2016 MU theses - Access restricted to UM
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Item Leveraging High Performance Computing techniques to accelerate big heterogeneous data pattern analysis and image processing(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2016) England, Matthew Ray; Scott, Grant (Grant J.)[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] In this research we discuss High Performance Computing (HPC) techniques which enable efficient and effective processing of Big Data. HPC seeks to maximize the performance of computing hardware resources. However, current trends in Big Data computing are typically using ecosystems that instead rely on layers and layers of software framework abstraction as well as increasing hardware resources (i.e., high equipment computing). We present HPC techniques which successfully utilize cur- rent multicore and heterogeneous (e.g., co-processor) computing platforms to tackle two Big Data challenges: machine learning and image processing. Machine learning in the age of Big Data requires large-scale pattern analysis to achieve a variety of computational goals. Scalability of systems designed for pattern analysis often involve complex distributed architectures, custom data structures, and distributed programming. We have developed a novel integration of graphics processing unit (GPU) hardware into the PostgreSQL (PG) DBMS to create the Data Science Engine. This achieves a scalable, cost-effective architecture for large-scale pattern analysis. Additionally, we tackle massive-scale image processing tasks (e.g., images with billions of pixels) with a multi-level parallelized geospatial data processing framework. CvTile provides the geoscience community with an open source framework that supports a wide range of geospatial data, facilitates rapid integration of novel algorithms from related image and signal processing fields. Therefore, it enables these algorithms to be scaled to meet the needs of real-world geoscience data sets by exploiting mod- ern heterogeneous HPC technologies. Both of these technologies leverage massively parallel GPU processors to successfully tackle Big Data challenges.Item Development of a portable total-stress measurement instrument(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2016) Fabian, Pedro Ruiz; Washer, Glenn A.[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This research explores the application of ultrasonic stress measurement (USM) technologies to assess stress levels in gusset plates with the development of a small portable tool for in-situ condition assessment. The I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota collapsed as a result of an overstressed (under-designed) gusset plate. Currently, the analytical tools used to assess the adequacy of gusset plates depend on assumed loading based on the intended design configuration of the bridge and conventional tools such as strain gages. The research team has previously developed a methodology for ultrasonic stress measurements in steel plates. This technology utilizes acoustic birefringence to analyze principal stresses. The birefringence measurement evaluates the normalized velocity difference of orthogonally polarized shear waves propagating through the plate. The birefringence varies proportionally as a function of strain in the steel. For verification, laboratory and field test were undertaken to compare ultrasonic stress measurements with stress measurements obtain via conventional strain gages. This project reports on research intended determine parameters and conditions necessary for total-stress measurements and the development of a portable tool that provides bridge engineers with quantitative, easy-to-interpret measurements of the in-situ forces carried in bridge members.Item Modification of polyamide thin film composite reverse osmosis membrane for water desalination(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2016) Al Mayyahi, Ahmed; Deng, Baolin[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] A novel thin film ZnO-Graphene quantum dots composite reverse osmosis (TFQ-RO) membrane was prepared by the interfacial polymerization of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) monomers on a porous polysulfone support. ZnO-graphene quantum dots (19 nm) were dispersed within the poly amide layer to create the quantum dots composite film. Comparison of membranes formed using nano-filler and quantum-filler suggested quantum-sized particles play substantial role in improving water permeability without creating defects in cross-linking of polyamide layer. The best performing quantum composite membrane exhibited better performance in term of water flux and salt rejection when compared to that of nanocomposite and composite membranes. As a concept, thin film quantum dots composite membrane may be used as an alternative for thin film composite reverse osmosis membrane.Item The impact of neuronal Nampt on motor function of mice(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2016) Zhang, Qiao; Ding, Shinghua[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt), also named visfatin and pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF), is the rate-limiting enzyme converting nicotinamide (NAM) into nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and eventually transferring to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) by nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (Nmnat1-3) in the salvage pathway of mammalian NAD+biosynthesis. In the central nervous system (CNS), Nampt is mainly expressed in neurons. Due to the indispensable role of Nampt in energy supply and inflammatory cytokine secretion in the immune system, Nampt is involved in pathogenesis of different diseases including ischemic stroke, cancer, diabetes, aging, inflammation and so on. However, the effect of Nampt on the function of projection neurons remains to be determined. In this present study, we crossed floxed Nampt (Namptf/f) mice with SLICK (singleneuron labeling with inducible Cre-mediated knockout)-H transgenic line controlled by Thy1 promoters, based on site-specific CreERT2/Lox recombinase system, to generate Thy1-YFP-CreERT2: Namptf/f mice. The deletion of Nampt gene in projection neurons was induced by tamoxifen administration to obtain the neuron-specific Nampt homozygous conditional knockout (cKO) mice, i.e., Thy1-YFP-Nampt-/- cKO mice. Western blotting analysis confirmed that the Nampt levels were decreased by more than 50% in the cortex and hippocampus of the Thy1-YFP-Nampt-/- mice. Surprisingly, Thy1-YFP-Nampt-/- cKO mice showed reactive astrogliosis in the CNS and suffered from gradual body weight loss, hypothermia, progressive paralysis, and muscle atrophy, with an average lifespan of three weeks post tamoxifen administration. These mice also exhibited worse performance in the motor functions than wild-type (WT) mice based on behavioral tests, indicating motor dysfunction in Thy1-YFP-Nampt-/- mice. In addition, widespread abnormalities of the neuromuscular junctions were detected in these mice, including fragmented or faint AChR clusters, non-innervated or multi-innervated postsynaptic sites, partially or completely denervated presynapses, and swollen or sprouted axons, which provide further evidence for motor dysfunction. Interestingly, the symptoms in our Nampt cKO mice are considerably similar to those observed in the mouse model of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable neurodegenerative disease. On the other hand, NMN treatment slightly but significantly improved the health conditions of homozygous Nampt cKO mice at the end stage. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the deletion of neuronal Nampt causes general physiological abnormalities, progressive paralysis, muscle wasting and motor behavior dysfunction as well as widespread alterations at both presynaptic and postsynaptic levels in the neuromuscular system of adult mice.Item Attachment of zirconium oxide nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) onto polysulfone hollow fiber membranes (PSF HFMs) surface by self-polymerized L-DOPA to improve membrane performance(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2016) Peng, Xiangting; Deng, Baolin[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Drinking water shortage is one of most important problem needs to be solved. And membrane is a major material for waste water treatment and seawater desalination. However, membrane is not perfect enough. Flux, antifouling property and rejection of membrane are still in need of improving. No matter the modification of the composite of membrane, or the modification of the surface of membrane is under research from a lot of scientists. While, in this research, we focused on the surface modification of polysulfone(PSF) with zirconium oxide nanoparticle by self-polymerized L-DOPA. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) results of PSF and L-DOPA modified PSF showed that the L-DOPA indeed attached onto the surface of PSF membranes when the PSF HFMs are in the alkaline solution of L-DOPA. What more, Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) results showed that the Zirconium(IV) Oxide Nnaoparticles been coated on the PSF hollow fiber membranes by L-DOPA. The decreasing of contact angle after PSF been modified improved that the hydrophilicity can be increased by L-DOPA. Furthermore, the water flux of the PSF was also increased while the rejection to humic acid and BSA remains around 97%. For the antifouling property to humic acid, the flux recovery ration of both PSF and L-DOPA-ZrO2 modified PSF were above 80%. That is to say, L-DOPA- ZrO2 can improve the PSF hollow fiber membranes performance on hydrophilicity and water filtration.