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Title: A 2-GHZ FREQUENCY MULTIPLIER BASED ON DIGITAL DELAY LOCK LOOP IN 65 NM CMOS
Creator: Zhang, Kaiqiang
Date: 2017, 2017-05
Description: Generally phase lock loops (PLLs) are utilized in the implementation of the conventional clock generators and frequency multipliers. However...
Show moreGenerally phase lock loops (PLLs) are utilized in the implementation of the conventional clock generators and frequency multipliers. However there are some issues happened during designing PLLs. First of all, PLLs has a stability issue due to its higherorder systems. And this issue will cause the change of the loop bandwidth when PVT is different. Secondly, in PLLs, the output of the VCO will be fed back to the loop, which causes a peak phase error unexpectedly larger than the desired phase variation since jitter is accumulating over the oscillation cycles. These issues will make the design of a PLLbased frequency multiplier more complicated and challenging. In order to solve these issues, this thesis presents a 2-GHz frequency multiplier based on digital delay lock loop. In this design when the DLL is locked the digital DLL operated in the open-loop mode will reduce the jitter and power consumption due to dithering in the lock condition. In this design a compensation structure is proposed to keep track of any potential phase error caused by environmental variations. The reference input frequency is 500M Hz. This frequency multiplier is designed and fabricated in a 65nm CMOS. The thesis also provides theory and simulation results on frequency multiplier for readers.
M.S. in Electrical Engineering, May 2017
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Title: PIEZO-BARKHAUSEN PULSE SIGNAL ANALYSES (BPSA) AND DETERMINATION OF THE FATIGUE LIFE OF AISI-1018 STEEL NEAR THE ENDURANCE LIMIT
Creator: Nunez-moreno, Federico Alejandro
Date: 2014, 2014-05
Description: A series of fatigue tests were performed on two different types of steels named Steel A (annealed and decarbed AISI-1018 steel), and Steel B ...
Show moreA series of fatigue tests were performed on two different types of steels named Steel A (annealed and decarbed AISI-1018 steel), and Steel B (annealed and polished AISI-1018 steel), carried out to separation or to a maximum of 10,000,000 cycles (which was taken to be equivalent to infinite life). Strain levels ranging from 0.0014 in/in (0.0014mm/mm) down to 0.0008in/in (0.0008mm/mm) were used to execute all experimental load tests at a stress ratio R=-1 (complete reversal). An MTS machine was used for these trials. At the same time, magnetic fields and piezo-Barkhausen pulses were recorded by means of a flux gate magnetometer and a copper coil connected to a series of signal filters and amplifiers. Results were used to construct the classical S-N Whöler curve for both steels, as well as in exhibiting the behavior of the magnetic parameters (magnetic excursions, dominant frequencies of the magnetic signals) coupled to the fatigue lives of the samples tested. To describe such couplings, a set of correlations were introduced among the monitored variables as functions of testing time and applied strain. Also, a fractography analysis of the crack patterns using a scanning electron microscope was performed to represent statistically the geometry of “dimples” and fatigue striations from the inception of the crack, until the formation of a shear lip at the final stages of the crack. It was found that the magnitude of the mean amplitude of the piezo-Barkhausen pulses at early stages of the test is correlated to a mid-level energy of cracking, and thus explains the geometry of fatigue striations near the initiation of the crack at higher strain levels, compared to the geometry of the fatigue striations at lower strain levels. x xvi A joint analysis of the amplitudes of the magnetic excursions recorded in time, and the dominant frequencies of the magnetic signals were found to be discriminators of the elastic and plastic behavior of both types of steel. Furthermore the observed magnetic parameter variations determined in a clear way the endurance limit for each type of steel; these values also are in agreement with the strain level for which fatigue lives were greater than 10,000,000 cycles. Based on these results a “bell analogy” for interpreting the fatigue behavior is introduced. Bridge engineering applications and further research is also discussed.
PH.D in Civil Engineering, May 2014
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Title: CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEM FOR A WATER RECLAMATION PLANT: BALANCING AERATION, ENERGY, AND WATER QUALITY TO MAINTAIN PROCESS RESILIENCE
Creator: Zhu, Junjie
Date: 2015, 2015-07
Description: Aeration accounts for a large fraction of energy consumption in conventional water reclamation plants (WRPs). Although process operations at...
Show moreAeration accounts for a large fraction of energy consumption in conventional water reclamation plants (WRPs). Although process operations at older WRPs can satisfy effluent permit requirements, they typically operate with excess aeration. More effective process controls at older WRPs can be challenging as operators work to balance higher energy costs and more stringent effluent limitations while managing fluctuating loads. Therefore, understandings of process resilience or ability to quickly return to original operation conditions at a WRP are important. A state-of-art WRP should maintain process resilience to deal with different kinds of perturbations even after optimization of energy demands. This work was to evaluate the applicability and feasibility of cyber-physical system (CPS) for improving operation at Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) Calumet WRP. In this work, a process model was developed and used to better understand the conditions of current Calumet WRP, with additional valuable information from two dissolved oxygen field measurements. Meanwhile, a classification system was developed to reveal the pattern of historical influent scenario based on cluster analysis and cross-tabulation analysis. Based on the results from the classification, typical process control options were investigated. To ensure the feasibility of information acquisition, the reliability and flexibility of soft sensors were assessed to typical influent conditions. Finally, the process resilience was investigated to better balance influent perturbations, energy demands, and effluent quality for long-term operations. These investigations and evaluations show that although the energy demands change as the influent conditions and process controls, in general, aeration savings could be up to 50% from the level of current consumption; with a more xix complex process controls, the saving could be up to 70% in relatively steady-state conditions and at least 40% in relatively challenging transient conditions. The soft sensors can provide reliable and flexible performance on target predictions. The plant can still maintain at a similar level of process resilience after 50% aeration saving, even during long-term perturbations. Overall, this work shows that it is well feasible to provide more cost-effective operations at the Calumet WRP, and meanwhile influent perturbations, effluent quality, and process resilience are well in balance. Keywords: Energy, aeration, effluent quality, perturbation, resilience, water reclamation plant.
Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, July 2015
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Title: A DEVICE-TO-DEVICE COMMUNICATION AND KEY EXCHANGE APPLICATION OVER WI-FI DIRECT
Creator: Hong, Weisheng
Date: 2014, 2014-12
Description: With the rapid growth of smartphone and tablet users, Device-to-Device (D2D) communications have become an attractive solution for enhancing...
Show moreWith the rapid growth of smartphone and tablet users, Device-to-Device (D2D) communications have become an attractive solution for enhancing the performance of traditional cellular networks. However, relevant security issues involved in D2D communications have not been addressed yet. In this thesis, I investigate the security requirements and challenges for D2D communications, and present a secure and efficient key agreement protocol, which enables two mobile devices to establish a share secret key for D2D without prior knowledge. The mobile devices are playing an important role in our social life. People trend to share their files and chat with each other without Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi Direct technology provides a very good way to satisfy people’s need. After established a security D2D communication, I used the socket communication method to implement the chat function between devices and some protocols to enable the files transmitted. In the file transfer function, my demo support any types of the files. In the chat function, my demo also uses the shared secret to encrypt the message and then the receiver can decrypt it with the shared secret.
M.S. in Electrical Engineering, December 2014
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Title: Using ecological momentary assessment to understand a construction worker’s daily disruptions and decisions (Working Paper)
Creator: Menches, Cindy L., Chen, Juan
Date: 2012-06-01, 2012-06-01
Description: Capturing the momentary decisions and actions made by construction workers in response to workflow disruptions is challenging because, until...
Show moreCapturing the momentary decisions and actions made by construction workers in response to workflow disruptions is challenging because, until now, there has not been a minimally-disruptive data collection method that allows workers to identify their decision process “in the moment.” However, an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) method – designed to capture momentary work experiences in natural settings – can provide researchers with detailed information about the daily challenges experienced by workers during the course of performing their tasks. An explanation of the method is provided, along with examples of the types of research questions that can be addressed and appropriate analysis techniques. The EMA method is being used on a federally-funded research program in the United States that is investigating how construction workers adapt to workflow disruptions by improvising their decisions and actions. Consequently, this article demonstrates the use of the method by presenting an idiographic study of William, an electrical construction worker. The evaluation of William’s disruptions, decisions, and actions elucidated an important relationship: every one of William’s disruptions required an improvisational action in order to continue working. The EMA method opens the door to the development of new theories about rapid decisions and subsequent actions on construction sites.
Sponsorship: National Science Foundation
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Title: Cure for the IKIA Syndrome : presented at IACRL 2008 conference: assignment_3
Creator: Uth, Charles, Link, Jeanne
Date: 2008-02
Description: Informal observations of a practical and creative approach piloting Blended Library Instruction for undergraduate Civil Architecture and...
Show moreInformal observations of a practical and creative approach piloting Blended Library Instruction for undergraduate Civil Architecture and Engineering students, in collaboration with faculty. At Illinois Institute of Technology students don’t receive library instruction as a required class or in tandem with a composition class. Faculty will schedule one-time sessions, which ideally should be planned with a class assignment in mind, but students are rarely engaged with a one time instruction. Many have IKIA syndrome or I Know It Already syndrome. The Millennials are a group that has integrated technology into every aspect of their lives and they assume that retrieving useful or necessary information will be easy. When they discover this isn’t the case lack of time, heightened anxiety, and increased frustration can prevent them from doing their best work. By intentionally creating a similar crisis prior to library instruction, students were more interested in what they stood to gain during pending library instruction. In this presentation we will discuss: 1) A creative means of delivering library instruction to a traditionally challenging population: engineering undergraduate students 2) Qualitative information collected via multiple assignments and interpreted in a quantitative fashion, as well as our observations. 3) A method for preparing students for library instruction that can be applied in almost any discipline without asking the instructor to sacrifice class time.
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Title: Innovative Mapping (sequence unknown), IPRO 303 - Deliverables: IPRO 303 Brochure F09
Creator: Komoroski, Aaron, Mora, Andres, Sarraf, Basel, Kemp, Brandon, Duong, Cindy, Woodward, Frank, Suwada, Jerry, Michael, Mark, Sinha, Piyush, Glover, Richard, Mandrekar, Urba
Date: 2009-12
Description: The team worked to target the majority of mobile device users and give them an outlet to report any changes, mistakes or developments that...
Show moreThe team worked to target the majority of mobile device users and give them an outlet to report any changes, mistakes or developments that have been overlooked by NAVTEQ in the company's mobile mapping solutions. The team also worked to develop a solution that enables the average map user – men and women ages 18-35, students and tourists – to address these alterations in a simple, hassle-free way.
Sponsorship: NAVTEQ
Deliverables for IPRO 303: Innovative Mapping for the fall 2009 semester.
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Title: FACTORS AFFECTING THE SANITIZER EFFICACY IN PREVENTING SALMONELLA TRANSFER DURING POSTHARVESTWASHING OF CUT LETTUCE
Creator: Zang, Mingxia
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: This study investigated the spread of Salmonella during postharvest washing of contaminated lettuce and determined the factors that affect the...
Show moreThis study investigated the spread of Salmonella during postharvest washing of contaminated lettuce and determined the factors that affect the efficacy of chlorine in preventing Salmonella cross-contamination. A bench-scale washing system was assembled. It consisted of a 15 gal tank equipped with a submersible pump and various probes to measure wash water properties including pl-l, temperature, chlorine level. oxidation reduction potential (ORP), turbidity, and total organic carbon (TOC) level. Eight grams of cut romaine lettuce inoculated with approximately 7 log CFU/g of Salmonella typhimurium expressing green fluorescent protein were added to 40 L of sterile tap water or spent wash water collected from a commercial produce processing facility together with 800 g of uninoculated lettuce and washed for 2 min. Washing trials were performed at 3°C under different levels of chlorine treatment (0. 5, 10, 20 and 30 ppm of sodium hypochlorite). Small-scale (100 mL) experiments were performed to determine the effects of organic matter (lettuce homogenate) and solids (play sand) on the efficacy of chlorine in wash water. Without chlorine treatment, the spread of Salmonella occurred during lettuce washing in both sterile tap water and in spent industry water. With 5 ppm ofchlorine. although no Salmonella was detected in the wash water, the pathogen was found in the uninoculated lettuce after culture enrichments. When the chlorine level increased to either 10 or 20 ppm of chlorine, no Salmonella was detected in the wash water or the uninoculated lettuce. Similar experiments were performed using the spent industry water. Salmonella transfer occurred at chlorine of 10 or 20 ppm. Transfer was prevented when the chlorine level was raised to 30 ppm. IX Data from the small-scale experiments indicated that the increase in organic contents resulted in a lower level of free chlorine and a greater survival of Salmonella. At 5 ppm of chlorine, the level of Salmonella increased from not detectable « 1 log CFU/ml) to completely unaffected (4.3 ± 0.4 log CFU/ml) when the TOC level increased from 10.6 ± 10.4 to 164.0 ± 21.2 mg/L. Also, the increase in solid contents led to a greater survival of Salmonella even though the free chlorine level remained unchanged. At 0.5 ppm of chlorine, the level ofSalmonella increased from not detectable « 1 log CFU/ml) to completely unaffected (4.2 ± 0.1 log CFU/ml) when the turbidity level increased from 0.7 ± 0.5 to 378.2 ± 53.5 NTU. In summary, the use of sufficient chlorine could prevent Salmonella cross-contamination but the effective chlorine level was affected by the organic load and solid content present in the wash water. Since the chlorine efficacy was the key to preventing cross-contamination and organic load was an important factor affecting the chlorine efficacy, measurements of the organic load was needed to determine the level ofchlorination needed in the wash water. However, current methods for measuring TOC took a few hours to perform. Turbidity measurements which could be done in a minute had been frequently used in the produce industry to determ ine wash water quality. In this study. it was found that a linear correlation could be established between turbidity and TOC suggesting that turbidity could be a good predictor of the organic load in produce wash water.
M.S. in Food Safety and Technology, July 2014
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Title: Laboratory Notebook 119
Creator: Zhang, Zhe, Burton-freeman, Britt
Date: 2010-03-09T21:21:56Z
Description: This laboratory notebook relates to the " Thermal Inactivation of Ricin in phosphate buffer system and orange juice" project with Britt Burton...
Show moreThis laboratory notebook relates to the " Thermal Inactivation of Ricin in phosphate buffer system and orange juice" project with Britt Burton-Freeman as the Principle Investigator.
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Title: NANOPORE STOCHASTIC SENSING OF BIOMARKERS IN HUMAN DISEASE
Creator: Zhou, Shuo
Date: 2016, 2016-07
Description: By measuring the ionic current modulation generated by analytes’ electro-osmotic flow through a nanoscale sized pore, nanopore stochastic...
Show moreBy measuring the ionic current modulation generated by analytes’ electro-osmotic flow through a nanoscale sized pore, nanopore stochastic sensing was invented about 20 years ago. Since then, it has been developed as a powerful and versatile tool for the detection of a wide variety of substances, including metal ions, organic molecules, DNA, RNA, peptides, proteins, etc. Compared with other traditional techniques such as immunochemical detection, colorimetric detection, HPLC, and GC/MS, nanopore detection has many advantages. First and foremost, nanopore stochastic sensing does not need to use sophisticated instruments which are convenient for people who do not have professional training in operating a special device. Furthermore, unlike fluorescent methods which rely on fluorophores labeling, nanopore stochastic sensing is a label-free detection method, which is based on the natural characteristics of analytes of interest. Moreover, nanopore sensing does not need complicated pretreatment of samples and can achieve a very low detection limit rapidly. Most importantly, nanopore detection uses only a small amount of sample with a low assay cost. In this dissertation, I summarize my work on nanopore stochastic sensing of proteases and copper ion, i.e., the detection of the HIV-1 protease (HIV-1 PR), trypsin, and copper ion. It is well-known that the HIV-1 protease is a significant biomarker for AIDS, while trypsin for the pancreatic disease. Considerable effort has been devoted to developing highly sensitive and selective sensors for these two important proteases. By taking advantage of nanopore stochastic sensing, two biosensors are constructed where picomolar concentrations of the HIV-1 protease and trypsin can be detected. On the other hand, copper, an essential trace element, is vital to the health of our human being in many ways. For example, the accumulation of cupric ions in human body may explain the origin of Wilson disease; further, the elevated concentration of copper is also pertinent to some symptoms of Alzheimer disease. Hence, the capability to the sensitive and accurate detection of copper ions is crucial to our health and well-being. For this purpose, a real-time and label-free nanopore biosensor is developed for its detection. The successful research efforts in these projects demonstrate the useful application of nanopore stochastic sensing in medical diagnosis, especially in terms of early disease detection. In addition to the high sensitivity and accuracy as well as low assay cost, other advantages of nanopore sensors include instrumental simplicity, ease of use, and extremely rapid data acquisition rates. Such a field-deployable nanopore sensor is useful as a point-of-care device for early disease detection and diagnosis. Just imagine how convenient your medical diagnosis would become with the pocket size nanopore sensor. We can monitor our own health anytime and anywhere: at home, at workplace, or even outside in remote and isolated places.
Ph.D. in Chemistry, July 2016
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Title: Integration of Process Improvement (sequence unknown), IPRO 304 - Deliverables: IPRO 304 Midterm Presentation F09
Creator: Bauer, Jessie, Bergeron, Tony, Campen, Matt, Gruchalski, Erik, Choi, Tae Ki, Marx, Ryan, Murti, Chaitanya, Robbins, Brian, Sohal, Atinder Pal, Stenson, Amanda, Taboada, Alejandro, Zhang, Bingjian
Date: 2009-12
Description: A. Finkl and Sons require an effective way of detecting carbide inserts on the steel milling machine. These inserts break off due to stress...
Show moreA. Finkl and Sons require an effective way of detecting carbide inserts on the steel milling machine. These inserts break off due to stress and shape of metal and need to be replaced immediately to avoid further damage to the machine and the steel to be milled.
Sponsorship: A. Finkl and Sona
Deliverables for IPRO 304: Integration of Process Improvements for the fall 2009 semester.
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Title: NEOVASCULARIZAnON WITHIN POROUS PEG HYDROGELS
Creator: Chiu, Yu-chieh
Date: 2011-11, 2011-12
Description: Development of engineered tissues of clinically relevant size requires the ability to control vascularization within biomaterial scaffolds....
Show moreDevelopment of engineered tissues of clinically relevant size requires the ability to control vascularization within biomaterial scaffolds. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels have been extensively investigated for use as synthetic scaffolds to support engineered tissue formation. The goal of this work described was to develop techniques that can be used to enhance vascularized tissue formation in PEG-based hydrogels. In the first part of the study a technique was developed to generate porous PEG hydrogels using a salt leaching technique. This technique was then used to examine the role of pore size on vascularization and tissue remodeling in porous PEG hydrogel in vitro and in vitro. Both in vitro and in vivo studies showed that vessel invasion was pore size dependent. In addition, a thin layer of inflammatory tissue was observed between PEG hydrogel and blood vessels that formed within the gels. This layer suggested that inflammatory cells, not vascular cells, interacted with the surface of the material. This suggests that peptides covalently incorporated within PEG may not directly interact with endothelial cells (ECs) following implantation. The porous PEG hydrogels were very stable in vitro and in vivo and did not exhibit any signs of degradation. Hydrogels used in tissue engineering need to exhibit controlled degradation. In order to address the stability of PEG hydrogels, porous hydrogels were rendered using degradable PEG-co-(L-Lactic acid) diacrylate PEG-PLLA-DA. This polymer is degraded via hydrolysis of the PLLA chains. The porous PEG-PLLA-DA hydrogels were generated by solvent casting, photopolymerization, and particulate leaching. The influence of polymer conditions on the architecture, degradation, and mechanical properties of the hydrogels were investigated in vitro. The hydrogels were found to exhibit autofluorescence that allowed for the unique ability to nondestructively image hydrogel structure under fully swelled conditions using confocal microscopy. Initial pore size was a function of particulate size and independent of polymer concentration. Interestingly, pore size remained stable though out the study, and was not a function of degradation. In addition, degradation time of porous PEG-LLA-DA hydrogels was influenced by polymer concentration. Compressive modulus was a function of polymer concentration and pore size and decreased during hydrogel degradation. The incorporation of cell adhesion sequences into the hydrogel showed that they can support cell adhesion with morphology varying with pore size. This technique could be used to tailor porous biodegradable scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. In the final portion of this thesis a poly-lysine (PLL) molecule was synthesized in order to allow clustering of adhesion sequences in PEG hydrogels. Clusters of peptide sequences have been shown to enhance cell interactions with substrate surfaces. The sequence was synthesized and purified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and characterized by mass spectrometry. The side chains of the PLL molecule was used to attach peptide sequences. Cysteine contained within the PLL allowed incorporation into the PEG hydrogel by mixed mode polymerization. Cells were observed to adhere to hydrogels containing the RGD clusters and not to the control gels. The results presented here describe various techniques that can be used to optimize the design of polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering. In addition, the data provide insight into the process of vascularization in porous hydrogels and the influence of synthesis conditions and degradation on properties of porous hydrogels. Future studies should investigate the optimization of these material techniques for control of neovascularization within PEG hydrogels for tissue engineering applications.
Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, December 2011
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Title: Diagnosis of process disturbances by statistical distance and angle measures
Creator: Raich, A., Cinar, A.
Date: 1997
Publisher: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
Description: Disturbance and fault diagnosis techniques that rely on statistical methods traditionally utilize distance based discrimination functions....
Show moreDisturbance and fault diagnosis techniques that rely on statistical methods traditionally utilize distance based discrimination functions. Complementary information is contained in the angular relations between data clusters representing process operations under various disturbances. A novel disturbance diagnosis approach is presented based on angle discriminants. The diagnosis method is successful in cases where distance based discrimination is not very accurate. The methodology is illustrated by diagnosing various disturbances in the Tennessee Eastman process and compared with the diagnosis utilizing distance based algorithms.
Endnote format citation
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Title: Developing a Tool Crib Management System & Feed Mechanism for Semi-Automated Welding Process (sequence unknown), IPRO 347 - Project Plan
Creator: Chiu, Daniel, Cicero, Joseph, Hill, Ross, Lee, Woong-kyo, Perry, Jonathan, Powers, John, Sanborn, Peter, Sarratt, Meagan, Williams, Robert, Xu, Ran
Date: 2009-12
Description: Smith & Richardson, Inc. manufactures hundreds of different metal parts using a variety of stamping and welding equipment. There are two...
Show moreSmith & Richardson, Inc. manufactures hundreds of different metal parts using a variety of stamping and welding equipment. There are two projects that are to be undertaken by the IPRO team: first to identify methods and programs that can be used to create a cohesive and easy to navigate database for machine shop tool storage and to implement that system so that it meshes with an existing computer system; second to identify methods, materials, and systems that can be used to automate a manual sorting and placement process and to achieve a working prototype of the mechanism.
Sponsorship: Smith & Richardson, Inc. (Geneva, Illinois)
Project Plan for IPRO 347: Developing a Tool Crib Management System & Feed Mechanism for Semi-Automated Welding Process for the fall 2009 semester.
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Title: Shock-induced Flow Resonance in Supersonic Jets of Complex Geometry
Creator: Raman, G.
Date: 1999-03
Publisher: American Inst Physics
Description: Jets with complex shock-cell structures exist in numerous technological applications. This paper describes a fundamental study of shock...
Show moreJets with complex shock-cell structures exist in numerous technological applications. This paper describes a fundamental study of shock-induced flow resonance (commonly referred to as "jet screech") in supersonic jets with spanwise nonuniform shock-cell structures. Experiments that involve flow visualization and detailed mapping of the near field reveal unsteady aspects of shock-induced flow resonances, mode transitions, and directivity of the radiated noise. The following important results about the role of spanwise nonuniform shock-cells emerged: (1) It is possible to have two coexisting, independent feedback loops at nonharmonically related frequencies and different spanwise modes. (2) The same type of spanwise asymmetric mode was produced by two entirely different source configurations. (3) Nozzle geometry significantly altered the intensity and directivity of screech and broadband shock noise. The results presented here provide considerable insight into the fluid dynamics and acoustics of jets with spanwise oblique shock-cell structures and provide grounds for believing that shock-induced noise can be controlled by tailoring nozzle geometry. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S1070-6631(99)00103-8].
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Title: STUDY ON EX POST PRICING
Creator: Zhao, Zhechong
Date: 2011-05-02, 2011-05
Description: The main objective of this thesis is to study the ex post pricing in electricity market by implementing two new methods (quantity based method...
Show moreThe main objective of this thesis is to study the ex post pricing in electricity market by implementing two new methods (quantity based method and price based method). The quantity based method measures the difference between the actual performance of an individual resource and its bid-based profit-maximizing response to the ex post prices. The price based method measures the different between the ex post price and the supporting price which supports the actual outputs. These two methods are based on a co-optimization market for energy and ancillary service. They are very flexible and can solve the ex post price efficiently and simultaneously.
M.S. in Electrical Engineering, May 2011
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Title: COMPARATIVE GENOMICS OF STREPTOCOCCUS SALIVARIUS ATCC 27945 AND 25975; FROM HELPFUL TO HARMFUL?
Creator: Soomer-james, Jahna T. A.
Date: 2015, 2015-07
Description: Streptococcus salivarius is a commensal bacterium that normally inhabits the oral mucosa. However, preliminary data indicated that the strain...
Show moreStreptococcus salivarius is a commensal bacterium that normally inhabits the oral mucosa. However, preliminary data indicated that the strain ATCC 25975 has acquired parasitic genes from Streptococcus pneumoniae. To investigate the nature of this genetic exchange, the genome of Streptococcus salivarius ATCC 27945 was first sequenced and served as a comparative model to provide insight into the possibility of development of pathogenicity within the salivarius group. Illumina and PacBio sequencing data were used complementarily to generate reliable genomes of the Streptococcus salivarius ATCC 27945 and ATCC 25975 strains. The reads were trimmed, filtered, assembled and annotated using custom Perl scripts and various software. The completed genomes of S. salivarius ATCC 27945 and ATCC 25975 are 2.11 Mbp and 2.20 Mbp long, respectively, with ATCC 25975 featuring an additional plasmid. Comparative genomics with other sequenced salivarius genomes revealed that strain ATCC 27945 was most closely related to strains JIM8777 and NCTC8618, while strain ATCC 25975 was more closely related to strains 57I and CCHSS3. The proteins that were common across the investigated salivarius genomes included housekeeping proteins involved in pathways such as DNA replication, metabolism and DNA repair but the unique protein types and their relative location to each other within the ATCC main chromosomes did not provide conclusive evidence to the identification of the parasitic cassette. However, the plasmid contained in S. salivarius ATCC 25975 showed promising signs of containing these genes of interest. Several genes typically found in S. pneumoniae such as capsular polysaccharide genes and two copies of integrative and conjugative genes were identified in close proximity. The phylogenetic analysis of the two S. salivarius ATCC strains suggested that the proposed genes acquired from S. pneumoniae might have been gained via horizontal gene transfer rather than through sporadic mutations. The plasmid had a 5.1% smaller GC content compared to the other salivarius chromosomes, further suggesting that it was acquired from a distinct organism. Overall, while these results provided useful insights into the nature and location of the parasitic cassette, further investigations will be required to assess the full extent of the genetic shuffling that occurred by horizontal gene transfer in these Streptococcus species.
M.S. in Biology, July 2015
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Title: Delta Shelter (sequence unknown), IPRO 311 - Deliverables: IPRO 311 Midterm Presentation F09
Creator: Schug, Timothy, Bradley, Joshua, Cahan, Noah, Dobbin, Dan, Hallenbeck, Jeff, Jordan, Davyd, Strandquist, Brad, Dohm, Jacob, Hoffman, Kent, Lee, Woong-kyo, Waisath, Nathan
Date: 2009-12
Description: The Delta Tau Delta fraternity wants to make their current house as energy efficient and green as possible. The team will look at all aspects...
Show moreThe Delta Tau Delta fraternity wants to make their current house as energy efficient and green as possible. The team will look at all aspects of the DTD house and their operations to create a more energy efficient fraternity. During the term, the team will consider possible alternatives to many issues including but not limited to: mechanical heating system, building envelope, thermal properties of buildings perimeter, roofing materials, air infiltration, ventilation, and occupancy trends.
Deliverables for IPRO 311: Delta Shelter for the fall 2009
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Title: Resonant interaction of a linear array of supersonic rectangular jets: An experimental study
Creator: Raman, G, Taghavi, R
Date: 1996-11-10
Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Title: ORGANIZATIONAL FLEXIBILITY IN CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES
Creator: Taghizadeh Khamesi, Hossein
Date: 2016, 2016-05
Description: Flexibility is a key factor for an organization survival in a changing environment. Considering the cyclical nature of construction demand,...
Show moreFlexibility is a key factor for an organization survival in a changing environment. Considering the cyclical nature of construction demand, organizational flexibility is of special importance in construction company management. Most previous studies tried to categorize the response strategies of construction contractors to business and environmental changes. However, there is gap in the literature about the dynamic effect of organizational flexibility on the growth and competitiveness in construction companies. The objective of this study is to investigate the organizational flexibility of top construction contractors in the U.S. Engineering News-Records (ENR) top 400 contractors lists were used to collect data for the 52-year period 1963-2015. Using the collected data, several analyses were performed to find the relationship between organizational flexibility and competitive success. This attempt did not indicate a distinct relationship between organizational flexibility and competitiveness. It was found however that organizational flexibility is affected by change in the economy and that it was linked to company expansion/contraction. It is concluded that organizational flexibility is an essential advantage for construction contractors. Those contractors that are consistently ranked in the top 400 contractors list respond well to economic changes by expanding and contracting. On the other hand, different size contractors respond to changes in the economy differently, based on their resources and the nature of their work. In addition, this study concluded that those contractors that seek high growth rates face more fluctuations in their growth path and need more flexibility in response to them.
M.S. in Civil Engineering, May 2016
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