Engineering Commons^™

Adversarial Patch Attacks On Deep Reinforcement Learning Algorithms, Peizhen Tong

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Adversarial patch attack has demonstrated that it can cause the misclassification of deep neural networks to the target label when the size of patch is relatively small to the size of input image; however, the effectiveness of adversarial patch attack has never been experimented on deep reinforcement learning algorithms. We design algorithms to generate adversarial patches to attack two types of deep reinforcement learning algorithms, including deep Q-networks (DQN) and proximal policy optimization (PPO). Our algorithms of generating adversarial patch consist of two parts: choosing attack position and training adversarial patch on that position. Under the same bound of total …

Development Of A Multispectral Vis-Swir Imaging Modality For Cutaneous Water Assessment, Quinlan Mcgrath

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Inflammatory skin diseases are estimated to impact 20% of the global population and are the fourth leading cause of nonfatal disability worldwide. Diagnosis and management are predominantly based on clinician visual assessment of disease related changes in skin morphology. The qualitative nature of this method can result in misdiagnosis and underdiagnoses of treatable diseases. There persists systematic undertreatment of skin of color patients given the more subtle presentation of erythema against pigmented skin. There exists a clinical need for a quantitative and objective inflammation assessment tool that meets the needs of a diverse patient population. The accumulation of interstitial fluid …

A Prediction Of Young's Modulus For Tin Containing Phosphate Glasses Using Quantitative Structural Information, Tatsuki Shimizu, Akira Saitoh, Uwe Hoppe, Grégory Tricot, Richard K. Brow

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Rigid Unit Packing Fraction (RUPF) Model Was Used to Better Understand the Influence of Local Structural Units on the Young's Elastic Modulus (E) of Binary and Ternary Tin Phosphate Glasses. Quantitative Analyses of the Units that Constitute the Glass Structure, Obtained from X-Ray/neutron Diffraction and 31P MAS-NMR Spectroscopy, Were Used to Calculate Polyhedral Packing Fractions that, with Tabulated Bond Dissociation Energies, Were Used to Predict E based on a Modification of the Makashima-Mackenzie Relationship, Which Uses Ion Sizes to Calculate Packing Fractions. Predictions based on the RUPF Model Are Better Than Those based on Ion Sizes, and Extending the …

Software-Defined Networking Security Techniques And The Digital Forensics Of The Sdn Control Plane, Abdullah Alshaya

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is an efficient networking design that decouples the network's control plane from the data plane. When compared to the traditional network architecture, the SDN architecture shares many of the same security issues. The centralized SDN controller makes it easier to control, easier to program in real-time, and more flexible, but this comes at the cost of more security risks. An attack on the control plane layer of the SDN controller is a major security concern.

First, centralized design and the existence of a single point of failure in the control plane compromise the accessibility and availability of …

Meta-Analysis Of Driving Behavior Studies And Assessment Of Factors Using Structural Equation Modeling, Duong Ngoc Hai, Chu Cong Minh, Nathan Huynh

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

The aim of this paper is to understand the factors that influence unsafe driving practices by examining published studies that utilized the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict driving behavior. To this end, it reviews 42 studies published up to the end of 2021 to evaluate the predictive utility of TPB by employing a meta-analysis and structural equation model. The results indicate that these studies sought to predict 20 distinct driving behaviors (e.g., drink-driving, use of cellphone while driving, aggressive driving) using the original TPB constructs and 43 additional variables. The TPB model with the three original constructs is …

The Biological Activity Of Dual-Responsive Glycopolymers For Intracellular Codelivery Of Antigen And Lipophilic Adjuvant, Micaela Shields

Honors Theses

Subunit vaccines present themselves as an attractive alternative to traditional approaches to vaccines, which utilizes whole organisms to trigger an immune response. While these traditional approaches have proven themselves reliable within the history of vaccinations, they generally deliver subpar robust cellular-mediated immunity and pose many safety risks. Composed of proteins and /or peptides, subunit vaccines are safer and more precise alternatives to traditional approaches. However, the pharmacokinetic properties of the macromolecules that make up these vaccines hinder the subunit vaccine’s level of immunogenicity [d1] Examples of this hindrance include but are not limited to aggregation at the injection site and …

Development Of Methods To Enhance Stem Cell Derived Islet Survival, Aining Fan

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Continuous Bioprocessing: Technology For Next-Generation Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Development Of A Python-Coded Bench-Scale Raman-Based Continuous Bioprocess Platform, Christine Urrea

KGI Theses and Dissertations

Current industrial practices for producing biopharmaceuticals include fed-batch production with batch isolation and purification. Nonproductive hold-up steps and manual offline measurements are common in batch processing which increases processing time and contributes to a high cost of production. Current market trends and cost pressures in the biopharmaceutical industry are creating a push to innovate bioprocessing platforms. Continuous bioprocessing has been considered a solution to the current limitations of batch production of biopharmaceuticals. Continuous bioprocessing involves intensifying individual processing steps by eliminating hold-up steps through a continuous operation to increase productivity, which results in advantages such as lower capital and production …

The Development Of A Primer Payload With Microparticles For Uti Pathogen Identification Using Polythymidine- Modified Lamp Primers In Droplet Lamp, Jonas Otoo

KGI Theses and Dissertations

Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are among the diagnostic tests with the highest sensitivity and specificity. However, they are more complex to develop than other diagnostic tests such as biochemical tests and lateral flow immunoassay tests. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the gold standard for NAATs. PCR requires thermal cycling to achieve clonal amplification of the target pathogen DNA for diagnosis. Thermal cycling poses a challenge in the development of PCR diagnostics for point-of-care (POC) settings. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) offers an isothermal method for NAATs diagnostics. The advancement of the microfluidics field significantly enhances the development of LAMP diagnostics …

Modeling And Characterization Of Cmos Logic Gates Under Large Signal Rf Injection, Zahra Abedi

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This research addresses the issue of electromagnetic interference (EMI) in digital electronics, which can cause undesired behavior in active electronic components and systems. As technology advances and transistor size decreases, devices become more susceptible to EMI. In addition, as voltage is scaled down to save energy, silicon chips become more susceptible to soft errors. While there are several ways to mitigate the impact of severe EMI on digital systems, minimal electromagnetic coupling can still cause significant problems. We develop analytical models to predict device upset due to EMI. The study focuses on identifying vulnerable parameters of operation related to device …

Incentives To Learn: A Location-Based Federated Learning Model, Ryan Kilpatrick-Morrison Brown

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Federated Learning (FL) effectiveness depends, among others, on the quality and quantity of the training data and process realized at the end computing nodes. In this paper, we introduce a novel location-based federated learning model, enabled by a low-cost and fast deployable Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) - based approach that allows to accurately determine the distributed computing nodes’ positions. Furthermore, in order to train a global model to support different types of smart city applications, while considering two types of servers, offering a prime and common service, respectively, under different costs, the proposed location-based FL model is complemented by an …

Machine Learning Based Prediction Models For Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cell Optimization, Rahul Jaiswal

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Silicon heterojunction solar cell of Heterojunction with Thin Intrinsic Layer (HIT) structure is a commercially available technology, and its market share will significantly increase by the next decade. With such a significant market share, any minor improvement in the device’s overall efficiency can be beneficial three folds - customer return on investment, industry revenue, and the overall carbon footprint (from manufacturing to recycling/ disposing of the device). Conventionally, device optimization for solar cells has been achieved using a hit & trial approach where multiple experiments are done to evaluate the best process conditions and device parameters. This approach has some …

Vi Energy-Efficient Memristor-Based Neuromorphic Computing Circuits And Systems For Radiation Detection Applications, Jorge Iván Canales Verdial

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Radionuclide spectroscopic sensor data is analyzed with minimal power consumption through the use of neuromorphic computing architectures. Memristor crossbars are harnessed as the computational substrate in this non-conventional computing platform and integrated with CMOS-based neurons to mimic the computational dynamics observed in the mammalian brain’s visual cortex. Functional prototypes using spiking sparse locally competitive approximations are presented. The architectures are evaluated for classification accuracy and energy efficiency. The proposed systems achieve a 90% true positive accuracy with a high-resolution detector and 86% with a low-resolution detector.

Strength As A Function Of Liquid Water Content In Different Snow Types - Results From Field Experiments Using A Blade Hardness Gauge, Mikael Schlumpf

Civil Engineering ETDs

The rapid weakening of snow layers that locally accumulate infiltrating liquid water is a well-known mechanism for wet slab avalanche formation. To quantify this process and improve the prediction of these destructive avalanches, a blade hardness gauge (BHG, a.k.a thin blade penetrometer) and SLF snow sensor were used to take 349 targeted paired measurements of strength and LWC, respectively, in the snow above 19 artificially wetted capillary barriers. Using a multiple regression analysis, we develop an expression for the blade hardness of manually wetted snow as a function of LWC, crystal form, and blade hardness prior to wetting. To understand …

Equity In Transportation: Data Driven Analysis Of Transportation Services And Infrastructures, Javad Jomehpour Chahar Aman

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Achieving equity in transportation is an ongoing challenge, as transportation options still vary tremendously when it comes to marginalized populations. This dissertation addresses this challenge by conducting a comprehensive review of existing transportation equity literature and identifying two critical gaps: the lack of data-driven approaches to studying spatial mismatch between transportation supply and demand, and limited information on women's perceptions and expectations towards emerging transportation services.

Chapter two introduces the concept of transportation "deserts," specifically transit deserts and walking deserts, and develops data-driven frameworks to identify and investigate neighborhoods with limited transportation service supply but high demand. The frameworks compare …

A Mechanics-Based Analytical Solution For Restrained Beams With Application To Progressive Collapse Behavior, Leven Deputy

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents an axially restrained beam (ARB) model that incorporates axial-flexural interaction throughout the entire static load-deflection curve: the elastic material range, the plastic, flexural dominant range, the range beyond plastic flexure with increasing catenary effect, and the full catenary range. Energy methods are applied to static load-deflection curves to determine dynamic load-deflection relationships. Specifically, this dissertation considers the two conditions; Pinned-Pinned-Pinned (PPP) which has no flexural resistance at the boundaries, and Fixed-Fixed-Fixed FFF (also Pinned-Fixed-Pinned, PFP) condition which provides the beam with flexural resistance at the boundaries equal to flexural capacity of the beam. Behavior is explained analytically …

Transport Mechanisms In Electrochemical Immunoassay Biosensors With Applications To Sarscov-2 Neutralizing Antibody Detection, Mohammad Karim Dehghan Manshadi

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

Biosensors are used in diverse applications spanning from clinical diagnosis and drug discovery to environmental and safety monitoring. Among different types of biosensors, electrochemical ones have demonstrated high sensitivity, short detection time, and selectivity with a low cost, and have been widely used to detect various diseases. In this thesis, we have introduced an inexpensive, rapid, sensitive, and quantifiable impedance-based immunosensors to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody (NAb), which shows the real protective immunity against COVID-19. We demonstrated that our device enabled assessment of NAb in a physiological buffer with conductivity equivalent to that of blood plasma. This technique can be …

Electromagnetically Actuated Modular Robots With Controlled Self-Assembly And On-Demand Disassembly, Anuruddha Bhattacharjee

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

Modular reconfigurable robots, with on-demand assembly and disassembly, offer the possibility of mesoscale (milli- and microscale) manufacturing. However, most of the existing modular robotic platforms currently being designed and functionalized rely on complex actuation and assembly mechanisms and so lack further scalability and transformability required for mesoscale applications. Therefore, this dissertation seeks to develop a novel scalable modular robotic platform with controlled self-assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration techniques using an external electromagnetic field. While current cutting-edge research in this area uses a single magnet to move one module at a time into the target position, this dissertation explores processes to move …

Photonic Sensors Based On Integrated Ring Resonators, Jaime Da Silva

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the application of integrated ring resonators to different sensing applications. The sensors proposed here rely on the principle of optical whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonance shifts of the resonators. Three distinct sensing applications are investigated to demonstrate the concept: a photonic seismometer, an evanescent field sensor, and a zero-drift Doppler velocimeter. These concepts can be helpful in developing lightweight, compact, and highly sensitive sensors. Successful implementation of these sensors could potentially address sensing requirements for both space and Earth-bound applications. The feasibility of this class of sensors is assessed for seismic, proximity, and vibrational measurements.

Synthesis And Characterization Of Sodium Cathode Materials, He Zhou

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

As sodium batteries hold great promise as a next-generation energy storage device to replace lithium batteries, the development of sodium battery materials has become increasingly urgent. The current study aims to investigate two potential sodium-ion battery cathode materials, Sodium Vanadium Phosphate, and Sodium Manganese Hexacyanoferrate, optimize the experimental procedures, conduct a systematic analysis of material properties and characterization, and ultimately determine the ideal synthesis conditions for these materials.

In the first part of the study, we focused on optimizing the synthesis of Sodium Vanadium Phosphate. By investigating various synthesis conditions, such as annealing temperature, pressure, ascorbic acid content, and material …

Grammatical Triples Extraction For The Distant Reading Of Textual Corpora, Stephanie Buongiorno, Stephanie Buongiorno

Multidisciplinary Studies Theses and Dissertations

Grammatical triples extraction has become increasingly important for the analysis of large, textual corpora. By providing insight into the sentence-level linguistic features of a corpus, extracted triples have supported interpretations of some of the most relevant problems of our time. The growing importance of triples extraction for analyzing large corpora has put the quality of extracted triples under new scrutiny, however. Triples outputs are known to have large amounts of erroneous triples. The extraction of erroneous triples poses a risk for understanding a textual corpus because erroneous triples can be nonfactual and even analogous to misinformation. Disciplines such as the …

3d Printing Of Earthen Materials: Toward The Carbon-Zero Construction, Shiva Bhusal

Civil Engineering ETDs

In recent years, digital manufacturing techniques in the architecture and construction industry have rapidly gained attention, especially with 3D printing, also called additive manufacturing. The use of cement has been common in modern construction and is now being explored for 3D printing. However, due to cement's contribution to approximately 7 percent of global carbon emissions and its high cost, research on sustainable and greener materials has gained attention. Previous studies on alternative construction have examined the mechanical and rheological properties of soil mixes, but not much attention has been given to printability evaluation, shrinkage, and cracking, which can affect the …

Additive Manufacturing Of Lightweight Concrete Mixtures, Kourosh Rashidi

Civil Engineering ETDs

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is an innovative technique that is increasing its popularity in many industries including construction. 3D printing is related to the layer wised manufacturing or additive construction of any simple to intricate geometry from a digital file. The construction industry has a high potential for using 3D printing technology. However, one of the critical factors in the adaption of additive manufacturing in the construction industry is achieving a printable concrete mix design. This research aims to design printable mixes of lightweight concrete that could be effectively used in the 3D printing of walls or …

Reducing Agglomeration Of Lab-Synthesized And Functionalized Barium Titanate Nanoparticle Composites, Jessica N. Domrzalski

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Barium titanate (BTO) has been extensively studied for its promise in increasing device performance with its high dielectric constant. With the world moving toward miniaturization, research in nanotechnology is paving a road for the future of electronics, energy storage, and batteries. A challenge in understanding BTO’s potential lies in the particles’ tendency to agglomerate. Nanoparticles behave differently than their bulk counterparts, so understanding size effects is a crucial step in understanding BTO. In this work, BTO nanoparticles are synthesized via a hydrolysis reaction, then functionalized via a ligand exchange reaction to reduce agglomeration. BTO is added to epoxy composites at …

Antimicrobial Activity And Mechanism Of Amyloid Proteins And Synthetic Conjugated Polyelectrolytes, Fahimeh Maghsoodi

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Although the exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is still unknown, it is widely considered that the accumulation of amyloid plaques composed of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in the brain is linked to neurodegeneration. Co-localization of viral DNA with Aβ plaques, the association of brain infection and AD, and research indicating the protective effect of Aβ against bacteria and fungi in mice and human cells have led to the hypothesis that Aβ expression and deposition may be central to its function as an antimicrobial peptide (AMP). In my thesis research, we seek to elucidate how Aβ functions as an AMP …

Analysis Of Ternary Chloride Salt Corrosion In High Nickel Alloys, Dimitri Madden, Gowtham Mohan

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

The United States Department of Energy seeks to improve the efficiency of concentrating solar power technologies by employing thermal energy storage with operating temperatures above 700°C. To meet these goals, the National Solar Thermal Test Facility at Sandia National Laboratories has considered the use of a ternary molten chloride salt for sensible heat storage systems. While favored for low cost, good heat transfer properties, and stability at high temperature, ternary chloride salt also exhibits high corrosive attack. Components of a chloride salt storage system would include piping, valves, tanks, pumps, receivers, and heat exchangers, which would be exposed to high …

Material Reliability For A Molten Chloride Salt System, Aaron A.H. Overacker

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

Energy efficiency and cost reduction can both be improved upon using overall higher temperatures for the working fluid. This interest is shared in both nuclear energy as well as concentrated solar power. To achieve higher temperatures would require industry to change working fluids. The United States Department of Energy set out a goal of operating concentrated solar to above 700℃. This would help reduce the cost by having more efficiency in the thermal energy storage, while not a concern for nuclear, these high temperatures can reduce the safety risk and pressure use with the implementation of molten salts. The National …

Study Of A Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite Using A Biobased Polyurethane As A Thermosetting Resin, Teddy Mageto

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer composites (CFRP) have garnered increasing interest in recent years especially in the aerospace and automobile industries where they are gradually replacing metals as structural materials. This is owing to their light weight, high strength, high modulus, and excellent strength-to-weight ratio. Polymers are typically used as thermosetting resins in these composites. However, the synthesis of polymers currently is conducted via petrochemical processes which leads to adverse effects on the environment. To this end, in this work a biobased Polyurethane (PU) was used as a thermosetting resin in a CFRP. The biobased PU was synthesized by the reaction …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Polyaniline-Based High-Performance Carbon For Energy Storage Applications, Udeshika Kangane Arachchige

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

With the increase in global population, the demand for the energy required for daily activities including household necessities, electronic and electric devices, etc. enhances at an alarming proportion. Under these circumstances, supercapacitors (SCs) have attracted great attention as electrochemical energy storage devices. Nowadays, most commercially available supercapacitors are composed of metallic compounds. Due to the high consumption, and limited availability of these elements, it is necessary to find an alternative, effective, low-cost materials in place of using it. With the purpose of achieving high electrochemical performance, this research work focuses on developing carbon derived from polyaniline (PANI) as an efficient …

Identifying Key Activity Indicators In Rats' Neuronal Data Using Lasso Regularized Logistic Regression, Avery Woods

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to identify timestamps of rats’ neuronal activity that best determine behavior using a machine learning model. Neuronal data is a complex and high-dimensional dataset, and identifying the most informative features is crucial for understanding the underlying neuronal processes. The Lasso regularization technique is employed to select the most relevant features of the data to the model’s prediction. The results of this study provide insights into the key activity indicators that are associated with specific behaviors or cognitive processes in rats, as well as the effect that stress can have on neuronal activity and behavior. Ultimately, it was …