Engineering Commons^™

Design And Testing Of A Prototype Prosthesis For Pediatric Upper-Limb Transradial Amputees To Provide Adjustable Size And Modular Characteristics, Paul Heli

Master's Theses

This study was conducted to develop a financially accessible body-powered upper-limb prosthetic socket that can be adjusted to maintain fit and function for a growing child with a transradial amputation. The main objectives of the study were to design, manufacture, and test a device that was comfortable, functional, affordable, and adjustable. The socket was designed to be comfortable using global variables controlling the computer-aided design (CAD) model size with user-specific measurements. Comfort was also incorporated using shape-forming of the socket for specific residual limb features. The device was designed to perform the two main functions of suspension, or attachment to …

Everyone Brings Something To The Table: A Culturally Sustaining Analysis Of Teacher Candidates’ Mixed Reality Teaching Simulations, Erin Scott

Faculty Publications

Discussions of HBCU students’ content knowledge have centered around developing high impact, asset-based approaches to learning (Williams et al, 2022). So, HBCU teacher preparation providers (TPPs) can also focus efforts on culturally sustaining approaches to developing candidates’ content knowledge and researching how high impact practices, like teaching simulations, can help prepare candidates for classrooms. This exploratory case study uses critical cases (n=2); findings suggest candidates have a developing understanding of content, which forms a solid basis for increasing their knowledge. MRTSs are addressed as a potential high impact, culturally sustaining practice for building candidates’ content knowledge. Further, HBCU TPPs can …

Assessing The Effect Of Material Properties On Full Depth Reclamation (Fdr) Mixtures Via Compressive Strength Characterization, Toluwanimi Ogundipe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Enormous amounts of money to replace all poorly maintained roads with brand new construction or with rehabilitation options like the mill and overlay which neglects the address of underlying pavement issues. To reduce the cost intensity of new construction of dilapidated pavements, state departments of transportation are seeking cost-effective techniques to rehabilitate roads. One of the techniques that have been explored and implemented by state DOTs is full-depth reclamation. Full depth reclamation (FDR) as a pavement rehabilitation technique is the reclaiming and recycling of an existing pavement with a predetermined amount of existing base layer. The combination of the reclaimed …

Controlling Expansion Behavior Through Curing And Mix Design For An Expansive, Rapid-Setting Bcsa Cement, Amanda Parolini Dutra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cracking in concrete has been a concern for engineers because it reduces its durability and strength. Some of this cracking behavior is due to shrinkage, which occurs when the water in the concrete evaporates and causes a reduction in volume. Expansive cements were invented to counteract this shrinkage behavior. This research studies a new formulation of a standalone, fast-setting, fast-strength gain expansive BCSA cement. Since it is a new cement, a limited amount of literature is available about mixture design, strength properties, and how to obtain the desired level of expansion. This study then aims to fill some of these …

Determination Of The Internal Erosion Potential Of Bcsa Soil-Cement Using A Modified Hole Erosion Test System, Edgar Enrique Ortega De La Cruz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Levees play a fundamental role in preserving human lives and resources and are the key infrastructure protecting against flood events. In the United States, the levee system is extensive, but unfortunately many of the levees were either not engineered or have well exceeded their intended design life. This was evident after the Midwest floods of 2019, which resulted in the failure of multiple levees leading to costly losses and repairs. In addition, flood levels remained high for days at a time, making it imperative to find fast and effective repair methods. This thesis presents a study conducted at the University …

Advanced Numerical Techniques For Multiscale Simulations In Biofluid Dynamics, Justin Tamico Jack

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study of anisometric particle suspensions and congenital heart defects (CHDs) involve exploring complex phenomena within the biological sciences. The former subject dives into the phase behavior of liquid crystals (LCs), particularly the influence of the shape anisotropy of rod-like nanoparticles on phase transitions, through the implementation of statistical techniques involving molecular dynamics (MD). Conversely, the latter topic focuses on the assessment and management of severe congenital arterial stenoses, such as those found in Williams-Beuren syndrome (WS), through advanced multi-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Both areas emphasize the importance of detailed analysis and the use of advanced numerical modeling …

Paste Properties, Hardened Concrete Properties, And Mix Design Process For Magnesium Phosphate Cement, Rilye Dillard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) is a rapid-setting alternative cement typically used as a quick repair material. MPC has gained popularity in recent years due to its ability to reduce CO2 emissions, its strong chemical resistance, and potential use in large scale applications. There is currently limited research on the properties of MPC when varying the proportions of its ingredients. Several hardened concrete properties were analyzed on concrete mixtures made with MPC. A mix design process for MPC concrete is proposed based on testing of 300 MPC paste mixtures and 115 MPC concrete mixtures. A standardized mix design process is imperative …

An Investigation Into The Effect Of Performance Engineered Mixture (Pem) Design On The Workability And Strength Of Concrete Pavement Mixtures, Alexander Cook

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) currently requires a minimum cement content of 564 pounds of cement per cubic yard of concrete. This minimum cement requirement can be reduced through the utilization of optimized gradation of aggregates within concrete mixtures as well as the addition of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as fly ash. The study presented in this paper aims to demonstrate how the use of the Tarantula Curve can be used to design concrete mixtures with reduced cement contents while maintaining sufficient workability for concrete mixtures to be used for slipform paving. Fresh workability was measured using the …

Microwave Flow Cytometer For Single Cell Detection, Differentiation, And Drug Effect Study, Neelima Dahal

All Dissertations

New methods to rapidly detect and identify pathogens in patients’ blood are needed for timely disease treatment. In this work, a tunable microwave interferometer was used to measure single Candida cells of C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, and C. krusei at multiple frequencies between 0.265 GHz and 7.76 GHz. A Quadratic Discriminate Analysis was used to classify Candida species with an accuracy of 0.875. Likewise, a microwave device was used to measure single Escherichia coli cells of B and K-12 strains at multiple frequencies between 500 MHz and 8 GHz. A LightGBM model was developed to …

Electrochemical Techniques For The Treatment Of Source-Separated Urine, Philip Arve

All Dissertations

Urine makes up approximately 1% of the total volume of municipal wastewater, but it contributes up to 75% of the nitrogen and 50% of the phosphorus received by publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). These elements are essential nutrients for plant growth and trigger algal blooms when released into natural bodies of water, resulting in rapid ecological degradation. Removing these nutrients from municipal wastewater is energy intensive and often operationally sensitive. The past few decades have seen an increase in focus on the source-separation and side-stream treatment of urine.

Urine characteristics differ greatly from those of municipal wastewater, presenting an opportunity …

Geochemical Evidence Of Drying During The 4.2 Ka Event In Sediment Cores From The Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, Derek K. Gibson, Jonathan Obrist-Farner, Alex Correa-Metrio, Alejandra Rodriguez-Abaunza, Carlos Castañeda-Posadas

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Tropical hydroclimate variability during the Middle and Late Holocene was investigated using geochemical indicators of local-scale precipitation and evaporation preserved in sediment cores from two sites in the Mexican Yucatán Peninsula. Scanning X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy data show generally decreasing precipitation trends during the Early and Middle Holocene. During the transition between the Middle and Late Holocene, geochemical evidence of reduced watershed erosion and increased evaporation indicate that a centennial-scale drying event impacted the region between 4.3 and 4.0 ka (kilo-anum; thousand years before present). These findings suggest that the 4.2 ka drying event, which has been previously recorded in Europe, …

Impact Of Irrigation Systems On Water Use And Water Productivity: A Case Study Using Aquacrop In Khartoum, Sudan, Abdalhakam Almagzoop

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Masters Project Reports

Water scarcity significantly challenges agricultural productivity in arid regions like Khartoum, Sudan. This study evaluates the impact of three irrigation systems—furrow, sprinkler, and surface drip—on the water use and productivity of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) under different climatic conditions using the AquaCrop model. Simulations were conducted for three representative years: a wet year (2022), a normal year (2015), and a dry year (2018). The results demonstrate that irrigation substantially improved water use efficiency and crop yield compared to non-irrigated (rainfed) conditions. Rainfed crops resulted in lower biomass, harvest index, and yield, particularly in the dry year, highlighting the importance …

Enhancing Water Sustainability In North Africa: Literature Review And Synthesis Of Current Knowledge Gaps In Sudan, Osman M. A. Adam

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Masters Project Reports

This study delves into the critical role of groundwater in addressing global water challenges, with a focus on the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) in north Africa. Groundwater constitutes a source of potable water, irrigation, and industrial use, especially in arid regions where surface water is limited. We analyzed the status of water quantity, withdrawals, recharge, and geological characteristics in the NSAS, specifically in Sudan, Egypt, and Libya. Though the NSAS is largely an untapped resource, water withdrawals from the NSAS in Egypt, Sudan, and Libya are projected to increase substantially from 2000 to 2100 due to population growth, with …

Chandler & Price Printing Press: Patents From Late 19th To Early 20th Centuries, Ashley S. Mcguire

Patent Coloring Books

Patent coloring book

Development Of A Pressure Sensing System Coupled With Deployable Machine Learning Models For Assessing Residual Limb Fit In Lower Limb Prosthetics, Maxwell D. Lewter

Master's Theses

Lower limb amputations pose significant challenges for patients, with over 150,000 cases annually in the U.S., leading to a high demand for effective prosthetics. However, only 43% of lower limb prosthetic users report satisfaction, primarily due to issues with socket fit, which is critical for comfort, stability, and preventing injury. This study presents a deployable sensing system for potentially real-time monitoring of prosthetic socket fit by using pressure sensors and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to analyze the pressure distribution within the socket. A novel CNN architecture, utilizing both dilated and strided convolutions, is proposed to effectively capture spatial-temporal patterns in …

Minimizing Take Of Threatened Rattlesnakes And Optimizing Project Review In Se Nebraska, Shaun Dunn, Dan Fogell, Colleen Rothe-Groleau

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The western massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus) and the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) are protected under Nebraska Statute 37-801-811 and listed as threatened species. These species occur in the right-of-way (ROW) along several roads in Jefferson, Gage, Pawnee, and Richardson Counties which necessitates the need for added Environmental Review (ER) from Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) staff and onsite surveys prior and during maintenance and construction to roadways. This project sought to minimize ER time, staff time, and increase the knowledge of these species in southeast Nebraska by:

1. Identifying precise locations of western massasauga brumation sites;
2. Mapping travel …

Deep Learning For Bitcoin Price Direction Prediction: Models And Trading Strategies Empirically Compared, Oluwadamilare Omole, David Enke

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper applies deep learning models to predict Bitcoin price directions and the subsequent profitability of trading strategies based on these predictions. The study compares the performance of the convolutional neural network–long short-term memory (CNN–LSTM), long- and short-term time-series network, temporal convolutional network, and ARIMA (benchmark) models for predicting Bitcoin prices using on-chain data. Feature-selection methods—i.e., Boruta, genetic algorithm, and light gradient boosting machine—are applied to address the curse of dimensionality that could result from a large feature set. Results indicate that combining Boruta feature selection with the CNN–LSTM model consistently outperforms other combinations, achieving an accuracy of 82.44%. Three …

Designing An Advanced Gui For A Laser Harp, Matthew Moran

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This project presents the design and development of a laser harp, an innovative digital instrument that combines music and technology to inspire interest in STEM education. The harp uses laser beams and phototransistors to simulate the strings of a traditional harp, producing sound when the beams are interrupted. The primary focus of the honors section of this work is a custom-built software interface developed with a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows users to easily adjust settings like note range, volume, and the central part of the show, looping notes. The GUI is designed to be intuitive, making it easy …

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Of Fm4 Txdot Roadway Alternatives In Cleburne, Texas, Ethan A. Bright

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The Engineering senior design group proposed a three-span concrete bridge, merged lane intersection, and a single storm conduit system. The Honors contribution to this project was analyzing the design’s alternative’s life-cycle costs to compare the most economic design. The project’s cost consists of initial construction, maintenance, and decommission. Utilizing Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) bid code unit prices, each design alternative is calculated by multiplying each material amount by the unit price then summed. Although the parallel conduit system has a cheaper initial cost, it requires more maintenance during its lifetime, therefore the single conduit system was recommended. Notably, cost …

Exploring Smart Thermostat, Don P. Dang

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This study examines the security, privacy, and compatibility challenges associated with smart thermostats in smart home systems. Smart thermostats, as part of the growing Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, face vulnerabilities such as unauthorized access, data breaches, and inconsistent security protocols. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research evaluates encryption techniques, communication protocols (Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi Fi), and user behaviors that impact system security and efficiency. Key findings indicate that 35% of users are concerned about hacking risks, while 25% express data privacy concerns. Many users lack awareness of security measures, such as firmware updates and password management, which increases vulnerabilities. …

Forecasting Nigerian Stock Market Volatilities Using Bagging And Ensemble Averaging, Godknows Isenah

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This paper using bagged GARCH-type model, with ensemble averaging estimators models and compares the forecast performances to those of some classical GARCH type models. Using Mean Absolute Forecast Error (MAFE) and Root Mean Squared Forecast Error (RMSFE) as forecast-error measures, the results shows bagging ensemble based methods to out-perform the alternative volatility models. The study recommended that volatility estimates obtained via bagged ensemble methods should be used as inputs to facilitate financial operations such as derivatives pricing, risk hedging, computations of Value-at-Risk (VaR) estimates, and for financial decision making.

Human-Aware Motion Planning For Aerial Robots, Beichen Zhou

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

This project shows a combination for drones autonomous navigation in dynamic environments. The algorithm combine Social GAN SGAN for human trajectory prediction with Rapidly-exploring Random Tree Star RRT* for path planning. The objective is to efficiently and safe navigate in the area with human. Drones would avoid moving human and maintaining optimal flight path. During training SGAN model, we use both public datasets and dataset collected in the lab, which improve its adaptability in the lab. This experiment was tested through simulations and real-word experiment. SGAN provided a good prediction of human trajectories, which help drones to adjust their path. …

Learning To Represent Temporal Dynamics And Generative Factors For Intelligent Visual Navigation, Sahand Khoshdel

All Theses

Visual navigation systems are crucial in various applications, including autonomous driving, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and industrial automation. For these systems to operate efficiently in dynamic environments, they must not only interpret complex surroundings but also anticipate changes over time. Temporal prediction—forecasting environmental changes like moving obstacles or shifting lighting conditions—enables navigation systems to act proactively, enhancing both safety and performance. This dissertation investigates representation learning methods both as a backbone feature extractor for RL agents as well as a proxy for systems oriented for Explainable AI (XAI). Two main projects are presented as case studies to achieve the aforementioned …

An Empirical Study On The Capability Of Large Language Models In Learning Causality, Joseph Bergin

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Large language models (LLMs), including Google’s Gemini, OpenAI’s GPT series, and Meta’s Llama, have driven remarkable advancements in artificial intelligence, achieving complex, human-like performance across many fields. These transformer-based models are skilled at processing and generating many types of textual information, enabling them to perform a variety of tasks. However, an important question remains about their actual capacity to grasp causal relationships—whether these models can truly differentiate between causal directions or simply respond based on learned patterns. This thesis tests this ability by evaluating LLMs on tasks created to test their understanding of causal, anti-causal, and third-party reasoning. We conduct …

Leveraging P4 Programmable-Hardware Switches For In-Network Pmu Packet Recovery, Evan Michael Bonar

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) systems are essential for real-time power grid monitor- ing but often face data loss due to network delays, equipment malfunctions, or transmis- sion errors. Traditional centralized recovery solutions introduce significant latency and scalability challenges. This thesis presents a P4-based in-network recovery mechanism that embeds detection and recovery directly into the data plane of P4-enabled programmable switches, significantly reducing recovery time and infrastructure complexity. Using the Aurora 610 switch, the system detects missing packets via sequence number analysis and recovers magnitudes with an efficient register-based algorithm.

Evaluation demonstrates high accuracy and low latency, achieving a mean absolute …

Enhancing Webtas: From An Atam Simulator To A Developmental Environment, Elizabeth G. Schmidt

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

As interest in a niche research area, like the abstract Tile Assembly Model (aTAM), grows it is crucial to ensure that simulation tools are accessible and user-friendly for a broad audience. Existing resources can pose challenges for less experienced users, highlighting the need for enhancements that improve usability and functionality. To address these issues, key upgrades to the current online simulation platform, WebTAS, were implemented, including breakpoint functionality and nondeterminism checks, alongside features such as XML file integration, image capturing, and simulation view resets. These enhancements collectively elevate the platform from a basic learning tool to a comprehensive environment for …

Striking A Balance: Market Shock & Responses In Automotive Components Manufacturing, Emma Lane Mcgahey

All Theses

This thesis examines the effects of extreme market shocks on supply chain dynamics within the automotive industry. Through an analysis of demand data from an automotive manufacturer to its component suppliers (January 2018 to May 2024), the study investigates the relationship between market shocks and supply chain responses, providing insights into how auto components inventory management handles downstream responses to market shocks. With supporting public data—from FRED, BLS, and the U.S. Census Bureau resources—we explore two primary relationships: the impact of market shocks on the Average Standard Deviation of Demand (SDO) and the effect of demand variability on expedited pricing …

Artificial Intelligence Computational Techniques Of Flywheel Energy Storage Systems Integrated With Green Energy: A Comprehensive Review, Abdelmonem Draz, Hossam Ashraf, Peter Makeen

Electrical Engineering

In recent years, the operation of the electric power grid has become more efficient and resilient due to the integration of renewable energy sources (RESs). Solar and wind energy are being incorporated aggressively into the main grid, while other RESs like biomass and geothermal energy are also on the rise. However, the intermittent nature of these RESs necessitates the use of energy storage devices (ESDs) as a backup for electricity generation such as batteries, supercapacitors, and flywheel energy storage systems (FESS). This paper provides a thorough review of the standardization, market applications, and grid integration of FESS. It examines the …

A Machine-Learning Approach To Predicting The Achievement Of Australian Students Using School Climate; Learner Characteristics; And Economic, Social, And Cultural Status, Myint S. Khine, Yang Liu, Vivek K. Pallipuram, Ernest Afari

Pacific Faculty Work

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a global survey conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to assess educational systems by evaluating the academic performance of 15-year-old school students in mathematics, science, and reading. In PISA 2022, 13,437 students from Australia participated in the test. While the PISA main questionnaire assesses the subject knowledge, the student background questionnaire solicits contextual information such as school climate, learner characteristics, and socioeconomic status. This study analyses how these contextual variables predict student achievement using the machine-learning models Ridge Linear Regression, K-Nearest Neighbours, Decision Trees, eXtreme Gradient Boosting, and …

Interpreting Strain Caused By Transient Well Testing, Soheil Roudini

All Dissertations

Understanding reservoir properties and structure is essential to managing subsurface operations, such as geologic storage of CO₂ or production of water, hydrocarbons or heat. Previous work demonstrated the potential of analyzing strain data during transient well tests by estimating hydraulic diffusivity using a type-curve-like approach. The following dissertation aims to pursue this potential by developing and evaluating methods for interpreting strain tensor data to improve subsurface characterization. The research advances the classic, intuitive method of using type-curves to interpret well tests, but it also brings together modern computational methods from machine learning, proxy modeling and Bayesian inversion, and it …