Digital Commons Network^™

Methane Emission Treatment And Potential Upcycling Using Methylomicrobium Alcaliphilum, Jace Parkinson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Anthropogenic methane emissions are harmful to the environment and can be difficult to treat. Use of M. alcaliphilum for bioremediation of methane looks to be one of the most promising methods of reducing the negative environmental impacts of methane emissions while simultaneously providing an economic incentive. Successful bioreactor design for M. alcaliphilum based methane treatment requires biokinetic constants and microbial growth information. Methods were established for determining biokinetic constants, including growth rate, biomass yield, specific methane consumption rate, and a correlation between methane oxidation and carbon dioxide production for M. alcaliphilum. Values determined for these constants were used to …

Cmce 2351 Fluid Mechanics Lab, Course Outline, Rosemary Brybag

Open Educational Resources

This course studies the fundamentals of fluid mechanics including: properties of fluids, fluid statics, manometers, center of pressure, buoyancy, stability, principles of fluid flow, flow measurements, frictional head losses, conservation of momentum and energy, pump power and efficient, and open channel flow.

A New Sign Highlights The New University College, 1971, Uab Archives

Images of the Month from UAB Archives

Image ID: P7.3.3, #0046

University College students relax in front of new sign

How The World's Largest Economies Regulate Data Privacy: Drawbacks, Benefits, & Proposed Solutions, Alexander J. Pantos

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

National data privacy regimes are quickly gaining traction and ubiquity around the globe. Moving forward, countries will face a range of difficult decisions surrounding how best to engage internationally in cross border data flow, particularly in the context of personal information (PI).

This article takes a bird's-eye view of the current state of data privacy regimes in the world's four highest GDP regions. In part, this article hopes to provide a succinct analysis of these data privacy regimes, with a focus on the balance they strike between granting individuals rights in their data and placing responsibilities on businesses that deal …

The Postmodern Legal Ordering Of The Economy, Ioannis Kampourakis

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

This article purports to show how the postmodern · tenets of particularity, reflexivity, decentralization, and pluralism map on to current legal forms and structures of market regulation. This is the case in the regulatory paradigm of shaping markets ''from within," the aspiration of which is to embed public and social values in the operations of private corporate actors, while expanding private corporate actors' regulatory authority and scope of self-governance. As the state attempts to harness the regulatory potential of the social sphere to impose sanctions for corporate misconduct, the role of the law becomes to facilitate the permeability of private …

Risk-Based Freeway Merging And Lane-Changing Decisions For Autonomous Vehicles, Weimin Jin

All Dissertations

The safe freeway merging and lane-changing operation for fully Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) in mixed traffic (i.e., the presence of AVs and non-AVs in the traffic stream) is a challenging task. The AV merging and lane-changing operation could increase crash risks and reduce operational efficiency significantly in mixed traffic.

This dissertation quantifies the freeway merging crash risk and develops a freeway merging decision strategy based on crash risk assessment for an AV attempting to merge in the target lane with non-AVs. The performance of the risk-based merging decision strategy is evaluated in uncongested, near-congested, and congested traffic conditions. The analyses show …

The Development Of High-Performance Protonic Ceramic Conducting Membranes By Interfacial Engineering, Jun Gao

All Dissertations

Protonic ceramic conductors are the key component in a wide range of protonic ceramic electrochemical devices. Such as protonic ceramic fuel cells, electrolysers, sensors, and hydrogen pumps. The widely studied protonic ceramic conductors are perovskite-structure oxides with high proton conductivity and chemical stability at high temperatures. However, the performance of perovskite-based protonic ceramic conductors dropped rapidly at low temperatures due to the blocking effect of grain boundary. Different from the blocking effect in perovskite membranes, the interface works as an alternative pathway for proton transport in nanostructured simple oxide systems, relying on the chemisorbed and physiosorbed water on the interface. …

Optimal Pacing Of Cyclists In A Time Trial Based On Experimentally Calibrated Models Of Fatigue And Recovery, Faraz Ashtiani

All Dissertations

This dissertation pushes on the boundaries of improving human performance through individualized models of fatigue and recovery, and optimization of human physical effort. To that end, it focuses on professional cycling and optimal pacing of cyclists on hilly terrains during individual and team time trial competitions. Cycling is an example of physical activity that provides nice interfaces for real-time performance measurement through inexpensive power meters, and for providing real-time feedback via a mobile displays such as smartphones. These features enable implementing a real-time control system that provides the optimal strategy to cyclists during a race.

There has been a lot …

Stochastic Optimization For Renewable Energy System Design And Operation, Berkay Eren Gulcan

All Dissertations

In this dissertation, we present novel stochastic optimization models and solution methods for the optimization of renewable energy systems. Specifically, the focus is on bioenergy supply chains and operations in the presence of uncertainty. Overall, our applications highlight the breadth in which stochastic programming models can be applied in the energy sector.

We first study the impact of biomass blending practice on reducing the cost of producing biofuels. In detail, we consider a biomass supply chain problem where the goal is to identify purchase quantities of different biomass feedstocks from possible suppliers in order to meet the quality requirements of …

Optimization Models And Algorithms For Vehicle Routing And Target Surveillance, Joshua Taylor Margolis

All Dissertations

We study vehicle routing for target surveillance and consider several extensions to present a holistic account of military-operational experiences. These problems are variations of the multi-vehicle covering tour problem which has been well-studied within the optimization community. Although many formulations and solution methodologies have been presented, they cannot be directly applied to our problems due to specific problem structures under study. We provide a review of the relevant literature and propose several different optimization models and algorithms for solving our problems of interest. First, we consider routing a fleet of vehicles for target surveillance within a deterministic setting with speed …

Tuning The Structures Of Magnetic Nanoparticles And Thermoresponsive Polymers Towards Magneto-Thermoresponsive Particles, Zichun Yan

All Dissertations

Metal substituted ferrite nanoparticles (MxFe3-xO4, M = Mn, Co, Ni, or Zn) have been synthesized and applied for a variety of biomedical applications, including magnetic hyperthermia treatment, drug delivery, and tunable MRI contrast agents. To better understand the structure-property relationship of such materials, nonstoichiometric manganese ferrite was computationally modeled with density functional theory (DFT). Detailed XRD and HRTEM analysis suggest that substitution-induced crystalline defects cause a discrepancy between the computational results and the experimental results. To improve the control of the size, and composition of the ferrite nanoparticles, a seed-mediated drip synthesis method and post-synthesis oxidation method were developed. Manganese-cobalt …

The Effects Of Composition On The Structural Symmetry, Ionic Conductivity, And Stability Of Garnet-Type Li7la3zr2o12, Changlong Li

All Dissertations

Garnet-type LLZOs (Li7La3Zr2O12) with cubic crystal structures are solid-state high Li-ion conductive ceramics, which demand next-generation all-solid-state Li-ion batteries. This garnet group ceramics with high electrochemical performance has been dramatically investigated in recent decades on different aspects, including different doping strategies, novel synthesis for powders and sintering techniques for pellets, defect chemistry modeling, electrochemical performance enhancement, and many others.

This dissertation is centered on fundamentally understanding the composition, structure, thermodynamics of this garnet-type LLZO with various doping strategies. These topics cover general development of garnet-type LLZO in recent years (Chapter 1); Basic theoretical knowledge associated with the research in this …

Carbon Rich Polymer-Derived Ceramics: Processing, Characterization, And Properties, Michelle Greenough

All Dissertations

Polymer derived ceramics is an attractive route to make Si-based ceramics with high temperature stability in a broad range of physical forms. Partial thermal decomposition of hybrid Si- and C-based polymers allows for the creation of unique materials with attractive properties, such as high surface area, high electrical conductivity, and pores in nanometer range. However, investigations of these materials have been limited and are the focus of this research. The unique aspect of this work is the pyrolysis temperature which is at a low/intermediate temperature range of below 1000 °C. Several systems have been investigated to explore a broad range …

Mixed Conducting Composite Materials For Intermediate-Temperature Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells, Zeyu Zhao

All Dissertations

Ionic conducting ceramics attracted much attention in their applications as electrolytes in many energy conversion, storage, and harvesting devices based on their high singular ionic conductivity (H+ or O2-). Within these applications, protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) show promising performance on electricity generation with high efficiency and low emission at intermediate temperatures. However, the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode side and the potential coking issue at the anode side are still the crucial stumbling stones to the further development of PCFCs. Utilizing materials with mixed conductivity, including co-ionic conductivity (H+ and O2-) and triple conductivity (H+, O2-, …

Security And Reliability Of Vehicular Networks And Autonomous Vehicle Applications Using Artificial Intelligence And Edge Computing In A Cyber-Physical Systems Environment, Md Zadid Khan

All Dissertations

The transportation system in the US is transforming into an intelligent cyber-physical-systems (CPS) through the inclusion of technology and digital infrastructure. One of the core components of the transportation CPS (TCPS) is connected and automated vehicles (CAV). Advancement in vehicular network technologies and vehicle automation is an important factor in the evolution of CAVs. Improving the security of in-vehicle networks and automated vehicle applications, and reliability of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication are critical areas that need further attention from the research community. In this dissertation, the author demonstrates methods and models to improve the security and reliability of CAV communication and …

Modeling Households’ Evacuation-Related First Decisions, Actual Evacuation Decision, Accommodations, And Destinations During Hurricane Matthew, Emmanuel Adjei

All Dissertations

Hurricane Matthew was a category five hurricane that affected coastal communities in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina and resulted in significant damage to properties and loss of lives. This dissertation investigates households’ evacuation-related decisions during Hurricane Matthew (2016). Specifically, this study examines (a) households’ evacuation-related first decisions, (b) the effects of risk perception and perceived certainty about evacuation logistics on households’ evacuate/stay decisions, and (c) the influence of perceived certainty variables on households’ selection of destination and accommodations type. Data used for this study comes from a post-Hurricane Matthew survey data gathered from households in the Jacksonville Metropolitan Area of …

Exploring The Role Of Individual Differences In Function Structure Modeling: A Theory Building Approach, Apurva Rajesh Patel

All Dissertations

Functions are a critical concept in engineering that support problem clarification and early-stage conceptual design. Function modeling, like other early-stage design tools, relies on subjective inputs from designers and is influenced by individual differences in designers. While research on function modeling has investigated topics such as modeling representations, model construction techniques, model use for conceptual design, and modeling behaviors, the role of individual differences is largely unexplored. This research aims to investigate how cognitive attributes and other individual differences influence the function modeling process and outcomes. Due to limited insight available about the nature of the relationship between individual attributes …

An Assessment Of Thermal Barrier Coatings For The Low-Temperature Combustion Family: From Hcci To Gci, Ziming Yan

All Dissertations

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) reduce in-cylinder heat transfer losses and increase thermal efficiency. Beyond the efficiency improvement, many challenges associated with low-temperature combustion (LTC) could be potentially improved with TBC. Therefore, the investigation of the effects of TBC in LTC serves as the motivation of this thesis. The thesis includes both experimental and computational investigations, which are mainly divided four-fold. First, this dissertation experimentally demonstrated the feasibility and comprehensively investigated the effects of thick thermal barrier coatings on pure Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) combustion (i.e., low residual and high compression ratio) with two different fuels (conventional gasoline and wet …

Multistage Stochastic Programming: Algorithms, Modelling And Applications, Murwan Siddig

All Dissertations

This dissertation comprises four di˙erent topics related to multistage stochastic program-ming (MSP) algorithms, modeling, and applications.

First, we extend the adaptive partition-based approach for solving two-stage stochastic programs with a fixed recourse matrix and a fixed cost vector to the MSP setting, where the stochastic process is assumed to be stage-wise independent. The proposed algorithms integrate the adaptive partition-based strategy with a popular approach for solving multistage stochastic programs, the stochastic dual dynamic programming (SDDP) algorithm, according to two main strategies. These two strategies are distinct from each other in the manner by which they refine the partitions during the …

Micro Scalable Graphene Oxide Productions Using Controlled Parameters In Bench Reactor, Carolina S. Andrade, Anna Paula Godoy, Marcos Antônio Gimenes Benega, Ricardo J. E. Andrade, Rafael Cardoso Andrade, Wellington Marcos Silva, Josué Marciano De Oliveira Cremonezzi, Waldemar Augusto De Almeida Macedo, Hélio Ribeiro, Jaime Taha-Tijerina

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

The detailed study of graphene oxide (GO) synthesis by changing the graphite/oxidizing reagents mass ratios (mG/mROxi), provided GO nanosheets production with good yield, structural quality, and process savings. Three initial samples containing different amounts of graphite (3.0 g, 4.5 g, and 6.0 g) were produced using a bench reactor under strictly controlled conditions to guarantee the process reproducibility. The produced samples were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray diffraction (XDR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetry (TGA) techniques. The results showed that the major GO product comprised of nanosheets containing between 1–5 layers, …

Genome-Wide Association Study Of Serum Metabolites In The African American Study Of Kidney Disease And Hypertension, Eugene P Rhee, Aditya Surapaneni, Pascal Schlosser, Yong Li, Anna Köttgen, Bing Yu, Morgan E Grams

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The genome-wide association study (GWAS) is a powerful means to study genetic determinants of disease traits and generate insights into disease pathophysiology. to date, few GWAS of circulating metabolite levels have been performed in African Americans with chronic kidney disease. Hypothesizing that novel genetic-metabolite associations may be identified in a unique population of African Americans with a lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), we conducted a GWAS of 652 serum metabolites in 619 participants (mean measured glomerular filtration rate 45 mL/min/1.73m

Exploration Of Corridor-Based Tolling Strategies For Virginia’S Express Toll Lanes, Shanjiang Zhu, Mecit Cetin, Hong Yang, Olcay Sahin, Atabak Mardan

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Virginia has invested significant resources in the development of express toll lanes (ETLs), which adjust toll rates dynamically based on the level of toll lane usage. A tool is needed to investigate the potential impact of the I-66 Outside-the-Beltway (OTB) ETLs on regional traffic patterns. This study developed a microscopic traffic simulation model in TransModeler to evaluate a set of corridor-based tolling strategies for the I-66 ETLs in NOVA. This model also considered the changes in vehicle occupancy, mode split, and departure time among travelers because of tolls based on locally collected data. An interactive map-based analyzer based on the …

2021 August, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for August of 2021.

On Aqueducts And Anxiety: Water Infrastructure, Ruination, And A Region-Scaled Anthropocene Imaginary, Sayd Randle

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This paper explores popular expectations for and meanings of the U.S. West's environmental future, as articulated through recent artistic representations of the Los Angeles's expansive water provision network. Weaving together material from participant observation and readings of creative works, I show how infrastructural imagery is used to index anxieties about a future of water scarcity. Presenting familiar, currently functional water infrastructures as ruins-in-the-making, these artists use the physical stuff of water provision networks to advance critiques of longstanding modes of development and the material basis of urban-rural relations in the U.S. West. Doing so, these imagined ruins draw the global-scale …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Covid-19 Infection Control On Visual Art Installations In Hospitals With Pediatric Patients, Shannon Kimich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 infection control on visual artwork in pediatric hospitals and hospitals caring for pediatric patients. The study involved five hospitals in three southern America states and addressed visual artwork and art installations. The researcher administered an internet-based survey to participants in job functions related to hospital administration, environmental services, and project management across the facilities and received participation from 18 respondents. Additionally, telephone interviews were conducted with three participants with the job titles project manager/analyst, child-life specialist, and environmental services director. Survey questions were designed to examine visual art programs in selected children’s hospitals …

Effect Of Ultrasound Pressure On The Distribution Of Bovine Serum Albumin Delivered By Focused Ultrasound-Mediated Blood-Brain Barrier Opening In Cleared Mouse Brains, Yajie Liu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Most common diagnosis and therapeutic methods have low effectiveness when used on brain diseases. The key obstacle is that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents most drugs from entering the brain. Some strategies have been developed to improve the efficiency of drug delivery crossing BBB. Among all these strategies, focused ultrasound-mediated BBB opening (FUS-BBB Opening) stands out since it is noninvasive and can be located to the target area. Detailed studies are required on the distribution of drugs delivered by FUS-BBB opening and the effects of FUS parameters on the distribution. This thesis proposes a pipeline involving tissue clearing and lightsheet …

Faculty Handbook, Georgia Southern University

Faculty Handbooks

Faculty Handbook for Georgia Southern University for the 2021-2022 academic year. The Faculty Handbook is published online by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and archived in Digital Commons@Georgia Southern.

Cosm Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Georgia Southern University

College of Science & Mathematics: News & Publications (2012-2022)

Welcome

The Diversity & Inclusion newsletter is delivered monthly via email during the fall and spring semesters and is always available on the new COSM D&I webpage. Send contributions and suggestions to any of the COSM D&I Ambassadors listed at the bottom of this newsletter and on the webpage.

Rsif Ethiopia Country Report 2021, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Ethiopia’s collaboration with RSIF: Ethiopia is a founding member of PASET. Ethiopia participated at the 5th PASET Forum and has expressed its intention to contribute to RSIF. The Minister of Science and Higher Education represents Ethiopia in the PASET Governing Council (GC), and the Director for Capacity Building, sits in the PASET Executive Board (EB). The potential of Ethiopia’s innovative expansion due to investment in RSIF is multiplied when leveraged by the funds through matching support from various donors, including the Government of Korea, international partner institutions and others. By contributing to RSIF, Ethiopia will benefit from joint resource mobilization …

Mrda-Mgfsnet: Network Based On A Multi-Rate Dilated Attention Mechanism And Multi-Granularity Feature Sharer For Image-Based Butterflies Fine-Grained Classification, Maopeng Li, Guoxiong Zhou, Weiwei Cai, Jiayong Li, Mingxuan Li, Mingfang He, Yahui Hu, Liujun Li

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Aiming at solving the problems of high background complexity of some butterfly images and the difficulty in identifying them caused by their small inter-class variance, we propose a new fine-grained butterfly classification architecture, called Network based on Multi-rate Dilated Attention Mechanism and Multi-granularity Feature Sharer (MRDA-MGFSNet). First, in this network, in order to effectively identify similar patterns between butterflies and suppress the information that is similar to the butterfly's features in the background but is invalid, a Multi-rate Dilated Attention Mechanism (MRDA) with a symmetrical structure which assigns different weights to channel and spatial features is designed. Second, fusing the …