Digital Commons Network^™

Degradation Resistant Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Substrates, Ryan D. Scherzer

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Raman spectroscopy is employed by NASA, and many others, to detect trace amounts of substances. Unfortunately, the Raman signal is generally too weak to detect when very small, but non-trivial, amounts of molecules are present. One way around this weak signal is to use surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).

When used as substrates for SERS, metallic nanorods grown using physical vapor deposition (PVD) provide a large enhancement factor to the Raman signal, as much as 10¹². However, Silver (Ag) nanorods that give high enhancement suffer from rapid degradation as a function of time and exposure to harsh environment. …

The Effect Of Corrosion Defects On The Failure Of Oil And Gas Transmission Pipelines: A Finite Element Modeling Study, Jennet Orasheva

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The transportation of oil and gas and their products through the pipelines is a safe and economically efficient way, when compared with other methods of transportation, such as tankers, railroad, trucks, etc. Although pipelines are usually well-designed, during construction and later in service, pipelines are subjected to a variety of risks. Eventually, some sections may experience corrosion which can affect the integrity of pipeline, which poses a risk in high-pressure operations. Specifically, in pipelines with long history of operation, the size and location of the corrosion defects need to be determined so that pressure levels can be kept at safe …

An Empirical Investigation Of Collaborative Web Search Tool On Novice's Query Behavior, Mareh Fakhir Al-Sammarraie

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the past decade, research efforts dedicated to studying the process of collaborative web search have been on the rise. Yet, a limited number of studies have examined the impact of collaborative information search processes on novices’ query behaviors. Studying and analyzing factors that influence web search behaviors, specifically users’ patterns of queries when using collaborative search systems can help with making query suggestions for group users. Improvements in user query behaviors and system query suggestions help in reducing search time and increasing query success rates for novices.

This thesis investigates the influence of collaboration between experts and novices as …

Empirical Evaluation Of Cloud Iaas Platforms Using System-Level Benchmarks, Niharika Deval

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cloud Computing is an emerging paradigm in the field of computing where scalable IT enabled capabilities are delivered ‘as-a-service’ using Internet technology. The Cloud industry adopted three basic types of computing service models based on software level abstraction: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Infrastructure-as-a-Service allows customers to outsource fundamental computing resources such as servers, networking, storage, as well as services where the provider owns and manages the entire infrastructure. This allows customers to only pay for the resources they consume. In a fast-growing IaaS market with multiple cloud platforms offering IaaS services, the user's decision on the selection …

Performance Analysis On Free-Piston Linear Expander, Furkan Kodakoglu

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The growing global demand for energy and environmental implications have created a need to further develop the current energy generation technologies (solar, wind, geothermal, etc.). Recovering energy from low grade energy sources such as waste heat is one of the methods for improving the performance of thermodynamic cycles. The objective of this work was to achieve long-term steady state operation of a Free-Piston Linear Expander (FPLE) and to compare the FPLE with the currently existing expander types for use in low temperature energy recovery systems. A previously designed FPLE with a single piston, two chambers, and linear alternator was studied …

Performance Evaluation Of Hadoop Based Big Data Applications With Hibench Benchmarking Tool On Iaas Cloud Platforms, Karthika Muthiah Ms.

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cloud computing is a computing paradigm where large numbers of devices are connected through networks that provide a dynamically scalable infrastructure for applications, data and storage. Currently, many businesses, from small scale to big companies and industries, are changing their operations to utilize cloud services because cloud platforms could increase company’s growth through process efficiency and reduction in information technology spending [Coles16]. Companies are relying on cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services, Google Compute Engine, and Microsoft Azure, etc., for their business development.

Due to the emergence of new technologies, devices, and communications, the amount of data produced is growing …

Strength Property Variability In Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation Soils, Jacob Fuller

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) is an attractive alternative for a variety geotechnical ground improvement practices commonly used today and has a variety of potential applications. This research focuses primarily on its use as a soil stabilization technique using the bacteria Sporosarcina Pasteurii and a single injection point percolation method adapted from previous research in granular soils. This method, and most published data, show an inherent variability in both physical and engineering properties due to the distribution of precipitated calcite within the specimen. The focus of this research is on the quantification of the variability in shear strength parameters induced …

Designing 2d Interfaces For 3d Gesture Retrieval Utilizing Deep Learning, Spencer Southard

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gesture retrieval can be defined as the process of retrieving the correct meaning of the hand movement from a pre-assembled gesture dataset. The purpose of the research discussed here is to design and implement a gesture interface system that facilitates retrieval for an American Sign Language gesture set using a mobile device. The principal challenge discussed here will be the normalization of 2D gestures generated from the mobile device interface and the 3D gestures captured from video samples into a common data structure that can be utilized by deep learning networks. This thesis covers convolutional neural networks and auto encoders …

The Impact Of Social Presence And User Experience On Gender Sensitive E-Tail Websites, Dishi Shrivastava

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Internet has come afar, from connecting computers to connecting people. Since its early days, the use of Internet has evolved tremendously. People use the Internet today in a variety of different ways, including communicating with friends, family, co-workers and performing activities like paying bills and shopping. With the increase in electronic retailing (e-Tailing), attracting and retaining customers has become the most important part of running a successful business. However, the online shopping experience may be viewed as lacking human warmth and sociability as it is more impersonal, anonymous, automated and generally devoid of face-to face interactions. Thus, understanding how to …

Improving Search Ranking Using A Composite Scoring Approach, Larry D. Snedden

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, the improvement to relevance in computerized search results is studied. Information search tools return ranked lists of documents ordered by the relevance of the documents to the user supplied search. Using a small number of words and phrases to represent complex ideas and concepts causes user search queries to be information sparse. This sparsity challenges search tools to locate relevant documents for users. A review of the challenges to information searches helps to identify the problems and offer suggestions in improving current information search tools. Using the suggestions put forth by the Strategic Workshop on Information Retrieval …

The West Virginia New Deal: Blanche Lazzell’S Mural In Morgantown, Kendall J. Martin

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Outer Segment Length As A Surrogate Measure Of Peak Foveal Cone Density, Melissa A. Wilk, Brandon M. Wilk, Christopher S. Langlo, Robert F. Cooper, Joseph Carroll

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Adaptive optics (AO) imaging tools enable direct visualization of the cone photoreceptor mosaic, which facilitates quantitative measurements such as cone density. However, in many individuals, low image quality or excessive eye movements precludes making such measures. As foveal cone specialization is associated with both increased density and outer segment (OS) elongation, we sought to examine whether OS length could be used as a surrogate measure of foveal cone density. The retinas of 43 subjects (23 normal and 20 albinism; aged 6–67 years) were examined. Peak foveal cone density was measured using confocal adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO), and OS …

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Correlates With Short-Term Myelopathy Outcome In Patients With Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy, Aditya Vedantam, Avinash Rao, Shekar N. Kurpad, Michael B. Jirjis, Gerald Eckardt, Brian D. Schmit, Marjorie C. Wang

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To determine if spinal cord diffusion tensor imaging indexes correlate with short-term clinical outcome in patients undergoing elective cervical spine surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).

Methods

A prospective consecutive cohort study was performed in patients undergoing elective cervical spine surgery for CSM. After obtaining informed consent, patients with CSM underwent preoperative T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging of the cervical spine. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values at the level of maximum cord compression and at the noncompressed C1-2 level were calculated on axial images. We recorded the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale, Neck Disability Index, and …

Lessons Learned From A 10-Year Collaboration Between Biomedical Engineering And Industrial Design Students In Capstone Design Projects, Jay R. Goldberg, Pascal Malassigné

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Engineers and industrial designers have different approaches to problem solving. Both place heavy emphasis on identification of customer needs, manufacturing methods, and prototyping. Industrial designers focus on aesthetics, ergonomics, ease of use, manufacturing methods, and the user’s experience. They tend to be more visual and more concerned with the interaction between users and products. Engineers focus on functionality, performance requirements, analytical modeling, and design verification and validation. They tend to be more analytical and more concerned with the design of internal components and product performance. Engineers and industrial designers often work together on project teams in industry. Collaboration between the …

Limb Stabilization In Older Adults And Chronic Stroke Survivors: A Pilot Study, Raymond C. Doudlah, Robert A. Scheidt, Aaron J. Suminski

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Visual fidelity influences many aspects of daily living, including stabilizing wrist movements against environmental perturbations. Here, we present a pilot investigation to determine how visual feedback impacts wrist stabilization for populations with age related declines in motor function and chronic stroke. To quantify these interactions, behavioral performance and local brain activation were observed during a task requiring stabilization of the wrist against constant and stochastic extensor torque perturbations. All subjects were better able to stabilize their wrist when veridical visual feedback of their limb was provided. Examination of the neural activation maps in the Control and Aging populations revealed patterns …

Effects Of Training Intensity On Locomotor Performance In Individuals With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Crossover Study, Gabrielle Brazg, Meghan Fahey, Carey L. Holleran, Mark Connolly, Jane Woodward, Patrick W. Hennessy, Brian D. Schmit, T. George Hornby

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background. Many physical interventions can improve locomotor function in individuals with motor incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI), although the training parameters that maximize recovery are not clear. Previous studies in individuals with other neurologic injuries suggest the intensity of locomotor training (LT) may positively influence walking outcomes. However, the effects of intensity during training of individuals with iSCI have not been tested. Objective. The purpose of this pilot, blinded-assessor randomized trial was to evaluate the effects of LT intensity on walking outcomes in individuals with iSCI. Methods. Using a crossover design, ambulatory participants with iSCI >1 year duration performed either …

Lead Content Of Lip Balms: A Cross Sectional Convenience Sample With Exposure Assessment Estimating An Average Daily Intake For Young Children, Julie Grunklee

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Lead remains one of the largest environmental toxins affecting children today (Costa, et al., 2004). It is associated with lower IQ, learning difficulties, decreased economic potential and other negative health effects and social behaviors (Kordas et al., 2006). In the United States (U.S.), high amounts of lead remain in and immediately around housing built before 1978 (Tarragó, 2015) as well as a variety of other sources, including cosmetics such as lip balms, that are marketed to the most lead-vulnerable population: young children. Lip balm was found to be the source a lead poisoned child in Minnesota (Minnesota resident, 28 years …

Personality Over Policy: A Comparative History Of The Founding And Early Development Of Four Significant American Manuscript Repositories Of Business, Industry, And Technology, Erik Nordberg

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation compares and contrasts the founding and early manuscript collecting activities of four publicly accessible American archival repositories known for their extensive holdings in business, industrial, and technological history: the Baker Library at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts; the Hagley Library and Museum in Wilmington, Delaware; the Archives Center at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.; and the Benson Ford Research Center at the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan. It uses a historical narrative methodology and case study approach to consider how institutional contexts influenced appraisal and selection activities at these repositories during their formative …

Consensus Based Distributed Control In Micro-Grid Clusters, Syed Ahmed Fuad

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

With the increasing trend of utilizing renewable energy generators such as photovoltaic (PV) cells and wind turbines, power systems are transforming from a centralized power grid structure to a cluster of smart micro-grids with more autonomous power sharing capabilities. Even though the decentralized control of power systems is a reliable and cost effective solution, due to the inherent heterogeneous nature of micro-grids, optimal and efficient power sharing among distributed generators (DG’s) is a major issue which calls for advanced control techniques for voltage stabilization of the entire micro-grid cluster. The proposed consensus based algorithm in this thesis is a solution …

A 3d Biomimetic Scaffold Using Electrospinning For Tissue Engineering Applications, Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Electrospinning holds great promise for designing functional 3D biomimetic scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. The technique allows for the reproducible fabrication of 3D scaffolds with control over the porosity and thickness. In this work, a novel method for the synthesis of a 3D electroactive scaffold using electrospinning from polycaprolactone (PCL), Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) and Polyaniline (PANI) is reported. Additional scaffolds involving different morphologies of PCL, PCL-PVDF and PCL-PANI-PVDF were also fabricated and evaluated. The scaffolds were characterized using electron microscopy to visualize the morphologies. Infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm the presence of polymers and their respective phases in the …

Students’ Understanding Of Finger Lakes Geology Using A Field Study, Jonathan D. Pragle

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Finger Lakes area has some of the most unique geologic features in New York State including much evidence of the impact that glaciers have had on this environment. The area is rich in Devonian and Silurian era fossils, drumlins, U-shaped valleys, and glacial erratics. With all of this evidence it is easy to imagine a class of students outside in the environment examining these structures and developing conclusions about their origin. However, students in the Finger Lakes area are generally taught about the geology of the area using traditional techniques utilizing technology and diagrams in the classroom. In this …

Minimizing Run Time Of Finite Element Analyses: Applications In Conformable Cng Tank Modeling, Paul M. Roehm

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

REL Inc. has proposed a CNG tank that deviates from typical cylindrical storage methods. The goal of REL working with Michigan Tech is to minimize mass and meet NGV2 safety standards for pressure and drop testing for this tank.

The model has undulated outer surfaces and Schwarz P-surface internal geometry. To accurately mesh this, a small element size is necessary; this creates a model with millions of elements. In explicit analyses, this requires a large amount of computational resources to run.

This report focuses on methods to reduce model run time without reducing accuracy. Methods covered include creating symmetric building …

A Landscape Of Water And Waste: Heritage Legacies And Environmental Change In The Mesabi Iron Range, John Baeten

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation explores the intersection between mining technology, industrial heritage, and environmental history, using iron mining in the Mesabi Range of the Lake Superior Iron District as its core case study. What impact did technological shifts in iron mining and ore processing have on the environment of the Lake Superior basin? How did the environmental changes wrought from low-grade iron ore mining and processing, such as the expansion of open-pits and the production of tailings, affect different communities in Minnesota’s Mesabi Range? And finally, how have the environmental legacies of iron mining been remembered and memorialized, or ignored and forgotten?

Simulation Of Human Ankle Trajectory During Stance Phase Of Gait, Leslie Castelino

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

A simulation was developed which mimics the human gait characteristics based on the input of an individual’s gait trajectory. This simulation also estimates the impedance of the human ankle based on the ground reaction forces measured by the force plate. This simulation will accept alterations of the following parameters: total body weight, weight of the shank, weight of the foot, trajectories of the shank and foot of the individual and orientation of the force plate, which would generate a new gait trajectory for the ankle during the stance phase of gait. The goal of this simulation was to validate the …

Simulation Study On Effect Of Gas Charging And Egr In A Dual-Fuel Engine, Satyavenkata Naga Sai Sharath Gorthy

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Natural gas combined with diesel as micro pilot has the capabilities of achieving lower NOx and soot emissions. Optimization of the combustion process in engines with natural gas and diesel micro-pilot is essential to achieve higher efficiencies and loads. Gas charging (intake air boosting) and EGR are two technologies which when implemented in the natural gas-diesel engines, provide the opportunity to achieve higher efficiencies and loads and low emissions. Simulation study is one of the approaches to investigate the extent and effects of gas charging and EGR on the performance of the engine. With the rapid improvements over the past …

The Visual And Performing Arts In The Technical Communication Classroom: Reinforcing The University's Internal Community Literacy Via Service-Learning, Richard L. Ward

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This report details a class taught that was an exploration into the value of STEAM or science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics within the confines of Technical Communication as it applies to the business and industry of theatre. It was an experiment in service learning as it could be tied into the Arts via differing technai, as described by John Wild in “Plato’s Theory of Texnh a Phenomenological Interpretation,” demonstrating a necessity for Arts as they pertain to STEM-centric universities. This report discusses a section of Technical and Professional Communication taught at Michigan technological University that consisted of twenty-five students …

Techno-Economic And Life Cycle Assessments Of Biofuel Production From Woody Biomass Through Torrefaction-Fast Pyrolysis And Catalytic Upgrading, Olumide Winjobi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Biofuel production through fast pyrolysis of biomass is a promising conversion route in the production of biofuels compatible with existing technology. The bio-oil produced from fast pyrolysis is a versatile feedstock that can be used as a heating oil or upgraded to a transportation hydrocarbon biofuel. Comparative study of a one-step, fast pyrolysis only pathway and a two-step torrefaction-fast pyrolysis pathway was carried out to evaluate the effect of torrefcation on (i) the minimum selling price of biofuel and (ii) the potential life cycle GHG emissions of the biofuel production pathway.

To produce bio-oil which can serve as a substitute …

Performance Comparison Of Binarized Neural Network With Convolutional Neural Network, Lopamudra Baruah

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Deep learning is a trending topic widely studied by researchers due to increase in the abundance of data and getting meaningful results with them. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) is one of the most popular architectures used in deep learning. Binarized Neural Network (BNN) is also a neural network which consists of binary weights and activations. Neural Networks has large number of parameters and overfitting is a common problem to these networks. To overcome the overfitting problem, dropout is a solution. Randomly dropping some neurons along with its connections helps to prevent co-adaptations which finally help in reducing overfitting. Many researchers …

Simulation Of Diesel Particulate Filter Regeneration Using Lattice Boltzmann Method, Kshitiz Kumar Jain

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Lattice Boltzmann Method is a novel approach, which has shown promise in solving a wide variety of fluid flow problems including single and multi-phase flows in complex geometries. Volume elements of the fluid domain are considered to be composed of particles and these particles fall under a velocity distribution function at each grid point. Particles collide with each other under the influence of external forces and the rules of collision are defined so as to be compatible with the Navier-Stokes Equation. In the current work, LBM has been applied to Diesel Particulate filters which is a device used for reducing …

How A Diverse Research Ecosystem Has Generated New Rehabilitation Technologies: Review Of Nidilrr’S Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers, David J. Reinkensmeyer, Sarah Blackstone, Cathy Bodine, John Brabyn, David Brienza, Kevin Caves, Frank Deruyter, Edmund Durfee, Stefania Fatone, Geoff Fernie, Steven Gard, Patricia Karg, Todd A. Kuiken, Gerald F. Harris, Mike Jones, Yue Li, Jordana Maisel, Michael Mccue, Michelle A. Meade, Helena Mitchell, Tracy L. Mitzner, James L. Patton, Philip S. Requejo, James H. Rimmer, Wendy A. Rogers, W. Zev Rymer, Jon A. Sanford, Lawrence Schneider, Levin Sliker, Stephen Sprigle, Aaron Steinfeld, Edward Steinfeld, Gregg Vanderheiden, Carolee Winstein, Li-Qun Zhang, Thomas Corfman

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Over 50 million United States citizens (1 in 6 people in the US) have a developmental, acquired, or degenerative disability. The average US citizen can expect to live 20% of his or her life with a disability. Rehabilitation technologies play a major role in improving the quality of life for people with a disability, yet widespread and highly challenging needs remain. Within the US, a major effort aimed at the creation and evaluation of rehabilitation technology has been the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. As envisioned at their …