Engineering Commons^™

Digital Marketing In The Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning Age, Z. Ruan, Keng Siau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We are living in a period of profound change driven by digitization, information and communication technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics (Gupta, Keen, Shah, and Verdier, 2017; Wang and Siau, 2019). Traditional marketing is shifting to digital marketing enabled by AI and machine learning. Customer consumption behavior has changed from traditional in-store shopping to online shopping (Thiraviyam, 2018). The large volume of transaction and demographic data enables business analytics, AI, and machine learning to analyze and predict customer behavior to improve customer satisfaction and enhance sales (Siau and Wang, 2018). For example, predictive analytics uses different algorithms to predict …

Vehicle Sensing And Communications Using Led Headlights To Enhance The Performance Of Intelligent Transportation Systems: Proof Of Concept, Implementation, And Applications, Sabit Ekin, Samir Ahmed

Publications

This project investigates the use of vehicle light-emitting diode (LED) headlamp devices for improving the accuracy and reliability of traffic (sensing and communication) data measurements required for developing effective intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technologies and solutions. Vehicular communication and sensing technologies are mainly based on conventional radio frequency (RF) or laser technologies. These systems suffer from several issues such as RF interference and poor performance in scenarios where the incidence angle between the speed detector and the vehicle is rapidly varying. Introducing a new sensing technology will add diversity to these systems and enhance the reliability of the real-time data. …

Feasibility Of Circular Orbits For Proximity Operations In Strongly Perturbed Environments Around Uniformly Rotating Asteroids, Nicholas Peter Liapis

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Asteroids have been mapped and observed since 1801 when an Italian astronomer Guiseppe Piazzi discovered Ceres (Serio, Manara, & Sicoli, 2002). Since then, asteroids have been growing in popularity throughout the scientific community because they are thought to hold the information we need to understand how the solar system developed and why life exists on earth, as well as potential precious resources. This research studies different types of orbits that have been performed to date around asteroids and how they can be reworked to require less control effort. Different types of missions that have been sent to asteroids are discussed, …

The Effects Of Ventilation On Trihalomethanes Removal By Spray Aeration, Alicia Qiu Cheung

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Chlorination has been a vital and common step employed as a primary and/or secondary disinfectant to avoid outbreaks of waterborne diseases in drinking water supplies. Besides the desired effect of inactivating pathogens, chlorine also reacts with natural organic matter and precursors in raw water to form various carcinogenic disinfection by-products (DBPs), such as trihalomethanes (THMs), four of which are (represented as total trihalomethanes or TTHM) chloroform (CHCl3), dichlorobromomethane (CHCl2Br), chlorodibromomethane (CHClBr2), and bromoform (CHBr3). Spray aeration is an effective, economical, and suitable post-treatment method commonly employed in distribution systems (e.g., storage tanks) to remove these volatile organic compounds from the …

Design Optimization, Analysis, And Control Of Walking Robots, Wankun Sirichotiyakul

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Passive dynamic walking refers to the dynamical behavior of mechanical devices that are able to naturally walk down a shallow slope in a stable manner, without using actuation or sensing of any kind. Such devices can attain motions that are remarkably human-like by purely exploiting their natural dynamics. This suggests that passive dynamic walking machines can be used to model and study human locomotion; however, there are two major limitations: they can be difficult to design, and they cannot walk on level ground or uphill without some kind of actuation.

This thesis presents a mechanism design optimization framework that allows …

Investigating Semantic Properties Of Images Generated From Natural Language Using Neural Networks, Samuel Ward Schrader

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This work explores the attributes, properties, and potential uses of generative neural networks within the realm of encoding semantics. It works toward answering the questions of: If one uses generative neural networks to create a picture based on natural language, does the resultant picture encode the text's semantics in a way a computer system can process? Could such a system be more precise than current solutions at detecting, measuring, or comparing semantic properties of generated images, and thus their source text, or their source semantics?

This work is undertaken in the hope that detecting previously unknown properties, or better understanding …

Swarm Behavior To Mitigate Rebound In Air Conditioning Demand Response Events, Jason Yasuto Kuwada

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Thermostatically Controlled Loads (TCLs) have shown great potential for Demand Response (DR) events. However, it has been commonly seen that DR events using TCLs may cause demand rebound, especially in homogeneous populations. To further explore the potential for DR events, as well as the negative effects, a stability and resilience analysis were performed on multiple populations and verified with agent based modeling simulations.

At the core of this study is an added thermostat criterion created from the combination of a proportional gain and the average compressor operating state of neighboring TCLs. Where DR events in TCLs are commonly controlled by …

Full-Scale Study Of Infrared Thermography For Assessing Surface And Subsurface Defects In Pavements And Other Civil Infrastructure, Aidin J. Golrokh

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Infrared thermography (IRT) is an effective non-destructive testing method in the field of concrete and asphalt pavements inspection. IRT is used to have an initial evaluation of the surface and near surface of pavements in a very time effective manner compared to other types of nondestructive testing (NDT) methods. Different aspects of IRT and its use to assess surface and subsurface defects in different types of pavements are being studied and evaluated in our research group. The effect of the depth of delamination inside concrete pavement on IRT technique is being studied. It is suggested by our group that there …

Comparison Of Environmental And Social Costs Of Trenchless Cured-In-Place Pipe Renewal Method With Open-Cut Pipeline Replacement For Sanitary Sewers, Vinayak Kaushal

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The development of underground infrastructure, environmental concerns, and economic trends is influencing society, resulting in the advancement of technology for more efficient, environment-friendly, and cost-effective pipeline installation and renewal. Comparison of environmental and social costs of a pipeline renewal and replacement is an essential element when considering sustainable development of underground infrastructure. Project owners, decision makers, design and consulting and contractors commonly take into consideration the construction costs only, and overlook the environmental and social cost aspects while making a choice between trenchless and open-cut pipeline installation. Trenchless Cured-in-Place Pipe (CIPP) involves a liquid thermoset resin saturated material that is …

Investment Valuation Of Underground Freight Transportation (Uft) Systems Under Uncertainty, Seyed Ehsan Zahedzahedani

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

A reliable, safe, and efficient freight transportation system is one of the most essential rudiments supporting the continuous economic growth of a nation. The United States (U.S.), as the world’s largest economy relies heavily on its transportation and freight movement systems. Population growth and economic activity have created a critical need for freight transportation services. E-commerce and online retailing have effectively challenged conventional freight transportation services, increasing the demand for faster delivery. Underground freight transportation (UFT) systems are an innovative technology that can be a viable solution to satisfy the growing demand for freight transportation services. UFT systems are automated …

Effect Of Mixing On Monochloramine Formation Through In-Line Injection Of Chemicals In Water Disinfection Process, Farhikhteh Samadi

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Addition of chlorine and ammonia to water for monochloramine formation in the secondary disinfection process in treatment plants has some challenges. Monochloramine formation as the only desirable product of the chloramination process is affected by several factors. These factors are pH, chlorine to nitrogen ratio and chemical mixing. In this study an investigation was conducted to measure the effect of mixing on monochloramine formation through direct injection of chemicals in a pipeline when keeping the other factors constant. In this study two sets of experiments were conducted. In the first study a tracer salt testing was used to find a …

On The Concept Of Synthetic Fiber Reinforced Thin-Walled Concrete Pipes, Arash Emami Saleh

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This research investigates the structural and industrial possibility to create a new type of concrete pipes called synthetic fiber reinforced thin-walled concrete pipes, which would be lighter, cheaper, and more durable than what is currently in use while still providing a pipe product much less dependent upon installation conditions than the very flexible metal and plastic pipes in the American market. The idea is to reduce the thickness and reinforcement of the current reinforced concrete pipes to increase their deflection before failure and control the crack formation and width by using synthetic fibers. The flexibility of these pipes will enable …

Development Of A Framework For Design And Installation Of Cementitious Spray Applied Pipe Linings In Renewal Of Corrugated Metal Culverts, Seyedmohammadsadegh Jalalediny Korky

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Millions of culverts under road embankments provide drainage for U.S. transportation network system and are in need of maintenance, repair, and renewal. Over time culverts, like any other asset, deteriorate due to many factors. Spray applied pipe lining (SAPL) is one of the trenchless technology methods applicable for culverts renewal. In the SAPL method, polymers or cementitious materials are sprayed by machine or manually in different lifts to achieve required thickness based on the design criteria. The scope of this dissertation includes reinforced concrete pipe and corrugated metal pipe (RCP and CMP) culverts renewal with cementitious and polymer SAPLs. The …

Rainfall Simulation For Investigating Hydrologic Responses To Storm Characteristics And Facilitating Frequency Analysis, Shang Gao

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Hydrologic and Hydraulic practices depend on the characterization of extreme precipitation that is rare in nature. Despite the advancement in sensing technology, the observation record of extreme rainfall with good spatio-temporal resolution has not reached a sufficient length. Furthermore, rainfall observation may never be sufficient in a non-stationary climate. Towards solutions to these issues, rainfall simulation was explored in this study (1) to investigate hydrologic responses to storm characteristics and (2) to facilitate rainfall frequency analysis. To that end, this study initially employed storm transposition plus hydrologic simulation for generating possible rainfall-runoff scenarios which further reveal relationships between storm characteristics …

Utilizing The State Of Art Technologies To Assess And Address Urban Flooding, Daniel Li

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Today, 55% of the world’s population lives in urban area, a proportion that is expected to increase to 60% by 2050. Projections show that urbanization, the gradual shift in residence of the human population from rural to urban areas, combined with the overall growth of the world’s population could add another 2.5 billion people to urban areas by 2050. With growing opportunities, there are great challenges. One of the challenges that urban communities are facing is the increasing flood risks. In U.S., over the past decade, extreme storm events have wreaked havoc on many urban areas. Aging and inadequate infrastructure, …

A Multi-Agent Demand Response Planning And Operational Optimization Framework, Alireza Fallahi

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This research describes a real-time optimization model for multi-agent demand response (DR) from a Load Serving Entity (LSE) perspective. We formulate two infinite horizon stochastic optimization models; specifically, an LSE model and a dynamic pricing customer model. The objective of these models is to minimize long-term cost and discomfort penalty of the LSE and dynamic pricing customers. We solve a deterministic finite horizon linear program as an approximation of the suggested stochastic model and provide computational experiments. In stochastic programming (SP), a wait-and-see solution is at least as good as an optimal policy. On the other hand, a policy that …

Investigation Of Dsr Test Methods To Determine Binder Low Temperature Properties, Kommidi Santosh, Yong-Rak Kim

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The low temperature rheology of bituminous binders is of great interest because low temperature cracking is one of the primary asphalt pavement failure modes observed in cold-climate places such as Nebraska. Low temperature binder characterization/grading has been primarily conducted using the bending beam rheometer (BBR), while the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) can alternatively be used to characterize the low temperature properties of binders with the recent advancement of DSR equipment that can cover a wide range of testing temperatures. This study investigates alternative testing-analysis methods using the DSR to determine low temperature asphalt binder properties that have been measured by …

Performance Evaluation Of Inverted Tee (It) Bridge System, Garrett P. Martindale, Daniel Watson, Antony Mohsen Kamal Masoud Kodsy, Mostafa Abo El-Khier, Richard L. Wood, George Morcous

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The Inverted Tee (IT) girder bridge system was originally developed in 1996 by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) researchers and Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) engineers. This bridge system currently accounts for over 110 bridges in Nebraska used for both state highways and local county roads. Extensive longitudinal and transverse deck cracking have been observed and noted in numerous bridge inspection reports. Since the IT girder bridge system is relatively new, limited data and knowledge exist on its structural performance and behavior. This study evaluates the IT girder bridge system by conducting twenty field observations as well as recording accelerometer, …

Cooperative Learning For The Consensus Of Multi-Agent Systems, Qishuai Liu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Due to a lot of attention for the multi-agent system in recent years, the consensus algorithm gained immense popularity for building fault-tolerant systems in system and control theory. Generally, the consensus algorithm drives the swarm of agents to work as a coherent group that can reach an agreement regarding a certain quantity of interest, which depends on the state of all agents themselves. The most common consensus algorithm is the average consensus, the final consensus value of which is equal to the average of the initial values. If we want the agents to find the best area of the particular …

Embedded System Design Of Robot Control Architectures For Unmanned Agricultural Ground Vehicles, Ryan Humphrey

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Engineering technology has matured to the extent where accompanying methods for unmanned field management is now becoming a technologically achievable and economically viable solution to agricultural tasks that have been traditionally performed by humans or human operated machines. Additionally, the rapidly increasing world population and the daunting burden it places on farmers in regards to the food production and crop yield demands, only makes such advancements in the agriculture industry all the more imperative. Consequently, the sector is beginning to observe a noticeable shift, where there exist a number of scalable infrastructural changes that are in the process of slowly …

Distributed Edge Bundling For Large Graphs, Yves Tuyishime

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Graphs or networks are widely used to depict the relationships between data entities in diverse scientific and engineering applications. A direct visualization (such as node-link diagram) of a graph with a large number of nodes and edges often incurs visual clutter. To address this issue, researchers have developed edge bundling algorithms that visually merge similar edges into curved bundles and can effectively reveal high-level edge patterns with reduced visual clutter. Although the existing edge bundling algorithms achieve appealing results, they are mostly designed for a single machine, and thereby the size of a graph they can handle is limited by …

Exploring Eye Tracking Data On Source Code Via Dual Space Analysis, Li Zhang

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Eye tracking is a frequently used technique to collect data capturing users' strategies and behaviors in processing information. Understanding how programmers navigate through a large number of classes and methods to find bugs is important to educators and practitioners in software engineering. However, the eye tracking data collected on realistic codebases is massive compared to traditional eye tracking data on one static page. The same content may appear in different areas on the screen with users scrolling in an Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Hierarchically structured content and fluid method position compose the two major challenges for visualization. We present a …

Performance Study Of Link Slab Continuity In Prestressed Concrete Bridges, Marco Tulio Canales Jr

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Link slabs in bridges can be a cost-effective solution to increase the service life of bridge structures. The partial continuity condition in link slab bridges, however can be challenging to quantify. In this work link slab performance is studied by means of a parametric study, a long-term Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) System, and a detailed finite-element model.

The parametric study was conducted using mathematical and a two-dimensional (2D) finite element model. The study considers bridge design factors such as number of spans, span length, span length ratio, girder separation, and temperature settings, in conjunction with the corresponding girder and support …

Varying Class Schedules And Learning Effectiveness At Far Part 147 Aviation Maintenance Training Schools (Amts), Kristen Hammer

Student Works

Of the three learning styles, kinesthetic (hands-on) learning is the most common for individuals (Dinkel, 2011). This is especially relevant for people who work in technical, skill-based fields, such as aircraft maintenance. The hands-on learning style, coupled with a job that requires a great depth of systems knowledge, tool, equipment, and component manipulation, and a multitude of other physical job-related skills, requires that the student maximize his or her knowledge and skill retention while in training. The purpose of this research was to determine if FAR Part 147 Aviation Maintenance Technician School (AMTS) students would achieve more success, as measured …

Bioengineering Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds For Volumetric Muscle Loss, Kevin Roberts

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Volumetric muscle loss overwhelms skeletal muscle’s ordinarily capable regenerative machinery, resulting in fibrosis and severe functional deficits which have defied clinical repair strategies. My work spans the design and preclinical evaluation of implants intended to drive the cell community of injured muscle toward a regenerative state, as well as the development of an understanding of the molecular responses of this cell community to biomaterial interventions. I demonstrate a new class of biomaterial by leveraging the productive capacity of sacrificial hollow fiber membrane cell culture; I show specifically that unique threads of whole extracellular matrix can be isolated by solvent degradation …

Cognitive Satellite Communications And Representation Learning For Streaming And Complex Graphs., Wenqi Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation includes two topics. The first topic studies a promising dynamic spectrum access algorithm (DSA) that improves the throughput of satellite communication (SATCOM) under the uncertainty. The other topic investigates distributed representation learning for streaming and complex networks. DSA allows a secondary user to access the spectrum that are not occupied by primary users. However, uncertainty in SATCOM causes more spectrum sensing errors. In this dissertation, the uncertainty has been addressed by formulating a DSA decision-making process as a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) model to optimally determine which channels to sense and access. Large-scale networks have attracted …

Electrostatically Actuated Double Wall Carbon Nanotubes To Include Intertube Van Der Waals Forces, Ezequiel Juarez Ocanas

Theses and Dissertations

This work deals with the amplitude-frequency and amplitude-voltage responses of parametric and primary resonances of electrostatically actuated double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs). Nonlinear forces acting on the DWCNT are intertube van der Waals and electrostatic forces. Soft AC excitation and small viscous damping are assumed. In coaxial vibration, the outer and inner carbon nanotubes move together (in-phase), maintaining their geometric concentricity; while in noncoaxial vibration, the CNTs move in opposite direction (out-of-phase). Modal coordinate transformation is formulated. The Harmonic Balance Method (HBM) is used to find the free response solutions of the DWCNT. The Reduced Order Model (ROM) method is also …

Parametric Study Of Selective Laser Alloying Of Elemental Titanium And Boron Powders Using An Automated Deposition Mechanism, Julian V. Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

An automatic powder deposition and leveling mechanism was designed and constructed to assist in surface roughness experiments for titanium-boron samples. Previously developed energy models and x-ray diffraction analysis was used to confirm the creation of titanium diboride samples. To study TiB2 at different energy values, a 52 (2 factors, 5 levels) factorial design was used and carried out under an argon atmosphere, through the AM250 laser melting system. Two experimental runs were carried out and a total of 50 samples were assigned a surface roughness measurement through the Dektak XT profilometer. Graphically and with statistical analysis, the data was determined …

Optimal Control Strategies For Complex Biological Systems, Afroza Shirin

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

To better understand and to improve therapies for complex diseases such as cancer or diabetes, it is not sufficient to identify and characterize the interactions between molecules and pathways in complex biological systems, such as cells, tissues, and the human body. It also is necessary to characterize the response of a biological system to externally supplied agents (e.g., drugs, insulin), including a proper scheduling of these drugs, and drug combinations in multi drugs therapies. This obviously becomes important in applications which involve control of physiological processes, such as controlling the number of autophagosome vesicles in a cell, or regulating the …

A Methodology To Measure The Impact Of Diversity On Cybersecurity Team Effectiveness, Caralea May Cornel

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the definition of cybersecurity professional has been diluted to include more individuals, particularly women, to be included. Depending on the definition used, women currently comprise between 11% and 25% of the cybersecurity workforce. While multiple studies have indicated the benefits to diverse teams, research in the cybersecurity area is lacking.This research proposes a framework that uses a modified escape-the-room gamified scenario to measure the effectiveness of cybersecurity teams in technical problem-solving. The framework presents two routes, incident response and penetration testing, the participants can choose. In a preliminary study, this framework is used to show the combination …