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Assessment Of Human Muscle Fatigue From Surface Emg Signals Recorded During Isometric Voluntary Contractions By Using A Cosine Modulated Filter Bank, Cristhian Mauricio Potes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Human muscle fatigue involves both a decrease in the frequency and increase in the amplitude of a surface electromyographic (EMG) signal. Muscle fatigue is also related to a decrease of the force impeding to reach the same initial level of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). To determine muscle fatigue indices, a method is proposed by decomposing a surface EMG signal into 32-subbands. This decomposition was attained by using a cosine modulated filter bank. The

surface EMG signals analyzed during this research were recorded during isometric voluntary contractions. Both the instantaneous mean frequency (IMF) and the instantaneous amplitude (IA) are estimated …

Zinc Telluride Deposition Using Close Space Sublimation, Luis Carlos Romo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents the optimization process of the close space sublimation (CSS) technique to deposit zinc telluride (ZnTe) on thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells. Previous research has demonstrated that creating a heavily doped ZnTe intermediate layer between the absorber-CdTe and the back contacts produces low-resistive CdTe contacts that overcome the Schottky barrier created at the interface of a metal and a semiconductor [11]. ZnTe interlayer forms a tunnel barrier at the contact interface so the positive charges created at the p-CdTe/n-cadmium sulfide (CdS) junction can be easily collected at the back contact maximizing the current collection process. However, ZnTe …

Introducing Hands-On Simulation Activities In Introduction To Engineering & Engineering Technology Class To Keep Students Engaged, Alok Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Low enrollment and high attrition rates have often plagued Engineering and Engineering Technology programs. Part of this problem can be attributed to the lack of engaging hands-on activities during the first year of instruction. Most engineering and technology programs require students to take natural science, math and some general education courses during the first two years with minimal technical content. To maintain student's interest in the technical career path, it is important that students establish a link between the theoretical knowledge and its application to solve real life problems early in their learning experience. Simulation based activities have a proven …

Applying Six Sigma Methodology To The Admissions Process In Higher Education, Alok Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Time and quality are two important metrics for improving a company's production and profit performance. Six Sigma is one of the most powerful continuous improvement tools that have been used to improve the quality of products and business processes. Six Sigma methodology provides the techniques and tools to improve the capability and reduce the number of defects in any process. It was originally developed by Motorola to systematically improve processes by eliminating defects. Although, originally developed for manufacturing processes, the tool has been effectively applied to improve business processes also. Evaluation of applications for admission in higher education is often …

Design And Develop A Cost Effective Microcontroller Training System For Distance Learning Engineering Students, Steve Hsiung, John Ritz, James Eiland

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

This is the review of a NSF funded project that addresses the hands-on distance learning needs in microprocessor/microcontroller related courses. A research team designed a low cost training system with supporting instructional materials to assist the teaching of these concepts. Individual laboratory activities are being developed to reinforce student learning and skill development in programming concepts. This basic system format eventually will support an array of technology courses. This project involves two community colleges, Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC), VA and Olympic College (OC), WA, and a four-year university, Old Dominion University (ODU), VA, in a collaborative research team to …

An Integrated Simulation Design With Three-Dimensional Motions And A Hydraulic Stewart Simulator, Cheng Lin, Gene Hou, Yuzhong Shen, Hector Garcia

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

This paper presents an integrated design process and tests of a Stewart simulator with a virtual visualization tool, which uses Virtools to create and generate three-dimensional motions. An inverse kinematic algorithm is written to convert each visualized motion to the displacements of six cylinders in a Stewart motion simulator. Information of the displacements is then transferred through the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) to a personal computer which has the LabVIEW software. An NI USB-6251 data acquisition device is applied to interact with the LabVIEW program and the Stewart hydraulic simulator. The approach presented in this paper to function an old …

Lead Concentration Of Soils In Sorby Hills Area Of Proposed M2 Irrigation Area, East Kimberley, Edward (Ted) Arnold Griffin, Noel R. Schoknecht, Ross Brennan, Jane Speijers, Dave Allen, Mike Freeman

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Micromachined Nanoporous Membranes For Blood Oxygenation Systems, Vijayakrishnan Ambravaneswaran, Susheil Uttamaraj, Zeynep Çelik-Butler, Robert C. Eberhart, Charles J. Chuong, Richard E. Billo, Michael A. Savitt

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nanostructured membranes with precisely engineered nanopores were fabricated on a thin silicon nitride membrane, using a combination of bulk micromachining and focused-ion-beam drilling. These membranes are designed to preserve microscale blood channel dimensions, thereby permitting the red cell shape change that enhances gas exchange in the pulmonary capillary. The membranes were tested for their mechanical stability and the results were verified with finite element analysis. Initial studies have proven the membranes to be robust, and capable of withstanding pressures typically experienced in blood oxygenator channels. A novel MEMS-based blood oxygenation system employing the nanoporous membranes is also presented. The oxygenation …

No-Cost, Low-Cost Home Energy-Saving Tips, Carl Pedersen, Kenneth Hellevang

AE Series – Agricultural Engineering/ABEN

No abstract provided.

Insulation And Air Infiltration Levels Using An Infrared Thermometer, Carl Pedersen, Kenneth Hellevang

AE Series – Agricultural Engineering/ABEN

No abstract provided.

Other Hispanic An Analysis Of Nyc Honduran Political Participation., Maximo Geraldo Martinez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Studies conducted on Latino immigrants and political participation primarily focuses on their large population groups such as Puerto Ricans, Cubans and Mexicans. However, this study centers on Central American Hondurans, also a group with substantial populations in U.S. cities. The theoretical idea central in examining this query is that U.S. Honduran political participation is related to their ethnic identity, association with churches in their U.S. communities, the extent of financial ties, and political participation (experiences) in their country of origin. This study will also add to the understanding of differences evident in U.S. Latino political participation. Uncovering differences of this …

An In Vivo Examination Of The Pulmonary Toxicity Of Ultrafine And Fine Carbon Black And Titanium Dioxide: Defining The Role Of Particle Surface Area., Tina Marie Sager

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to test this hypothesis examining the in vivo effects of ultrafine and fine particles on certain parameters of pulmonary damage and inflammation in the rat model. To do this each treatment group received a dosage based on mass particles. This dosage was then expressed as surface area of the particles (instead of mass) to determine if surface area rather than mass is the more appropriate metric of dose for pulmonary toxicity studies. To assess inflammation, BAL was conducted harvested and PMNs were counted as an indicator of pulmonary inflammation. LDH activity was also measured …

Mutagenic Potential Of Particulate Matter Emissions From A Single Cylinder Hydrogen-Fueled Engine: Lubricating Oil Effects., Jacinto L. Solano

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Interest in alternative fuels is rapidly growing due to environmental concerns. One alternative is hydrogen, which has the potential to replace conventional fuels such as gasoline and diesel in internal combustion engines. However, a key enabling factor for hydrogen to be become a viable alternative is the development of lubricating oils specifically formulated for hydrogen-fueled engines. Published data on particulate emissions (PM) from gaseous fueled engines has implicated lubricating oils as major contributors to total mass, though negligible, and the number count of PM emissions. Unlike conventional liquid petroleum-based fuels, which have been shown to be highly mutagenic, there exists …

A Mechanistic And Modeling Study Of Recycled And Virgin Flame Retarded Polycarbonate., David Lee Statler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Plastic waste from electrical and electronic equipment is an increasing problem. Consequently, it is desirable to separate and recycle these plastics, especially high-value plastics, such as polycarbonate (PC). One of the concerns is enhancing the PC flame-retardant (FR) properties so it can be reused in equipment housings. Using data on potassium diphenylsulfone sulfonate (KSS), it is shown that the flame retardancy of recycled PC can be enhanced. One major advantage of KSS is that it is non-halogenated, playing an important role as the government eliminates potentially unhealthy halogenated FRs. In this study, a PC containing KSS and one containing a …

2007-2008 Ndsu Information Technology Division Annual Report

IT Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Race, Civil Rights, And Hate Speech In The Digital Era, Jessie Daniels

Publications and Research

The emergence of the digital era has had unintended consequences for race, civil rights, and hate speech.This chapter looks at the prevalence of both overtly racist sites, such as Stormfront, and at "cloaked" sites, that purport to advocate civil rights but disguise a racist agenda.

Three Essays On Development In Specialized Economies: The Resource Curse In U.S. States And Small Island Economies., Leslie J. Dunn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation is a collection of papers examining the political, social and economic consequences of specialized economies. The first chapter introduces the concept and potential impacts of an economy choosing to focus on one specific industry, either out of desire or necessity, in their quest for development. The two industries considered in this study are the natural resource sector and the external sector, which includes such industries as tourism. Chapter two explores the connection between rent seeking and resource intensity in U.S. states. A theoretical model is developed relating the immobility of a state’s dominant industry to the tax rate …

"Keep America American": Great Depression, Government Intervention, And Conservative Response In Somerset County, Pennsylvania, 1920s - 1940., Jennifer Ann Egolf

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study of one rural county in western Pennsylvania during the Great Depression highlights people’s response to government recovery programs. Rural folks in Somerset County experienced the depression before the crash in 1929, and throughout the 1920s, miners and farmers in the area found ways to cope with rising unemployment and declining farm prices. Miners used the strike to fight for better conditions; farmers organized into cooperatives to secure the best prices for their products. Each promulgated a set of values that reflected their vision of America. The 1920s was only a prelude to the economic downturn in the 1930s, …

Methods Of Evaluation Of Teaching Quality In English Departments In Baccalaureate Liberal Arts Colleges: What Helps Instructors Improve Their Teaching., George Fulda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study was conducted because limited research has been conducted in the specific use of formative evaluations in higher education and how it helps instructors improve their teaching. Additionally, this study examined the relationship between formative evaluation and faculty development. A mixed-method approach was used to discover the methods of formative evaluation used in English Departments in Baccalaureate Liberal Arts Colleges. A web survey determined revealed these methods in use. From the responding institutions, faculty from three case-study institutions reflecting best practices participated in interviews and document analysis to determine: what dimensions of teaching are evaluated through different methods, how …

Characterization Of Changes In Muscle Performance In Vivo During A Chronic Exposure Of Stretch-Shortening Cycles: Age Effects., Kenneth B. Geronilla

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research was to investigate the skeletal muscle response to a chronic administration of stretch-shortening cycles (SSCs) in young and old rats. Dorsiflexor muscles of old and young rats were exposed 3 times per week for 4.5 weeks to a protocol of 80 maximal stretch-shortening cycles per exposure in vivo. Skeletal muscle response was characterized by force and work parameters of the stretch-shortening contraction at each exposure interval. The performance of the young and old groups was not statistically different at the start of the exposure, but increased significantly by 25%-30% in the young animals and decreased …

Law, Environmental Dynamism, Reliability: The Rise And Fall Of Calfed, Dave Owen

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Doctrines Without Borders: The New Israeli Exclusionary Rule And The Challenges Of Legal Transplantation, Binyamin Blum

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Navigate Your Way Through A Sea Of Data, Korin S. Gath

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

No abstract provided.

Tracer Tests In Karst Hydrogeology And Speleology, Nico Goldscheider, Joe Meiman, Michiel Pronk, Christopher Smart

International Journal of Speleology

This article presents an introduction to the fundamentals of tracing techniques and their application in cave and karst environments, illustrated by case studies from the Mammoth Cave, USA, and a small experimental site in Switzerland. The properties and limitations of the most important artificial tracers are discussed, and the available methods of tracer injection, sampling, online monitoring and laboratory analysis are presented. Fully quantitative tracer experiments result in continuous or discrete concentration-time data series, i.e. breakthrough curves, and concomitant discharge data, which make it possible to obtain detailed information about groundwater flow and contaminant transport. Within the frame of speleological …