatial-resolution (VHR) imaging sensors. This change makes it possible to use computer vision techniques to perform analysis of man-made structures. Meanwhile, the development of multi-view imaging techniques allows the generation of accurate point clouds as ancillary knowledge.

This dissertation aims at developing computer vision and machine learning algorithms for high resolution aerial imagery analysis in the context of application problems including …