Engineering Commons^™

Subject-Specific Human Knee Fea Models For Transtibial Amputees Vs Control Tibial Cartilage Pressure In Gait, Cycling And Elliptical Training, Ali Yazdkhasti

Master's Theses

Millions of individuals around the globe are impacted by osteoarthritis, which is the prevailing type of arthritis. This condition arises as a result of gradual deterioration of the protective cartilage that safeguards the ends of the bones. This is especially true of transtibial amputees, who have a significantly higher incidence of osteoarthritis of the knee in their intact limb than non-amputees. Engaging in regular physical activity, managing weight effectively, and undergoing specific treatments can potentially slow down the advancement of the disease and enhance pain relief and joint function. Nevertheless, the relationship between the type of exercise and its impact …

Performance Improvements Of Hot Mix Asphalt Concrete Using Carbon-Based Fillers, Leonardo A. Ortega Ruiz

Theses and Dissertations

To further advance the state of the art on the performance improvements of hot mix asphalt concrete, this paper investigates the improvements to cracking damage of hot mix asphalt concrete by the addition of carbon-based fillers. There have been various studies dedicated to measuring the strength performance of asphalt mixtures modified with non-traditional fillers, but many of the current studies seem to have varying success with their results or have results that are not statistically significant. In this research, carbon black and F-516 graphite in various percentages were added into asphalt mixtures as a replacement of the traditionally used hydrated …

Simple Mechanically Reconfigurable Patch Antennas, Luis Alonso Hernandez Galvan

Theses and Dissertations

Reconfigurable antennas form an active subdivision of antenna and communications research primarily targeted at achieving reconfigurability in the RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave frequency regimes. Mechanical, all-electronic, material based, and optical methods are the most common approaches to achieve reconfigurability. Each method can overlap to create new and innovative approaches to enable device tunability. The sub-class of reconfigurable antennas are antennas that dynamically achieve an adaptable transformation of their frequency, radiation-pattern, polarization, and/or bandwidth characteristics to enable multiple dynamic functionalities.

In this thesis, we designed new rectangular and triangular microstrip patch array antennas operating in the 5G midband at 5GHz. These …

Design And Implementation Of A Load Sensor In A Bearing Adapter Assembly For Freight Railcar Applications, Prince E. Mensah

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. freight rail network, which covers approximately 140,000 route miles, is commonly regarded as the largest, safest, and most economical freight system in the world. It generates more than 167,000 jobs nationwide and has additional advantages over other modes of transportation, such as lower costs for logistics, public infrastructure upkeep, and decreases in traffic congestion, highway deaths, fuel consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Knowing the exact weight of cargo hauled by freight railcars can help avoid exceeding the loading thresholds set by the Association of American Railroads (AAR). Moreover, knowing the exact load applied to each bearing on the …

Vibration-Based Machine Learning Models For Condition Monitoring Of Railroad Rolling Stock, Sergio M. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

One of the primary causes of rail rolling stock derailments is attributed to bearing and wheel axle failures. The health of train bearings is primarily monitored at target locations through wayside detection systems. This practice is susceptible to bearing failure and potential derailments at points in between these wayside systems. To remedy this, the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) has developed a wireless onboard monitoring system that can continuously monitor the vibration response, which directly correlates to the health of bearings. This data is used to train regression-based machine learning algorithms and long-term prediction neural networks to predict …

Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials And Nanocomposites For Sensing, Separation, And Energy Applications, Md Ashiqur Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

Two-dimension (2D) nanomaterials have gained popularity for the last few decades due to their excellent mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. These unique properties of 2D nanomaterials can be exploited in various applications specially in sensor, energy, and separation devices. In this study, the sensing and energy generation performance of PVDF/PAni fiber mat systems made by the forcespinning method with and without graphene coating. The graphene-coated nanocomposites show an average output voltage of 75 mV (peak-to-peak) which is 300% higher compared to bare fiber mats and an output current of 24 mA (peak-to-peak) by gentle finger pressing. Moreover, the graphene-coated PVDF/PAni …

Developing Control System For Manufacturing Processes, Md Shahriar Forhad

Theses and Dissertations

Process control has been a critical component in today's manufacturing industry. Industrialists nowadays want reliable control to assure precision manufacturing. Modern control systems must be more dynamic, so that any needed modifications may be made quickly to accomplish the desired product change. For innovative research and development, system customization is critical to ensure freedom for experimental works. In addition, full control of manufacturing systems is necessary to realize and implement Industry 4.0. Often, it is difficult to achieve such control due to limited access to proprietary equipment. To this end, this thesis focuses on developing a custom control platform for …

Robust And Uncertainty-Aware Software Vulnerability Detection Using Bayesian Recurrent Neural Networks, Orune Aminul

Theses and Dissertations

Software systems are prone to code defects or vulnerabilities, resulting in several cyberattacks such as hacking, identity breach and information leakage leading to system failure. Vulnerabilities in software systems have severe societal implications, including threats to public safety, financial damage, and even risks to national security. Identifying and mitigating software vulnerabilities is critical to protect organizations and societies from potential threats. Machine learning algorithms have been employed to detect and classify potential vulnerabilities in software source code automatically. However, these algorithms are not robust to noise or malicious attacks and cannot quantify uncertainty in the model’s output. Quantifying uncertainty in …

Phosphatase And Pseudo-Phosphatase Functions Of Phosphatase Of Regenerating Liver 3 (Prl-3) Are Insensitive To Divalent Metals In Vitro, Jeffery T. Jolly, Ty C. Cheatham, Jessica S. Blackburn

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Phosphatase of regenerating liver 3 (PRL-3) is associated with cancer metastasis and has been shown to interact with the cyclin and CBS domain divalent metal cation transport mediator (CNNM) family of proteins to regulate the intracellular concentration of magnesium and other divalent metals. Despite PRL-3’s importance in cancer, factors that regulate PRL-3’s phosphatase activity and its interactions with CNNM proteins remain unknown. Here, we show that divalent metal ions, including magnesium, calcium, and manganese, have no impact on PRL-3’s structure, stability, phosphatase activity, or CNNM binding capacity, indicating that PRL-3 does not act as a metal sensor, despite its interaction …

Structures Of The Insecticidal Toxin Complex Subunit Xpta2 Highlight Roles For Flexible Domains, Cole L. Martin, David W. Chester, Christopher D. Radka, Lurong Pan, Zhengrong Yang, Rachel C. Hart, Elad M. Binshtein, Zhao Wang, Lisa Nagy, Lawrence J. Delucas, Stephen G. Aller

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The Toxin Complex (Tc) superfamily consists of toxin translocases that contribute to the targeting, delivery, and cytotoxicity of certain pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. Membrane receptor targeting is driven by the A-subunit (TcA), which comprises IgG-like receptor binding domains (RBDs) at the surface. To better understand XptA2, an insect specific TcA secreted by the symbiont X. nematophilus from the intestine of entomopathogenic nematodes, we determined structures by X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM. Contrary to a previous report, XptA2 is pentameric. RBD-B exhibits an indentation from crystal packing that indicates loose association with the shell and a hotspot for possible receptor binding or a …

Magnesium-Based Nanocomposites: A Review From Mechanical, Creep And Fatigue Properties, S. Abazari, A. Shamsipur, H. R. Bakhsheshi-Rad, J. W. Drelich, J. Goldman, S. Sharif, A. F. Ismail, M. Razzaghi

Michigan Tech Publications

The addition of nanoscale additions to magnesium (Mg) based alloys can boost mechanical characteristics without noticeably decreasing ductility. Since Mg is the lightest structural material, the Mg-based nanocomposites (NCs) with improved mechanical properties are appealing materials for lightweight structural applications. In contrast to conventional Mg-based composites, the incorporation of nano-sized reinforcing particles noticeably boosts the strength of Mg-based nanocomposites without significantly reducing the formability. The present article reviews Mg-based metal matrix nanocomposites (MMNCs) with metallic and ceramic additions, fabricated via both solid-based (sintering and powder metallurgy) and liquid-based (disintegrated melt deposition) technologies. It also reviews strengthening models and mechanisms that …

Solar-Powered Mobility: Charting The Course For A Brighter Future With Solar Vehicles, Ravi Nayak

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Solar-powered vehicles utilize photovoltaic panels to harness solar energy, offering a promising solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable transportation. This research project focused on the challenges and limitations of solar-powered vehicles and aims to provide solutions for their widespread adoption. The research questions explored in this study are: (Q1) How do different geographical locations and climate regions affect the feasibility and practicality of solar-powered vehicles due to variations in sunlight availability? (Q2) How has the adoption of solar-powered vehicles contributed to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions? (Q3) What policies and incentives can promote the adoption of …

Finserv Android Application, Harsh Piyushkumar Shah

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The FINSERV Android application is a mobile tool designed for individuals to manage and track their finances. In financially complex world, many people struggle to maintain a clear overview of their income, expenses, and financial goals. This application aims to bridge that gap by providing users with a powerful and user-friendly platform to efficiently monitor and optimize their personal finances.

With the Personal Finance Tracking Android Application, users can effortlessly track their income and expenses, categorize transactions, and gain valuable insights into their spending patterns. The application offers features such as expense categorization and real-time expense tracking.

To enhance usability …

Transaction Management Sysyem For A Publisher, Hassain Shareef Mohammed Jr

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Managing the day-to-day operations of a publishing house isn't easy. For example, it's hard to keep track of stocks, manage vendor orders, and maintain transaction records. Our project titled Transaction Management System aims to solve these problems by offering a single tool that helps standardize and digitize publishing operations. It assists in automating and improving the efficiency of the various processes involved in a publishing house. The Transaction Management System is a full-stack web application that can be accessed through an internet browser. The user experience and interface are simple and easy to use so that users can find information …

Examining Biological Algal Harvest For Use In Clemson University’S Algal Carbon Capture System Using Freshwater Mussel Elliptio Complanata, Jack Grimes

All Theses

Capture of atmospheric carbon by freshwater algae is being proposed in Clemson University’s outdoor algal carbon capture system, formerly described as the Partitioned Aquaculture System (Drapcho and Brune, 2000). Several algal species have been present in the system, depending on cultivation conditions. However, mechanical harvesting of the algae has proven difficult because of the cost of chemical flocculants, the energy cost of filtration due to small particle size of algae, and the relatively dilute algal cell concentrations in the system. Prior research on algal filtration by freshwater mussels has indicated its potential for use as a biological filter. This research …

Integrated Energy-Aware Motion Planning And Charge Scheduling Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Hayleyesus Alemayehu

All Theses

The growing demand for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is driven by their operational convenience, cost-effectiveness, availability, and adaptability to various scenarios. In energy-constrained environments, optimizing energy consumption and ensuring a continuous power supply for UAVs is crucial for mission success. The objective of this thesis is to address this issue by integrating energy-aware motion planning and charge scheduling for UAVs by utilizing a charger hosted on an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), whose rendezvous locations and routes are jointly computed to minimize overall energy consumption.

This thesis proposes a hierarchical trajectory and control framework comprising local and global planners for each …

Design And Fabrication Of An Optical Blade Tip Timing Sensor, Nick Tomlinson

All Theses

Electricity is a vital energy source that powers modern technology. Turbines are heavily relied on in the electric power industry for the conversion of natural energy sources into electricity. These turbines operate under harsh conditions which increase the likelihood of blade damage. Structural health monitoring of a turbine’s blades is important to detect problems before a blade experiences failure. The blade tip timing method can be used to monitor blade vibrations and determine if damage has occurred. An optical blade tip timing sensor is designed and fabricated to advance the field of sensing in the power industry.

Preparation Of High Entropy Titanite Pyrochlore And Radiation Stability Study, Adam Gootgeld

All Theses

Pyrochlore has been studied as a host phase for safe storage of radionuclides and exists naturally with long-term stability with good long-range order [1]. High entropy oxides show promising tunable properties that could demonstrate favorable bulk deposit of radioactive materials such as spent nuclear fuel (Uranium and other actinides). It is proposed that using high entropy oxides (HEOs) as the cation in this framework will shift the gibbs free energy so that radioactive nuclear waste will be stabilized for safe, long-term, eco-friendly storage. We have established a consistent method to fabricate high entropy titanite pyrochlores. In this study, ion beam …

Towards Validating Satellite Remote Sensing Of Aerosols With Ground-Based Low-Cost Sensors, Francine Roberts

All Theses

Poor ambient air quality has significant impacts on the environment and human health. Extensive regulation and monitoring has resulted in improvements since the first iteration of the Clean Air Act was passed in 1955. However, work still needs to be done in regard to higher spatial and temporal monitoring. Temporally, sensors used for regulatory purposes often only report every other or every third day. Spatially, they are often spread across vast distances due to cost. The following research is working towards improving the spatiotemporal measurements of particulate matter (PM), specifically in South Carolina. The two methods available for improving the …

Computational And Experimental Study On Undoped And Er-Doped Lithium Tantalate Nanofluorescent Probes, Mkhitar A. Hobosyan, Andrea Pelayo Carvajal, Bhupendra B. Srivastava, Tamanna Zakia, Mohammed Uddin, Karen S. Martirosyan, Eric Rodriguez, Kofi Nketia Ackaah-Gyasi, Nicholas Dimakis

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present a combined density functional theory (DFT) and experimental work on lithium tantalate LiTaO3 (LT) and its Er-doped counterparts. We calculate the electronic and optical properties for both LT and LT:Er+3, with Er occupying either Li or Ta sites, at 4.167 mol%. The generalized gradient approximation (GGA) calculations show that the Er-4 f bands appear closer to the conduction band bottom and to the valance band top, for the first and second doped configurations, respectively. This agrees with changes in the imaginary part of the frequency dependent dielectric function between the doped configurations. There are striking differences between the …

The Extent Of Drone Education Being Taught In Asc Schools To 4-Year Construction Students, Cheran Teja Dumpati

All Theses

The technology of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) is growing rapidly in many fields and has become one of the skills in demand in the industry. Universities are one of the primary sources of teaching drone technology with a career-oriented approach. The goal of this study is to investigate the content of the drone curriculum being taught in Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) schools. This includes the topics covered, practical training offered, and the key deliverables taught. This information serves as a foundation for the schools that are looking forward to start drone courses in their department. The research found that …

Characterization Of Mechanically Recycled Polylactic Acid (Pla) Filament For 3d-Printing By Evaluating Mechanical, Thermal, And Chemical Properties And Process Performance, Mahsa Shabani Samghabady

All Theses

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biopolymer made from renewable resources such as sugar and corn. PLA filament is a popular material used in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D-printing. While this material has many advantages, all the failed parts, support structures, rafts, nozzle tests, and the many prototype iterations during the 3D-printing process contribute to the plastic pollution and release of greenhouse gases. Although PLA is biodegradable, it can take years to degrade in landfills. Instead of throwing away PLA waste and buying new filaments, PLA can be recycled. Amongst the different recycling technologies, mechanical recycling is the most environmentally friendly. …

Dynamics And Steering Of A Vibration-Driven Bristle Bot In A Pipe System, Ian Stewart

All Theses

Soft vibrational robots are robots that incorporate compliant structures into their design and are driven by oscillating actuators. A recent, popular version of a soft vibrational robot is the bristle bot, which uses flexible bristles and a vibration motor to propel itself across surfaces and through pipes. This motion is primarily driven by stick-slip dynamics resulting from asymmetric frictional forces applied at the bristle tips. Depending on the frequency of vibration of the motor, the robot experiences various resonance regions allowing it to maneuver in different directions. Attaching bristles to all sides of the robot and placing it in a …

Prairie Protector: Student Development Of Systems Thinking Habits In The Context Of Agroecosystems, Erin Ingram, Jennifer Keshwani

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Introduction: The Great Plains ecosystem offers an opportunity for young people to gain knowledge about intricate systems through practical learning. The spread of woody plants into grasslands, known as the “Green Glacier,” poses a risk to biodiversity and animal production. Although effective management strategies exist, some land managers are reluctant to use them. It is critical to cultivate a scientifically literate population that can think systematically and make informed decisions based on STEM principles to address such complex agroecosystem problems.

Methods: In this study, semi-structured focus group discussions with high school students were analyzed to determine whether Prairie …

Drinking Water Quality Management Progress In Ontario, Two Decades After Walkerton, Megan Fuller, Emma Wells, Laith Furatian, Ian Douglas, Kaycie Lane

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Following the waterborne disease outbreak in Walkerton, Ontario, the province made significant efforts to implement recommendations of the public inquiry that resulted. As Ontario reformed its drinking water sector, other jurisdictions were advancing risk-based quality management frameworks for drinking water, including the World Health Organization (WHO) through its water safety plan (WSP) framework. Two decades after the Walkerton tragedy, this paper seeks to: (i) evaluate alignment of Ontario’s Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS) with the WSP framework (ii) review readily available data for evidence that Ontario’s DWQMS implementation has improved drinking water safety and promoted a preventive approach through …

Generalized Double Statistical Convergence Sequences On Ideals In Neutrosophic Normed Spaces, Jeyaraman M., Iswariya S., Pandiselvi R.

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

In this present research, having view in the Neutrosophic norm (u, v, w), which we presented I2-lacunary statistical convergence and I2-lacunary convergence strongly, looked into interactions between them, and made a few findings regarding the respective categories. At least went further to look at how both of such case approaches relate to I2-statistical convergence within the relevant Neutrosophic normed space.

Learning To Send Reinforcements: Coordinating Multi-Agent Dynamic Police Patrol Dispatching And Rescheduling Via Reinforcement Learning, Waldy Joe, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We address the problem of coordinating multiple agents in a dynamic police patrol scheduling via a Reinforcement Learning (RL) approach. Our approach utilizes Multi-Agent Value Function Approximation (MAVFA) with a rescheduling heuristic to learn dispatching and rescheduling policies jointly. Often, police operations are divided into multiple sectors for more effective and efficient operations. In a dynamic setting, incidents occur throughout the day across different sectors, disrupting initially-planned patrol schedules. To maximize policing effectiveness, police agents from different sectors cooperate by sending reinforcements to support one another in their incident response and even routine patrol. This poses an interesting research challenge …

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Different Boosting Algorithms For Ground Water Quality In Telangana Region, Divy Jot

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This culminating experience research project explores the parameters needed to predict the water quality levels for use in different climatic conditions pre and post monsoon from 2018 to 2020 in Telangana State, India. A study was conducted on the water quality analysis by using linear regression with water quality Index in Telangana region. However, in this study we are replicating the water quality analysis by using stack model and machine learning algorithms such as Light Gradient Boosting Machine, Random Forest and Artificial Neural Network. The research Questions are: (Q1) What are the sources of the significant parameters that impact groundwater …

Sales And Stock Management System, Rashmika Gaddam Ms

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Grocery stores using Excel for managing sales and stock management could involve maintaining separate sheets for sales and stock data, with revenue/cost. This system could provide a basic level of tracking and analysis, allowing the grocery store to monitor sales trends and stock levels. However, using Excel for this purpose is not without its challenges. For example, the manual nature of data entry in excel can result in errors and inconsistencies, particularly if multiple people are involved in maintaining the sheets. Additionally, as the volume of sales and stock data grows, the Excel spreadsheet can become unwieldy and slow, …

Systematic Investigation Of Wavy Surface Roughness Profiles Using Common Roughness Algorithms, Russell Gray

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Roughness is an important parameter in rock engineering. Sine wave-based simulated wavy profiles were used to investigate systematic changes of amplitude and frequency on roughness indices. Profiles were 1000 mm in length with amplitude ranging from 0-10 mm and frequency ranging from 0-10 Hz. The roughness algorithms used were Root Mean Square (RMS), Energy, Sinuosity, Z2, Mean Absolute Angle (MAA), and Modified Divider a-Value. Roughness indices were visualized as contour plots. Similarities of the shapes and spacing of the contours as well as the magnitude of the roughness indices prompted the pairing of RMS and Energy algorithms, Z2 and MAA …