Engineering Commons^™

The Role Of Pro-Longevity Micrornas In Aging, Sarah Noureddine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Cellular senescence, a hallmark of aging, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many major age-related disorders, including atherosclerosis, metabolic disease, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is characterized by increased cognitive impairment and treatment options available provide minimal disease attenuation. Additionally, diagnostic methods for AD are not conclusive with definitive diagnoses requiring postmortem brain evaluations. Therefore, miRNAs, a class of small, non-coding RNAs, have garnered attention for their ability to regulate a variety of mRNAs and their potential to serve as both therapeutic targets and biomarkers of disease. Several miRNAs have already been implicated with AD …

A Reynolds Number Based Sampling Technique For 3-D Vector Fields In Computational Fluid Dynamic Environments, Trent James Schweitzer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Effective visualization of unsteady, time-dependent vector fields in a virtual environment is not a trivial task. This is due to the fact that most visualization techniques require the user to have a prior understanding of how the vector field will behave to set the parameters used to create the visualization. In this thesis we will take air flow data from a computational fluid dynamic simulations to calculate the amount of turbulence (represented as Reynolds numbers) to identify regions of interest. We then calculate wind pathlines that will intersect with these points sampled from these regions. We address the issue of …

Assessing The Potential And Pathways For Renewable Energy Transformations In Orleans, California, Malcolm Prescott Moncheur De Rieudotte

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In what is now known as the state of California in the United States, the Karuk Tribe is interested in deploying a renewable-powered microgrid in the rural community of Orleans to improve electricity system reliability and resilience to address a wide range of challenges, including extreme events such as wildfires. This study assesses the potential of local distributed renewable energy and battery storage to meet Orleans' energy needs today and in the increasingly electrified future using an energy model. It also identifies existing cultural and social priorities for energy technology along with structural barriers to renewable energy adoption and the …

Market Surveillance To Support Quality Assurance And Consumer Protection For The Solar Payg Products Market In East And West Africa, Hamidah Naishur Nakimuli

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Off-grid Pay As You Go (PAYG) solar products have become one of the fastest-growing approaches to providing basic electricity services to off-grid households not only in Sub-Saharan Africa but also in many other parts of the world with limited or no access to the grid connection. However, sustainably growing the PAYG solar industry requires paying close attention to product quality from the point of manufacturing to the end user. This research examines how to best design market surveillance programs that ensure quality in off-grid PAYG solar products and strengthen the implementation and enforcement of quality standards in the off-grid solar …

The Influence Of Electronic Health Records Systems On Physicians' Efficiency And Effectiveness, William Everette Bond

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractElectronic Health Records (EHR) were introduced into the field of medicine to replace outdated paper files with searchable, and easily transferrable electronic files. The results of numerous research studies have shown that the use of EHR allowed for beneficial outcomes for the physician and the patient. Some of the benefits included a reduction in scheduling and medication prescription errors. Concurrently, some of the negative factors attributed to EHR use included interoperability issues, reductions in facetime with patients, increased physician workload, and an increase in physician burnout. Little research was found that examined the negative factors from the perspective of the …

Emotional Intelligence Of Undergraduate Engineering Students With And Without Internships, Isgard Swana Hueck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace expectations for engineers have changed in the 21st century due to rapid technology advances, globalization, customer centricity, and team-based design practices, which require engineering graduates to have well-developed emotional intelligence (EI) to perform at high levels in the engineering profession. To fill the gap between engineering employers’ expectations and academic preparation of engineering students, internships in engineering industries have shown many benefits as work-based educational strategies in higher engineering education. However, it is not known whether internships also address needed EI levels in engineering students. The purpose of this basic quantitative study was to determine whether global and domain …

Factors Influencing The Effectiveness Of Managing Human–Robot Teams, Theodore B. Terry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Certain factors can influence the capabilities of a robot–human team by affecting their social and behavioral dynamics in a work environment. But these factors were not known due to the progressive nature of human–robot partnerships and a lack of peer-reviewed literature on the topic. This e-Delphi study aimed to identify and understand these unknown influential factors based on the participants’ insights. The overarching research question asked about the need to determine factors that might influence the effectiveness of managing human-robot teams. The basis for the conceptual framework for this study was the theory of communication used in organizational management. Twelve …

Multiple Generations In The Workplace: The Voice Of The Older Generations, Stephanie M. Weaver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Millennial-based changes in a multigenerational workplace create workplace issues among the four generations, diminishing collaboration and harmony in the workplace, and consequently decreasing effectiveness and efficiency. There was a lack of knowledge and understanding about how these changes affect the older generations (traditionalists, baby boomers, and Generation X) in the workplace. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how millennial-focused changes in the workplace have affected the older generations. The conceptual framework was Mannheim’s problem of generations and Reed and Thomas’s management-by-generations. The research question concerned the lived experiences of older generation workers related to management decisions and …

Mediated Effect Of Perceived Supervisor Support On Leader-Member Exchange Quality And Employee’S Commitment, Jeffery Proby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social exchange relationship quality can influence an employee’s commitment to supporting continuous improvement (CI) initiatives. Researchers have established that leader-member exchange (LMX) quality and perceived supervisor support (PSS) can reduce employee commitment, affecting an organizational outcome. Based on the theoretical foundation of LMX quality theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between the independent variables (LMX quality) and the dependent variable (affective commitment [AC]) through the mediated variable (PSS) and moderated mediation variable (workplace ostracism [WO]). Employee age, gender, tenure with the company, ethnicity, certification level, and the manufacturing sector were control variables of …

Knowledge Management In Engineering Companies In The Nigeria Oil And Gas Industry, Babajide Adeniran Ojuola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Engineering companies in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry are not able to optimize their knowledge resources through the continual conversion of tacit knowledge to organizational knowledge. This is due to barriers that inhibit the holistic process of tacit knowledge conversion. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the enablers and barriers to tacit knowledge conversion in engineering companies as perceived by engineering practitioners working in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The central research questions focused on exploring the enablers and barriers to the conversion of tacit knowledge to organizational knowledge in oil and gas engineering …

Strategies To Reduce Nonconformance Of Parts In Aerospace Manufacturing, John Louis Lloyd Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The cost of nonconformance of parts can impact the aerospace industry globally, resulting in revenue loss and consumer confidence degradation. Grounded in the eight disciplines of problem solving, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies aerospace manufacturing quality managers in the United States used to implement successful change initiatives to address the nonconformance of parts. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with four aerospace quality executives and supporting company documents. Data were analyzed using methodological triangulation, coding, and thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: (a) identify and implement a specific problem-solving strategy, (b) identify and mitigate employee …

Jitim Front Cover Vol 31 1 2022

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Table of Content JITIM Vol 31. issue 1, 2022

Proof-Of-Concept: Safety Hazard Identification And Impact Minimization Using 3d Bim And Vr Devices Through The Case-Studies, Sudeep Pangeni

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Construction hazard is a global issue. Despite numerous research studies, safety guidelines and procedures, fatalities and severe injuries still occur on construction job sites. This research has been performed to identify the research gaps and potentially improve worker behavior along the most hazardous tasks during construction execution using 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Virtual Reality (VR) devices. A safety hazards-related questionnaire for civil engineering and construction students, superintendents, safety, and project managers across six different states including the state of Georgia was deployed. The questionnaire was distributed via an online platform to identify and approach the hazards which occur …

Highway Stormwater Runoff On-Site Treatment Using Bioslope With New Media Of Biochar Amended Topsoils, Ahmed I. Yunus

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has constructed various treatment facilities on its right-of-way (ROW) to collect and treat highway stormwater runoff, emphasizing total suspended solids (TSS) removal. The permit performance goal set by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) is 80% TSS removal. Current stormwater best management practice (BMP) treatment facilities include complex and permanent infrastructures such as bioslope, bioretention basins, sand filters, infiltration trenches, and grass channels. Among these BMPs, bioslope has been becoming more popular due to its applicability for roadway embankments and areas with limited ROW constraints. It removes pollutants effectively by physical filtration and chemical adsorption …

Stormwater Runoff Response Under Changing Climate And Land Uses Across Gradients Of Inland And Coastal Urban-Natural Basin, Mahmood Khan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Climatic variability has caused significant shifts in the magnitude, frequency and spatiotemporal distribution of precipitation, generating excessive runoff that leads to frequent occurrences of extreme hydrologic events such as the pluvial (rainfall accumulation) and fluvial (riverine) floods. The conversion of natural areas into urban lands is further exacerbating the rainfall accumulation by increasing surface imperviousness that hinders infiltration of water into the soil. This dissertation predicts and characterizes potential shifts in the future annual stormwater runoff
volumes and runoff extremes under the standalone and coupled changes in climate and land use across inland and coastal urban-natural settings. The research was …

Inferential Statistics And Information Theoretical Measures: An Approach To Interference Detection In Radio Astronomy, Morgan R. Dameron

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In a time when technology is rapidly growing, radio observatories are now able to expand their computational power to achieve higher receiver sensitivity power and a more flexible realtime computing approach to probe the universe for its composition and study new astronomical phenomena. This allows searches to go deeper into the universe, and results in the recording of massive quantities of observed data. At the same time, this increases the amount of radio frequency interference (RFI) found in the obtained observatory data. The high power of RFI easily masks the low power of extraterrestrial signals, making them hard to detect …

Functionally Magnetic Gradient Copper-Nickel Material Fabricated Via Directed Energy Deposition, Vy Tran Phuong Nguyen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Functionally gradient materials (FGMs) of CuSn10 and Inconel 718 were fabricated via a hybrid directed energy deposition (DED) system. The objective of the present thesis is to determine the feasibility of manufacturing CuSn10 and Inconel 718 FGMs via DED and investigate the physical and mechanical properties and the microstructures of the resulting FGMs. The physical tests comprised of conductivity and Seebeck coefficient measurements. The microstructure analysis and mechanical testing include microscopic imaging, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and hardness test. In addition, compressive strength test was performed to analyze the interface bonding behaviors.

Combustion Feature Characterization Using Computer Vision Diagnostics Within Rotating Detonation Combustors, Kristyn B. Johnson May

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, the possibilities of higher thermodynamic efficiency and power output have led to increasing interest in the field of pressure gain combustion (PGC). Currently, a majority of PGC research is concerned with rotating detonation engines (RDEs), devices which may theoretically achieve pressure gain across the combustor. Within the RDE, detonation waves propagate continuously around a cylindrical annulus, consuming fresh fuel mixtures supplied from the base of the RDE annulus. Through constant-volume heat addition, pressure gain combustion devices theoretically achieve lower entropy generation compared to Brayton cycle combustors. RDEs are being studied for future implementation in gas turbines, where …

An Analysis On Adversarial Machine Learning: Methods And Applications, Ali Dabouei

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Deep learning has witnessed astonishing advancement in the last decade and revolutionized many fields ranging from computer vision to natural language processing. A prominent field of research that enabled such achievements is adversarial learning, investigating the behavior and functionality of a learning model in presence of an adversary. Adversarial learning consists of two major trends. The first trend analyzes the susceptibility of machine learning models to manipulation in the decision-making process and aims to improve the robustness to such manipulations. The second trend exploits adversarial games between components of the model to enhance the learning process. This dissertation aims to …

Performance Of Sensor Fusion For Vehicular Applications, Nikola Janevski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sensor fusion is a key system in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, ADAS. The perfor-
mance of the sensor fusion depends on many factors such as the sensors used, the kinematic
model used in the Extended Kalman Filter, EKF, the motion of the vehicles, the type of
road, the density of vehicles, and the gating methods. The interactions between parameters
and the extent to which individual parameters contribute to the overall accuracy of a sensor
fusion system can be difficult to assess.
In this study, a full-factorial experimental evaluation of a sensor fusion system based
on a real vehicle was performed. …

Learning Representations For Human Identification, Sinan Sabri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Long-duration visual tracking of people requires the ability to link track snippets (a.k.a. tracklets) based on the identity of people. In lack of the availability of motion priors or hard biometrics (e.g., face, fingerprint, or iris), the common practice is to leverage soft biometrics for matching tracklets corresponding to the same person in different sightings. A common choice is to use the whole-body visual appearance of the person, as determined by the clothing, which is assumed to not change during tracking. The problem is challenging because distinct images of the same person may look very different, since no restrictions are …

Hydrocarbon Pay Zone Prediction Using Ai Neural Network Modeling., Darren D. Guedon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper captures the ability of AI neural network technology to analyze petrophysical datasets for pattern recognition and accurate prediction of the pay zone of a vertical well from the Santa Fe field in Kansas.

During this project, data from 10 completed wells in the Santa Fe field were gathered, resulting in a dataset with 25,580 records, ten predictors (logs data), and a single binary output (Yes or No) to identify the availability of Hydrocarbon over a half feet depth segment in the well. Several models composed of different predictors combinations were also tested to determine how impactful some logs …

Design And Control Of Intensified Membrane Reactor Systems Through Module-Based Design Approach, Brent Bishop

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As interest in the modularization and intensification of chemical processes continues to grow, more research must be directed towards the modeling and analysis of intensified process units. Intensified process units such as membrane reactors pose unique challenges pertaining to design and operation that have not been fully addressed in the reported literature. This work aims to address the design and control challenges caused by the integration of phenomena and the loss of degrees of freedom (DOF) that occur in the intensification of modular membrane reactor units.

First, a novel first-principles approach for modeling membrane reactors is developed using the AVEVA …

Carbon Monoxide Sensing Of Nickel Oxide At 1000 ℃ To 1200 ℃ For In Situ Combustion Control: Behavior, Mechanism, And Application, Yi Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An advanced smart sensor network is essential to a combustion system, which is in favor of in situ, locally placed, and low-cost gas sensors. However, most chemical/electrochemical sensors fail to work in a combustion boiler, due to the demanding working temperatures (> 1000 ℃). This work for the first time reports a well-functioning mixed-potential type CO sensor at 1000 ℃ - 1200 ℃ using nickel oxide (NiO) as the sensing material. The influence of feed gas flow rate, electrode thickness, and porosity on sensor behavior is investigated, delivering notable and fast responses to 1000 ppm in 3% O₂: …

Modeling, Fabrication, And Characterization Of Rf-Based Passive Wireless Sensors Composed Of Refractory Semiconducting Ceramics For High Temperature Applications, Kavin Sivaneri Varadharajan Idhaiam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Real-time health monitoring of high temperature systems (>500^oC) in harsh environments is necessary to prevent catastrophic events caused by structural failures, varying pressure, and chemical reactions. Conventional solid-state temperature sensors such as resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) and thermocouples are restricted by their operating environments, sensor dimensions and often require external power sources for their operation. The current work presents the research and development of RF-based passive wireless sensing technology targeting high temperatures and harsh environmental conditions. Passive wireless devices are generally classified as near-field and far-field devices based on the interrogation distance. Near-field sensors are placed at …

Development Of Oxide Dispersion Strengthening (Ods) Alloys Powder For Additive Manufacturing, Changyu Ma

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Additive manufacturing (AM) fabricated oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys are given high expectations for critical structural components such as the first stage turbine blade for their excellent creep strength and oxidation resistance compared to superalloys. However, the powder feedstock processing is still an open question since current state-of-the-art processes are not capable of achieving ultrafine strengthening elements such as Y₂O₃ in powder which leads to agglomeration issues in as-consolidated alloys. In this research, the oxidation behavior and stability of ultrafine oxide in AM-printed alloys using mechanically alloyed powders were evaluated at 1100 ^oC. In addition, a …

Combinatorial Approaches For Effective Design, Synthesis, And Optimization Of Enzyme-Based Conjugates, Jordan Scott Chapman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The specificity and efficiency with which enzymes catalyze selective chemical reactions far exceeds the performance of traditional heterogeneous catalysts that are predominant in industrial applications such as conversion of commodity chemicals to value-added products, fuel cells, and petroleum refinement. Moreover, biocatalysts exhibit exceptionally high product turnover at ambient conditions with little health and environmental burden. These advantageous qualities have led to the prolific use of enzyme catalysis in pharmaceutical, detergents, and food preservation industries wherein their use has greatly reduced waste generation, Unfortunately, the full slate of benefits that enzymes can impart to a broader range of chemical processes is …

Analysis Of Emissions Profiles Of Hydraulic Fracturing Engine Technologies, Nicholas Joseph Wells

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the past twenty years natural gas production in the United States has significantly increased. This is largely due to technological advancements in unconventional methods of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. With these new and improved technologies, the United States has been able to increase its natural gas dry production per year by 14.5 trillion cubic feet per year from 2001-2021, a 74.1% increase. Horizontal drilling allows the wellbore to have more contact with the source rock, thus allowing more hydrocarbons to be extracted. Hydraulic fracturing allows oil and gas companies to have access to low permeable source rock, previously …

Development And Testing Of A Biochar Combustor For A Stirling Engine, Kyle Bryant Vickery

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nonrenewable resources persist as a necessity for perpetuating the current technology and standards of living maintained throughout the world. Biochar is an alternative and renewable fuel source that constitutes the potential to provide energy comparable to coal. Designing and fabricating components that can efficiently harness biochar’s energy to power machinery would demonstrate a successful renewable energy source. The scope of this research is to explain the feasible design, fabrication, and results of technology involving the burning of biochar and transference of hot combustion products for the purpose of powering a Stirling Engine. This design consists of a solid fuel burner, …

Post-Processing Precise Point Positioning Solutions With Parameter Optimization, Maria A. Gonzalez Castaneda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technique can offer position solutions with centimeter-level accuracy by fusing precise satellite orbits and clocks with un-differenced, dual-frequency, pseudo-range, and carrier-phase observables. PPP presents a compelling alternative to Differential Global Positioning Systems, with the benefit that it only requires a single receiver and does not require simultaneous observations from many stations, making it appealing for ongoing research on hydro-graphic survey applications. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been working on a buoy system tracked with a Global Positioning Systems receiver and Inertial Measurement Unit sensor using the PPP technique. In the interest of obtaining accurate …