Component Damage Source Identification for Critical Infrastructure Systems

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are becoming increasingly prevalent for both Critical Infrastructure and the Industry 4.0 initiative. Bad values within components of the software portion of CPS, or the computer systems, have the potential to cause major damage if left unchecked, and so detection and locating of where these occur is vital. We further define features of these computer systems and create a use-based system topology. We then introduce a function to monitor system integrity and the presence of bad values as well as an algorithm to locate them. We then show an improved version, taking advantage of several system properties to increase efficiency. We additionally delve into the use of digital twins for simulating potential bad values faster-than-real-time. Finally, we show evidence of our non-digital twin model’s effectiveness through simulation

Countering Systemic Abandonment by Creating Systemic Change

In recent years, the United States has seen a rapid rise in the number of adolescents experiencing anxiety and depression. As has been noted by researchers, this growth is linked to the changing culture and the new challenges facing adolescents. To address this, this ministry project will create an online training seminar for youth workers that will help them identify and respond to the underlying issues in students’ lives leading to anxiety and depression. The first part of the project explored the social science as it relates to the rapid growth that has been observed in adolescents experiencing anxiety and depression. It gave special attention to how the rise of systemic abandonment has created an environment where students are apt to succumb to anxiety and depression. The second part of this project focused on the biblical and theological teachings that are relevant to this specific ministry challenge both in regards to developing a proper understanding of mental health struggles and exploring the biblical mandate to pursue, welcome, and include those who are on the fringes of society into the family of God. Specifically, it focused on how these teachings relate to how the Church is called to engage adolescents who are struggling with anxiety and depression. The third part of this project focused on the creation and implantation of an online training seminar that equips and empowers churches to effectively ministers to adolescents who are struggling with anxiety and depression. It reviewed the data presented in the project, the theological implications of the training, assessed and outline the new ministry initiative goals, strategy, and established a methodology of the training. It also includes a review and assessment of the initial training and notes changes for future adaptations

Cooperative Capital Contractarianism: A Response to David Gauthier’s Morals by Agreement

The goal of this paper is to evaluate a few alternative responses in the defense of rational egoism. I begin by exploring Galucon’s challenge to Socrates in Plato’s Republic as a goal to measure various theories against. Next, I discuss Thomas Hobbes’ theory of contracts and the necessity of a commonwealth and his “fools” objection, as presented in Leviathan. Then, I turn to David Gauthier and examine in depth his argument for constrained maximization in Morals by Agreement. I contend that in an attempt to provide a satisfactory response to both Glaucon and the Fool, Gauthier opens himself up to several major problems. I conclude by providing my own view, Cooperative Capital Contractarianism, and expanding on how it can effectively respond to the problems facing Gauthier’s view

GRANULATION OF ULTRA-FINE POWDERS: EXAMINATION OF GRANULE MICROSTRUCTURE, CONSOLIDATION BEHAVIOR, AND POWDER FEEDING

Davis, Nathan B. Ph.D., Purdue University, December 2015. Granulation Behavior of Ultra-Fine Powders: Examination of Granule Microstructure, Consolidation Behavior, and Powder Feeding. Major Professor: James Litste

Effect of Sensory Additives on Sow Lactation Performance, Subsequent Reproductive Performance, and Nursey Pig Performance

Maximizing nutrient intake during lactation is vital to sow performance as well as litter performance. The aim of these studies was to evaluate the impact of a sensory additive on sow lactation performance and nursery pig performance. Five groups of sows were farrowed, three during winter (October, December and January) and two during summer months (June, July, August). Sows were weighed, and back fat depth was measured, at 110 d of gestation prior to entering the lactation room, and again at weaning. The sows were blocked by parity, and then allotted by BW at d 110 to Control or 0.075% sensory additive (Luctamax® SowVive, Lucta S.A., Spain). Experimental diets were offered upon entry to the lactation room and fed through weaning. Feed disappearance was recorded every three days. Sows were fed 2.72 kg/day until farrowing, and then allowed to eat ad libitum from 24 hours post-farrowing until weaning. A total of 270 piglets were utilized for the nursery trial. Upon weaning, pigs were blocked by bodyweight and then randomly assigned to one of five dietary treatments (Diet A, Diet B, Diet C, PC, and NC). No differences were observed in sow feed intake (P \u3e 0.4) in winter months, while an seasonal effect of an increase in feed intake was observed during summer months. In conclusion, in the current study, lactation diets supplemented with a sensory additive improved sow feed intake during summer months, but had no effect in winter months, and improved litter performance and helped maintain sow body condition. Nursery pig performance was slightly enhanced for diets B and C

Just a thought

Every music theory and composition major must complete a senior composition recital in order to graduate. Since the first day of my freshman year, I have been anticipating and preparing for the pieces that I would eventually compose and present at my own recital. From jazz tunes to Celtic melodies to classical harmonies, I sought to compose a diverse spectrum of quality material. This project is a presentation of the process required to organize the recital, the material from the recital itself, and my post-recital reflections.Thesis (B.?)Honors Colleg

Surface phase emergence and evolution of solid oxide fuel cell cathode materials

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversitySolid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology is an effective method of energy conversion due to its high efficiency and fuel flexibility. A limiting factor for SOFC performance is the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) that occurs at cathode surface. This research involves the study of changes in the surface composition and structure at the surface of the cathode, since these changes can directly influence the ORR. Idealized single crystals of cathode materials La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 (LSM) and La1-xSrxCoyFe1-yO3 (LSCF) were grown as heteroepitaxial thin films on lattice matched single crystal substrates. These thin films have well defmed solid gas interfaces and extremely flat surfaces that are useful model systems. The as-deposited films were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Changes upon heating the films to operating temperature and pressures were characterized using various synchrotron x-ray techniques. Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence (TXRF) measurements, which probe compositional changes, were made at high temperature in real time. The LSM surfaces were found to develop manganese enrichment when heated. Highly strontium doped LSCF were found to develop strontium-rich surfaces. On lowering the strontium doping concentration of LSCF, the amount of surface strontium content is reduced. Quenching preserved the high temperature compositional nature of these perovskite materials. X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy (XANES) confirmed that the changes to film surfaces are irreversible. HArd X-ray PhotoElectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES) was used to investigate the electronic structure of the materials. LSM undergoes a redistribution of manganese 3+, 4+, and 2+ surface states depending on annealing conditions. Highly strontium doped LSCF precipitates a surface strontium phase that contains both oxide and carbonate contributions. Although, lowering the bulk strontium doping of LSCF decreases the strontium surface precipitation, these precipitates order as triangles in-plane with the film orientation

Mechanical dispersion of semi-solid binders in high-shear granulation

Granulation is an important industrial process used to produce many foods, medicines, consumer products, and industrial intermediate products. This thesis focuses on high shear wet granulation with the specific case study of detergent manufacture using a high shear pin mixer. The key rate process in detergent manufacturing was determined to be the mechanical dispersion of the semi-solid surfactant binder. The pin mixer and mechanical dispersion utilized experiments, population balance models, and discrete element method (DEM) models. The mechanical dispersion of the surfactant binder was studied using a lab scale 6 liter pin mixer. An experimental method was developed to isolate mechanical dispersion from the other rate processes of granulation. Experiments were conducted over a range of impeller speeds, mixing times, and surfactant injection temperatures. Two surfactants where used each with different yield stresses. The yield stresses of both surfactants were characterized using uniaxial compression tests and extrapolated to the impact speeds observed in the pin mixer. Using the yield stress to calculate the Stokes deformation number revealed that the breakage of surfactant would occur at all impact conditions in the pin mixer. The mechanical dispersion results demonstrated that the rate process could be modeled as a breakage process. The results determined that the key parameter governing the mechanical dispersion of paste was the number of revolutions of the impeller. This implies that impaction or sudden stress from the impeller is the mechanism that causes nuclei breakage. The results of the mechanical dispersion experiments were then used to develop a mechanistic semi-empirical model. Because the results indicated that breakage should occur for every impact with the impeller, the model was based on particle impact efficiency between the impeller and nuclei. The impact efficiency was described in a way similar to particle gas filtration where the Stokes number is the characteristic dimensionless group. The population balance model was breakage only and was able to accurately predict the full size distributions of the surfactant nuclei. The results showed that the model was able to accurately account for the effect of tip speed and number of revolutions. This was found by fitting the simulation to a single impeller speed and then predicting the size distributions by varying only the velocity input. Finally, a DEM unit shear cell was developed to understand the transmission of stress from a bulk material to a single large particle of interest similar to surfactant nuclei. The simulation examined the effect of both shear rate, placement of the large particle, and the material properties. The results determined that the material properties used in the simulation had a much greater effect on the shear profile and stress in the shear cell than the effect of the macroscopic shear rate. Using the von Mises yield criteria, the results demonstrated that the shear cell transmitted more stress to the large particle than the yield stress characterized experimentally from the surfactant. The results indicate that the surfactant should break in shear within the pin mixer. Mechanical dispersion has been successfully modeled for the case of detergent granulation in the pin mixer. The combined results demonstrate that mechanical dispersion of surfactant can be modeled as a breakage process. The number of impeller orations and the Stokes number are key parameters to accurately describe and model the simulation. The surfactant should break apart due to both impact and shear within the granulator

Effect of Sensory Additives on Sow Lactation Performance, Subsequent Reproductive Performance, and Nursey Pig Performance

Maximizing nutrient intake during lactation is vital to sow performance as well as litter performance. The aim of these studies was to evaluate the impact of a sensory additive on sow lactation performance and nursery pig performance. Five groups of sows were farrowed, three during winter (October, December and January) and two during summer months (June, July, August). Sows were weighed, and back fat depth was measured, at 110 d of gestation prior to entering the lactation room, and again at weaning. The sows were blocked by parity, and then allotted by BW at d 110 to Control or 0.075% sensory additive (Luctamax® SowVive, Lucta S.A., Spain). Experimental diets were offered upon entry to the lactation room and fed through weaning. Feed disappearance was recorded every three days. Sows were fed 2.72 kg/day until farrowing, and then allowed to eat ad libitum from 24 hours post-farrowing until weaning. A total of 270 piglets were utilized for the nursery trial. Upon weaning, pigs were blocked by bodyweight and then randomly assigned to one of five dietary treatments (Diet A, Diet B, Diet C, PC, and NC). No differences were observed in sow feed intake (P \u3e 0.4) in winter months, while an seasonal effect of an increase in feed intake was observed during summer months. In conclusion, in the current study, lactation diets supplemented with a sensory additive improved sow feed intake during summer months, but had no effect in winter months, and improved litter performance and helped maintain sow body condition. Nursery pig performance was slightly enhanced for diets B and C