Engineering Commons^™

Understanding Inactive Yet Available Assignees In Github, Jing Jiang, David Lo, Xinyu Ma, Fuli Feng, Li Zhang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Context In GitHub, an issue or a pull request can be assigned to a specific assignee who is responsible for working on this issue or pull request. Due to the principle of voluntary participation, available assignees may remain inactive in projects. If assignees ever participate in projects, they are active assignees; otherwise, they are inactive yet available assignees (inactive assignees for short). Objective Our objective in this paper is to provide a comprehensive analysis of inactive yet available assignees in GitHub. Method We collect 2,374,474 records of activities in 37 popular projects, and 797,756 records of activities in 687 projects …

Intent Recognition In Smart Living Through Deep Recurrent Neural Networks, Xiang Zhang, Lina Yao, Chaoran Huang, Quan Z. Sheng, Xianzhi Wang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Electroencephalography (EEG) signal based intent recognition has recently attracted much attention in both academia and industries, due to helping the elderly or motor-disabled people controlling smart devices to communicate with outer world. However, the utilization of EEG signals is challenged by low accuracy, arduous and time-consuming feature extraction. This paper proposes a 7-layer deep learning model to classify raw EEG signals with the aim of recognizing subjects’ intents, to avoid the time consumed in pre-processing and feature extraction. The hyper-parameters are selected by an Orthogonal Array experiment method for efficiency. Our model is applied to an open EEG dataset provided …

Animated Otto-Langen Atmospheric Engine, Keiran M. Hansen, Lance Hodgson, Rachel A. Jakob, Chris J. Splees

Mechanical Engineering

Based on an existing relationship between Dr. Owen and the Deutsches Museum, Otto-Mated was given the opportunity to collaborate with the two in a year-long senior design project. Otto-Mated was tasked with modeling and simulating the Otto-Langen Atmospheric Engine as a form of preservation and education. The model was created in SolidWorks and animated in Blender, effectively providing the museum with accurate and educational videos demonstrating the engine’s function. Within this document are the plans, decisions, and processes used to create our final product for Deutsches Museum.

Sagittal Subtalar And Talocrural Joint Assessment During Ambulation With Controlled Ankle Movement (Cam) Boots, Ben Mchenry, Emily L. Exten, Janelle A. Cross, Karen M. Kruger, Brian Law, Jessica M. Fritz, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background: The purpose of the current study was to determine sagittal plane talocrural and subtalar kinematic differences between barefoot and controlled ankle movement (CAM) boot walking. This study used fluoroscopic images to determine talar motion relative to tibia and calcaneal motion relative to talus.

Methods: Fourteen male subjects (mean age 24.1 ± 3.5 years) screened for normal gait were tested. A fluoroscopy unit was used to collect images at 200 Hz during stance. Sagittal motion of the talocrural and subtalar joints were analyzed barefoot and within short and tall CAM boots.

Results: Barefoot talocrural mean maximum plantar and dorsiflexion were …

Pull-Out Strength Of Fiberglass/Epoxy Composite Rebarfabricated On A Three-Dimensional Braiding Machine, Tarisai Machanzi

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to explore and demonstrate the production andperformance of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) rebar manufactured on a continuous threedimensionalbraiding machine for use as reinforcement in concrete structures. Differentconfigurations of fiberglass/epoxy composite cylindrical rebar rods were manufactured,embedded in concrete, and tested in axial tension to identify the relationships betweenmanufacturing parameters and tensile pull-out strength of the rebar. The strength of the bondbetween concrete and FRP rebar was investigated using the pull-out test detailed by ACI 440.3R-12. The rebar was a No. 4 size and produced by combining multiple tows of fiberglass/epoxyprepreg to form the core of cylindrical …

Experimental Investigations Of Techniques To Enhance The Cooling Rate Of Hot Fluids By Utilizing Gallium As A Heat Sink Material, Abdallah M. S. Ghazal

Mechanical Engineering Theses

No abstract provided.

Design The Capacity Of Onsite Generation System With Renewable Sources For Manufacturing Plant, Xiao Zhong, Md Monirul Islam, Haoyi Xiong, Zeyi Sun

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The utilization of onsite generation system with renewable sources in manufacturing plants plays a critical role in improving the resilience, enhancing the sustainability, and bettering the cost effectiveness for manufacturers. When designing the capacity of onsite generation system, the manufacturing energy load needs to be met and the cost for building and operating such onsite system with renewable sources are two critical factors need to be carefully quantified. Due to the randomness of machine failures and the variation of local weather, it is challenging to determine the energy load and onsite generation supply at different time periods. In this paper, …

Polyethylene Oxide—Fullerene Nanocomposites, Nasar Ali, Dorina M. Chipara, Karen Lozano, James R. Hinthorne, Mircea Chipara

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Polyethylene oxide – fullerene nanocomposites have been prepared by using the solution path with water as solvent (only for the polymer). The dispersion of C60 within the polymer solution was achieved by high power sonication. The study aims to a better understanding on the effect of C60 nanoparticles on the macromolecular chains. Raman Wide Angle X Ray spectroscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, and Thermogravimetric Analysis were used to inspect the interactions between the nanofiller and macromolecular chains. The experimental results revealed a completely different behavior of fullerene dispersed within polymeric matrices than using carbon nanotubes or nanofibers as nanofiller. …

Developing New Classes Of Thick-Origami-Based Mechanisms: Conceal-And-Reveal Motion And Folding Printed Circuit Boards, Bryce Parker De Figueiredo

Theses and Dissertations

Origami-adapted mechanisms form the basis of an increasing number of engineered systems. As most of these systems require the use of non-paper materials, various methods for accommodating thickness have been developed. These methods have opened new avenues for origami-based design. This work introduces approaches for the design of two new classes of thick-origami systems and demonstrates the approaches in hardware. One type of system, called "conceal-and-reveal,'' is introduced, and a method of designing these mechanisms is developed. Techniques are also developed for designing folding printed circuit boards which are fabricated from a single sheet of material. This enables areas of …

Design, Fabrication, And Characterization Of Hg2 Sensor Based On Graphite Oxide And Metallic Nanoclusters, Abdul Rehman Said Rehman

Electrical Engineering Theses

It has been previously demonstrated that improving the detection of mercury (Hg²⁺) in water is of significant importance since the Hg²⁺ has detrimental effects on human health and could lead to toxicity, especially in utero. One way this could be achieved is through the design of highly sensitive and selective sensors for Hg²⁺ contents in water.

In this work, it is hypothesized that sensors with silver nanoclusters enhance the sensitivity of the fabricated sensor and possess the highest selectivity to the Hg²⁺ detected in this study. In order to verify this hypothesis, sensors with silver …

Modelling And Simulation Of Hydrogen Production Via Membrane Reactor, Aya Abdel-Hamid Smail Mourad

Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Theses

A membrane reactor is a promising device to produce pure hydrogen and enrich CO₂ from syngas. A simulation study of a double tubular catalytic membrane reactor for the water-gas shift reaction (WGS) under steady-state operation is presented in this work. The membrane consists of a dense Pd layer (selective to H₂) deposited on a porous glass cylinder support. The reaction side was filled with a commercial iron-chromium oxide catalyst, designed as Girdler G-3. The mass of the catalyst was 12.1 g and the height of the catalyst bed was 8 cm. The WGS model was carried out …

Investigation Of The Effect Of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction On The Adsorption Capacity Of Date Pits, Haliemeh Imad Sweidan

Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Theses

This thesis aims to develop and investigate an innovative use of date pits, a common and abundant agricultural waste in the UAE. It is suggested that date pits may be used to produce date pit oil, and the powder residue from this extraction process may be used as a low cost adsorbent for removal of lead from water. This thesis aims to investigate the effects of the parameters pressure, temperature, and particle size on the extraction yield when using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) to extract oil from date pit powder. This oil is a valuable component which has many applications …

Numerical Modeling To Evaluate The Performance Of Slow-Release Candles For Groundwater Remediation, Chuyang Liu

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Slow-release candles (SRC) have been developed as a cost-effective technology to treat groundwater contaminants by passively delivering oxidants into the subsurface over a long time. In this thesis, a numerical model has been developed to simulate oxidant release kinetics, transport, and reaction in a field scale. Parameters of the model were obtained from a field site with SRC installed. Modeling results showed that the radius of influence of oxidants was influenced by the relative contribution of reaction and solute transport, and the limited lateral spreading could be an issue to restrict the application of SRC.

Enhanced aeration could increase or …

Enabling Phased Array Signal Processing For Mobile Wifi Devices, Kun Qian, Chenshu Wu, Zheng Yang, Zimu Zhou, Xu Wang, Yunhao Liu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Modern mobile devices are equipped with multiple antennas, which brings various wireless sensing applications such as accurate localization, contactless human detection, and wireless human-device interaction. A key enabler for these applications is phased array signal processing, especially Angle of Arrival (AoA) estimation. However, accurate AoA estimation on commodity devices is non-trivial due to limited number of antennas and uncertain phase offsets. Previous works either rely on elaborate calibration or involve contrived human interactions. In this paper, we aim to enable practical AoA measurements on commodity off-the-shelf (COTS) mobile devices. The key insight is to involve users’ natural rotation to formulate …

Clutter Suppression Via Hankel Rank Reduction For Dfrft-Based Vibrometry Applied To Sar, Francisco Pérez, Balu Santhanam, Ranlf Dunkel, Majeed M. Hayat

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Hankel rank reduction (HRR) is a method that, by prearranging the data in a Hankel matrix and performing rank reduction via singular value decomposition, suppresses the noise of a time-history vector comprised of the superposition of a finite number of sinusoids. In this letter, the HRR method is studied for performing clutter suppression in synthetic aperture radar (SAR)-based vibrometry. Specifically, three different applications of the HRR method are presented. First, resembling the SAR slow-time signal model, the HRR method is utilized for separating a chirp signal immersed in a sinusoidal clutter. Second, using simulated airborne SAR data with 10 dB …

How Transportation Network Companies Could Replace Public Transportation In The United States, Matthew L. Kessler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The quantity of cell phone applications or mobile apps have seen an upsurge at an exponential rate in under a decade. Many have been created for a variety of industries, including transportation. The advent and subsequent commercialized implementation of near-instant transport by a middleman-type of app is now known as a Transportation Network Company or TNC. Examples of the more renowned TNCs are Uber, Lyft and Sidecar.

In recent years, TNCs have cultivated a tremendous following, to the degree of taxicab desertion. Moreover, the massive success of TNCs led to expansion of its capacities into public transportation.

The TNC’s expeditious …

Sourcevote: Fusing Multi-Valued Data Via Inter-Source Agreements, Xiu Susie Fang, Quan Z. Sheng, Xianzhi Wang, Mahmoud Barhamgi, Lina Yao, Anne H.H. Ngu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Data fusion is a fundamental research problem of identifying true values of data items of interest from conflicting multi-sourced data. Although considerable research efforts have been conducted on this topic, existing approaches generally assume every data item has exactly one true value, which fails to reflect the real world where data items with multiple true values widely exist. In this paper, we propose a novel approach,SourceVote, to estimate value veracity for multi-valued data items. SourceVote models the endorsement relations among sources by quantifying their two-sided inter-source agreements. In particular, two graphs are constructed to model inter-source relations. Then two aspects …

Selective Value Coupling Learning For Detecting Outliers In High-Dimensional Categorical Data, Guansong Pang, Hongzuo Xu, Cao Longbing, Wentao Zhao

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper introduces a novel framework, namely SelectVC and its instance POP, for learning selective value couplings (i.e., interactions between the full value set and a set of outlying values) to identify outliers in high-dimensional categorical data. Existing outlier detection methods work on a full data space or feature subspaces that are identified independently from subsequent outlier scoring. As a result, they are significantly challenged by overwhelming irrelevant features in high-dimensional data due to the noise brought by the irrelevant features and its huge search space. In contrast, SelectVC works on a clean and condensed data space spanned by selective …

Sourcevote: Fusing Multi-Valued Data Via Inter-Source Agreements, Xiu Susie Fang, Quan Z. Sheng, Xianzhi Wang, Mahmoud Barhamgi, Lina Yao, Anne H.H. Ngu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Data fusion is a fundamental research problem of identifyingtrue values of data items of interest from conflicting multi-sourceddata. Although considerable research efforts have been conducted on thistopic, existing approaches generally assume every data item has exactlyone true value, which fails to reflect the real world where data items withmultiple true values widely exist. In this paper, we propose a novel approach,SourceVote, to estimate value veracity for multi-valued data items.SourceVote models the endorsement relations among sources by quantifyingtheir two-sided inter-source agreements. In particular, two graphs areconstructed to model inter-source relations. Then two aspects of sourcereliability are derived from these graphs and …

An Analysis Of Rumor And Counter-Rumor Messages In Social Media, Dion Hoe-Lian Goh, Alton Y. K. Chua, Hanyu Shi, Wenju Wei, Haiyan Wang, Ee-Peng Lim

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Social media platforms are one of the fastest ways to disseminate information but they have also been used as a means to spread rumors. If left unchecked, rumors have serious consequences. Counter-rumors, messages used to refute rumors, are an important means of rumor curtailment. The objective of this paper is to examine the types of rumor and counter-rumor messages generated in Twitter in response to the falsely reported death of a politician, Lee Kuan Yew, who was Singapore’s first Prime Minister. Our content analysis of 4321Twitter tweets about Lee’s death revealed six categories of rumor messages, four categories ofcounter-rumor messages …

Alternative Mission Concepts For The Exploration Of Outer Planets Using Small Satellite Swarms, Andrew Gene Blocher

Master's Theses

Interplanetary space exploration has thus far consisted of single, expensive spacecraft missions. Mission costs are particularly high on missions to the outer planets and while invaluable, finite budgets limit our ability to perform extensive and frequent investigations of the planets. Planetary systems such as Jupiter and Saturn provide extremely complex exploration environments with numerous targets of interest. Exploring these targets in addition to the main planet requires multiple fly-bys and long mission timelines. In LEO, CubeSats have changed the exploration paradigm, offering a fast and low cost alternative to traditional space vehicles. This new mission development philosophy has the potential …

Robotic Resistance Treadmill Training Improves Locomotor Function In Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study, Ming Wu, Janis Kim, Deborah J. Gaebler-Spira, Brian D. Schmit, Pooja Arora

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To determine whether applying controlled resistance forces to the legs during the swing phase of gait may improve the efficacy of treadmill training as compared with applying controlled assistance forces in children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Design

Randomized controlled study.

Setting

Research unit of a rehabilitation hospital.

Participants

Children with spastic CP (N=23; mean age, 10.6y; range, 6–14y; Gross Motor Function Classification System levels, I–IV).

Interventions

Participants were randomly assigned to receive controlled assistance (n=11) or resistance (n=12) loads applied to the legs at the ankle. Participants underwent robotic treadmill training 3 times a week for 6 weeks (18 …

Twin-Wing Design Options Used For Unmanned Aerial Vehicles To Achieve High Altitudes At Low Speeds, Ian R. Mcandrew, Elena Vishnevskaya, Andrew Carruthers

Publications

The paper addresses the aerodynamic performance of twin‐wing aircraft (biplanes) that are remotely piloted. While twin wing aircraft are acknowledged as to having greater maneuverability than monoplanes, they have inherent disadvantages based on the set position of the upper wing to meet piloting needs which induces significant levels of drag from the struts that link the upper and lower wings together. In this research, the aerodynamics of the wing position in relationship to the lower wing are analyzed with Computational Fluid Mechanics/Dynamics and simulation models. It will show that modern material can eliminate the strut drag and allow for greater …

A Case Study Of Instructional Methods Used For Private Pilot Certification At Utah Valley University Flight School, Michael Robert Graham

Theses and Dissertations

In this case study, researchers investigated the instructional methods used to train private pilot students at Utah Valley University. Traditional one-on-one individualized learning methods were replaced with cooperative learning methods. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the cooperative learning methods used. Reduced training time, less repeated lessons and a reduced number of flight hours showed that cooperative learning methods were more efficient and a more effective way to train private pilot students at Utah Valley University.

The State Of Bim-Based Quantity Take-Off Implementation Among Commercial General Contractors, Morgan Christian Tagg

Theses and Dissertations

Building Information Modeling (BIM) plays an important role in today's construction industry. Models are tools that help stakeholders communicate, visualize building geometry, perform trade coordination and clash detection among others. A less popular aspect of BIM that shows high potential is the quantity take-off (QTO) feature. Yet, its implementation among commercial general contractors (GC) has not received as much attention. The purpose of this study was to identify how the BIM QTO features were being implemented among commercial general contractors, what challenges they faced and how they worked to overcome those challenges. Through a three-step process including semi structured interviews …

Apparatus And Method For Controlling Dc-Ac Power Conversion, Patrick L. Chapman, Brian T. Kuhn, Robert S. Balog, Jonathan W. Kimball, Philip T. Krein, Alexander Gray, T. Esram

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An apparatus and method for controlling the delivery of power from a DC source to an AC grid includes an inverter configured to deliver power from the unipolar input source to the AC grid and an inverter controller. The inverter includes an input converter, an active filter, and an output converter. The inverter controller includes an input converter controller, an active filter controller and an output converter controller. The input converter controller is configured to control a current delivered by the input converter to a galvanically isolated unipolar bus of the inverter. The output converter is configured to control the …

Early Warning System For Shallow Landslides Using Rainfall Threshold And Slope Stability Analysis, Shruti Naidu, K. S. Sajinkumar, Thomas Oommen, V.J. Anuja, Rinu Samuel, C. Muraleedharan

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

A combined cluster and regression analysis were performed for the first time to identify rainfall threshold that triggers landslide events in Amboori, Kerala, India. Amboori is a tropical area that is highly vulnerable to landslides. The 2, 3, and 5-day antecedent rainfall data versus daily rainfall was clustered to identify a cluster of critical events that could potentially trigger landslides. Further, the cluster of critical events was utilized for regression analysis to develop the threshold equations. The 5-day antecedent (x-variable) vs. daily rainfall (y-variable) provided the best fit to the data with a threshold equation of …

Implementation And Performance Analysis Of Long Term Evolution Using Software Defined Radio, Kedar Bhusal

Electrical Engineering Theses

The overwhelming changes in the field of communication brought about need for high data rates, which led to the development of a system known as Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE made good use of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Access (OFDMA) in its downlink and Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiplexing Access (SCFDMA) in its uplink transmission because of their robust performance. These multiple access techniques are the major focus of study in this thesis, with their implementation in the LTE system.

GNU Radio is a software Defined Radio (SDR) platform. It comprises of C++ signal processing libraries. For user simplicity, it …

The Effect Of Chemical Composition Of Blast-Furnace Slag On Compressive Strength And Durability Properties Of Mortar Specimens, William J. Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to make structures more sustainable and durable, supplementary cementitious materials are often used to replace cement. Ground granulated blast furnace slag, for instance, is an industrial by-product of iron refinement and is frequently used in concrete mixture design to not only reduce cost, but also increase later-age strength as well as durability. However, published literature indicates that slags with a high alumina content may have a detrimental effect when concrete is exposed to a sulfate environment. ASTM standard C989 does not suggest any information or guidelines regarding using slags with an alumina content between 11-18%. Therefore, the …

Webinar: Transportation Benefits Of Parking Cash-Out, Pre-Tax Commuter Benefits, And Parking Surtaxes, Allen Greenberg, James Choe, Sonika Sethi, Colleen Stoll

TREC Webinar Series

The vast majority of employers provide their employees free parking at work, which encourages employees to drive alone. Multiple strategies exist to level the playing field between travel modes and allow employees to select the travel option most beneficial to them without suffering a financial penalty. The U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration sponsored a study to understand the effect parking cash out, pre-tax commuter benefits, and parking surtaxes can have on congestion, emissions, and other driving-related externalities. The study is part of the Administration’s ongoing efforts to increase awareness of solutions to address the transportation issues affecting communities …