Defensive Distillation-Based Adversarial Attack Mitigation Method For Channel Estimation Using Deep Learning Models In Next-Generation Wireless Networks, Ferhat Ozgur Catak, Murat Kuzlu, Evren Catak, Umit Cali, Ozgur Guler

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Future wireless networks (5G and beyond), also known as Next Generation or NextG, are the vision of forthcoming cellular systems, connecting billions of devices and people together. In the last decades, cellular networks have dramatically grown with advanced telecommunication technologies for high-speed data transmission, high cell capacity, and low latency. The main goal of those technologies is to support a wide range of new applications, such as virtual reality, metaverse, telehealth, online education, autonomous and flying vehicles, smart cities, smart grids, advanced manufacturing, and many more. The key motivation of NextG networks is to meet the high demand for those …

Development Of Experiential Learning Experiences For K-12 Students Focusing On Smart Cities, Murat Kuzlu, Vukica Jovanovic, Nathan Puryear, Patrick J. Martin, Sherif Abdelwahed, Özgür Güler

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The main objective of this paper is to describe a project focused on the development of experiential learning experiences for undergraduate and graduate students focusing on smart cities. The future workforce needs students with various data analytics skills, service reliability, and sustainability. The team of researchers from Old Dominion University and Virginia Commonwealth University is developing a virtual smart city lab environment at both universities and collaborating on multiple research projects. The main purpose of this virtual labs is to provide a testbed that can be used for students who are interested in careers related to cyber-physical systems (CPS). These …

Exploring The Effects Of Chip Flexibility On The Behavior Of Standing Seam Diaphragms To Brace Cold Formed Steel Purlins, Michael W. Seek

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Cold-formed steel C- and Z-shaped purlins in standing seam roof systems rely on the diaphragm action provided by the panels to restrain lateral movements and thus increase the load carrying capacity the purlins. The clip connection between the purlin and the panel has inherent and sometimes intentional flexibility designed to accommodate thermal deformations. The lateral deformation behavior of standing seam systems supported by Zees is highly nonlinear and this behavior is not well understood. The flexibility has major implications on the transfer of diaphragm forces throughout these systems and simplified models often grossly overpredict the demands on the diaphragm and …

Considering Thickness-Accommodation, Nesting, Grounding And Deployment In Design Of Miura-Ori Based Space Arrays, Terri Bateman, Diana Bolanos, Nathan Brown, Brooklyn Clark, Larry L. Howell, Collin Ynchausti, Hunter Pruett, Jared Hunter, Spencer P. Magleby

Faculty Publications

The Miura-ori pattern exhibits favorable qualities desirable for deployable space arrays – especially achieving a large deployed area from a compact stowed volume. However, implementing the Miura-ori into a finite-thickness, engineered system poses challenges that are not manifest in a zero-thickness model. As such, it is important to understand and address the limitations of the pattern before implementing it into an engineered system. This paper presents the Miura-ori as a favorable, yet challenging, pattern in design of deployable space arrays. Challenges including thickness-accommodation, nesting, grounding and deployment are presented to introduce designers to unapparent complications associated with design of Miura-ori …

The Study Of 3d Micro-Fluid Printing In Aqueous Two-Phase System, Mian Huang

Dissertations and Theses

Aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) is a technology that allows phase separation in an aqueous environment. This technology can be used for the separation, extraction and purification of a variety of biomolecules and thus gained great attention in industry and academia. This thesis is a combination of ATPS, 3D printing, and microfluidics technologies and realizes the printing of biocompatible aqueous structures in another aqueous matrix. The objectives of this thesis include 1) customizing a regular thermal extrusion 3D printer for printing 3D aqueous structures, 2) printing 3D aqueous structure in an aqueous matrix, and 3) studying the stability of the printed …

Towards An Artificial Intelligence Based Decision Support System To Evaluate Various Transit Projects, Patricio F. Vicuna

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation addressed a subset of the Transit Network Design Problem (Transit-NDP), where the main evaluation parameter is the impact of various transit projects – Bus Lines, Tram, Light Rail, Rail – on the Network Travel Time (NTT) of the vehicles. The NTT is estimated using the static four-step travel demand model (trip generation, trip distribution, modal split, and traffic assignment). A set of five metaheuristic models were developed and implemented for this specific Transit-NDP, namely, Simulated Annealing (SA)-VISUM, Simulated Annealing-Random Forest Regression Model (SA-RF), Tabu Search (TS)-Random Forest (TS-RF), SA-RF-TS-VISUM, SA-RF-VISUM. These models were evaluated using two test networks …

Ternary Flow Simulation Based On The Conservative Phase Field Lattice Boltzmann Method, Chunheng Zhao

Dissertations and Theses

In this thesis, we numerically investigated multi-phase fluid dynamics (2 and 3-phase flow) by solving the Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the conservative phase field (CPF) equations using the Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). To effectively simulate the large-scale multi-phase physics, we developed an open-source software, IMEXLBM, which can be easily parallelized on both CPUs and GPUs without significant modifications to the code. We first validated various parts of this software and then used this method to study the interaction of rising bubbles with a static oil droplet as well as the engulfment of the water droplet on solids coated with a …

Neural Processing Of Semantic Content In Movies, Maximilian Nentwich

Dissertations and Theses

Naturalistic stimuli, such as movies, contain interacting, multimodal and semantic features and allow for free exploration through eye movements. The full extent of neural responses to features such as motion, film cuts and eye movement behavior has not been established. The main hypothesis of this thesis is that complex multimodal and semantic stimuli in naturalistic movies engage a widespread ensemble of locations across the entire brain. To address this question I analyzed simultaneous intracranial and eyetracking data from over 6,000 electrodes across 23 patients with intractable epilepsy. Responses to fast eye movements – saccades – and film cuts are widespread …

Novel Mechanisms Of Dc And Kilohertz Electrical Stimulation, Zeinab Esmaeilpour

Dissertations and Theses

Transcranial electrical stimulation is a promising technique where a weak electrical current is applied to the scalp with the goal of modulating brain activity. Understanding the cellular mechanism of direct current (DC) and kilohertz (kHz) electrical stimulation is of broad interest in neuromodulation. More specifically, there is a large mismatch between enthusiasm for clinical applications of the method and understanding of DC and kHz novel mechanisms of action. This dissertation is centered around two main fundamental aims: 1) systematic study of the acute and long-term effects of kilohertz electrical stimulation and amplitude-modulated waveform with kHz carrier frequency using a well-established …

Impact Of Percutaneous Transluminal Intervention On Vascular Hypoxia And The Role Of Micro-Calcifications On Atherosclerotic Plaque Rupture, Andrea Corti

Dissertations and Theses

Atherosclerotic disease is initiated by cholesterol build-up beneath the endothelium, which evolves into a fibroatheroma, a lipid-rich plaque covered by a fibrous cap. Many of these plaques are considered as vulnerable, as they grow to occlude the luminal section of the artery (chronically stenotic) or become mechanically unstable with a higher chance of rupturing (rupture-prone). On one hand, chronically stenotic vulnerable plaques are symptomatic lesions that are often treated with Percutaneous Transluminal Intervention (PTI). Unfortunately, approximately 10% of PTI procedures are followed by severe Neointima Hyperplasia (NH), which causes a new occlusion and failure of the implant. A significant precursor …

Evaluation Of Snow And Streamflow In The National Water Model With Analysis Using Machine Learning, Engela Sthapit

Dissertations and Theses

Snow has great influence on land-atmosphere interactions and snowmelt from the mountains is a vital water source for downstream communities dependent on snow fed lakes, rivers and streams. This study explored the snow and streamflow prediction capabilities of process-based numerical prediction and data-driven machine learning models.

The overall goal of this study was to understand the deficiencies in the NOAA’s National Water Model (NWM) to represent snow, subsequently streamflow, and recognize the areas where it could be improved for future model developments. The goal was also to evaluate if the recent advancements in machine learning techniques is useful for predicting …

Understanding And Controlling Failure Mechanisms Of The Zinc Anode For Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries, Michael J. D'Ambrose

Dissertations and Theses

In the coming years, the transformation of the electric grid will be in part enabled by safe, low-cost, and reliable large-scale rechargeable battery energy storage systems. Zinc (Zn) alkaline electrodes hold great importance and promise in the battery technology community as they satisfy the safety and cost requirements, yet their behavior in real world application is still poorly understood.

Two experimental studies were carried out, the first of which investigates failure mechanisms and material evolution during cycling of 27 zinc-manganese dioxide (Zn-MnO₂) cells in 37 wt% potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte wherein the percent utilization of the theoretical capacity …

On A New Framework For Detecting, Classifying, And Forecasting Floods For Large-Scale Flood Risk Analysis, Equisha Glenn

Dissertations and Theses

Increasing trends in flooding events are projected to continue as climate changes have increased the chance of extreme weather events. Given the significant, damaging impacts of extreme floods, the ability to effectively model floods is crucial for risk management and mitigation of the impacts of these extreme flooding events. This dissertation presents a new framework for detecting and predicting large-scale flood risk in the United States using climate information. This methodology categorizes regional, simultaneous floods into an index that is used to forecast the risk of extreme flooding a season ahead. The index proposed herein, named the Spatial Flood Index …

Design And Control Of Quasi-Direct Drive Actuation For Lightweight And Versatile Wearable Robots, Shuangyue Yu

Dissertations and Theses

Wearable robots have shown great potential for augmenting the physical capabilities of humans in lab settings. However, wearable robots for augmenting the physical capabilities of humans under community-based conditions are the new frontier of robotics. Furthermore, the design and control are still considered to be grand challenges for providing physical augmentation for humans. In terms of design, the state-of-the-art exoskeletons are typically rigid, bulky, and limited to lab settings. In terms of control, most of the rhythmic controllers are not versatile and are focused only on steady-state walking assistance.

The motivation behind my research is to improve both the design …

Data Fusion And Synergy Of Active And Passive Remote Sensing; An Application For Freeze Thaw Detections, Zahra Sharifnezhadazizi

Dissertations and Theses

There has been a recent evolvement in the field of remote sensing after increase of number satellites and sensors data which could be fused to produce new data and products. These efforts are mainly focused on using of simultaneous observations from different platforms with different spatial and temporal resolutions. The research dissertation aims to enhance the synergy use of active and passive microwave observations and examine the results in detection land freeze and thaw (FT) predictions. Freeze thaw cycles particularly in high-latitude regions have a crucial role in many applications such as agriculture, biogeochemical transitions, hydrology and ecosystem studies. The …

Investigations On Vortex-Induced Vibration (Viv) Phenomena Of Single-And-Double-Cylinder Flexible Beam Arrangements Of Energy Harvesters, Xiaohai Jiang

Dissertations and Theses

Due to the battery lifespan limitation and the need for periodical replacement, energy-harvesting is an actual alternative as a power source for low power devices in some special areas. And among them, the piezoelectric energy-harvesting, which converts mechanical (vibration) into electric energy, is the fastest development one in recent years.

In our current work, a piezoelectric harvester with a finite length cylinder fixed to one end of a flexible thin beam, is the research object in an incoming flow in the CCNY wind tunnel. We report on the efforts to improve the state-of-the-art harvester, called reconfigurable harvester, which has functions …

Understanding The Relationship Between Urban Areas And The Boundary Layer Using Remote Sensing Methods, Gabriel A. Rios

Dissertations and Theses

The atmospheric boundary layer is crucial to the exchange in energy between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere. Within this layer, the majority of human activities are carried out, which makes understanding the boundary layer especially important for many of our interests. A key component of this energy exchange is found at the surface, was surface properties are the interface through which momentum, heat, moisture, and other fluxes are transferred between media. Not only does the surface act as an interface, but as an actor that influences the exchange efficiency and rates. This concept is the crux of atmospheric boundary …

Modulation Of Brain Tissue Transport And Endothelial Glycocalyx And Tight Junctions Of The Blood-Brain Barrier By Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Yifan Xia

Dissertations and Theses

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive approach to treat a broad range of brain disorders and to enhance memory and cognition in healthy individuals. In addition to directly acting on neurons by modulating the membrane potential, inducing neuronal polarization and changing cortical excitability in the brain to achieve its therapeutic effects, prior studies found that tDCS can transiently enhance the permeability (P) of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the interface between blood circulation and brain tissue. Brain extracellular space (ECS) is a narrow microenvironment which surrounds every cell in the central nervous system (CNS). ECS occupies ~20% of brain …

Crop Water Deficits And Their Season-Ahead Climate Determinants Across The United States, Siena W. Dante

Dissertations and Theses

The agricultural sector in the United States provides an essential food and revenue source and it faces severe challenges due to increasing climate variability, which reduces reliable access to water needed for the crops. Unreliable access to water and the potential for drought result in major economic losses to the sector as well as potentially significant environmental damage. It is thus necessary to mitigate the effects of drought as well as to develop agricultural practices that include preparedness strategies for droughts. To develop these strategies, comprehensive information about droughts must be available early enough to consider before the growing season. …

Use Of Battery Systems For Var Support In Con Edison’S Distribution Network/Substation, Elihu Nyemah

Dissertations and Theses

Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) can facilitate the integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and help create a more reliable grid by providing multiple services including reactive power (VAR) support. This research will investigate the use of smart inverters to provide VAR support, assess the impact it has on the lifetime of a BESS and determine how the adverse effects (if any) can be mitigated/eliminated. To achieved this, a 7.5MW/30MWh grid connected BESS located at Con Edison substations have been modeled in MATLAB/Simulink. Preliminary assessment of the system showed that DC current to/from the battery is oscillating (non-zero) during reactive …

Fundamentals Of Microgel Flooding And Nanoparticles-Stabilized Foams In Enhanced Oil Recovery, Shuaijun Li

Dissertations and Theses

For centuries oil has remained a critical energy source for human civilization. After years of extraction, many oil fields have reached or are reaching a decline stage of production, even though up to a half of the total crude oil reserves in these fields has not been recovered yet. One reason is due to the structural heterogeneity of the oil reservoirs—reservoirs may consist of regions of higher permeability with larger pore size and regions of lower permeability with smaller pore size. Displacing fluids tend to flow through large permeability zones only without reaching the oil trapped in low permeability region; …

The Capabilities And Limitations Of Flywheel-Based Energy Storage System Pertaining To Subways In The Event Of A Power Outage, Jaskaran Singh

Dissertations and Theses

In the city that never sleeps, power outages or blackouts can be a shock, especially if you are on a train amid one. For example, during the infamous 2003 blackout, thousands of people were left stuck and stranded in parts of Northeastern United States. In particular, with no trains or buses in service throughout the 5 boroughs of NYC, those stranded essentially had no way to go back home. Hotels, terminals, and airports alike became places of camping as the city seemed to come to a halt. For the sake of public safety and transit efficiency, this study explores a …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Building Energy Consumption In New York City, Martha A. Olaleye

Dissertations and Theses

Since February 2020, the spread of COVID-19 affected the world economy, with the population of people contacting the virus in New York City at that time being at the highest in the United States of America. Thus, the need for remote/online learning was adopted for the safety of faculty, staffs, and students of New York Educational institution like CCNY. In the study, I focused on energy consumption as regards to COVID and POST-COVID periods in New York City (NYC), since most employees are working from home and schools are online which implies that most commercial buildings are vacant. Also due …

Osseointegration Of A Cementless Total Knee Arthroplasty In A Murine Model Of Glucocorticoid Induced Osteoporosis, Elexis C. Baral

Dissertations and Theses

Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis (GIOP) is the second largest cause of osteoporosis worldwide. Glucocorticoid-Induced osteoporosis is rapidly, driven principally by deficient osteoblast activity (i.e., decreased bone formation) rather than increased osteoclastic activity. Glucocorticoid-type steroids (GC) are used long-term typically for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and other autoimmune disorders. Inflammatory arthritis often leads to joint replacement at relatively young ages. However, patients who are on GC treatment appear to have poorer outcomes for total joint arthroplasty compared to healthy patients. This is thought to be due to the anti-anabolic effects of GCs and impaired bone healing and osseous …

Wave Engineering In Time Modulated, Nonlinear, And Anisotropic Metamaterials, Ahmed Mekawy

Dissertations and Theses

Leveraging wave matter interactions is central to a myriad of electromagnetic wave-based applications. During the past decades, research on extreme wave manipulation has been revolutionized by artificially engineered materials (metamaterials) and by adding new aspects to the wave-matter interactions that showed intriguing results inaccessible in conventional linear, time invariant (LTI), passive and isotropic media. In this work, I will explore, numerically and experimentally, the possibility of realizing devices that perform beyond or close to their fundamental LTI limitations by adding periodic modulation, nonlinearity, and gain. I will demonstrate these concepts at radio frequencies (RF) and at optical frequencies. Specifically, at …

Nonlinear Light - Matter Interactions Of Ultrafast High Intensity Laser Pulses, Henry Meyer

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis focuses on the key nonlinear optical effects that arise from the interactions of intense ultrafast laser pulses with various states of matter. These interactions involve electronic and molecular states and yield new information on the underlying fundamental processes that govern the molecular world. Modern day lasers offer ultrashort pulses, high intensities, and complex polarizations and wavefronts. These extreme conditions have profound effect on the optical properties and behaviors of electronic and molecular states within a material. The changes in these mechanisms effect generation of nonlinear optics, such supercontinuum (SC), stimulated Raman (SRS), self-focusing and filamentation, conical emission (CE), …

Helium-Air Mixing In Simulated Reactor Cavities Of Very High Temperature Reactors, Abdullah Abubakar

Dissertations and Theses

Abstract

Very High Temperature Reactors (VHTRs) and High Temperature Gas Reactors (HTGRs) are Generation IV gas reactors that promise to deliver high temperature process heat and efficient electricity for both industrial and commercial purposes. They have a high level of inherent passive safety making them a viable alternative to traditional water-cooled reactors. These helium gas-cooled reactors use graphite containing U-235 TRISO fuel particles in their core, as a moderator to slow down neutrons for fission chain reactions and for general core support. In the event of a primary circuit pipe break, the coolant gas escapes into the surrounding reactor cavity …

Computational Model Of Electroconvulsive Therapy Considering Electric Field Dependent Skin Conductivity, Gozde Unal

Dissertations and Theses

Improvements in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) outcomes have followed refinement in device electrical output and electrode montage. The physical properties of the ECT stimulus, together with those of the patient’s head, determine the impedances measured by the device and govern current delivery to the brain and ECT outcomes. However, the precise relations among physical properties of the stimulus, patient head anatomy, and patient-specific impedance to the passage of current are long-standing questions in ECT research and practice. In this thesis, we develop a computational framework based on diverse clinical data sets. We developed anatomical MRI-derived models of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) …

Analysis Of Eye Movements To Cartoon Faces In Videos, Kaustubh Sapru

Dissertations and Theses

Saccades are rapid eye movements that move our gaze between successive points of fixation. They are indicative of how we direct our attention and therefore play a role in memory and cognition. For static images, it is established that saccades move faster to faces compared to other objects. We hypothesize that the same is true for videos. To test this hypothesis, saccades to faces in motion pictures have been analyzed. The analysis here entails the recording of saccades to two videos followed by a statistical study of saccades going towards faces or going away from faces. What makes this study …

Ai-Driven Automated Medical Imaging Analysis, Jingya Liu

Dissertations and Theses

Medical imaging has been applied widely in many clinical diagnoses to detect and differentiate abnormalities by revealing the internal structure of the human body at normal anatomical and physiological levels. Manual analyzing medical images demands attention and is time-consuming, requiring well-trained expertise. The speed, fatigue, and experience may limit the diagnostic performance, leading to delays and even false diagnoses that significantly impact patient treatment. Therefore, accurate systematic systems based on medical image analysis are crucial for timely clinical diagnosis.

This dissertation focuses on advancing automatic computer-aided diagnosis systems to detect cancer, assisting radiologists with early intervention to improve survival rates. …