Engineering Commons^™

Assessment Of A Marine Polysaccharide For Use As Excipient In Pharmaceutical Hot-Melt Extrusion, Qing Ye

Theses

Pharmaceutical Hot Melt Extrusion (HME) is currently investigated by both industry and academia as a method for manufacturing solid oral dosages with improved bioavailability of poorly-water soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and control drug release of water-soluble APIs. Although HME is traditionally utilizing synthetic polymers to produce such dosages, biopolymers constantly gain ground by virtue of renewability, biocompatibility and in some cases biodegradability. In this work, the possibility of using Keltone, a marine polysaccharide derived from brown seaweed, as a polymeric excipient for pharmaceutical HME is explored. Keltone is insoluble in acidic pH and soluble in basic pH, therefore making …

Dispersion And Dissolution Kinetics Of Api Particles In Pharmaceutical Hot Melt Extrusion, Wang Zhan

Theses

Pharmaceutical Hot Melt Extrusion (HME) is essentially a special case of polymer compounding. The elementary steps involved in traditional plastics melt processing are handling of particulates, melting, dispersive and distributive mixing, devolatilization and stripping, and finally pressurization and pumping. However, for pharmaceutical HME, the dissolution of the API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) is an additional and very important elementary step, along with the melting of the polymeric excipient that precedes it, and mixing which accelerates the dissolution process. A major concern in pharmaceutical HME is the thermal degradation of the API. To avoid overexposure of API to heat while ensuring complete …

Experimental Determination Of The Mixing Requirements For Solid Suspension In Pharmaceutical Stirred Tank Reactors, Anqi Zhou

Theses

Glass and glass-lined, stirred-tank reactors are of significant importance in the pharmaceutical and related industries. Because of fabrication issues, a retreat blade impeller (RBI) with a low impeller clearance off the tank bottom is commonly used in glass-lined reactors, typically combined with a single baffle (providing only partial baffling conditions) mounted from the top of the reactor. In addition, these reactors are often provided with a torispherical bottom. Other configurations are also used, including full baffling or no baffles at all, hemispherical bottoms, and different impeller types. Despite their common use, some of the most important mixing characteristics of this …

Short Term Modification Of Vergence Ramp Eye Movements In The Convergent Direction, Chang Yaramothu

Theses

Prior oculomotor studies have investigated the various effects of short-term modification on vergence, saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements. Previous vergence studies have concentrated on step modification stimuli. Few have investigated the effects of short-term modification on vergence ramp movements. Thus, this study explores the trends observed within a short-term modification experiment studying smoothly tracking vergence eye movements responses elicited from convergent ramp stimuli. A short-term modification experiment is composed of three phases: baseline, modification and recovery. Baseline and recovery phases contain only test stimuli; whereas, during modification, the subject is presented test and conditioning stimuli in a ratio of …

Aerobic Biodegradation Of 2, 4 Dichlorophenol In A Spouted Bed Bio-Reactor (Sbbr), Taghreed Tahseen Al-Khalid

Theses

Chlorinated phenolic compounds represent a major class of hazardous pollutants commonly encountered in wastewater generated by the petroleum and petrochemical industries. In this regard, biological treatment, as an economical and green technology, has been shown to be one of the most promising approaches for the removal of many organic water pollutants such as chlorophenols. Under aerobic conditions, bacteria utilize chlorophenols as a source of carbon and energy. This study aimed at developing an integrated system for biodegradation of 2, 4 dichlorophenol (DCP) in a specially designed spouted bed bioreactor (SBBR), characterized by systematic intense mixing, resulting in enhanced biodegradation rates. …

A New Clustering Protocol For Hybrid Sensor Vehicular Networks (Hsvns), Saleha Mubarak Mohammed Al Mheiri

Theses

As the UAE is classified among the highest countries in road accidents; it’s an urgent necessity to derive proper and effective solutions. One of the well-known solutions is to move to the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). ITS is achieved by the implementation of advanced technologies to help the roads to be smarter, safer and more coordinated. There are different studies and researches published in this area. This thesis is mainly conducted to achieve the same goal, which is increasing the safety on our roads.

The aim of this research is to build a new clustering protocol in the Hybrid Sensor …

Evaluation Of Electrocoagulation For The Removal Of Chromium (Vi) From Brackish Groundwater, Shaima S Hamdan

Theses

Electrocoagulation (EC) has been evaluated for the removal of Cr (VI) from brackish groundwater using three different bench-scale EC reactors, namely batch stirred tank reactor (BSTR), continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and a continuous electrocoagulation column (ECC). Batch EC process was experimentally examined at room temperature and the results indicated that Fe-Fe electrode pair was the most efficient arrangement and was able to achieve 100 % Cr removal at an electrocoagulation time of 5 minutes, a current density of 7.94 mA/cm², and pH of 8. A kinetic study of batch EC was then performed using both pseudo-first-order and …

Public Private Partnership In Transit Projects, Rashmita Daschaudhuri

Theses

The government is cutting down government impediments and entering into the market. One of the outcomes has been the rise of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). There have been a lot of information and transaction cost problems in government institutions. These issues can be sorted and mitigated if the risk is shared with the private sector.

Until 1990, there had been a monopoly of the public sector developing transit projects. Now with the PPP concept, the transit projects are slowly moving into public private partnership agreements. This study tries to identify the various approaches of public private partnership delivery system. A few …

Mathematically Modeling The Mechanical Constants Of Thoracolumbar Fascia Under Compression, In Vivo, Vrajeshri Patel

Theses

The thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) is a complex structure made of many interconnecting aponeurosis and muscle fascia. It plays a role in posture, stabilizing the lumbosacral spine, load transfer, and respiration. Its complex structure and connections have mostly been observed through cadaveric studies while its mechanical properties have been addressed in only a few studies. Recently, new advances in ultrasound imaging have made it possible to move towards measuring tissue strain. Since this is an in vivo method, mechanical data of tissues in their natural environment allows a more accurate representation of tissue strain. However, many different methods of analyzing ultrasound …

Differentiating Schizophrenic Patients From Healthy Control; Application Of Machine Learning To Resting State Fmri, Hossein Ebrahimi Nezhad

Theses

In recent years, one analysis approach that has grown in popularity is the use of machine learning algorithms to train classifiers to decode stimuli, mental states, behaviors and other variables of interest from fMRI data. Most of these studies focus on fMRI low frequency oscillations. This study focuses on the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF). A Voxel-wise analysis is performed on the whole brain for two groups of subjects. A machine learning algorithm is applied to two independent groups of subjects (a total of 160 healthy control and schizophrenic subjects) to classify Schizophrenia …

Influence Of Lateral Boundaries In Tapped Densification Of Granular Materials, Nathaniel Ching

Theses

Granular systems are widely present in the world. Soil, pharmaceutical pills, and silos filled with grain all are examples of granular systems. Experiments have long established an empirical understanding of granular systems, but an analytical understanding has been much more difficult to establish. One of the behaviors of a granular system that is well documented but poorly understood is the change in density the system undergoes when excited, also known as the densification process.

This thesis investigates the densification process of a tapped granular system using Discrete Element Model (DEM) simulations. Contact interactions in the simulations obey a well-established inelastic …

Analysis Of Transport Properties In A Zaz Graphene Nanoribbon Junction Using Various Dopants, Natasha Parikh

Theses

A 12 atom wide ZAZ Graphene Junction was simulated and its transport properties were analyzed. I-V curves, calculated by nonequilibrium Greens function method combined with the density functional theory under external bias, showed varying semiconducting characteristics. Further, the width of the junction also showed significant effects in the determination of the semiconducting nature. A theoretical study was performed on the semiconducting characteristics by analyzing the I-V curve and transport coefficients in the junction.

Developing A Labview Based Thermally Stimulated Current (Tsc) Controller To Measure Residual Charge In Electrospinning, Jai Abhishekh Veezhinathan

Theses

Electrospinning is an electrohydrodynamic process for the fabrication of nanofibers which are widely used in therapeutical tissue engineering approaches. It utilizes the potential difference of an electrostatic field to overcome the surface tension of the polymer solution to extrude a fine jet of fluid which deposits on the grounded collector as a nanofiber mat. Using this process, nanofibers with diameters less than a micron can be produced.

Previous studies have shown the presence of residual charge in electrospun nanofibers. The presence and decay of residual charge during cell culture media is still unknown. In an attempt to clarify the presence …

Model Predictive Control Of Timed Continuous Petri Nets, Huaiyu Zhan

Theses

This thesis addresses the optimal control problem of timed continuous Petri nets. The theory of Model Predictive Control (MPC) is first discussed. Then continuous Petri nets (PN) are introduced as a powerful tool for modelling, simulation and analysis of discrete event/continuous systems. Their useful capabilities are studied. Finally, a macroscopic model based on PN as a tool for designing control laws that improve the behavior of traffic systems is given. The goal is to find an approach that minimizes the total delay of cars in an intersection by computing the switching sequence of the traffic lights. The simulation results show …

Using The Piezoelectric Backscatter Signal For Remote Sensing Of Neural Signals, Eren Alay

Theses

In recent studies, various methods to sense neural signals are used and new methods for remote sensing of neural signals are being developed. However, there are still major difficulties in building long-term implantable neural interface systems that can reliably record neural activity and serve as the basis of brain-machine interfaces (BMI). Therefore, this research is conducted to design a remote neural sensing system that is based on modulation of the backscatter signal from a piezoelectric element by the neural signals. The hypothesis is that if the neural signal is detected with a simple amplifier and the output of this amplifier …

Effect Of Temperature On Tunneling And Quantum Efficiency In Cigs Solar Cells, Sizhan Liu

Theses

Utilizing the two-band approximation and Wentzel-Kramers-B ri l l oui n (WKB) approximation, by including the temperature-dependent effective masses and nonparabolicity effects, an investigation of the temperature dependent band-to-band tunneling process is discussed. In comparison with the parabolic approximation and non- parabolic approximation, the tunneling probability is strongly dependent on the non-parabolicity factor. The temperature dependence of the energy band gap, electron effective mass and light hole effective mass is investigated. The tunneling current density function is derived by a series representation of the incomplete gamma function with non-parabolic effect and its variation at low temperature is also investigated. When …

Smart Polyacrylonitrile (Pan) Nanofibers With Thermal Energy Storage And Retrieval Functionality, De’Andre James Cherry

Theses

Phase change materials (PCMs) are generally substances with a high heat of fusion in the process of solid to liquid phase change. The nature of PCMs make them efficient materials to store and retrieve large amounts of thermal energy. Presently, high efficiency thermal energy storage/retrieval in applications where flexibility and space saving are required, such as smart textiles, still remains as a challenge. In this study, lauric acid (LA) and myristic acid (MA) were combined to prepare a specific binary fatty acid eutectic (LA-MA) with a melting point near the operating body temperature of a human being and then encapsulated …

Magnetic Nanoparticles For Thermally Anoparticles Enhanced Heavy Oil Recovery, Hazem Elshorbagy Elshorbagy

Theses

A novel method of delivering thermal energy efficiently to reservoirs for heavy oil production is described in this study. The method uses magnetic nanoparticles that generate heat locally when exposed to a high frequency magnetic field oscillation via hysteresis losses. This concept is currently used in medical research to thermally kill cancerous cells. Electromagnetic heating is a n alternative method to heat heavy oil reservoirs without using water or steam. Using magnetic nanoparticles with electromagnetic heating would greatly reduce the energy requirement and would allow efficient propagation of heat into deeper regions beyond wellbore locality that are otherwise difficult to …

Service And Communication Management In Cooperative Vehicular Networks, Olivia Brickley

Theses

The concept of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) presents new R&D challenges for the transportation and ICT sectors and is currently receiving considerable interest from the research community. The primary objective of ITS is the creation of advanced road traffic systems for improved traffic safety, efficiency, and travelling comfort. Basic vehicle and roadside infrastructure collaboration allows for an increase in efficiency and safety and acts as the foundation for an extensive service set to achieve these ITS goals. Applications such as journey planning, automatic tolling and emergency warnings, among others, are envisaged in a system which can potentially reform modern transportation. …

Suspended Sediment And Nutrient Behaviour On The River Bandon, Ireland, James Hickey

Theses

Suspended sediment is a key contributor to contaminant transfer within river systems. The relationship between the transport of suspended sediment and nutrients influences the status of water quality and sustainability of aquatic habitats. This thesis studies suspended sediment and nutrient transport on the River Bandon.

This thesis includes a literature review of suspended sediment and nutrient transport, appropriate legislation, river flow representation and flood frequency estimation.

As part of a structured field monitoring programme, manual samples have been collected periodically and tested for suspended sediment concentration (SSC), turbidity, five species of phosphorus and five species of nitrogen. Continuous in-situ turbidity …

Achieving ‘Net Zero Energy’ Performance Through Retrofitting Of Residential Buildings In Ireland., M. Alan Costello

Theses

A Net Zero Energy Building (nZEB) is a residential or commercial building that consumes net zero energy over a set period of time, usually taken as one year. In short, for every unit of energy the building consumes over a year, it must generate a unit of energy to maintain an overall net balance. This is achieved by reducing the operational energy usage to a very low level through energy efficient design, and then providing renewable generation technologies on site to cater for the remaining energy demand.

Energy use in all sectors of society is under scrutiny at present, largely …

Location Management And Hybrid Geo-Routing For Urban Vehicular Networks, Aisling O'Driscoll

Theses

In recent years the motivation for comfort applications e.g. infotainment, file exchange and vehicle to vehicle (V2V) multiplayer gaming amongst others, has emerged as an active area of vehicular communications and network research. The success of such applications relies on the ability of a geo-routing protocol to deliver communication packets in a frequently disconnected communication environment. To do this, the location of the destination vehicle must first be determined and secondly, must reliably deliver the packet from source to destination. To determine the location of a target vehicle towards which packets can be forwarded, geo-routing algorithms utilise a location service …

Classification Of Irish Beaches, Johnjoe O'Sullivan

Theses

This project aims to develop a beach classification model that has been validated for use on Irish beaches. Beach classification models have been developed over the past six decades as a means of identifying the sedimentological, morphological and hydrodynamic beach features that are present on beaches. Beach classification models have been pioneered by researchers for beaches in Australia and have been subject to continuous development through the monitoring and research of beaches along the Australian coastline. Recently a similar model been developed for England and Wales based on data collected from beaches along the coastline. This report will investigate the …

A Technical And Economic Appraisal Of Insulation Retrofits, Niamh O'Brien

Theses

The main aim of this literature review is to further develop the project brief and to examine what research has previously been undertaken in the field of thermal conductivity and retrofitting insulation. The basis of this project is to determine the effect of moisture in domestic cavity walls on the effectiveness of retrofitted insulation. The research began by highlighting the reasoning behind the need for insulation within domestic dwellings within Ireland and the guiding legislation in place in relation to this. Carrying on from this, the current methods used to retrofit insulation were examined, along with the types of insulation …

A Technical And Economic Appraisal Of Insulation Retrofits, Niamh O'Brien

Theses

The main aim of this literature review is to further develop the project brief and to examine what research has previously been undertaken in the field of thermal conductivity and retrofitting insulation. The basis of this project is to determine the effect of moisture in domestic cavity walls on the effectiveness of retrofitted insulation. The research began by highlighting the reasoning behind the need for insulation within domestic dwellings within Ireland and the guiding legislation in place in relation to this. Carrying on from this, the current methods used to retrofit insulation were examined, along with the types of insulation …

Evaluation Of Ireland’S Potential To Expand Its Hydro Electrical Power Facilities Through The Construction Of A Seawater Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Scheme, James Herley

Theses

The National Renewable Energy Action Plan for Ireland has detailed that 40% of Irelands total energy consumption from the electricity sector must come from renewable sources by 2020. In 2012 this figure was at 11.4%, it is unlikely these targets will be met by 2020. The important role that hydro power can play in achieving these targets was examined. Research into hydropower in general was carried out in order to attain an understanding of the principles and terminology used. Many traditional hydro schemes have been previously developed in Ireland. However due to increased population, there are no longer suitable locations …

A Novel Waveform For Emergency Services Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks : The Link Layer Perspective, Sebastian Helmle

Theses

Existing wireless communication systems of emergency services mainly enable ordinary unicast or broadcast voice communications. The increasing demand for data services such as messaging, file transfer, maps, etc requires those long-range communication systems to provide higher data rates while maintaining robustness against link failures. In this thesis, various aspects of a link layer design specifically for narrowband mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) that are targeted at emergency services are investigated.

The major aspect of this thesis is the optimisation of a time division multiple access (TDMA) design considering both efficient and reliable multicast resource reservation. An approach to mathematically describe a …

A New Algorithm For Piecewise Affine System Identification And Its Application To A Mems Switch, Niel Canty

Theses

Over the past ten years, hybrid systems, and piecewise affine (PWA) systems in particular have been viewed as viable option for modelling nonlinear systems. Many methods have been developed to cater for the identification of a PWA model from input/output data. This thesis focuses on the clustering based identification approach. This method uses a Least Squares (LS) identification algorithm which, in this thesis, is shown to perform poorly in practice. The clustering based algorithm is also limited by the number of initialisation parameters that need to be chosen. These parameters have a significant influence on the resulting PWA model accuracy, …

A Decision Making Tool For Sustainable Design In Construction, Enda Collins

Theses

This report defines sustainability and sustainable development before any research is carried out. This is necessary so that the research carried out further in the report makes sense and there is a reason for including such items in this report. The need for this project and what the project aims to achieve is also highlighted in the introduction of this report.

Sustainability is made up of three equal parts; social, economic and environmental. This report goes through each item and gives examples of each type of development. Having discussed sustainability in a broad sense the report then focuses on Legislation …

An Investigation And Evaluation Of The Proposed Harbour Development In Bantry Bay, Cork, Shane O'Flynn

Theses

RPS Group was appointed by Bantry Bay Harbour Commissioners to develop a master plan for a waterfront development in Bantry Bay Inner Harbour. It has been proposed that the inner harbour be dredged to a sufficient water depth to allow the entrance of marine craft. The purpose of the thesis is to evaluate and discuss the decisions regarding the environmental impacts that a harbour development would have on Bantry Bay. This research investigates the feasibility of alternative dredge treatment processes used in the Bantry Bay Inner Harbour Development. This research investigates the possibility of reusing the dredge material on site, …