Engineering Commons^™

Optimization, Machine Learning, And Networking Solutions For Cyber-Physical Systems, Xu Tao

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) represent a transformative paradigm that integrates sensing, computation, and actuation through networked systems to enable intelligent, context-aware applications across various domains. Despite their growing potential, CPS still face critical challenges, particularly in maintaining reliable, low-latency communication and efficient data processing in resource-constrained and dynamic environments. These challenges are further magnified in rural or remote deployments, where traditional network infrastructure is often unavailable or unreliable. This dissertation addresses these challenges through the development of optimization and inference algorithms that enhance network performance in Software-Defined Networks (SDN), using techniques such as reinforcement learning and network tomography for efficient routing. …

Establishing Performance Criteria For Evaluating Watershed-Scale Sediment And Nutrient Models At Fine Temporal Scales, Aayush Pandit, Sarah Hogan, David Tyler Mahoney, William I. Ford, James F. Fox, Christopher Wellen, Admin Husic

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Watershed water quality models are mathematical tools used to simulate processes related to water, sediment, and nutrients. These models provide a framework that can be used to inform decision-making and the allocation of resources for watershed management. Therefore, it is critical to answer the question “when is a model good enough?” Established performance evaluation criteria, or thresholds for what is considered a ‘good’ model, provide common benchmarks against which model performance can be compared. Since the publication of prior meta-analyses on this topic, developments in the last decade necessitate further investigation, such as the advancement in high performance computing, the …

An Approach To Quantifying The Lifecycle Sustainability Impacts Of Tungsten Carbide Tools, Gatewood Arnold, Julian Polizzi, Syed Ibn Mohsin, Daniel Carnesi, Julius Schoop, Fazleena Badurdeen

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Tungsten carbide cutting tools are widely used for their high machining performance and low cost. However, their cost does not currently reflect the material rarity, environmental costs, nor societal costs associated with their production. Critically, embodied energy makes a sizeable contribution to the total lifecycle energy consumption. This study quantifies the true triple bottom line cost of the tools with respect to established sustainability metrics by leveraging cross-disciplinary insights from the product, process, and system levels. Based on the adjusted cost, a comparative analysis of the cutting tool sustainability on the profitability of a nickel-based superalloy machining process was carried …

A Multi-Scale Finite Element Method For Investigating Fiber Remodeling In Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Mohammad Mehri, Kenneth S. Campbell, Lik Chuan Lee, Jonathan F. Wenk

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

A significant hallmark of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is fiber disarray, which is associated with various cardiac events such as heart failure. Quantifying fiber disarray remains critical for understanding the disease’s complex pathophysiology. This study investigates the role of heterogeneous HCM-induced cellular abnormalities in the development of fiber disarray and their subsequent impact on cardiac pumping function. Fiber disarray is predicted using a stress-based law to reorient myofibers and collagen within a multiscale finite element cardiac modeling framework, MyoFE. Specifically, the model is used to quantify the distinct impacts of heterogeneous distributions of hypercontractility, hypocontractility, and fibrosis on fiber disarray development …

Modeling And Analysis Of Amorphous Steel Transformer For Potential Loss Reduction In Power Systems., Daniel A. Muchow

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

The energy consumed in power systems can be reduced directly by implementing new technologies and materials. The effort to reduce the carbon emissions expelled from the production of electrical energy has become a major focus. According to the U.S. energy Information Administration approximately 5% of all the electric generated and transmitted in the U.S. electrical grid is lost. The energy profile calculated from the usage of electrical power from all 50 states in 2021 is estimated to be 3.8 billion megawatts per hour, with a state average of just over 11 cents per MWh, producing just over 41.8 billion in …

Analysis And Design Optimization Of Synchronous Machines With Excitation Through Stator Dc Coils Or Magnets And Reluctance Rotors, Oluwaseun A. Badewa

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

The design and optimization of electric machines face increasing demands for higher efficiency, improved torque density, manufacturability, and effective utilization of materials, particularly in applications such as electric traction and propulsion, where performance, reliability, and cost are critical. This work explores innovative synchronous machine configurations with reluctance rotors and stator-combined excitation, including permanent magnet and DC-excited topologies, to address these challenges through advanced design methodologies, computational modeling, and experimental validation. This research is relevant to address the growing demand for high-performance electric machines that combine high power density with costeffective manufacturing. The conventional limitations in power and torque density, thermal …

Comparison Of Laboratory Scale Bourbon Whiskey Mashing And Fermentation To Pilot Scale, Ryan C. Sarhan, Brad J. Berron, Czarena L. Crofcheck, Glenna Joyce Welsko, Tyler J. Barzee

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Why the work was done: Laboratory scale methods are useful for optimising grain spirit production. While small scale methods exist, comparisons between conventional, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, and distillery scale production are lacking. Further, there is limited understanding of how these methods affect the rheological properties of the mash and flavour compounds from fermentation. This study compared conventional and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation mashing methods to a pilot scale distillery to establish a standard laboratory method for simulating industrial bourbon production.

How the work was done: Two mashing methods for bourbon whiskey were compared: simultaneous saccharification and fermentation versus conventional …

Contaminant Mixtures And Their Impact On Nitrate Removal In Wetlands: A Mesocosm Study, Emily N. Byers, Tiffany L. Messer, Daniel N. Miller, Christopher Barton, Jason M. Unrine, Carmen Agouridis

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Constructed wetlands are used extensively to mitigate surface runoff. While wetland treatment for nitrogen (N) has been comprehensively studied, a knowledge gap remains regarding the implications of other contaminants (e.g., pesticides, pharmaceuticals) on nitrate-N (NO₃-N) removal. This study sought to fill that gap by determining the impact imidacloprid, caffeine, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), atrazine, glyphosate, and sulfate (SO₄²⁻) have on NO₃-N removal rates. The contaminants were determined based on their occurrence across Kentucky surface waters in urban (imidacloprid, caffeine, and PFOS) and rural (atrazine, glyphosate, and SO₄²⁻) environments. Two constructed …

A Pyrrole Modified 3,4-Propylenedioxythiophene Conjugated Polymer As Hole Transport Layer For Efficient And Stable Perovskite Solar Cells, Yuanhao Tang, Ke Ma, Wenhao Shao, Yoon Ho Lee, Ashkan Abtahi, Jiaonan Sun, Hanjun Yang, Aidan H. Coffey, Harindi R. Atapattu, Mustafa Ahmed, Qixuan Hu, Wenzhan Xu, Raunak Dani, Limei Wang, Chenhui Zhu, Kenneth R. Graham, Jianguo Mei, Letian Dou

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Despite the outstanding electric properties and cost-effectiveness of poly- (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and its derivatives, their performance as hole transport layer (HTL) materials in conventional perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has lagged behind that of widely used spirobifluorene-based molecules or poly(triaryl amine). This gap is mainly from their poor solubility and energy alignment mismatch. In this work, the design and synthesis of a pyrrole-modified HTL (PPr) based on 3,4-propylenedioxythiophene (ProDOT) are presented for efficient and stable PSCs. As a result of the superior defects passivation ability, excellent contact with perovskite, enhanced hole extraction, and high hydrophobicity, the unencapsulated PPr-based PSCs showed the …

Analysis Of Tar And Oil Derived From Pyrolysis And Copyrolysis Of Waste Plastics And Biomass, Anitha Shankaralinge Gowda, Dimitrios Karadimas, Jeffrey Seay

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Pyrolysis has been proposed as a potential technology for managing the growing volume of plastic waste generated worldwide. Co-pyrolysis of plastic waste with biomass is a promising technology for generating fuel and chemical products. However, this process generates tar as a waste product. The chemical properties of this tar have yet to be thoroughly analyzed. This study presents the results of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of oil and tar obtained from the pyrolysis of pure plastics including high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and plastic-biomass mixtures. GC–MS analysis …

Membrane Filtration Of Nanoscale Biomaterials: Model System And Membrane Performance Evaluation For Aav2 Viral Vector Clarification And Recovery, Mara Leach, Kearstin Edmonds, Emily Ingram, Rebecca E. Dutch, Ranil Wickramasinghe, Malgorzata Chwatko, Dibakar Bhattacharyya

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The growing demand for viral vectors as nanoscale therapeutic agents in gene therapy necessitates efficient and scalable purification methods. This study examined the role of nanoscale biomaterials in optimizing viral vector clarification through a model system mimicking real AAV2 crude harvest material. Using lysed HEK293 cells and silica nanoparticles (20 nm) as surrogates for AAV2 crude harvest, we evaluated primary (depth filters) and secondary (membrane-based) filtration processes under different process parameters and solution conditions. These filtration systems were then assessed for their ability to recover nanoscale viral vectors while reducing DNA (without the need for endonuclease treatment), protein, and turbidity. …

Fundamental And Application Of Co-Assembly Of Peptides And Proteins: Experiment And Computation, Newton A. Ihoeghian, Qing Shao

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Peptides and proteins can co-assemble into various nanostructures based on complementary non-covalent interactions such as electrostatic forces, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic associations. These co-assemblies create a design space of functional materials for a wide spectrum of energy, environmental, and biomedical applications. This review focuses on the fundamentals and applications of three co-assembling systems: ultra-short peptides, peptides, and proteins. We will present and discuss experimental studies demonstrating applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and biomaterials development. We will also discuss the contribution of computational research, including molecular dynamics simulations and machine learning, to enhance our understanding of assembly mechanisms. Integrating experimental …

Advances In Magnetic Nanoparticles For Molecular Medicine, Xiaoyue Yang, Sarah E. Kubican, Zhongchao Yi, Sheng Tong

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are highly versatile nanomaterials in nanomedicine, owing to their diverse magnetic properties, which can be tailored through variations in size, shape, composition, and exposure to inductive magnetic fields. Over four decades of research have led to the clinical approval or ongoing trials of several MNP formulations, fueling continued innovation. Beyond traditional applications in drug delivery, imaging, and cancer hyperthermia, MNPs have increasingly advanced into molecular medicine. Under external magnetic fields, MNPs can generate mechano- or thermal stimuli to modulate individual molecules or cells deep within tissue, offering precise, remote control of biological processes at cellular and molecular …

Clinical Correlation Of Sars-Cov-2 Wastewater Passive Sampling In Long-Term Care Facilities And Wastewater Treatment Plants, William Strike, Alexus Lori Rockward, Blazan Mijatovic, Ann Noble, Cullen Olsson, Soroosh Torabi, Mohammad Dehghan Banadaki, Reuben Adatorwovor, James W. Keck, Scott M. Berry

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a promising tool for improving health outcomes through early detection and cost-effective pathogen surveillance. Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) serve and employ vulnerable populations that may particularly benefit from the use of WBE, but financial and technical costs associated with standard sampling methods limit the feasibility of WBE in the LTCF setting. In this work, we used passive sampling to simplify the wastewater analysis process and compared its performance to the standard composite sampling method. Moore swabs and automatic composite samplers were used concurrently to sample wastewater from two LTCFs, and samples were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 concentration. …

Affordable Miniaturized Speckle Contrast Diffuse Correlation Tomography Device For Depth-Sensitive Mapping Of Cerebral Blood Flow In Rodents, Fatemeh Hamedi, Faezeh Akbari, Mehrana Mohtasebi, Chong Huang, Li Chen, Lei Chen, Guoqiang Yu

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Significance: Continuous and longitudinal monitoring of cerebral blood flow (CBF) is critical for understanding brain pathophysiology and guiding interventions. Although rodents are the primary models in neuroscience, existing imaging modalities often fail to provide the optimal combination of low cost, high spatiotemporal resolution, wide head coverage, and sufficient penetration depth for small-animal brain imaging.

Aim: Leveraging a clinical speckle contrast diffuse correlation tomography (scDCT) system, we aimed to develop an affordable, user-friendly, fast, and miniaturized scDCT (mini-scDCT) device tailored for depth-sensitive CBF imaging in small rodents.

Approach: The mini-scDCT replaces bulky and costly optoelectronic components with compact, low-cost alternatives while …

Implementing Wastewater-Based Epidemiology For Long-Read Metagenomic Sequencing Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Kampala, Uganda, William Strike, Temitope O. C. Faleye, Brian Lubega, Alexus Lori Rockward, Soroosh Torabi

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging global threat that is expanding in many areas of the world. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is uniquely suited for use in areas of the world where clinical surveillance is limited or logistically slow to identify emerging threats, such as in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Wastewater was analyzed from three urban areas of Kampala, including a local HIV research clinic and two informal settlements. Wastewater extraction was performed using a low-cost, magnetic bead-based protocol that minimizes consumable plastic consumption followed by sequencing on the Oxford Nanopore Technology MinION platform. The majority of the analysis was performed using …

Supercapacitors With Cotton Shell-Derived Activated Carbons And Porous Polymer Electrolyte Films, Saurabh Singh, Yulin Zhang, S. A. Hashmi, Fuqian Yang

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Some of the well-known challenges in the field of supercapacitors (SCs), or more specifically, electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), such as low energy density and high cost, have proven to be major barriers to their widespread market success despite having some excellent electrochemical merits such as high-power density and good cyclic stability. In this work, efforts have been made to overcome these gaps and eventually enhance the performance of EDLCs via a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach. To fabricate these EDLCs, a bio-waste, namely, cotton-shell-derived activated carbons (ZnACs) (activated with ZnCl2), was used in a mass ratio of 1 : 2 for …

Improvement Of Cellular Pattern Organization And Clarity Through Centrifugal Force, Lauren E. Mehanna, James D. Boyd, Shelley Remus-Williams, Nicole M. Racca, Dawson P. Spraggins, Martha E. Grady, Brad J. Berron

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Rapid and strategic cell placement is necessary for high throughput tissue fabrication. Current adhesive cell patterning systems rely on fluidic shear flow to remove cells outside of the patterned regions, but limitations in washing complexity and uniformity prevent adhesive patterns from being widely applied. Centrifugation is commonly used to study the adhesive strength of cells to various substrates; however, the approach has not been applied to selective cell adhesion systems to create highly organized cell patterns. This study shows centrifugation as a promising method to wash cellular patterns after selective binding of cells to the surface has taken place. After …

Integrating Protein Language Model And Molecular Dynamics Simulations To Discover Antibiofouling Peptides, Ibrahim A. Imam, Shea Bailey, Duolin Wang, Shuai Zeng, Dong Xu, Qing Shao

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Antibiofouling peptide materials prevent the nonspecific adsorption of proteins on devices, enabling them to perform their designed functions as desired in complex biological environments. Due to their importance, research on antibiofouling peptide materials has been one of the central subjects of interfacial engineering. However, only a few antibiofouling peptide sequences have been developed. This narrow scope of antibiofouling peptide materials limits their capacity to adapt to the broad spectrum of application scenarios. To address this issue, we searched for antibiofouling peptides in the vast sequence pool of the microbiome library using a combination of deep learning-based high-throughput search and molecular …

Clarifying The Role Of Η-Phase With Varying Chemistry On Localised Corrosion Of A Cu-Containing 7xxx Al-Alloy By Quasi-In-Situ Tem, S. K. Kairy, Y. Wu, S. Turk, A. Shekhter, Rudolph Buchheit, N. Birbilis

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Quasi-in-situ transmission electron microscopy was employed to study dissolution associated with η-phase (Mg(Zn,Al,Cu)₂) precipitates in a Cu-containing 7xxx Al-alloy. Two distinct η-phase chemistries, with Cu to (Zn+Mg+Al) ratios ∼0.12 and ∼0.2, were studied in 0.01 M NaCl at pH 6 and 2. In near-neutral NaCl, both η-phase precipitates exhibited ‘duplex’ behaviour, i.e., they were primarily more noble with respect to the surrounding Al-matrix, causing matrix dissolution, and simultaneously established nanoscopic active sites within the noble precipitate itself by generating nanoscale pits. Conversely, η-phase precipitates rapidly dealloyed in acidic NaCl, forming nocrystalline Cu remnants containing twins, which subsequently caused …

Enhancing Intrinsic Ductility In Vnbmotaw High Entropy Alloy: A Combinatorial Investigation With Experimental Evaluation Of Theoretical Predictions, Taohid Bin Nur Tuhser, Ian Stewart Winter, Daryl Chrzan, Thomas John Balk

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The application of refractory high entropy alloys (RHEAs) as engineering materials has been hindered by their poor inherent ductility. In this study, a novel approach combining thin film combinatorial screening with fragmentation testing was employed to identify intrinsically ductile alloy compositions. Inspired by the physics-based intrinsic ductility parameter, the ‘χ-parameter,’ we investigated the replacement of group VI elements (W/Mo) with group V elements (V, Nb, Ta) in the VNbMoTaW system. Conventional combinatorial analyses, including composition, phase, and hardness assessments, were conducted across a wide range of non-equiatomic configurations. The results revealed a broad compositional space favoring a single-phase body-centered cubic …

Pharmacological Or Genetic Inhibition Of Ltcc Promotes Cardiomyocyte Proliferation Through Inhibition Of Calcineurin Activity, Lynn A. C. Devilée, Abou Bakr M. Salama, Jessica M. Miller, Janice D. Reid, Qinghui Ou, Nourhan M. Baraka, Kamal Abou Farraj, Madiha Jamal, Yibing Nong, Todd K. Rosengart, Douglas A. Andres, Jonathan Satin, Tamer M. A. Mohamed, James E. Hudson, Riham R. E. Abouleisa

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Cardiomyocytes (CMs) lost during ischemic cardiac injury cannot be replaced due to their limited proliferative capacity. Calcium is an important signal transducer that regulates key cellular processes, but its role in regulating CM proliferation is incompletely understood. Here we show a robust pathway for new calcium signaling-based cardiac regenerative strategies. A drug screen targeting proteins involved in CM calcium cycling in human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiac organoids (hCOs) revealed that only the inhibition of L-Type Calcium Channel (LTCC) induced the CM cell cycle. Furthermore, overexpression of Ras-related associated with Diabetes (RRAD), an endogenous inhibitor of LTCC, induced CM cell cycle …

Advances In Magnetic Nanoparticles For Molecular Medicine, Xiaoyue Yang, Sarah E. Kubican, Zhongchao Yi, Sheng Tong

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are highly versatile nanomaterials in nanomedicine, owing to their diverse magnetic properties, which can be tailored through variations in size, shape, composition, and exposure to inductive magnetic fields. Over four decades of research have led to the clinical approval or ongoing trials of several MNP formulations, fueling continued innovation. Beyond traditional applications in drug delivery, imaging, and cancer hyperthermia, MNPs have increasingly advanced into molecular medicine. Under external magnetic fields, MNPs can generate mechano- or thermal stimuli to modulate individual molecules or cells deep within tissue, offering precise, remote control of biological processes at cellular and molecular …

Functional Assessment Of Migration And Adhesion To Quantify Cancer Cell Aggression, Lauren E. Mehanna, James D. Boyd, Chloe G. Walker, Adrianna R. Osborne, Martha E. Grady, Brad J. Berron

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

During epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cancer cells lose their cell–cell adhesion junctions as they become more metastatic, altering cell motility and focal adhesion disassembly associated with increased detachment from the primary tumor and a migratory response into nearby tissue and vasculature. Current in vitro strategies characterizing a cell’s metastatic potential heavily favor quantifying the presence of cell adhesion biomarkers through biochemical analysis; however, mechanical cues such as adhesion and motility directly relate to cell metastatic potential without needing to first identify a cell specific biomarker for a particular type of cancer. This paper presents a comprehensive comparison of two functional metrics …

Fault Identification And Localization In Distribution Grids Based On An Attention-Hybrid Graph Neural Network, Xingjian Shan

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

This thesis proposes a multi-task fault diagnosis framework for distribution systems based on Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN) and an enhanced Graph Attention Network (GATv2). By representing the power grid as a graph with electrical features and topological connections, the model simultaneously performs fault type classification and fault location prediction. The architecture incorporates residual connections, multi-head attention, and a Jumping Knowledge module to capture multi-scale structural patterns, while dynamic loss weighting ensures balanced task optimization under noise and sparsity. Experimental results on the IEEE 123-node test feeder demonstrate a fault classification accuracy of 96.43%, and fault localization accuracies of 84.64% (strict), …

Surface Morphology And Moisture Adsorption/Desorption Characteristics Of Hybrid-Dielectric Moisture Sensors, Ronak Ali

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

Relative humidity sensors are used for high-humidity measurement. Moisture sensors, or dew point sensors are used for low-humidity measurement (< 1 ppm_v). The dissertation contains two parts of studies. In the first part, the effect of surface morphology on the response speed of moisture sensors is studied. Moisture sensors using α-Al₂O₃ films as porous dielectric materials deposited by anodic spark deposition are studied. In this part of the study, a variety of small pores have been studied to investigate the response speed of moisture sensors. Three different surface morphologies have been studied using scanning electron microscopy. One …

Measurement Of Moisture Levels In Oils And Lubricants Using A Novel Moisture Sensor, Aaron Swartz

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

It is very challenging to measure moisture levels in oils. There is not a good method to measure it. Using the novel moisture sensor, we tried various methods to measure the moisture levels in oils. The initial trials are to immerse the sensor chip into the oils to see any sensor reading changes with the change of moisture levels in oils. It was observed that the sensor reading was unstable. The idea for immersion of the sensor chip into the oils failed. The last idea is to heat the oil to let all moisture evaporate fully. Before heating, the dew …

Mathematical-Programming Modeling Of Power-Electronics-Based Microgrid Systems, Jack A. Robey

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

The emergence of power-electronics-based microgrid systems is driven by the shift to cleaner energy, transportation electrification, renewable integration, grid modernization through smart grid advancements, and growing demand for energy-efficient solutions. For utilities, these systems present unique opportunities for enhancing grid resilience, improving load management, and enabling distributed energy resource integration. This work presents a modeling and simulation approach for microgrid systems that uses mathematical programming to represent power flow and capture the system dynamics. By solving an optimization problem at each time step, the method enables evaluation of power distribution and system performance under a range of operating conditions, without …

Computing With Photonic Phase Change Memory, David B. Pippen

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

A recent breakthrough in silicon photonics includes the discovery and use of phase changing materials (PCMs). These materials can be programmed to store nonvolatile values, and when a stored value in a PCM cell is read, it changes the amplitude of the read signal, imprinting the value held into the PCM cell on the amplitude of the read signal. This thesis proposes a new approach to using PCM cells not only for photonic memory but also as a substrate to perform multiplications in the photonic domain. The proposed multiplier uses PCM cells to encode amplitude-analog weight values and differing lengths …

Scalable Hypergraph Structure Learning With Diverse Smoothness Priors, Benjamin T. Brown

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

In graph signal processing, learning weighted connections between nodes from signals is a fundamental task when the underlying relationships are unknown. With the extension of graphs to hypergraphs, where edges can connect more than two nodes, graph learning methods have similarly been generalized to hypergraphs. However, the absence of a unified framework for calculating total variation has led to divergent definitions of smoothness and, consequently, differing approaches to hyperedge recovery. This challenge is confronted in this work through generalization of several previously proposed hypergraph total variations, allowing ease of substitution into a vector-based optimization. To this end, a novel hypergraph …