Engineering Commons^™

Interfacial Magnetism And Anisotropy In Dirac And Weyl Semimetals, Noah Schulz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Semimetals have gained intense interest recently due to their exotic magnetic and electronic properties. One of the most widely studied semimetals is graphene, a Dirac semimetal. The utilization of graphene in devices and sensors requires interfacing it with other materials, which may induce potentially strong interfacial effects. Furthermore, graphene alone does not possess magnetic order. Studying the interfacial effects between graphene and magnetic materials is therefore of great importance in the application of graphene to meet modern technological needs. Furthermore, by understanding the fundamental interfacial physics between graphene and magnetic materials, new properties can be unlocked, broadening the possible applications …

Cr-Sam: Curvature Regularized Sharpness-Aware Minimization, Tao Wu, Tony Tie Luo, Donald C. Wunsch

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Capacity to Generalize to Future Unseen Data Stands as One of the Utmost Crucial Attributes of Deep Neural Networks. Sharpness-Aware Minimization (SAM) Aims to Enhance the Generalizability by Minimizing Worst-Case Loss using One-Step Gradient Ascent as an Approximation. However, as Training Progresses, the Non-Linearity of the Loss Landscape Increases, Rendering One-Step Gradient Ascent Less Effective. on the Other Hand, Multi-Step Gradient Ascent Will Incur Higher Training Cost. in This Paper, We Introduce a Normalized Hessian Trace to Accurately Measure the Curvature of Loss Landscape on Both Training and Test Sets. in Particular, to Counter Excessive Non-Linearity of Loss Landscape, …

Investigation Of Rare Earth Element Binding To A Surface-Bound Affinity Peptide Derived From Ef-Hand Loop I Of Lanmodulin, Geeta Verma, Jacob D. Hostert, Alex A. Summerville, Christine E. Duval, Julie N. Renner

Faculty Scholarship

Bioinspired strategies have been given extensive attention for the recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from waste streams because of their high selectivity, regeneration potential, and sustainability as well as low cost. Lanmodulin protein is an emerging biotechnology that is highly selective for REE binding. Mimicking lanmodulin with shorter peptides is advantageous because they are simpler and potentially easier to manipulate and optimize. Lanmodulin-derived peptides have been found to bind REEs, but their properties have not been explored when immobilized on solid substrates, which is required for many advanced separation technologies. Here, two peptides, LanM1 and scrambled LanM1, are designed …

Revolutionizing Feature Selection: A Breakthrough Approach For Enhanced Accuracy And Reduced Dimensions, With Implications For Early Medical Diagnostics, Shabia Shabir Khan, Majid Shafi Kawoosa, Bonny Bannerjee, Subhash C. Chauhan, Sheema Khan

Research Symposium

Background: The system's performance may be impacted by the high-dimensional feature dataset, attributed to redundant, non-informative, or irrelevant features, commonly referred to as noise. To mitigate inefficiency and suboptimal performance, our goal is to identify the optimal and minimal set of features capable of representing the entire dataset. Consequently, the Feature Selector (Fs) serves as an operator, transforming an m-dimensional feature set into an n-dimensional feature set. This process aims to generate a filtered dataset with reduced dimensions, enhancing the algorithm's efficiency.

Methods: This paper introduces an innovative feature selection approach utilizing a genetic algorithm with an ensemble crossover operation …

Oral Administration Of Ph-Responsive Polymeric Nanoparticles Based On Zein And Their Therapeutic Potential On Cancer., Bruno Alejandro Valades-Aguilar, José Raúl Rangel-López, Jennifer Citlally Leos-Rivera, Moisés Armides Franco-Molina, María Cristina Rodríguez-Padilla, Diana Ginette Zárate-Triviño

Research Symposium

Background: Zein is a water-insoluble protein extracted from the endosperm of corn seeds, this polymer is an attractive matrix to encapsulate hydrophilic compounds because of its high proportion of hydrophobic amino acids, making it a potential smart delivery material for several treatments in the biopharmaceutical industry. nanoparticles have been used as drug delivery systems for the improvement of oral bioavailability; however, the strategies of nanoparticle obtention need the addition of stabilizers. in this study, a modified method to obtain zein nanoparticles was developed.

Methods: Zein nanoparticles (ZNps) were made by a thermal treatment and precipitated into ovalbumin at a ratio …

Effects Of The Loading Rate On Mechanical Properties Of The Human Superficial Femoral Artery, Ali Zolfaghari Sichani, Majid Jadidi

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

INTRODUCTION: Blood vessels are known for their viscoelastic mechanical behavior, including a dependency on the loading rate. Previous studies have shown mixed results regarding the effects of the loading rate on the mechanical properties of the arterial wall. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the loading rate dependency in the human Superficial Femoral Artery (SFA), the main artery of the leg....

The Effect Of A Constitutive Formulation On Limb Flexion-Induced Stresses In The Human Femoropopliteal Artery: A Patient-Specific Study, Ali Ahmadi, Anastasia Desyatova

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The Effect of a Constitutive Formulation on Limb Flexion-Induced Stresses in the Human Femoropopliteal Artery: a Patient-Specific Study

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) involves the development of atherosclerotic lesions that restrict the flow of blood to tissues downstream. The femoropopliteal artery (FPA) experiences complex mechanical deformations during daily activities, potentially contributing to the prevalence of PAD and unfavorable treatment outcomes. These deformations generate significant intramural stresses and strains, resulting in arterial injury, disease progression, and restenosis following treatment. Computational modeling offers a way to improve the repair of the FPA; however, the accuracy of these simulations relies on the selection of …

Engineering Nanofibers: Laboratory Characterization, Microstructural Analysis, And Image Processing Insights, Sayed Ahmadreza Razian, Mohammad Arjomandi, Kaspars Maleckis

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Polymer nanofibers have attracted high interest in a wide array of applications, including biomaterial scaffolding, textiles, sensors, reinforcement in composites, and filtration systems. Many of these applications combine nanofibers into non-woven fabrics for better properties and easier manipulation. The properties and performance of nanofiber-based fabrics are affected by various microstructure parameters, including fiber alignment, diameter, and gap sizes between the nanofibers. These structural parameters can be controlled by adjusting various process parameters during manufacturing process, but the exact process parameter-microstructure relationships vary depending on the polymer system and need to be studied individually. The goal of this study is to …

Machine Learning Prediction Of Photoluminescence In Mos2: Challenges In Data Acquisition And A Solution Via Improved Crystal Synthesis, Ethan Swonger, John Mann, Jared Horstmann, Daniel Yang

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) like molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) possess unique electronic and optical properties, making them promising materials for nanotechnology. Photoluminescence (PL) is a key indicator of MoS2 crystal quality. This study aimed to develop a machine-learning model capable of predicting the peak PL wavelength of single MoS2 crystals based on micrograph analysis. Our limited ability to consistently synthesize high-quality MoS2 crystals hampered our ability to create a large set of training data. The project focus shifted towards improving MoS2 crystal synthesis to generate improved training data. We implemented a novel approach utilizing low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) combined with …

Modes Of Fracture Of Flat Bone: Fracture Direction And Stress, Nolan Wang, Mary K. Holden, Everett Baker, Nathaniel Lerch, Nate Fitch

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This study delineates the application of fractography to discern the multifaceted modes of fracture in flat bones, explicating the interplay between fracture directionality and stress states regarding the viscoelastic nature of bone. Despite the perceived brittleness, bone exhibits toughness, attributed to its intricate structure design and amalgamating properties of solid and viscous materials. This research elucidates the variegated fracture modes inherent to bone's dualistic nature by examining fracture surfaces and identifying fracture markings using stereoscopic microscopy. Our observations across seven bone specimens reveal predominant fracture patterns from top to bottom in six instances, with a singular deviation where the fracture …

La1-Xsrxcoo3 Perovskite Nanomaterial: Synthesis, Characterization, And Its Biomedical Application, Adhira Tippur, Anyet Shohag, Luke Franco, Ahmed Touhami, Swati Mohan, Mohammed Uddin

Research Symposium

Early cancer detection is paramount for effective treatment and potential cures. This research explores the application of perovskite materials, specifically Sr2+-doped Lanthanum Cobaltite (La1-xSrxCoO3) nanomaterials, in cancer detection, with a focus on rats as an experimental model. The ferroelectric nature of these materials, synthesized through a combination of sol-gel and molten-salt processes, was examined at varying Sr2+ doping levels (1-20 wt%). Rigorous characterization, employing X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, confirmed the uniform morphology of nano cubes, laying the foundation for subsequent investigations. The magnetic properties of the perovskite nanoparticles were probed, suggesting their potential as a diagnostic tool for …

Exploring The Use Of Enhanced Swad Towards Building Learned Models That Generalize Better To Unseen Sources, Brandon M. Weinhofer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Deep learning models, typically, take significant time to train. Classifier ensembles are areliable way to increase classifier accuracy and perhaps generalizability to unseen sources of data. These classifiers can be combined with a simple voting scheme. The problem is that having multiple models can very heavily increase training time. Snapshot ensembles have been shown to provide a boost in performance by creating an ensemble of classifiers with different weights during the training of a single deep learned model. This can somewhat solve the problem of the increased training time as you do not have to train separate models. As Machine …

Safety Investigation Of Crash Rates During Hurricane Evacuations, Amelia K. Lawson

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This study aimed to investigate crash rates across four distinct periods—evacuation, re-entry, emergency, and non-emergency—during Hurricanes Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), and Michael (2018). A notable gap in existing research pertains to understanding crash rates during these critical phases of hurricane events. By addressing this gap, this research contributes to a deeper comprehension of evacuation transportation safety. The methodology employed ArcMap to construct an interactive map for data collection, encompassing key variables such as the number of crashes, traffic volumes, duration of each period under analysis, and roadway segment lengths for each hurricane. Evaluating the crash rate per million vehicular miles …

Digital Performance Management: An Evaluation Of Manufacturing Performance Management Andmeasurement Strategies In An Industry 4.0 Context, Nathaniel David Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Manufacturing management and operations place heavy emphasis on monitoring and improving production performance. This supervision is accomplished through strategies of manufacturing performance management, a set of measurements and methods used to monitor production conditions. Over the last thirty years the most prevalent measurement of traditional performance management has been overall equipment effectiveness, a percentile summary metric of a machine's utilization. The technologies encapsulated by Industry 4.0 have expanded the ability to gather, process, and store vast quantities of data, creating opportunity to innovate on how performance is measured. A new method of managing manufacturing performance utilizing Industry 4.0 technologies has …

Potential For Climate-Based Financing Of Watershed Management To Restore Streams And Improve Water Quality Following A Wildfire: A Case Study Of The Provo River Watershed, Braxton Wayne Porter

Theses and Dissertations

Following wildfires, water quality in forested watersheds is prone to degradation, impacting drinking water treatment and causing increased emissions due to additional energy consumption. We explore the potential for climate-based financing to support wildfire mitigation and watershed restoration and thereby reduce potential water treatment energy demand within the Provo River watershed of Utah, USA. Pre- and post-wildfire erosion and water quality in the Provo River is modeled using GeoWEPP. Energy data from the Don A. Christiansen drinking water treatment plant in the watershed and related literature data are used to estimate the increase in energy use for treating degraded water. …

Aphid-Ant Relationships: The Role Of Cuticular Hydrocarbons And Different Chemical Stimuli In Triggeringmutualistic Behavior, Amged El-Harairy, Ahmed El-Harairy, Alaa Mahfouz

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

In ant-aphid interactions, various aphid species offer honeydew to the ant partner and increase their density by ant attendance, whilst others never attend ant species, in which case ants tend to treat them as prey. In this regard, ants should have the ability to distinguish myrmecophile aphid species from non-mutualistic species, so that mutualistic aphids will be accepted as partners rather than prey. Although ant-aphid interactions are now the focus of chemical ecology studies, the role of the different chemical stimuli in determining mutualistic interactions has not been completely clarified. Therefore, we have investigated the cuticular hydrocarbon profile of four …

The Quest For A Sensitive And Accurate Flash Radiation Model: Whole Abdominal Irradiation And Real Time Dosimetry, Noah J G Daniel

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the US, and more than 50% of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy (RT), often in combination with surgery, chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy. However, the fundamental limit on radiotherapy treatment efficacy is normal tissue tolerance. One potential way to overcome this limitation is through ultra-high dose rate radiation (FLASH RT). Compared to conventional radiotherapy (CONV RT), FLASH RT has been shown to be just as damaging to cancerous tissue but far more sparing of healthy tissue.

However, clinical translation of FLASH research has been obstructed by the failure of many labs to …

Attractive Ellipsoid Technique For A Decentralized Passivity-Based Voltage Tracker For Islanded Dc Microgrids, Ehab Bayoumi

Mechanical Engineering

A new passivity-based voltage tracker for islanded Direct Current (DC) microgrids is presented in this paper. The proposed design develops a new sufficient condition for passivity-based state feedback with proportional and integral control using the attracting ellipsoid method. In this paper, we consider the time behavior of the extended vector, which completely describes the principle properties of the closed-loop system such as the boundedness of the trajectories within some ellipsoid and the dependence of its “size” on the feedback gains. The next step, which we are realizing in this paper, is the minimization of the attractive ellipsoid by selecting the …

Leveraging Systems Thinking For Global Environmental Health, Martha M. Mcalister

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmental health inequities such as household air pollution, inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene, and chemical pollution persist globally and have myriad consequences on individual and societal well-being. Unfortunately, while billions of dollars and countless hours of research have been applied towards addressing these issues in development, humanitarian, and environmental justice contexts, attempts to reduce the environmental burden of disease can seem successful at first, but then backslide to pre-intervention conditions (or worse). This is indicative of policy resistance, a tendency of complex systems that makes it very difficult to enact change if the “rules” of the system are misunderstood. There …

Technical Data Package For Sysmlv2 Vignettes, Allen W. Dukes

Student Publications

This Technical Data Package (TDP) thoroughly compiles instructions, concepts, and solutions for eight SysMLv2 vignettes. Each vignette illustrates methods to solve complex system modeling challenges. The initial concept for each vignette can drive the use and evaluation of a custom SysMLv2 modeling tool as shown in [1]. They can support a baseline set of tasks to compare usability with other SysMLv2 modeling software tools.

The document starts with three pairs of vignettes for modeling a hypothetical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operated with a Virtual Reality (VR) headset derived from AFIT WKSP 696. The final pair of vignettes focus on two …

Exploring The Morphological Surface Resistance And Optical Absorption Of Thin Black Carbon Nanotube Films For Electronic And Optoelectronic Devices, Ziad Khalifa, Sameh Osama Abdellatif

Chemical Engineering

This study investigates the optical and electrical properties of thin black films of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) fabricated under various conditions to explore their potential integration as either a perfect broadband absorber or enhanced counter electrode. The study involves SEM measurements, surface resistance measurements, and UV–Vis. spectrometer analysis. The results show that the CNT thin films exhibit high electrical conductivity and strong light absorption across various wavelengths. Optically, we investigated the impact of varying the growth temperature and catalyst temperature on the absorption profile of the thin films. The fabricated and deposited CNTs showed broadband absorption spectra, reaching 92.8% of the …

Macroscopic And Microscopic Investigation Of Gypsum Slag Cement-Stabilized Recycled Aggregate Base Layers, Changdong Zhou, Pengcheng Shi, Junan Shen

Civil Engineering & Construction: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate the macro and micro properties of stabilized recycled aggregate base layers using gypsum slag cement (GSC) and compare them with ordinary Portland cement (OPC). To achieve this, four levels of recycled aggregate content (0%, 50%, 60%, 70%) and three levels of binder materials (3.5%, 4.5%, 5.5%) were designed, where the binding materials included OPC and GSC. When GSC is used as the binding material with 0% recycled content, two scenarios for the ratio of slag to activator are considered: 4:1 and 4:2. For recycled content of 50%, 60%, and 70%, only the …

Mechanical Properties Of A Structural Component Processed In High-Pressure Die Casting (Hpdc) With A Non-Heat-Treated Aluminum Alloy, David Servando Cantú-Fernández, Jaime Taha-Tijerina, Alejandro González, Pablo Guajardo Hernández, Brian Quinn

Informatics and Engineering Systems Faculty Publications

This industrial research focuses on the implementation and development of a productive process for an automotive structural component (Shock tower) manufactured by a high-pressure die casting (HPDC) process made of aluminum alloy AuralTM-5. This aluminum alloy has been considered in diverse automotive and aerospace components that do not require heat treatment due to its mechanical properties as cast material (F temper). On the other hand, AuralTM-5 has been designed for processing as HPDC because it is an alloy with good fluidity, making it ideal for large castings with thin-wall thicknesses, like safety structural components such as rails, supports, rocker panels, …

Exploring Extended Reality In An Aqueous Processing Test Bed For Nuclear Material, Sam Wald

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research aided in the ongoing creation of an extended reality training experience for Beartooth, an aqueous processing test bed for nuclear material, by exploring what will be comfortable and effective for users of the experience. Participants consisted of staff members from Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and authorized members of the Augmented Learning Lab at BYU. We conducted usability testing with participants who were given extended reality (XR) equipment to explore the Beartooth virtual training system. We also performed a heuristic evaluation on the system using an augmented reality evaluation checklist. Findings were discussed with the INL team and recommendations …

Comparative Assessment Of Gold Nanoparticle-Antibody Conjugates With Two Differently Shaped Particles For Multimodal Colorimetric Lateral Flow Assay, Vinayak Sharma, Bilal Javed, Furong Tian

Articles

Novel detection strategies that exploit the unique properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) hold great potential for the advancement of point-of-care (POC) diagnostics, such as lateral flow and dipstick immunoassay [1–3]. Owing to its biocompatibility and convenient surface modifications, gold nanoparticles with enhanced sensitivity reduce the sample-to-answer times to less than 5 min (Figure 1). Methods like covalent conjugation and electrostatic adsorption are explored for antibody immobilization to develop a gold nanoparticle-based biosensor for fast and sensitive localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) for both basic research and clinical diagnostics. The mounting of antibodies on the gold nanoparticle surface requires selective binding …

A Reliable Optimal Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Allocation, Mohamed Abdelaziz, A.A. Ali, R.A. Swief, Rasha Elazab

Renewable Electrical Energy Engineering

This paper presents a new and effective approach for optimally allocating Electric Vehicle (EV) stations in a distribution network by integrating electrical and road constraints. The proposed methodology, a two-stage optimization technology, addresses the challenges posed by the increasing energy demand caused by the adoption of EVs. In the first stage, the stochastic demand load of EVs is simulated considering the probability and hierarchic clustering of EV load based on the travelling distance of users. This stage focuses on emulating the uncertainty of EV user travel patterns, time of arrival and departure, and their impact on the EV load profile. …

Development And Demonstration Of An Apparatus For Assessing Frost-Heave Susceptibility Of Soil, Becca Apgar, W. S. Guthrie

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective of this research was to develop and demonstrate an apparatus for assessing the frost-heave susceptibility of soil in a laboratory setting. Development of the frost-heave testing apparatus required several components, including a freezing system, a heating system, temperature controllers, a metal frame, a water delivery system, and an insulated specimen container. For the freezing system, a chest freezer was selected to provide a test environment that can be maintained at an adjustable air temperature below 32 °F. For the heating system, thermostat-controlled heat tape was selected for positioning around the base of the specimen and along the water …

Sanitation In Urban Areas May Limit The Spread Of Antimicrobial Resistance Via Flies, Drew Capone, Oliver Cumming, Abeoseh Flemister, Victor Ilevbare, Seth R. Irish, Ishi Keenum, Jackie Knee, Rassul Nala, Joe Brown

Michigan Tech Publications

Synanthropic filth flies are common where sanitation is poor and fecal wastes are accessible to them. These flies have been proposed as mechanical vectors for the localized transport of fecal microbes including antimicrobial resistant (AMR) organisms and associated antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), increasing exposure risks. We evaluated whether an onsite sanitation intervention in Maputo, Mozambique reduced the concentration of enteric bacteria and the frequency of detection of ARGs carried by flies collected in household compounds of low-income neighborhoods. Additionally, we assessed the phenotypic resistance profile of Enterobacteriaceae isolates recovered from flies during the pre-intervention phase. After fly enumeration at study …

Distribution Fitting And Anova Test To Analyze Pavement Sensing Patterns For Condition Assessments, Dada Zhang, Chun-Hsing Ho

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the vehicle-based sensor effect and pavement temperature on road condition assessment, as well as to compute a threshold value for the classification of pavement conditions.

Design/methodology/approach – Four sensors were placed on the vehicle’s control arms and one inside the vehicle to collect vibration acceleration data for analysis. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests were performed to diagnose the effect of the vehicle-based sensors’ placement in the field. To classify road conditions and identify pavement distress (point of interest), the probability distribution was applied based on the magnitude values of …

How Individuals’ Opinions Influence Society’S Resistance To Epidemics: An Agent-Based Model Approach, Geonsik Yu, Michael Garee, Mario Ventresca, Yuehwern Yih

Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund

Background

Protecting public health from infectious diseases often relies on the cooperation of citizens, especially when self-care interventions are the only viable tools for disease mitigation. Accordingly, social aspects related to public opinion have been studied in the context of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. However, a comprehensive understanding of the effects of opinion-related factors on disease spread still requires further exploration.

Methods

We propose an agent-based simulation framework incorporating opinion dynamics within an epidemic model based on the assumption that mass media channels play a leading role in opinion dynamics. The model simulates how opinions about preventive interventions change over …