Engineering Commons^™

High Gain Pattern Reconfigurable Antenna Arrays For Portable And Body-Centric Wireless Applications, Nowrin Hasan Chamok

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless devices such as smartphones, tablet computers, smartwatches etc. have become ubiquitous. With that, the demand for high speed data has increased tremendously. Designing antennas for such applications is challenging because of limited availability of space, shadowing or blockage from the human body, and signal loss from multipath fading. Conventional broad, fixed beam low gain antennas result in poor reception, faster battery drainage, and low data rate. Compressed footprint high gain pattern reconfigurable antenna arrays can solve these problems which is the focus of this dissertation. Two innovative high gain pattern reconfiguration techniques, the switched beam parasitic array and the …

Estimating Local Average Power In A Line-Of-Sight Indoor Channel: Spatial Sampling And Processing, Israt Jahan Disha

Theses and Dissertations

Modeling of indoor radio channels has been a dynamic area of research in recent years because of the increasing demand for indoor wireless communications. In order to efficiently deploy such indoor systems, a good knowledge of the indoor wireless channel’s characteristics are required. One important characteristic is an accurate propagation path loss model. For developing such models various measurements have been carried out. In modeling propagation path loss in complex indoor environments, accurate and fast algorithms for estimating the local mean signal level are essential; these are also of use for power control and handoff decisions. These local mean power …

Numerical Studies Of Arterial Tissue Failure, Xiaochang Leng

Theses and Dissertations

Arterial tissue failure leads to a number of potentially life-threatening clinical conditions, such as atherosclerotic plaque rupture and aortic dissection which develop unpredictably and rapidly in vivo. Thus, a full understanding of the two conditions will provide a solid basis for medical advances in the intervention and prevention of the occurrence of this life-threatening event. The present work aims to develop a cohesive zone model (CZM) approach for analysis and simulation of arterial tissue failure, such as plaque and fibrous cap delamination and tearing, and to validate simulation predictions with experimental results.

To characterize the hysteresis phenomenon of diseased aortic …

Material And Structural Aspects Of Bone In Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Carolyne Albert, John Jameson, Peter Smith, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Bone fragility is a fundamental problem in individuals with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). The mechanisms behind this fragility, however, are not yet well understood. Multiple factors appear to contribute to the increased fracture risk in OI. At the structural level, bone mass deficiency can result in increased stress levels within bones. The underlying mineral and collagen abnormalities that define OI are also believed to result in compromised material-level properties. The variability of collagen biochemical irregularities causing OI and the corresponding heterogeneity of disease severity result in abnormalities that are not easily generalized within the OI population.

The aims of this chapter …

Role Of Micro-Ct In The Visualization, Measurement, And Quantification Of Bone Structure In Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Robert C. Molthen, John Jameson, Carolyne Albert, Peter Smith, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Robust Multi-Criteria Optimal Fuzzy Control Of Continuous-Time Nonlinear Systems, Xin Wang, Edwin E. Yaz

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

This paper presents a novel fuzzy control design of continuous-time nonlinear systems with multiple performance criteria. The purpose behind this work is to improve the traditional fuzzy controller performance to satisfy several performance criteria simultaneously to secure quadratic optimality with inherent stability property together with dissipativity type of disturbance reduction. The Takagi– Sugeno fuzzy model is used in our control system design. By solving the linear matrix inequality at each time step, the control solution can be found to satisfy the mixed performance criteria. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is demonstrated by simulation of the control of the inverted …

A Computationally Efficient Method For Calculation Of Strand Eddy Current Losses In Electric Machines, Alireza Fatemi, Dan M. Ionel, Nabeel Demerdash, Dave A. Staton, Rafal Wrobel, Yew Chuan Chong

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

In this paper, a fast finite element (FE)-based method for the calculation of eddy current losses in the stator windings of randomly wound electric machines with a focus on fractional slot concentrated winding (FSCW) permanent magnet (PM) machines will be presented. The method is particularly suitable for implementation in large-scale design optimization algorithms where a qualitative characterization of such losses at higher speeds is most beneficial for identification of the design solutions which exhibit the lowest overall losses including the ac losses in the stator windings. Unlike the common practice of assuming a constant slot fill factor, sf, for all …

Robust Multi-Criteria Optimal Fuzzy Control Of Discrete-Time Nonlinear Systems, Xin Wang, Edwin E. Yaz

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

This paper presents a novel fuzzy control design of discrete-time nonlinear systems with multiple performance criteria. The purpose behind this work is to improve the traditional fuzzy controller performance to satisfy several performance criteria simultaneously to secure quadratic optimality with an inherent stability property together with a dissipativity type of disturbance reduction. The Takagi–Sugeno-type fuzzy model is used in our control system design. By solving a linear matrix inequality at each time step, the optimal control solution can be found to satisfy mixed performance criteria. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is demonstrated by simulation of the control of the …

The Influence Of Soil Properties On Marsh Edge Erosion, Cody Lee Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal Louisiana exhibits some of the highest rates of land conversion to open water in the world. This is most apparent in Terrebonne Bay, Barataria Bay, and Breton Sound (Couvillion et. al, 2011). The hypothesis is made that locally generated wind waves are responsible for the observed land loss. Recent research has attempted to relate the marsh edge erosion rate to wave energy flux density. Under the appropriate assumptions, this relationship is modeled reasonably well by a linear relationship between erosion rate and wave energy flux. Such a model is a valuable tool for coastal resource management. A deficiency of …

Multiscale Musculoskeletal Modeling Of The Lower Limb To Perform Personalized Simulations Of Movement, Alessandro Navacchia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Computational modeling has been used for many decades to inform design and decision-making in several fields of engineering, such as aerospace, automotive, petroleum, and others. However, it still struggles to have a similar impact in fields of medicine, such as orthopaedics. Three of the challenges that have limited the use of computational modeling in the clinical practice and in product development are model validation, personalization, and realism. Validation is a challenge because several internal parameters of the human body, such as muscle forces, are not safely measurable in vivo and, consequently, a thorough comparison between model outputs …

The Influence Of A Crosshair Visual Aid On Observer Detection Of Simulated Fetal Heart Rate Signals, Rebecca A. Kennedy, Mark W. Scerbo, Brittany L. Anderson-Montoya, Lee A. Belfore Ii, Alfred Z. Abuhamad, Stephen S. Davis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective To determine whether a visual aid overlaid on fetal heart rate (FHR) tracings increases detection of critical signals relative to images with no visual aid.

Study Design In an experimental study, 21 undergraduate students viewed 240 images of simulated FHR tracings twice, once with the visual aids and once without aids. Performance was examined for images containing three different types of FHR signals (early deceleration, late deceleration, and acceleration) and four different FHR signal-to-noise ratios corresponding to FHR variability types (absent, minimal, moderate, and marked) identified by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2008). Performance was …

Age-Related Differences In Vehicle Control And Eye Movement Patterns At Intersections: Older And Middle-Aged Drivers, Yusuke Yamani, William J. Horrey, Yulan Liang, Donald L. Fisher

Psychology Faculty Publications

Older drivers are at increased risk of intersection crashes. Previous work found that older drivers execute less frequent glances for detecting potential threats at intersections than middle-aged drivers. Yet, earlier work has also shown that an active training program doubled the frequency of these glances among older drivers, suggesting that these effects are not necessarily due to age-related functional declines. In light of findings, the current study sought to explore the ability of older drivers to coordinate their head and eye movements while simultaneously steering the vehicle as well as their glance behavior at intersections. In a driving simulator, older …

Statistical Modeling To Investigate Anatomy And Function Of The Knee, Lowell Matthew Smoger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The natural knee is a hinge joint with significant functional requirements during activities of daily living; as a result, acute and chronic injuries can occur. Pathologies are influenced by joint anatomy and may include patellar maltracking, cartilage degeneration (e.g. osteoarthritis), or acute injuries such as meniscal or ligamentous tears. Population variability makes broadly applicable conclusions about etiology of these conditions from small-scale investigations challenging. The work presented in this dissertation is a demonstration of statistical modeling approaches to evaluate population variability in anatomy of the knee and function of its tibiofemoral (TF) and patellofemoral (PF) joints. Three-dimensional (3D) computational models …

Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (Mepdg) Method Implemented To Estimate Damage In Flexible And Rigid Pavements, Tenzin Gusto

Dissertations and Theses

The implementation of the Empirical-Mechanistic Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) method for flexible and rigid pavements requires numerous input parameters. Most of these parameters can be easily determined while some require best estimates that are usually extracted from available literature. This thesis identifies the most critical input parameters in terms of their effects on the damage of pavements and their influence on the determination of the number of corrective maintenance cycles to be performed during the design life of pavements. It was found that for flexible pavement, change in the average monthly temperature by as little as results in large differences …

Discrete Model For Cancer Tumor Growth And Effect Of Chemotherapy, Karim Virani

Dissertations and Theses

Many mathematical models have focused on growth of a single tumor with their spreading rate with some have included its metastasis. Some of the earlier models focus on exponential growth and its shift with time on to a linear model. The Gompertzian model involves a quadratic terms and that limit growth. We looked into Iwata et al paper it discusses a different model and takes into account the growth and metastasis of a tumor population but does not look into tumor shrinking or chemotherapy. Our new model focuses on the extending Iwata et al model to take into account tumor …

Direct Current Stimulation Modulates Ltp And Ltd: Activity-Dependence And Dendritic Effects, Gregory Kronberg

Dissertations and Theses

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been reported to improve various forms of learning in humans. Stimulation is often applied during training, producing lasting enhancements that are specific to the learned task. These learning effects are thought be mediated by altered synaptic plasticity. However, the effects of DCS during the induction of endogenous synaptic plasticity remain largely unexplored. To model endogenous plasticity I induced long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD) at Schaffer collateral synapses in CA1 of rat hippocampal slices. When induction was paired with concurrent DCS, the resulting plasticity was biased towards potentiation, such that LTP was enhanced and …

Ultrahigh Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging – Technical Development And Translational Applications, Judy Alper

Dissertations and Theses

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used to provide detailed images of the human body with excellent soft tissue contrast. Alongside its current widespread clinical applications for diagnosis and treatment, MRI allows researchers to measure structure and function of different tissue types in order to advance our understanding of human biology and enable new medical applications of MRI. In particular, diseases affecting nerves and vessels, such as trigeminal neuralgia, with uncertain etiology can be studied using multiple MRI modalities so that treatment planning can we more effective and patient outcomes can be improved. Ultrahigh field MRI scanners, such as those …

Biodegradation Of Buried Mc252 Oil In Coastal Beach Sands By Pah Degraders In Response To Oxygen Biostimulation, Leeann Renee Fitch

LSU Master's Theses

Six years following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, buried MC252 oil persists on a beach segment in Fourchon, LA due to the natural anaerobic conditions of tidal groundwater. A field trial of in situ aerobic bioremediation of buried oil began on July 2015. Oxygen was added to the subsurface using Waterloo emitters which deliver O2 through diffusion via pressurized tubing in fixed groundwater wells. The multi-well injection system provided sufficient oxygen concentration in the groundwater in the immediate area of the emitters, resulting in a shift in the composition of the diverse, halophilic, hydrocarbon-degrading microbial population. Stable isotopic and radiocarbon …

An Experimental Investigation On The Effect Of Intake Charge Temperature And Injection Timing On Autoignition Of Low Cetane Number Fuel (Sasol Ipk), Swapnil Shekhar Bodele

Wayne State University Theses

ABSTRACT

AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON THE EFFECT OF

INTAKE CHARGE TEMPERATURE AND INJECTION TIMING

ON AUTOIGNITION OF LOW CETANE NUMBER FUEL

(SASOL IPK)

by

SWAPNIL S BODELE

May 2016

Advisor: Dr. Naeim Henein

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Degree: Master of Science

Although diesel engines are considered the best powerhouses for their heavy-duty

capabilities, concerns have been raised because of their emission issues. Alternative

fuels like jet fuels can be substitute to them for improved efficiencies. The Department Of

Defense uses JP8 for their combat vehicles under their Single Fuel Concept for a better

logistic supply chain. However, due to the projected …

Kinematic Modeling Of An Automated Laser Line Scanning System, Kiran Sunil Deshmukh

Wayne State University Theses

This research work describes the geometric coordinate transformation in an automated laser line scanning system caused by movements required for scanning a component surface. The elements of an automated laser scanning system (robot, laser line scanner, and the component coordinate system) function as a mechanical linkage to obtain a trajectory on a component surface. This methodology solves the forward kinematics, derives the component surface, and uses inverse kinematic equations to characterize the movement of the entire automated scanning system on point trajectory. To reach a point on the component, joint angles of robot have been calculated. As a result, trajectory …

Enhancement Of Cancer Vaccine Efficacy Via Nanoparticle Or Molecular-Based Adjuvants, Myunggi An

Wayne State University Theses

Adjuvants are immunomodulators which enhance immune responses to vaccines. However, parenteral administration of unformulated adjuvants fails to reach lymph nodes (LNs), the anatomic organ where the primary functions of immune cells are orchestrated. The LN-targeting delivery plays the key roles in promoting immune activation and has the great potential to transform disease treatment. The main goal of this thesis is to develop efficient vaccine delivery systems to target therapeutics into draining lymph nodes (dLNs) for ensuring their immunostimulatory activity. We introduced therapeutic applications of activating TLR9 with synthetic CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) agonists in nanoparticle or molecular form to activate immune …

Implementation Of Camera Arm Control By An Oculus Rift On A Da Vinci Surgical System Simulation, Hamid Sadeghi

Wayne State University Theses

Camera control methods play a significant role in remote surgery. Two methods have been developed to control the camera arm of the da Vinci Surgical System: a standard clutch-based method for manual movement of the camera and an autonomous camera (auto-camera) method. In the standard method, the surgeon positions the camera manually using a pair of hand controllers. This happens frequently during the surgery and may serve as a distraction during surgical procedures. The second method was developed in order to help surgeon to remove the issue mentioned in the standard method. Auto-camera method enables the system to move the …

Novel Design And Synthesis Of Transition Metal Hydroxides And Oxides For Energy Storage Device Applications, Peifeng Li

Wayne State University Theses

Supercapacitors (SCs) and Li-ion batteries (LIBs) are two types of important electrical energy storage devices with high power density and high energy density respectively. However, to satisfy the increasing demand of high-performance energy storage devices, the energy density of SCs and power/energy densities of LIBs have to be further improved. The exploration, research, and development of electrode materials with high-performance for applications in SCs and LIBs are still needed to meet the ever-increasing demand on energy and power densities. Herein, the amorphous Ni-Co-Mo ternary hydroxides nanoflakes for SCs and oxides nanoflakes for LIBs with ultrathin stature, abundant open spaces, and …

Targeted Delivery Of Nrf2 Sirna Using Modular Polymeric Micellar Nanodelivery System For Efficient Target Gene Knockdown In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Shaimaa Mohamed Ibrahim Yousef

Wayne State University Theses

Tumor selective drug delivery as well as chemotherapy associated multi drug resistance (MDR) pose tremendous hurdles for effective cancer therapy. In this regard, designing multifunctional nanocarriers loaded with drug/gene payloads and engineered with tumor targeting ligands can serve as a modular platform for targeted drug/gene delivery. In this study we undertook the synthesis of a self-assembling block copolymer constructed using poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride, partial iso-octyl ester) (SMAPIE) and branched polyethylenimine (PEI) as building blocks and evaluated its micelle forming ability, siRNA complexation and siRNA delivery potentials. In addition, we engineered galactosamine decorated nanomicelles using modular “click” chemistry based approaches for evaluating …

Enhanced Pump Schedule Optimization For Large Water Distribution Networks To Maximize Environmental And Economic Benefits, Seyed Mohsen Sadatiyan Abkenar

Wayne State University Dissertations

For more than four decades researchers tried to develop optimization method and tools to reduce electricity consumption of pump stations of water distribution systems. Based on this ongoing research trend, about a decade ago, some commercial pump operation optimization software introduced to the market. Using metaheuristic and evolutionary techniques (e.g. Genetic Algorithm) make some commercial and research tools able to optimize the electricity cost of small water distribution systems (WDS). Still reducing the environmental footprint of these systems and dealing with large and complicated water distribution system is a challenge.

In this study, we aimed to develop a multiobjective optimization …

Toward Magnetic Resonance Only Treatment Planning: Distortion Mitigation And Image-Guided Radiation Therapy Validation, Ryan Glen Price

Wayne State University Dissertations

While MR-only treatment planning has shown promise, there are still several well-known challenges that are currently limiting widespread clinical implementation.

Firstly, MR images are affected by both patient-induced and system-level geometric distortions that can significantly degrade treatment planning accuracy. . In addition, the availability of comprehensive distortion analysis software is currently limited. Also while many groups have been working toward a synthetic CT solution, further study is needed on the implementation of synCTs as the reference datasets for linac-based image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) to help determine their robustness in an MR-only workflow.

A 36×43×2 cm3 phantom with 255 known landmarks …

Finite Element Modeling Of Frp Strengthened Concrete Beams And Columns At Different Temperatures, Bassma Ibrahim Gawil

Wayne State University Dissertations

FINITE ELEMENT MODELING OF FRP STRENGTHENED CONCRETE BEAMS

AND COLUMNS AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES

By

BASSMA I. GAWIL

October 2016

Advisor: Dr. Hwai-Chung Wu

Major: Civil and Environmental Engineering (Structural Engineering)

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Collapse of buildings or bridges is one of the worst scenarios to which built-infrastructure

may be subjected during their lifetime. In recent years, due to external environmental conditions

(temperature and humidity). Often times these effects are not immediately evident and develop

years later – making determination of responsibility difficult and repair expensive.

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) has proven efficient and economical for the development

and repair …

Strategic Deconfliction Of 4d Trajectory And Perturbation Analysis For Air Traffic Control And Automation System, Xinmin Tang, Yu Zhang, Ping Chen, Bo Li, Songchen Han

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Strategic 4D trajectory conflict-free planning is recognized as one of the core technologies of next-generation air traffic control and automation systems. To resolve potential conflicts during strategic 4D conflict-free trajectory planning, a protection-zone conflict-control model based on air traffic control separation constraints was proposed, in which relationships between expected arrival time and adjusted arrival time at conflicting waypoints for aircraft queues were built and transformed into dynamic linear equations under the definition of max-plus algebra. A method for strategic deconfliction of 4D trajectory was then proposed using two strategies: arrival time adjustment and departure time adjustment. In addition, departure time …

A Comparative Analysis Of Energy Balance Of Thermoelectric Power Generation Vs. Fiberglass Insulation, Irl N. Lemar

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Commuter Rail On Population Deconcentration And Commuting: A Salt Lake City Case Study, Joanna Ganning, Mercedes Beaudoin, Simon Brewer, Keuntae Kim, Keunhyun Park

TREC Final Reports

All transportation systems have the ability to transform human settlement patterns, which can affect a range of social, economic and environmental issues. Considering investments in rail infrastructure have increased in recent decades (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2007; Israel & Cohen-Blankshtain, 2010), it is important for planners and researchers to understand how these rail systems influence land use, metropolitan development patterns, and population migration. The following paragraphs summarize the studies and their findings.

The Effects of Commuter Rail Establishment on the Relationships between the Built Environment, Travel Behavior, and Residential Self- Selection (RSS): To help regional and transportation planners better understand …