Engineering Commons^™

Nanoenhanced Additive Manufacturing: Additive Introduction Onto Halloysite Nanotubes And Into 3d Printing Filament For Tailored Material Characteristics, James Connor Nicholson

Doctoral Dissertations

With the rapid advancement of additive manufacturing technologies in recent years on both the microscale and the macroscale, research must be done to test the limits of currently available technologies. On the microscale, halloysite nanotubes have proven to be a viable platform for reinforcement of polymers and time release of loaded chemicals, as well as a substrate material for the deposition of nanoparticles. The range of materials are limited due to polarity conflicts, and often lead to wet chemical processes that use more toxic alternatives. Three-dimensional (3D) printing and macroscale additive manufacturing techniques can be used to generate custom structures, …

Safety And Efficacy Results Of Switch From Imiglucerase To Velaglucerase Alfa Treatment In Patients With Type 1 Gaucher Disease, Deborah Elstein, Atul Mehta, Derralynn A. Hughes, Pilar Giraldo, Joel Charrow, Laurie Smith, Suma P. Shankar, Thomas N. Hangartner, Yune Kunes, Nan Wang, Eric Crombez, Ari Zimran

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

Gaucher disease (GD) is a lysosomal storage disorder; symptomatic patients with type 1 GD need long-term disease-specific therapy of which the standard of care has been enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). Thirty-eight of 40 patients (aged 9–71 years) clinically stable on ERT with imiglucerase, safely switched to a comparable dose of velaglucerase alfa (units/kg) during TKT034, a 12-month, open-label clinical study, and for 10–50 months in an extension study. The most common adverse events (AEs) judged to be drug-related in the extension were fatigue and bone pain. No drug-related serious AEs were reported. No AEs led to study withdrawal. At 24 …

Blacktail Creek Preliminary Nutrient Study, Seth Reedy

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The Blacktail Creek Preliminary Nutrient Study report includes the data from various local engineering firms, governmental agencies, and Montana Tech graduate students. This data was used to identify the gaps in water quality data pertaining to nutrients in Blacktail Creek. Based on the data gaps, a preliminary stream length nutrient sampling campaign was conducted at three different flow stages. Another goal of this project was to outline a nutrient sampling and analysis plan for future use. Therefore, this report attempts to establish a current baseline data for total nitrogen and total phosphorous in Blacktail Creek.

Engaging Healthcare Users Through Gamification In Knowledge Sharing Of Continuous Improvement In Healthcare, Elizabeth A. Cudney, Susan L. Murray, Connor M. Sprague, Lalaine M. Byrd, Frances M. Morris, Nathaniel Merwin, Debra L. Warner

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Knowledge management systems are key for capturing, retaining, and communicating results from projects and presenting information to staff. The purpose of a knowledge management system is to tap into the vast wisdom from projects and experts across an organization. This research focuses on the knowledge management system within the Veterans Health Administration that was developed as a repository of information on continuous improvement tools such as flowcharts, value stream mapping, 5S, and the application of these in healthcare projects. The use of social network analysis and gamification improves website organization, user participation, and dissemination of shared knowledge related to continuous …

Experimental Study Of Counter-Doped Junction Termination Extension For 4h-Sic Power Devices, Jheng Yi Jiang, Hua Chih Hsu, Kuan Wei Chu, Chih Fang Huang, Feng Zhao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this letter, a counter-doped junction termination extension (CD-JTE) structure was experimentally implemented and studied. Two groups of 4H-SiC PiN diodes were fabricated with two n-type drift layer thicknesses of 11 and 30 \mu \text{m}, respectively, and with different termination structures, in order to demonstrate the wide JTE dose tolerance of CD-JTE. Three different doses, 1.7 \times 10^{13}, 2.2\times 10^{13} , and 2.8\times 10^{13} cm ^{-2} , were used for the critical JTE implantation. The measured breakdown voltages (BVs) of the diodes with all termination structures and JTE doses were compared with simulation predictions. Electroluminescence at the BV was recorded …

Chemically Stabilized Soft Clays For Road-Base Construction, Xin Kang, Gi Chun Kang, Kuang Tsung Chang, Louis Ge

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Soft clays are widely distributed in Missouri, United States. Due to their relatively low strength and high compressibility, subgrade construction in soft clays has encountered many difficulties. In recent practice, the use of fly ash (FA) along with lime to tackle soft subgrade problems has shown promising results. The effectiveness of Class C FA and lime kiln dust (LKD) in clay subgrade stabilization is examined in this research. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis, proctor compaction tests, unconfined compression tests, and resilient modulus tests were carried out on the FA and LKD modified soil mixtures. Test specimens were prepared at optimum …

State Preserving Extreme Learning Machine For Face Recognition, Md. Zahangir Alom, Paheding Sidike, Vijayan K. Asari, Tarek M. Taha

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) has been introduced as a new algorithm for training single hidden layer feed-forward neural networks (SLFNs) instead of the classical gradient-based algorithms. Based on the consistency property of data, which enforce similar samples to share similar properties, ELM is a biologically inspired learning algorithm with SLFNs that learns much faster with good generalization and performs well in classification applications. However, the random generation of the weight matrix in current ELM based techniques leads to the possibility of unstable outputs in the learning and testing phases. Therefore, we present a novel approach for computing the weight matrix …

Optimization Of The Quantity Of Heated/Refrigerated Air Required For Ventilating Underground Mines With Ventilation-On-Request Systems, Samuel C. Wiley

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Development of deeper and more complex orebodies has increased the demand for efficient use of the air ventilating underground mining operations. Deeper and heavily mechanized operations present increasing difficulty for maintaining the air temperatures encountered by personnel, which must be removed to ensure their safety and health. The efficient use of air is made possible by the implementation of Ventilation-on-Request (VOR) systems. However, reductions in the quantity of air supplied by VOR may reduce the quantity below that which is necessary for effective heat exchange.

The objective of this thesis is to develop a heat simulation program that will determine …

Reliability-Based Selection Of Standard Steel Beams, Edward Osakue

Faculty Publications

A reliability-based design approach using sensitivity analysis is presented for the selection of standard steel beams subjected to concentrated and or distributed loads, assuming lognormal probability density function. Serviceability criteria of bending stress, transverse deflection, and web maximum shear stress are considered. The load, strength, and geometric parameters are considered to be log normal in distribution. Equations are developed for the coefficients of variation for the mentioned serviceability criteria so as to determine design reliability. Deterministic design equations are transformed into probabilistic ones by replacing the traditional “safety factor” with a “reliability factor”. The reliability factor is determined from a …

Velaglucerase Alfa (Vpriv) Enzyme Replacement Therapy In Patients With Gaucher Disease: Long-Term Data From Phase Iii Clinical Trials, Derralynn A. Hughes, Derlis Gonzalez, Elena A. Lukina, Atul Mehta, Madhulika Kabra, Deborah Elstein, Isaac Kisinovsky, Pilar Giraldo, Ashish Bavdekar, Thomas N. Hangartner, Nan Wang, Eric Crombez, Ari Zimran

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

Type 1 Gaucher disease is an inherited lysosomal enzyme deficiency with variable age of symptom onset. Common presenting signs include thrombocytopenia, anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, bone abnormalities, and, additionally in children, growth failure. Fifty-seven patients aged 3–62 years at the baseline of two phase III trials for velaglucerase alfa treatment were enrolled in the single extension study. In the extension, they received every-other-week velaglucerase alfa intravenous infusions for 1.2–4.8 years at 60 U/kg, although 10 patients experienced dose reduction. No patient experienced a drug-related serious adverse event or withdrew due to an adverse event. One patient died following a convulsion that was …

Evaluation Of Different Optimal Control Problem Formulations For Solving The Muscle Redundancy Problem, Friedl De Groote, Allison Kinney, Anil Rao, Benjamin J. Fregly

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

This study evaluates several possible optimal control problem formulations for solving the muscle redundancy problem with the goal of identifying the most efficient and robust formulation. One novel formulation involves the introduction of additional controls that equal the time derivative of the states, resulting in very simple dynamic equations. The nonlinear equations describing muscle dynamics are then imposed as algebraic constraints in their implicit form, simplifying their evaluation. By comparing different problem formulations for computing muscle controls that can reproduce inverse dynamic joint torques during gait, we demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of the proposed novel formulation.

Towards Circularly Polarized Reconfigurable Huygens Source, Adam Narbudowicz, Max Ammann, Dirk Heberling

Conference papers

The paper investigates an array of two reconfigurable circularly-polarized antennas with omnidirectional radiation pattern. The results are based on a previously reported antenna, which offers a steerable dipolelike radiation pattern. Its capabilities allow reception of a signal from practically any direction with steering realized by rotation of the pattern around a single axis. In this paper we propose to extend this functionality by forming an array of two such antennas oriented as a Huygens source. Simulations demonstrate six distinctive radiation patterns, each illuminating a different sector of the surrounding sphere. This allows increased antenna gain and simplification of the steering …

Using Theory To Improve Design Instruction In A New Common First-Year Programme For Engineers, Una Beagon, Ted Burke, Shannon Chance, Fionnuala Farrell, John Mcgrory

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Preventive Maintenance Program For Bridges, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Jared Fairchild, Bobby W. Meade, Sudhir Palle

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) bridge inventory is rapidly aging. As such, the Cabinet needs to identify and implement relevant preventative maintenance (PM) actions to extend the useful service lives of those structures. Maintenance actions, costs, and application interval/repair durability information have been obtained for both cyclical and condition - based bridge PM. Additionally, information rehabilitation actions were acquired from a regional DOT survey and from other literature. As part of this study, the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) researchers monitored a KYTC bridge washing project to assess its level of effectiveness and to identify potential improvements. Based upon these tasks, …

Planar Dual-Mode Mimo Antenna With Enhanced Bandwidth, Adam Narbudowicz, Slawomir Koziel, Max Ammann, Dirk Heberling

Conference papers

The paper proposes a dual-port pa MIMO applications, optimized using optimization techniques. The antenna uses two (TM100 and TM200) to generate two indep patterns. To enhance the bandwidth of TM200 ground plane was realized as a meshed surfac approach provides 97 MHz of bandwidth, while profile of 1.5 mm between the patch and the g 3.5). The numerical optimization involved 12 adj parameters.

Preparation And Characterization Of Epoxidized Natural Rubber And Epoxidized Natural Rubber/Carboxylated Styrene Butadiene Rubber Blends, Saowaroj Chuayjuljit, Thongchai Nutchapong, Onusa Saravari, Anyaporn Boonmahitthisud

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

In this study, epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) with 30 mol % epoxidation (ENR-30) was first prepared from natural rubber (NR) latex via in situ performic epoxidation using 0.5 M hydrogen peroxide and 0.75 M formic acid at 50C for 4 h. The prepared ENR-30 was blended with three different loadings of carboxylated styrene butadiene rubber (XSBR) (10, 20 and 30 wt%) in the latex stage. All ENR-30/XSBR blends had longer scorch time and cure time than neat ENR-30 as examined on a moving die rheometer. The tensile properties (tensile strength, modulus at 300% strain and elongation at break), thermal stability …

Effect Of Heating Rate On Morphology Of Anti-Reflective Tio2 Film Coated By Sol-Gel With Polyethylene Glycol, Kumpol Leelaruedee, Patama Visuttipitukul, Niti Yongvanich

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

This research studies formation of thin porous TiO2 film prepared by Sol-gel process with spin coating. Polyethylene glycol with molecular weight of 6,000 g/mol (6kPEG) was used as a pore generating agent. The TiO2 film was calcination at 450C for 1 hour with different heating rate. It was found that heating rate strongly affects on morphology of TiO2 film due to grain coalescence. The lower heating rate tends to cause more coalescence resulting in coarsening of both grain and pore size. With higher heating rate, film density can be increased due to lower number of pores. On the other hand, …

Effect Of Temperature Dropping During Solution Treatment During Rejuvenation Heat Treatment On Final Microstructures In Cast Nickel Base Superalloy, Grade Inconel-738, Aimamorn Promboopha, Sureerat Polsilapa, Panyawat Wangyao

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Generally, the rejuvenation heat treatment of degraded turbine blades, which were made of cast nickel based superalloy, Grade Inconel 738, usually consist of solution treatment condition with temperature range of 1125C- 1205C for 3 hours and then following with double aging processes, which include primary aging at 1055C for 1 hour and secondary aging at 845C for 24 hours. However, in practical working conditions of reheat treatment processed, the possible change of temperature during solution treatment can be obtained by error or malfunction of heating furnace, which usually provides the temperature dropping down. To simulate this effect, the dropping temperature …

Triboelectric Solar Generator Concept And Experimental Research, Elias Yazdanshenas

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, a novel concept, a triboelectric solar generator (TSG ), is proposed for generation of high voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity from solar radiation. An experimental investigation was conducted to prove the concepts of charge generation through the triboelectric effect and charge transmission using semiconductors. The triboelectric effect, also known as the contact electrification, is a well-known physical phenomenon that electrostatic charges are generated by rubbing dissimilar materials. However, traditional triboelectric generators had never been commercialized due to their poor power output. Physically, it is due to the difficulty of charge transmission from insulators, which generate charges. The …

Efficient Location Identification Of Multiple Line Outages With Limited Pmus In Smart Grids, Jie Wu, Jinjun Xiong, Yiyu Shi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The efficient location identification of multiple line outages is critical to not only cascading failure elimination but also repair cost reduction. Most of existing methods, however, fail to handle location identification well. This failure typically occurs because the methods cannot overcome two challenges: the very limited number of phasor measurement units (PMUs) and the high computational complexity. This paper presents an efficient algorithm inspired by the ambiguity group theory to identify the locations of line outages with limited PMUs. Using 14-, 57-, 118-, 300-, and 2383-bus systems, our experimental study demonstrates that the proposed technique successfully identifies the most likely …

Using Peptoids To Build Robust, Efficient Microarray Systems, Dhaval Sunil Shah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies have shown microarrays to be indispensable for various biological applications, allowing for high-throughput processing and screening of biological samples such as RNA, DNA, proteins and peptides using a small sample volume (< 1 µL). Peptoids (poly-N-substituted glycine oligomers) can be used as a substitute for antibodies as capture molecules, as well as coatings for slides in antibody microarrays. The ease of synthesis of peptoids, high customizability with desired bioactivity, and speed of synthesis allows us to build a diagnostic system with a large dynamic range that can detect biomolecules from a minimal sample size. In this study, peptoid-based antibody mimics are designed to have both structural and functional features similar to those of antibodies, including a stable constant region (scaffolding) and a variable region for protein recognition. Peptoids previously screened via combinatorial library synthesis to be specific to bind Mdm-2 (mouse double minute 2 homolog) and GST (gluthathione S-transferase), have been synthesized. The protein recognition peptoids have been conjugated to PEG (polyethylene glycol) molecules with modified end groups; an amine group on one end that allows for immobilization and orientation on the slide, and an azide group on the other end that will allow for attachment to the peptoid through “click chemistry”. The number of capture molecules printed on the slides can be increased by making the available surface area of the slide larger via coating with microspheres. We have determined that partially water soluble peptoids that are also helical, can self-assemble into microspheres. Sequences have been developed that can consistently produce uniform microsphere coatings on slides that increase the overall surface area. A high surface area corresponds to a higher number of binding sites, and therefore a more sensitive system. The work done has shown that slides may be successfully coated in order to potentially improve the detection system.

Surface Modification Of Noble Metal Nanostructures Toward Biomedical Applications, Samir V. Jenkins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Noble metal nanostructures have seen a steady increase in biomedical application over the last several decades; new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities are under intense investigation. Many of these applications are possible because of post-synthetic modifications to the particle surface. These modifications take a variety of forms and can significantly affect the pharmacokinetics of these particles. In this work, various surface modifications were investigated. Particle agglomeration, which occurs when particle surfaces remain in contact, can significantly affect the toxicity and efficacy of a nanomedicine. Darkfield microscopy and single-particle ICP-MS were developed as complementary methods to detect agglomeration in blood, with the …

Ecohydrological Modeling In Agroecosystems: Examples And Challenges, Amilcare Porporato, X. Feng, S. Manzoni, Y. Mau, Anthony J. Parolari, G. Vico

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Human societies are increasingly altering the water and biogeochemical cycles to both improve ecosystem productivity and reduce risks associated with the unpredictable variability of climatic drivers. These alterations, however, often cause large negative environmental consequences, raising the question as to how societies can ensure a sustainable use of natural resources for the future. Here we discuss how ecohydrological modeling may address these broad questions with special attention to agroecosystems. The challenges related to modeling the two‐way interaction between society and environment are illustrated by means of a dynamical model in which soil and water quality supports the growth of human …

Meta-Raps Hybridization With Machine Learning Algorithms, Fatemah Al-Duoli

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on advancing the Metaheuristic for Randomized Priority Search algorithm, known as Meta-RaPS, by integrating it with machine learning algorithms. Introducing a new metaheuristic algorithm starts with demonstrating its performance. This is accomplished by using the new algorithm to solve various combinatorial optimization problems in their basic form. The next stage focuses on advancing the new algorithm by strengthening its relatively weaker characteristics. In the third traditional stage, the algorithms are exercised in solving more complex optimization problems. In the case of effective algorithms, the second and third stages can occur in parallel as researchers are eager to …

Towards City-Scale Mobile Crowdsourcing: Task Recommendations Under Trajectory Uncertainties, Chen Cen, Shih-Fen Cheng, Hoong Chuin Lau, Archan Misra

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this work, we investigate the problem of large-scale mobile crowdsourcing, where workers are financially motivated to perform location-based tasks physically. Unlike current industry practice that relies on workers to manually pick tasks to perform, we automatically make task recommendation based on workers’ historical trajectories and desired time budgets. The challenge of predicting workers’ trajectories is that it is faced with uncertainties, as a worker does not take same routes every day. In this work, we depart from deterministic modeling and study the stochastic task recommendation problem where each worker is associated with several predicted routine routes with probabilities. We …

Probabilistic Inference Based Message-Passing For Resource Constrained Dcops, Supriyo Ghosh, Akshat Kumar, Pradeep Varakantham

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Distributed constraint optimization (DCOP) is an important framework for coordinated multiagent decision making. We address a practically useful variant of DCOP, called resource-constrained DCOP (RC-DCOP), which takes into account agents’ consumption of shared limited resources. We present a promising new class of algorithm for RC-DCOPs by translating the underlying co- ordination problem to probabilistic inference. Using inference techniques such as expectation- maximization and convex optimization machinery, we develop a novel convergent message-passing algorithm for RC-DCOPs. Experiments on standard benchmarks show that our approach provides better quality than previous best DCOP algorithms and has much lower failure rate. Comparisons against an …

Atom Probe Study Of Irradiation-Enhanced Α′ Precipitation In Neutron-Irradiated Fe–Cr Model Alloys, Yaqiao Wu

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Atom probe tomography (APT) was performed to study the effects of Cr concentrations, irradiation doses and irradiation temperatures on α′ phase formation in Fe–Cr model alloys (10–16 at.%) irradiated at 300 and 450 °C to 0.01, 0.1 and 1 dpa. For 1 dpa specimens, α′ precipitates with an average radius of 1.0–1.3 nm were observed. The precipitate density varied significantly from 1.1 × 10²³ to 2.7 × 10²⁴ 1/m³, depending on Cr concentrations and irradiation temperatures. The volume fraction of α′ phase in 1 dpa specimens qualitatively agreed with the phase diagram prediction. For 0.01 dpa …

Gene Expression In Experimental Aortic Coarctation And Repair: Candidate Genes For Therapeutic Intervention?, John F. Ladisa Jr., Serdar Bozdag, Jessica Olson, Ramani Ramchandran, Judy R. Kersten, Thomas J. Eddinger

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a constriction of the proximal descending thoracic aorta and is one of the most common congenital cardiovascular defects. Treatments for CoA improve life expectancy, but morbidity persists, particularly due to the development of chronic hypertension (HTN). Identifying the mechanisms of morbidity is difficult in humans due to confounding variables such as age at repair, follow-up duration, coarctation severity and concurrent anomalies. We previously developed an experimental model that replicates aortic pathology in humans with CoA without these confounding variables, and mimics correction at various times using dissolvable suture. Here we present the most comprehensive …

Microcosm Study Of 1,4-Dioxane Biotransformation, Philip Arve

All Theses

1,4-Dioxane is an emerging groundwater contaminant and probable human carcinogen with considerable potential remediation costs due to its hydrophilic and recalcitrant nature. Commonly occurring with 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA) plumes due to its application as a solvent stabilizer, 1,4-dioxane is also used in industrial lubricants and occurs as an impurity in numerous personal care products. Current treatment strategies to treat dioxane contamination include advanced oxidation processes and biological treatment, though only aerobic paths of biodegradation are currently understood. Laboratory and field studies have indicated the possible inhibitory effects of 1,1,1-TCA and its abiotically transformed daughter product, 1,1-dichloroethene (1,1-DCE) on the aerobic biodegradation …

Fabrication And Material Characterization Of Copper And Copper-Cnt Micropillars, Siavash Ghanbari, Jeff Darabi

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

In this work, copper micropillars and copper-carbon nanotube (CNT) composite micropillars were fabricated by incorporating an electrodeposition technique with a xurography process. In order to disperse carbon nanotubes in copper-CNT micropillars, various amounts of CNTs were added to the electroplating bath. Surface morphology and phase characterization of copper micropillars and copper-CNT composite micropillars were analyzed by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. In addition, the corrosion resistance (R_p) of a bare copper substrate, copper micropillars, and optimum copper-CNT micropillars were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique in a 3.5 wt. % sodium chloride. Experimental results yielded a corrosion …