Engineering Commons^™

Alterations In Multiple Measures Of White Matter Integrity In Normal Women At High Risk For Alzheimer's Disease, Brian T. Gold, David K. Powell, Anders H. Andersen, Charles D. Smith

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

There is evidence that disruption of white matter (WM) microstructure is an early event in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the neurobiological bases of WM microstructural declines in presymptomatic AD are unknown. In the present study we address this issue using a multimodal imaging approach to the study of presymptomatic AD. Participants were 37 high-risk (both family history of dementia and one or more APOE4 alleles) women and 20 low-risk (neither family history nor APOE4) women. Groups were matched for age, education, neuropsychological performance, and vascular factors that could affect white matter. Whole-brain analyses of diffusion tensor imaging …

The Geometric Growth Of M&S Education: Pushing Forward, Pushing Outward, John A. Sokolowski, Catherine M. Banks

VMASC Publications

M&S education is experiencing a geometric growth that is placing it front and center as a discipline and as an interdisciplinary tool. This article discusses the evolution of the discipline of M&S. It answers: Why has M&S education experienced a forward and outward growth? What is it that makes this discipline unique? What is the current state of M&S education?

The Effect Of Ionic Dissolution Products Of Ca-Sr-Na-Zn-Si Bioactive Glass On In Vitro Cytocompatibility, S. Murphy, A. W. Wren, Mark R. Towler, D. Boyd

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Many commercial bone grafts cannot regenerate healthy bone in place of diseased bone. Bioactive glasses have received much attention in this regard due to the ability of their ionic dissolution products to promote cell proliferation, cell differentiation and activate gene expression. Through the incorporation of certain ions, bioactive glasses can become therapeutic for specific pathological situations. Calcium-strontium-sodium-zinc-silicate glass bone grafts have been shown to release therapeutic levels of zinc and strontium, however the in vitro compatibility of these materials is yet to be reported. In this study, the in vitro cytocompatibility of three different calcium-strontium-sodium-zinc-silicate glasses was examined as a …

An Automated Phenotype-Driven Approach (Geneforce) For Refining Metabolic And Regulatory Models, Dipak Barua, Joonhoon Kim, Jennifer L. Reed

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Integrated constraint-based metabolic and regulatory models can accurately predict cellular growth phenotypes arising from genetic and environmental perturbations. Challenges in constructing such models involve the limited availability of information about transcription factor-gene target interactions and computational methods to quickly refine models based on additional datasets. In this study, we developed an algorithm, GeneForce, to identify incorrect regulatory rules and gene-protein-reaction associations in integrated metabolic and regulatory models. We applied the algorithm to refine integrated models of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, and experimentally validated some of the algorithm's suggested refinements. The adjusted E. coli model showed improved accuracy …

Development Of Internally Cured Concrete For Increased Service Life, John Schlitter, Ryan Henkensiefken, Javier Castro, Kambiz Raoufi, Jason Weiss, Tommy Nantung

JTRP Technical Reports

Higher strength, lower water to cement ratio (w/c) concrete has been advocated over the last two decades due to its increased strength and reduced permeability. The lower w/c of these concretes makes them susceptible to autogenous shrinkage. This autogenous shrinkage can be significant and can be a contributing factor to early age cracking. Internal curing was investigated as a potential method to improve the durability of concrete pavements and bridge decks. Prewetted lightweight aggregate was used to supply water to the hydrating cement paste. This additional water can counteract the hindered strength development, suspended hydration, autogenous shrinkage, and early age …

Nonlinear Control Of Facts Controllers For Damping Interarea Oscillations In Power Systems, Mahyar Zarghami, Jagannathan Sarangapani, Mariesa Crow

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper introduces a new nonlinear control of flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS) controllers for the purpose of damping interarea oscillations in power systems. FACTS controllers consist of series, shunt, or a combination of series-shunt devices which are interfaced with the bulk power system through injection buses. Controlling the angle of these buses can effectively damp low frequency interarea oscillations in the system. The proposed control method is based on finding an equivalent reduced affine nonlinear system for the network from which the dominant machines are extracted based on dynamic coherency. It is shown that if properly selected, measurements obtained …

Pso Tuned Flatness Based Control Of A Magnetic Levitation System, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, E. C. Anene

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Investigation on the application of flatness-based feedback linearization to the magnetic levitation model of INTECOTm Maglev system is presented in this paper. The MAGLEV system dynamics studied consists of a set of third order nonlinear differential equations. Using computational techniques proposed by Levine, it is verified that the ball position is the flat output. The derived flat output is applied in the construction of a nonlinear control law used to control the levitation to a set point as well as tracking a sine function trajectory. The controller gains are obtained and optimized using particle swarm optimization. The simulation results compared …

Thermodynamics Of Strained Vanadium Dioxide Single Crystals, Yijia Gu, Jinbo Cao, Junqiao Wu, Long-Qing Chen

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Vanadium dioxide undergoes a metal-insulator transition, in which the strain condition plays an important role. To investigate the strain contribution, a phenomenological thermodynamic potential for the vanadium dioxide single crystal was constructed. The transformations under the uniaxial stress, wire, and thin film boundary conditions were analyzed, and the corresponding phase diagrams were constructed. The calculated phase diagrams agree well with existing experimental data, and show that the transformation temperature (and Curie temperature) strongly depends on the strain condition.

Complex Impedance Study Of Fine And Coarse Grain Tio2 Ceramics, Sheng Chao, Vladimir Petrovsky, Fatih Dogan

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) ceramics with various grain sizes were investigated by impedance spectroscopy techniques. Dielectric loss peak identified in coarse grain TiO₂ was attributed to space charge polarization occurring at the grain boundaries. Electric modulus representation of the impedance data showed two types of relaxation processes in coarse grain TiO₂, whereas only one type was observed in fine grain TiO₂. Long-range migration of oxygen vacancies was found to be the dominant conduction mechanism for fine grain TiO₂, while electron hopping between localized states was attributed to dielectric relaxation in coarse grain …

Analysis Of Microstructural Evolution During Friction Stir Welding Of Ultrahigh-Strength Steel, M. Ghosh, K. Kumar, R. S. Mishra

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Friction stirs lap-welded advanced high-strength M190 steel exhibited formation of lath martensite at weld nuggets, a ferrite layer at faying surfaces and a ferrite-pearlite microstructure at the bottom of the stir zone. the phase transformation was governed by severe plastic deformation in the austenitic region followed by cooling. the strain rate and peak temperature played key roles in controlling the prior-austenitic grain size and were correlated to the Zener-Hollomon parameter. an empirical relationship has been obtained for dynamically recrystallized austenite grains. © 2010 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plain And Steel-Reinforced Concrete Shear Walls With And Without Cfrp Retrofitting, Ali Mohammed Salih Al Aloosi

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents the outcome- of a study of the behavior and strength of plain and steel-reinforced concrete shear walls with and without a window opening and Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) retrofitting. A total of seven tests were conducted using six different shear walls. Each wall was subjected to a gradually increasing static load at one of it's top corners until the maximum load was reached. The load-deflection relations and the walls' failure patterns were observed and recorded. It was found that the window opening in the plain concrete wall reduced the wall load capacity by 18 percent. For the …

A Novel Piezoelectric Device With Dual Functions Of Studying Biological Soft Tissues, Avin A. Jamadagni

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents the design of a novel piezoelectric device with dual functions of studying soft biological tissues. The device consists of a central circular plate and a set of flexural beams. The flexural beams are partially covered with piezoelectric film for integrated transduction. It can function as a force sensor for measuring the mechanical behavior of a tissue sample and a load applier for mimicking physiological loads experienced by the tissue sample in vivo, while the mechanical behavior can be visually observed under a microscope simultaneously. By combining the classic theories in solid mechanics and piezoelectricity, the performance of …

Economic Optimization Of Offshore Wind Farms Using The Geometric Algorithm, Mahidhar Nandigam

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The research project related to this thesis focuses on the optimization of electrical systems for offshore wind farms for a given capacity. The optimal design and planning is a critical issue for developing cost effectively Offshore Wind Farms in energy systems. The Geometric Optimization Algorithms approach has been adopted to develop an optimization program, where the main components of the electrical system of an offshore wind farm and key technical specifications are used as parameters to be optimized for a minimum cost with necessary constraints. The effectiveness of the optimization program can be evaluated with real-time comparison between offshore wind …

Risk-Based Seismic Design Optimization Of Steel Building Systems With Passive Damping Devices, Junshan Liu

Dissertations (1934 -)

Nonlinear time history analysis software and an optimization algorithm for automating design of steel frame buildings with and without supplemental passive damping systems using the risk- or performance-based seismic design philosophy are developed in this dissertation. The software package developed is suitable for conducting dynamic analysis of 2D steel framed structures modeled as shear buildings with linear/nonlinear viscous and viscoelastic dampers. Both single degree of freedom (SDOF) and multiple degree of freedom (multistory or MDOF) shear-building systems are considered to validate the nonlinear analysis engine developed. The response of both un-damped and damped structures using the 1940 EI Centro (Imperial …

Bioaugmentation For Recovery Of Anaerobic Digesters Subjected To Organic Overload, Vaibhav Panjabrao Tale

Dissertations (1934 -)

Anaerobic digester upset due to organic overload is common and methods to reduce recovery time would be beneficial. One potential method is bioaugmentation, the addition of an external culture for performance improvement. Methanogenic community structure differs from digester to digester and there may exist a relation between specific methanogenic activity (SMA) and microbial community composition. The research presented herein tested whether there is a relationship between SMA and community structure. Also, the effectiveness of bioaugmentation was tested by hypothesizing that bioaugmenting with a methanogenic, propionate-degrading culture acclimated to small oxygen doses will help rapid recovery of organically overloaded digesters.

Fourteen …

Robust Mimo Underwater Acoustic Communications Using Turbo Block Decision-Feedback Equalization, Jun Tao, Yahong Rosa Zheng, Chengshan Xiao, T. C. Yang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, a robust detection scheme is proposed for high data rate single-carrier multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) underwater acoustic communications. the new scheme adopts turbo block decision-feedback equalization, where the soft-decision equalizer performs successive soft interference cancellation of both the InterSymbol interference in the time domain, and the multiplexing interference in the space domain. Attributed to the inherent advantage of the block decision-feedback equalizer (BDFE) over other conventional equalizers, the MIMO turbo detection algorithm provides high performance with fast convergence speed. with the interblock interference properly removed, the MIMO BDFE is performed with overlapped information blocks without guard intervals, thus …

2010 (Fall) Ensi Informer Magazine, Morehead State University. Engineering Sciences Department

ENSI Informer Magazine Archive

The ENSI Informer Magazine published in the fall of 2010.

Finding The Exact Maximum Impedance Resonant Frequency Of A Practical Parallel Resonant Circuit Without Calculus, Kenneth V. Cartwright, Elton Joseph, Edit J. Kaminsky

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications

A practical parallel resonant circuit has a resistor in series

with an inductor, and that combination is in parallel with a

capacitor. For such a circuit, it is well known that there are

two possible definitions for the resonant frequency: (i) the

resonant frequency , p f which is the frequency at which the

phase of the total impedance is zero, and (ii) the resonant

frequency m f , which is the frequency that achieves maximum

magnitude of the total impedance. To find the latter

traditionally requires calculus. However, in this paper, the

authors show how m f

can be …

A Controllable Membrane-Type Humidifier For Fuel Cell Applications-Part I: Operation, Modeling And Experimental Validation, Denise A. Mckay, Anna G. Stefanopoulou, Jeffrey Cook

Engineering: Faculty Publications

For temperature and humidity control of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) reactants, a membrane based external humidification system was designed and constructed. Here we develop and validate a physics based, low-order, control-oriented model of the external humidification system dynamics based on first principles. This model structure enables the application of feedback control for thermal and humidity management of the fuel cell reactants. The humidification strategy posed here deviates from standard internal humidifiers that are relatively compact and cheap but prohibit active humidity regulation and couple reactant humidity requirements to the PEMFC cooling demands. Additionally, in developing our model, we …

Economic Analysis Of A Brackish Water Photovoltaic-Operated (Bwro-Pv) Desalination System, Ali Al-Karaghouli, Lawrence L. Kazmerski

Publications (E)

The photovoltaic (PV)-powered reverse-osmosis (RO) desalination system is considered one of the most promising technologies in producing fresh water from both brackish and sea water, especially for small systems located in remote areas. We analyze the economic viability of a small PV-operated RO system with a capacity of 5 m³/day used to desalinate brackish water of 4000 ppm total dissolve solids, which is proposed to be installed in a remote area of the Babylon governorate in the middle of Iraq; this area possesses excellent insolation throughout the year. Our analysis predicts very good economic and environmental benefits of …

Hrc Enews — 2010 Fall, Megan K. Svarz

Publications (HRC)

This issue contains staff accomplishments and announcements, event listings, and a "new faces" listing for new staff, affiliates, and researchers.

Effect Of Freeze-Thaw Cycling On The Compression Strength Of Folding Cartons Made From Different Materials, Koushik Saha, Bruce Harte, Gary Burgess, Sujeet Adudodla

Industrial Technology and Packaging

The quality of frozen food is known to deteriorate in storage due to water migration, in-pack desiccation and frost formation. These same factors can affect folding cartons. The rate of frozen food and folding carton deterioration is further dependent on temperature fluctuations during storage, transportation, loading and unloading. This study was conducted to compare the compression strength of folding cartons made from CNK (Coated Natural Kraft), SBS (Solid Bleached Sulfate), CRP (Coated recycled paperboard) and PCSBS (Poly coated Solid Bleach Sulfate) after subjecting them to multiple freeze-thaw cycles. Compression tests were performed on empty cartons and cartons filled with frozen …

Life Cycle Inventory Comparison Of Paper And Plastic Based Packaging Systems For Strawberry Distribution, Jay A. Singh, Aric Krasowski

Industrial Technology and Packaging

The goal of this study was to conduct a life Cycle Inventory (Lei) analysis based comparison of eleven primary container and pillow wrap combinations for the distribution of fresh strawberries Three of the primary containers studied were paper based (molded pulp, paperboard and corrugated fiberboard) and three other containers investigated were clamshells or punnets made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and recycled PET (rPET) Pillow wraps made of rPET and polylactlde (PLA) were also Included for all punnet/tray style containers The scope of the study ranged from the extraction of raw materials, their processing and formation for all packaging components, product …

Challenges To Informed Peer Review Matching Algorithms, Matthew Verleger, Heidi Diefes-Dux, Matthew W. Ohland, Mary Besterfield-Sacre, Sean Brophy

Publications

Background Peer review is a beneficial pedagogical tool. Despite the abundance of data instructors often have about their students, most peer review matching is by simple random assignment. In fall 2008, a study was conducted to investigate the impact of an informed algorithmic assignment method, called Un‐weighted Overall Need (UON), in a course involving Model‐Eliciting Activities (MEAs). The algorithm showed no statistically significant impact on the MEA Final Response scores. A study was then conducted to examine the assumptions underlying the algorithm.

Purpose (Hypothesis) This research addressed the question: To what extent do the assumptions used in making informed peer …

Compensation Of Torque Ripple In High Performance Bldc Motor Drives, Ilhwan Kim, Nobuaki Nakazawa, Sungsoo Kim, Chanwon Park, Chansu Yu

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Brushless DC motor drives (BLDC) are finding expanded use in high performance applications where torque smoothness is essential. The nature of the square-wave current excitation waveforms in BLDC motor drives permits some important system simplifications compared to sinusoidal permanent magnet AC (PMAC) machines. However, it is the simplicity of the BLDC motor drive that is responsible for causing an additional source of ripple torque commonly known as commutation torque to develop. In this paper, a compensation technique for reducing the commutation torque ripple is proposed. With the experimental results, the proposed method demonstrates the effectiveness for a control …

The Circuit, Fall 2010, Department Of Electrical And Computer Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Newsletters

Table of Contents

• Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiatives at Michigan Tech
• Tech Receives $3 Million to Develop EV Education Programs
• ECE Student Brings Laptops to Ghana
• Tech's Online Power Engineering Program Marks 10th Anniversary
• Dave House: Why Research is Key to the Future of Tech and to ECE
• Alumni Gifts Fund New Center for Computer Systems Research
• Faculty and Student News

Selective Biochlorination Of Hydroxyquinolines By A Flavin-Dependent Halogenase, Fuchao Xu, Amanda Merkley, Dayu Yu, Jixun Zhan

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Rdc2 is a flavin-dependent halogenase from Pochonia chlamydosporia. Through the introduction of a His₆-tag to both the N- and C-termini, the isolation yield of Rdc2 from Escherichia coli using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography was increased by three-fold. In vitro reaction of Rdc2 and a flavin reductase (Fre) with seven different hydroxyquinolines revealed that 3-hydroxyquinoline (3), 5-hydroxyquinoline (5), 6-hydroxyquinoline (6), and 7-hydroxyquinoline (7) can be specifically halogenated. These products were prepared by incubating the corresponding substrates with IPTG-induced E. coli BL21(DE3)/Rdc2. They were respectively characterized as 3-hydroxy-4-chloroquinoline (3a), 5-hydroxy-6-chloroquinoline (5a), 5-chloro-6-hydroxyquinoline (6a), and 7-hydroxy-8-chloroquinoline (7a) by NMR and MS …

Effects Of National Culture On Types Of Knowledge Sharing In Virtual Communities, Keng Siau, J. Erickson, Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Organizations are using virtual communities to facilitate knowledge management and to enhance communication among employees, customers, and other interested individuals. Individual users can use virtual communities to engage in knowledge sharing. Professional communicators need to understand and adapt to a globalized and “flat” world, where people across different cultures interact freely and easily with one another in virtual communities. An intriguing question regarding virtual communities relates to whether national culture affects communication and types of knowledge sharing. This study examines the influence of US and Chinese national cultures on types of knowledge-sharing activities in virtual communities. The findings indicate that …

Data-Driven Approaches To Community-Contributed Video Applications, Xiao Wu, Chong-Wah Ngo, Wan-Lei Zhao

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

With the prosperity of video-sharing websites such as YouTube, the amount of community-contributed video has increased dramatically. Reportedly more than 65,000 new videos were uploaded to YouTube every day in July 2006 and it's estimated that 20 hours of new videos were uploaded to the site every minute in May 2009. In addition to the huge volume of video data, the social Web provides rich contextual and social resources associated with videos. These resources include title, tags, thumbnails, related videos, and user and community information, as illustrated in Figure 1. While billions of user-generated videos accompanied with rich-media information have …

Pilot Perception Of Light Emitting Diodes Versus Incandescent Elevated Runway Guard Lights, Hilary Stevens

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Pilots must understand and be aware of the purpose of each airport sign, light and marking, for there are numerous. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is planning on replacing the current incandescent lighting with far more economical LED airport lighting. In preparation for this change, two experiments were conducted for this thesis. Experiment 1 attempted to determine what pilots know about the meaning of the signs, markings and lights on the taxiways and runways through a questionnaire that was developed with the FAA. Experiment 2 evaluated pilot perception of LED lighting compared to current incandescent elevated runway guard lights.

The …