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Titan Success: Faculty Behind The Scenes, November, Thorpe Center

Publications from the Associate Deans

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Ethnicity On Parental Health Outcomes And Experiences After Paediatric Intensive Care Unit Discharge: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review, Pei Fen Poh, Matthew C. Carey, Jan Hau Lee, Joseph C. Manning, Jos M. Latour

School of Nursing and Midwifery

The impact of ethnicity on parental health outcome after paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) discharge remains unclear. Thirteen medical and healthcare databases, unpublished studies and grey literature were searched up to November 5, 2021. We performed a mixed-method systematic review to understand the impact of ethnicity on parental outcomes after PICU discharge, including eight quantitative and eight qualitative studies. Among 1529 parents included, 1064 (72%) were White. Higher prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder was seen in Black parents (17% White vs 36% Black, p = .03). Latino ethnicity was found to have protective effect against anxiety as compared to White …

Evidence For The Effects Of Decommissioning Man-Made Structures On Marine Ecosystems Globally: A Systematic Map, Anaëlle J. Lemasson, Paul J. Somerfield, Michaela Schratzberger, Caroline Louise Mcneill, Joana Nunes, Christine Pascoe, Stephen C.L. Watson, Murray S.A. Thompson, Elena Couce, Antony M. Knights

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Background: Many marine man-made structures (MMS), such as oil and gas platforms or offshore wind turbines, are nearing their ‘end-of-life’ and require decommissioning. Limited understanding of MMS decommissioning effects currently restricts the consideration of alternative management possibilities, often leaving complete removal as the only option in certain parts of the world. This evidence-base describes the ecosystem effects of marine MMS whilst in place and following cessation of operations, with a view to informing decision-making related to their potential decommissioning. Method: The protocol used to create this map was published a priori. Systematic searches of published, literature in English were conducted …

A General Unified Method For Calculating Fire Resistance Of Cfst Columns Considering Various Types Of Steel And Concrete, Min Yu, Xuan Hu, Lihua Xu, Shan Shan Cheng

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Due to the advantages of CFST structures, various types of steel (e.g., ordinary/high strength/stainless steel, etc.) and concrete (e.g., ordinary/high strength/ultra-high performance/recycled concrete, etc.) are used in them, and fire safety design is an indispensable part in the structural design of CFST. However, there is still a lack of a simple unified fire design method that can consider different materials and their combinations at the same time. Based on the unified calculation method of fire resistance of CFST based on average temperature proposed by the authors, this paper focuses on enhancing the generality and accuracy of the unified method, with …

Assessing The Impact Of Wastewater Treatment Works Effluent On Downstream Water Quality, S. D.W. Comber, M. J. Gardner, L. Ansell, B. Ellor

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Building Services Engineering November/December 2022

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

A Smart Parallel Gripper Industrial Automation System For Measurement Of Gripped Work Piece Thickness, Erik Kocher, Chukwuemeka George Ochieze, Ahmat Oumar, Travis Winter, Aleksandr Sergeyev, Mark Gauthier, Nathir Rawashdeh

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

As part of the advanced programmable logic controllers (PLC) course at Michigan Tech, this class project is performed on a mechatronics system gifted by Donald Engineering, a Michigan-based supplier of industrial automation systems and components. This paper explores the functionality and ladder programming of the smart parallel gripper system to measure the width of components grasped with the gripper. In addition, details of the system’s components, operation, more advanced uses are discussed. On the automation line, this smart gripper can be used to measure the thickness of work pieces while handling them and classifying these as either acceptable, too large …

Gesture Controlled Collaborative Robot Arm And Lab Kit, Abel A. Reyes, Skylar Reinhardt, Tony Wise, Nathir Rawashdeh, Sidike Paheding

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

In this paper, a mechatronics system was designed and implemented to include the subjects of artificial intelligence, control algorithms, robot servo motor control, and human-machine interface (HMI). The goal was to create an inexpensive, multi-functional robotics lab kit to promote students’ interest in STEM fields including computing and mechtronics. Industrial robotic systems have become vastly popular in manufacturing and other industries, and the demand for individuals with related skills is rapidly increasing. Robots can complete jobs that are dangerous, dull, or dirty for humans to perform. Recently, more and more collaborative robotic systems have been developed and implemented in the …

Operation Of A Controllable Force-Sensing Industrial Pneumatic Parallel Gripper System, Brian Piechocki, Chelsey Spitzner, Namratha Karanam, Travis Winter, Aleksandr Sergeyev, Mark Gauthier, Nathir Rawashdeh

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

As part of the advanced programmable logic controllers (PLC) course at Michigan Tech, this class project was performed on a mechatronics system gifted by Donald Engineering, a Michigan-based supplier of industrial automation systems and components. This paper explores the functionality and application of a force-programmable and sensing pneumatic parallel gripper system. Force sensing is a critical part of many systems in modern automation systems. Applications such as prosthetics, robotic surgery, or basic manufacturing systems may rely on the ability to properly read and control forces applied to an object. This work evaluates the basic operation of the pneumatic force-sensing gripper …

An Industrial Pneumatic And Servo Four-Axis Robotic Gripper System: Description And Unitronics Ladder Logic Programming, Zongguang Liu, Chrispin Johnston, Aleksi Leino, Travis Winter, Aleksandr Sergeyev, Mark Gauthier, Nathir Rawashdeh

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

As part of the advanced programmable logic controllers (PLC) course at Michigan Tech, this class project is performed on a mechatronics system gifted by Donald Engineering, a Michigan-based supplier of industrial automation systems and components. This paper explores the functionality and ladder programming of a four-axis robot enclosed in a cage with one side guarded by an optical fence. The robot has pneumatically actuated X-Y linear motion and a pneumatic gripper. Furthermore, the Z-axis motion and gripper wrist rotation are controlled by servo motors. A human machine interface (HMI) is also present, and it allows for easy manipulation and programming …

Eight Steps To Facilitating More Equitable Education In Undergraduate Sciences, Gintarė Lübeck, Michael K. Seery, Barry J. Ryan

Articles

Pedagogical practices can influence students’ confidence and ability beliefs and affect their ambition to persevere in science. Given the continuing need to diversify science and retain students in scientific programmes, science education must be tailored to cater to the needs of varied student groups. Since early experience in university programmes can be decisive in determining students’ further academic and professional choices, pedagogies employed in undergraduate science courses can be particularly influential in supporting science careers. Undergraduate science instructors are therefore encouraged to consider their approaches to teaching and learning from a variety of perspectives that could help empower students from …

Festivals And The Covid-19 Pandemic: Creative Responses, Threats And Opportunities, Bernadette Quinn Dr.

Case Studies

The COVID 19 pandemic severely disrupted the workings of the festival and event sector in Ireland during 2020 and into 2021 as government regulations prohibited gatherings of people, and public health advice advocated social distancing. Many festivals and events were forced to cancel or postpone their plans, but others were able to devise a variety of creative responses to sustain their activities throughout the pandemic. This case study examines how festivals adapted by embracing digital technologies. It goes on to discuss the challenges faced by the sector in doing so, as well as the opportunities that were generated.

Recipegen++: An Automated Trigger Action Programs Generator, Imam Nur Bani Yusuf, Diyanah Abdul Jamal, Lingxiao Jiang, David Lo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Trigger Action Programs (TAPs) are event-driven rules that allow users to automate smart-devices and internet services. Users can write TAPs by specifying triggers and actions from a set of predefined channels and functions. Despite its simplicity, composing TAPs can still be challenging for users due to the enormous search space of available triggers and actions. The growing popularity of TAPs is followed by the increasing number of supported devices and services, resulting in a huge number of possible combinations between triggers and actions. Motivated by such a fact, we improve our prior work and propose RecipeGen++, a deep-learning-based approach that …

Travel Behavior Change And Economic Transition In Gentrified Neighborhoods, Maryam Izadi

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Post-industrial cities in the US have experienced social and economic transitions, mostly in declining downtown neighborhoods. This process, known as gentrification, typically involves revitalization that reverses the decline and disinvestment in inner-city neighborhoods. The industrial shift increased the demand for housing near downtown. The employment of college-educated and high-skill workers has been centralized, while low-skilled jobs continue to decline downtown. While the impacts of gentrification on housing and residential displacement is frequently investigated, little attention has been given to its impact on travel behavior change and economic transition, which is the focus of this research. Change in travel behavior is …

Basalt Fibers For Underwater Fatigue Repair Of Steel Panels, Guillermo Riveros, Emad M. Hassan, Lauren Hudak, Hussam Mahmoud

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fatigue damage is a major threat to the safety and integrity of many steel structures. Steel hydraulic structures (SHS), in particular, experience fatigue loading during operation and are exposed to harsh environmental conditions that can further reduce fatigue life through mechanisms. The traditional inspection and repair process for SHS is time-consuming and leads to economic losses. Studies investigating the behavior and advantages of using bonded carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) to repair fatigue cracks in SHS are lacking. The main objectives of this study are to increase the bonding of CFRP, investigate the effectiveness of different fiber-reinforced polymers, and test different …

Improving The Growth Performance Of The Mangrove Avicennia Marina Seedlings Using Plant Growth Promoting Actinobacteria, Alanoud Abdulla Al Shamsi

Theses

The combination of commercial fish emulsion (FE) and plant growth-promoting actinobacteria capable of producing plant growth regulators (PGRs) was evaluated as a biofertilizer to enhance growth and development of grey mangrove (Avicennia marina) in the United Arab Emirates. In vitro studies identified the rhizosphere-competent Streptomyces griseorubens UAE1 (Sg) that was able to solubilize phosphorus, produce auxins, cytokinins, gibberellic acid, polyamines, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase. Growth promotion, nutrient contents and PGR levels in tissues of treated mangrove plants with fish emulsion and/or S. griseorubens UAE1 were further assessed in vivo. Under greenhouse and natural open-field nursery conditions, …

Maternal Effects On Growth Parameters Of Chloris Gayana Under Co2 Enrichment, Ahmed Adnan Mohammed Mashli

Theses

Rhodes grass, Chloris gayana, is commonly used forage plant for grazers, livestock, and cattle. It significantly improves soil fertility and its overall structure by preventing nematode flourishment in soil. It is also used as a cover crop to upgrade soil health by reducing soil erosion and increasing water availability. The present study assessed the effects of CO₂ on the growth, development and maternal effects of C. gayana. The experimental setup was made in such a way that the potential impacts of CO₂ can be measured on the eco-physiological growth of C. gayana by studying successive generations. Generation 1 …

Heterodimerization Between Chemokine Receptors Cxcr4 And Ccr7 And Its Role In Cancer, Maryam Naveed Muhammad Tariq

Theses

In physiology, the functional and physical interactions between cell surface receptors for signal molecules such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and cytokines, provides an important mechanism of diversity and regulation of signal transduction. Therefore, investigating the functional interactions between these receptors is of great importance for understanding their role in physiology and pathophysiology with potential application in drug discovery. In this context, numerous evidences support the implication of two chemokine receptors, CXCR4 and CCR7, in many cancer types. In this study, we hypothesized that the functional, and perhaps the physical interaction, occurring between CXCR4 and CCR7 may constitute one of the key …

Modified Titani Derived From Ti – Oxo Clusters: Synthesis, Structure, And Photocatalytic Activity, Fatmah Rashed Ali Alkindi

Theses

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂), an important semiconductor, has been used in various applications ranging from sunblock additives to self-cleaning window coatings, antibacterial agents, photovoltaics, and photocatalysis. Due to its photostability, TiO₂ is an extensively used semiconductor photocatalyst in many industries. This thesis represents the synthesis, structure, and photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ (Anatase) photocatalyst, which was prepared using hexanuclear titanium-oxo cluster precursor via temperature-controlled calcination. The optical property of the prepared photocatalyst was investigated using UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) for phase determination, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphology and structural analysis, Brunauer−Emmett−Teller …

Addictive Social Media Use: Examination Of The Psychometric Properties Of The Arabic Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale And The Mediational Role Of Sense Of Control In The Relationship Between Depression And Social Media Addiction, Louis J. Fourie

Theses

The period of COVID-19 has proven to be a turbulent period where extreme psychological trends can be examined due to lockdown procedures, social isolation, and public fear. The use of technology such as social media has increased with research highlighting the harm of overuse. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the psychometric properties of an Arabic translated version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) to assess for addictive social media use. Secondly, the study further examines the association between depression, social media addiction, and an individual’s sense of control. Specifically, the potential mediational role of …

Neural Network Based Reactive Control Of Point Absorber Wave Energy Converters, Abdelmoamen Ali Nasser

Theses

The main objective of this work is to develop a neural-network-based Reactive Control (RC) system for wave energy converters. The ability to maximize the power output of WEC while maintaining operation constraints, which can be physical or thermal, is crucial to the development of deployable control strategies. Having a control method that is robust, which means it handles uncertainty and noise very well, is one of the main performance criteria in evaluating the method. Therefore, this work starts by deriving an averaged WEC model to be simulated in MATLAB/Simulink. Additionally, the concepts of resistive loading control and reactive control (approximate …

The Effect Of Licogliflozin (Sglt1/2 Inhibitor) On Diabetes And Cardiac Complications, Alanoud Gharib Alblooshi

Theses

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic endocrine disease affecting millions of people worldwide. In spite of the advances made in the management of DM, poor glycemic control and diabetes complications are still very common. There is a continuous search for new and more effective drugs to treat DM. One of the drugs currently in clinical trials for the treatment of DM is licogliflozin (LIK066), a dual SGLT1/2 inhibitor, which can be used to treat obesity and diabetes. LIK066 inhibits glucose reabsorption in the kidney and small intestine, thereby reducing hyperglycemia. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of licogliflozin on …

On The Projections Of Commutative C*-Algebras, Alaa Ahmad Hamdan

Theses

Gelfand and Naimark proved that the Banach algebra of continuous complex-valued functions on a compact space Ω is the only example of commutative unital C*-algebras. We study the C*-algebra C(Ω) and its main elements, such as projections. Also, we discuss the mapping between projections, which preserves orthogonality (orthoisomorphism). A bijective θ between projections induces a bijective Θ between the Boolean algebra of clopen subsets of X. Then, we give main properties of such Θ. For a compact subset X of ℝ, we classify the projections of C(X) by introducing the similar relation on P(C(X)). We introduce an …

Investigating The Factors Impacting School Leadership’S Feedback And Feedforward Receptivity And Learning As Perceived By The Emirates Schools Establishment Staff, Hesham Rashad Badawy

Theses

This thesis is concerned with “Investigating the Factors Impacting School Leadership’s Feedback and Feedforward Receptivity and Learning as Perceived by the Emirates Schools Establishment Staff”. The study aims to identify if there is any existing interplay between the four domains: mindset, feedback orientation, feedback environment, and learning climate and how they impact feedback receptivity and learning. The study utilizes an explanatory sequential mixed research method. The rigorous quantitative data from the 5-point Likert scale survey was used as a basis for the semi-structured interview discussions after calculating the scores for each domain and staff member. The findings of the first …

Investigating The Role Of Irc20 And Cdc48 In The Maintenance Of Yeast Genome, Asma Albadi Alnuaimi

Theses

DNA, the basic unit of inheritance, is continuously exposed to numerous endogenous and exogenous damaging agents that compromise its function and adversely impact health. However, the cell has evolved intricate DNA repair mechanisms to mitigate the negative consequences of genomic instability. The repair of DNA double-strand break (DSB) is potentially accomplished by various mechanisms, including homologous recombination (HR). An HR-mediated DSB repair requires controlled regulation of repair proteins to ensure timely function. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs), such as ubiquitylation and SUMOylation, are regulatory mechanisms that significantly fine-tune proteins activities. Central to these processes is Rad52, a conserved oligomeric protein that forms …

Positive Effects Of Covid-19 On Food Preparation And Expenditure Habits: A Comparative Study Across Three Countries, Asli Emine Özen, Asker Kartarl, Antonia Correia, Jun Wen, Metin Kozak

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective:

This study seeks to empirically investigate how the changing eating habits affect health habits within three countries with entirely different cultures and diets to understand to what extent the pandemic may be responsible for these changes.

Design:

Specifically, a questionnaire was conducted in China, Portugal, and Turkey in early 2021. A series of statistical analyses were performed to identify how changes in individuals' eating habits have influenced their diets, considering the pandemic context and the varying cultural contexts where this research was performed.

Setting:

A structured questionnaire form was developed and uploaded to an online platform with unique links …

Getting Ahead: A Resident Led Quality Improvement Project To Increase Diabetic Nephropathy Screening In An Underserved Hispanic-Predominant Population, Stephanie Luu, Jose Rivera, Daniel Aragon, Victor Zamora-Legoff, Irma Huayanay, Reham Majzoub, Andreina Baird, Cristina Excobar Espinoza, Eric Sanchez, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Daniela Hernandez, Chelsea Chang

School of Medicine Publications

Introduction: Diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States (US), with 37 million having chronic kidney disease. Despite national guidelines recommendations for diabetic nephropathy screening with urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), less than 50% receive full screening.

Our Internal Medicine residents led a quality improvement project to increase diabetic nephropathy screening rate with UACR in our resident clinic by 50% in one academic year.

Methods: We conducted the resident-led quality improvement project from July 2021 to April 2022. We reviewed the electronic medical records (EMR) from our clinic pre-intervention July 2020 to June 2021 …

Teaching Income Inequality With Data-Driven Visualization, Humberto Barreto, Sang T. Truong

Economics and Management Faculty publications

The distribution of household income is a central concern in economics due to its strong influence on society’s well-being and social cohesion. Yet, non-expert audiences face serious obstacles in understanding conventional measures of inequality. To effectively communicate the extent of income inequality in the United States, we have developed a novel technique for visualizing income distribution and its dispersion over time by using U.S. household income microdata from the Current Population Survey. The result is a striking dynamic animation of income distribution over time, drawing public attention, and encouraging further investigation of income inequality. Detailed implementation is available at github.com/sangttruong/incomevis …

Transcriptional Regulatory Network Topology With Applications To Bio-Inspired Networking: A Survey, Satyaki Roy, Preetam Ghosh, Nirnay Ghosh, Sajal K. Das

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The advent of the edge computing network paradigm places the computational and storage resources away from the data centers and closer to the edge of the network largely comprising the heterogeneous IoT devices collecting huge volumes of data. This paradigm has led to considerable improvement in network latency and bandwidth usage over the traditional cloud-centric paradigm. However, the next generation networks continue to be stymied by their inability to achieve adaptive, energy-efficient, timely data transfer in a dynamic and failure-prone environment - the very optimization challenges that are dealt with by biological networks as a consequence of millions of years …

Advances In 3d Culture Systems For Therapeutic Discovery And Development In Brain Cancer, Janith Wanigasekara, Patrick J. Cullen, Paula Bourke, Brijesh Tiwari, James F. Curtin

Articles

This review focuses on recent advances in 3D culture systems that promise more accurate therapeutic models of the glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumor microenvironment (TME), such as the unique anatomical, cellular, and molecular features evident in human GBM. The key components of a GBM TME are outlined, including microbiomes, vasculature, extracellular matrix (ECM), infiltrating parenchymal and peripheral immune cells and molecules, and chemical gradients. 3D culture systems are evaluated against 2D culture systems and in vivo animal models. The main 3D culture techniques available are compared, with an emphasis on identifying key gaps in knowledge for the development of suitable platforms …