In 1967, Broward County, Florida resource managers initiated a project to construct an artificial reef to enhance recreational fishing using waste vehicle tires. An estimated two million unballasted tires were bundles and deployed in bundles approximately 1.8km offshore in 21m of water on sandy substrate separating the middle and outer reef tracts, running parallel to the coast. Over time, bindings on the tire bundles failed and the tires became mobile with normal currents and high energy storms. The tires have apparently moved extensively, travelling kilometers from their original location to beaches and deeper waters offshore. It has also been reported that loose tires have physically damaged benthic reef fauna on the natural reef. Due to this damage, a large-scale removal plan of the tires has been initiated. To assess damage and evaluate effectiveness of tire removal, an examination of existing biota was accomplished. Live corals were absent on the middle reef edge, buried by tires but were present on the tires themselves. When compared to the impacted middle reef edge (tires present), adjacent natural reef control sites (tires absent) exhibited significantly lower fish abundance and species richness. Removal of the tires will directly reduce the abundance of fishes and affect the corals in the area. Future studies will evaluate the loss of these resources relative to the gain in reduced impact to the natural reef.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a manufacturing technique that adds material, such as polymers, ceramics, and metals, in patterned layers to build three-dimensional parts for applications related to medicine, aviation, and energy. AM processes for metals like selective laser melting (SLM) hold the unique advantage of fabricating metal parts with complex architectures that cannot be produced by conventional manufacturing techniques. Thermal transport can be a focal point of unique AM products and is likewise important to metal AM processes. This dissertation investigates AM metal meshes with spatially varied thermal conductivities that can be used to maximize the charge and discharge rates for thermal energy storage and thermal management by phase change materials (PCMs). Further, manufacturing these meshes demands excellent thermal control in the metal powder bed for SLM processes. Since the thermal conductivities of metal powders specific to AM were previously unknown, we made pioneering measurements of such powders as a function of gas infiltration. In the past, thermal transport was improved in phase change materials for energy storage by adding spatially homogeneous metal foams or particles into PCMs to create composites with uniformly-enhanced (UE) thermal conductivity. Spatial variation can now be realized due to the emergence of metal AM processes whereby graded AM meshes are inserted into PCMs to create PCM composites with spatially-enhanced (SE) thermal conductivity. As yet, there have been no studies on what kind of spatial variation in thermal conductivity can further improve charge and discharge rates of the PCM. Making such mesh structures, which exhibit unsupported overhangs that limit heat dissipation pathways during SLM processes, demands understanding of heat diffusion within the surrounding powder bed. This inevitably relies on the precise knowledge of the thermal conductivity of AM metal powders. Currently, no measurements of thermal conductivity of AM powders have been made for the SLM process. In chapter 2 and 3, we pioneer and optimize the spatial variation of metal meshes to maximize charge and discharge rates in PCMs. Chapter 2 defines and analytically determines an enhancement ratio of charge rates using spatially-linear thermal conductivities in Cartesian and cylindrical coordinates with a focus on thermal energy storage. Chapter 3 further generalizes thermal conductivity as a polynomial function in space and numerically optimizes the enhancement ratio in spherical coordinates with a focus on thermal management of electronics. Both of our studies find that higher thermal conductivities of SE composites near to the heat source outperform those of UE composites. For selected spherical systems, the enhancement ratio reaches more than 800% relative to existing uniform foams. In chapter 4, the thermal conductivities of five metal powders for the SLM process were measured using the transient hot wire method. These measurements were conducted with three infiltrating gases (He, N2, and Ar) within a temperature range of 295-470 K and a gas pressure range of 1.4-101 kPa. Our measurements indicate that the pressure and the composition of the gas have a significant influence on the effective thermal conductivity of the powder. We find that infiltration with He provides more than 300% enhancement in powder thermal conductivity, relative to conventional infiltrating gases N2 and Ar. We anticipate that this use of He will result in better thermal control of the powder bed and thus will improve surface quality in overhanging structures.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / Michael E. Dikeman / The objectives were to determine the effects of packaging and injection-enhancement on beef sensory attributes, postmortem proteolysis, and color. Muscles from USDA Select, A-maturity carcasses were fabricated into 2.54-cm steaks on d 7 postmortem. In Experiment 1, longissimus lumborum (n=14 pairs) muscles were used. Packaging treatments were: vacuum packaging (VP); 80% O2/20% CO2 (HiO2); 0.4% CO/35% CO2/64.6%N2 (ULO2CO); 0.4% CO/99.6% CO2; 0.4% CO/99.6% N2; or 0.4% CO/99.6% Ar. In Experiment 2, longissimus lumborum (n=12 pairs); semitendinosus (n=12 pairs); and triceps brachii (n=24 pairs) muscles from one carcass side were injection-enhanced or non-enhanced. Steaks were packaged into VP, HiO2, or ULO2CO MAP. Steaks packaged in HiO2 MAP were in dark storage (2°C) for 4 d and all other steaks for 14 d. Steaks were displayed under fluorescent lighting for 7 d. Trained color panelists assigned color scores. Steaks for tenderness, cooked color, and sensory were cooked to 70°C. Steaks packaged in VP or ULO2 with CO MAP had little or no discoloration. Steaks packaged in HiO2 MAP discolored faster (P < 0.05) and more (P < 0.05) than steaks in other packaging treatments. Steaks packaged in HiO2 MAP were less tender (P < 0.05) than other treatments at the end of display, but had 10 d less aging due to shorter dark storage. Steaks packaged in HiO2 had the lowest (P < 0.05) a* values for internal cooked color of all treatments and exhibited premature browning. Enhanced steaks were more tender (P < 0.05) than non-enhanced steaks. Sensory panelists found that non-enhanced steaks packaged in ULO2CO MAP or VP were more tender (P < 0.05), had more (P < 0.05) beef flavor, and had less (P < 0.05) off-flavors than steaks packaged in HiO2 MAP. Off-flavors for steaks packaged in HiO2 MAP often were described as oxidative and rancid. Enhanced steaks had more (P < 0.05) off-flavors than non-enhanced steaks. Postmortem proteolysis measured by desmin degradation was not affected (P > 0.05) by packaging. Steaks packaged in ULO2 plus CO MAP had superior color stability, tenderness, and sensory attributes compared to steaks in HiO2 MAP.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / John A. Unruh / Sixty cows were utilized to investigate the use of zilpaterol, implanting, and concentrate feeding on performance, carcass traits, subprimal yield, steak retail display, and meat palatability of cows fed for 70 d. The 5 treatments were: 1) grass-fed on pasture (Grass); 2) concentrate-fed (C); 3) concentrate-fed and implanted (CI) with a trenbolone acetate/estradiol implant, DE); 4) concentrate-fed and fed zilpaterol beginning on d 38 of the feeding period (CZ); and 5) concentrate-fed, implanted and fed zilpaterol (CIZ). Hot carcass weights and dressing percentages were higher (P < 0.05) for all concentrate-fed cows than grass-fed cows. The CIZ cows had the largest and grass-fed cows the smallest longissimus muscle (LM) areas. Total subprimal weights were lightest for cuts from the grass-fed cows; and CIZ cows had greater weights than those from C cows. Sensory panelists found LM steaks from C and grass-fed cows were more tender than steaks from CZ and CIZ cows; and steaks from CI cows were more tender than steaks from CIZ cows. However, no tenderness differences were observed among treatments for knuckle (KN) steaks. In another study, carcasses from 31 fed cows and 24 fed steers were used to investigate the effects of aging (7 or 28 d) on LM retail display; aging and enhancement (blade tenderization and enhancement solution injection) on LM tenderness; and aging on enhanced KN, top blade, and top sirloin steaks. Steaks (LM) aged 7 d had less discoloration and were more color stable than steaks aged for 28 d. A sensory panel found enhanced-cow LM steaks were more tender than non-enhanced steaks; and aging for 28 d improved tenderness compared to 7 d aging for non-enhanced steaks only. Aging for 28 d compared to 7 d improved Warner-Bratzler shear (more tender) for enhanced cow top sirloin, steer top sirloin, and steer top blade steaks. Feeding cull cows a concentrate diet improved lean meat yields. When feeding a concentrate diet a combination of an implant and feeding zilpaterol can further increase lean meat yields. Enhancement provides an opportunity to improve tenderness of steaks from fed cows and steers.

In this thesis a technique that is being used in another area of technology to optimize light reception in a photographic camera was also applied to the dielectric resonator antenna. The technique consisting of the use of thin film to couple the media and camera impedances resulted in a dielectric resonator antenna bandwidth enhancement technique. The bandwidth enhancement technique was found when thin film dielectric layer structure was used to couple the dielectric resonator and its feed mechanism. Remarkable good performance was detected with a coplanar waveguide fed cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna which resulted in an improvement to its fractional bandwidth from 7.41% to 50.85%. Extensive experimental work was undertaken in order to explore the extent offered in bandwidth performance by using thin film dielectric layer structure in the dielectric resonator antenna performance. The experimental tasks were designed in order to investigate the influence of the thin film dielectric layer structure in relation to its size, shape, thickness, position and direction. Experimental results were supported with simulation work with the computer simulation technology microwave studio. The pieces of the material used for undertaking this experimental work were manually handcrafted. Four different dielectric resonator antenna designs were used in order to carry out the experimental work including the coplanar waveguide fed cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna. The other three dielectric resonator antennas were implemented using the same microstrip feed mechanism. Improved performance in bandwidth was achieved for all the designs. Optimization of the incoming signal was observed when a piece of thin film dielectric layer structure was placed in position between the feed mechanism and the dielectric resonator antenna. The optimization was observed as an enhancement in both the return loss level and the bandwidth of work. Different unexpected operational modes from were activated, such modes being called perturbed modes. Two different shapes were used in this project. Cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna (ɛr = 37) from a commercial provider and two novel rectangular dielectric resonator antennas. The novel rectangular dielectric resonator antennas were created with the methodology presented in this thesis. The rectangular dielectric resonator antennas were elaborated with transparent ceramic material (ɛr = 7) and TMM10i (ɛr = 9.8) from the Rogers Corporation company. The bandwidth enhancement technique was tested in novel embedded dielectric resonator antennas. A coplanar waveguide fed embedded cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna achieved a maximum bandwidth enhancement of 156.77% around f = 3.79 GHz with a thin film dielectric layer structure modified rectangular piece on one edge. Escalation to dielectric resonator antenna design at millimeter wave frequencies was achieved by using thin film dielectric layer structure bandwidth enhancement technique and a handcrafted printed circuit board millimeter wave feed mechanism. The millimeter wave feed mechanisms were achieved using a low cost alternative technique conceived as part of this project. Millimeter wave dielectric resonator antennas were implemented using thin film dielectric layers structure. The antennas deliver an adequate performance in bandwidth. The work presented in this thesis demonstrates dielectric resonator antenna simpler geometry, simple couple schemes, small size, low profile, light weight, and ease of excitation and orientation. Other parameters have also been investigated covering reduced complexity, high degree of flexibility, ease of fabrication and the use of low cost technology to escalate to millimeter wave frequencies.

The present investigation involved the development of a psychobiologic profile of individuals who experience exercise-related mood-enhancement and those who do not. The sample (N=301) consisted of students participating in 10-week exercise classes at North Texas State University. All subjects completed pre-test inventories assessing various psychological (i.e., trait anxiety and depression, attitude toward physical activity, self-estimation of physical ability and attraction to physical activity, expectancies of health benefits from exercise, and self-motivation) and biological (i.e., aerobic capacity and body fat percentage) variables. Trait anxiety and depression were also assessed before and after the 10-week exercise program and state anxiety and depression were assessed on an acute basis on two separate occasions during the program. Multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant function analysis were employed to determine which variables maximally discriminated between individuals who experienced mood-elevations following exercise and those who did not enjoy such rewards. The hypothesis that these two groups of individuals differ significantly from each other was not upheld by the results; thus, an overall psychobiologic profile could not be developed. However, the data did reveal that individuals who held a more positive attitude toward physical activity for the purpose of health and fitness reduced their state anxiety and depression following exercise significantly more than individuals who held more neutral attitudes. The results also confirmed previous research that individuals initially high in trait anxiety and depression showed a significantly greater decrease in these traits than subjects scoring in the low-moderate range at the outset of the exercise class. Recommendations for future research are discussed.

This work applies sparse representations and nonlinear image processing to two inverse imaging problems. The first problem involves image restoration, where the aim is to reconstruct an unknown high-quality image from a low-quality observed image. Sparse representations of images have drawn a considerable amount of interest in recent years. The assumption that natural signals, such as images, admit a sparse decomposition over a redundant dictionary leads to efficient algorithms for handling such sources of data. The standard sparse representation, however, does not consider the intrinsic geometric structure present in the data, thereby leading to sub-optimal results. Using the concept that a signal is block sparse in a given basis —i.e., the non-zero elements occur in clusters of varying sizes — we present a novel and efficient algorithm for learning a sparse representation of natural images, called graph regularized block sparse dictionary (GRBSD) learning. We apply the proposed method towards two image restoration applications: 1) single-Image super-resolution, where we propose a local regression model that uses learned dictionaries from the GRBSD algorithm for super-resolving a low-resolution image without any external training images, and 2) image inpainting, where we use GRBSD algorithm to learn a multiscale dictionary to generate visually plausible pixels to fill missing regions in an image. Experimental results validate the performance of the GRBSD learning algorithm for single-image super-resolution and image inpainting applications. The second problem addressed in this work involves image enhancement for detection and segmentation of objects in images. We exploit the concept that even though data from various imaging modalities have high dimensionality, the data is sufficiently well described using low-dimensional geometrical structures. To facilitate the extraction of objects having such structure, we have developed general structure enhancement methods that can be used to detect and segment various curvilinear structures in images across different applications. We use the proposed method to detect and segment objects of different size and shape in three applications: 1) segmentation of lamina cribrosa microstructure in the eye from second-harmonic generation microscopy images, 2) detection and segmentation of primary cilia in confocal microscopy images, and 3) detection and segmentation of vehicles in wide-area aerial imagery. Quantitative and qualitative results show that the proposed methods provide improved detection and segmentation accuracy and computational efficiency compared to other recent algorithms.

With the progress of computer technology, computers are expected to be more intelligent in the interaction with humans, presenting information according to the user's psychological and physiological characteristics. However, computer users with visual problems may encounter difficulties on the perception of icons, menus, and other graphical information displayed on the screen, limiting the efficiency of their interaction with computers. In this dissertation, a personalized and dynamic image precompensation method was developed to improve the visual performance of the computer users with ocular aberrations. The precompensation was applied on the graphical targets before presenting them on the screen, aiming to counteract the visual blurring caused by the ocular aberration of the user's eye. A complete and systematic modeling approach to describe the retinal image formation of the computer user was presented, taking advantage of modeling tools, such as Zernike polynomials, wavefront aberration, Point Spread Function and Modulation Transfer Function. The ocular aberration of the computer user was originally measured by a wavefront aberrometer, as a reference for the precompensation model. The dynamic precompensation was generated based on the resized aberration, with the real-time pupil diameter monitored. The potential visual benefit of the dynamic precompensation method was explored through software simulation, with the aberration data from a real human subject. An "artificial eye'' experiment was conducted by simulating the human eye with a high-definition camera, providing objective evaluation to the image quality after precompensation. In addition, an empirical evaluation with 20 human participants was also designed and implemented, involving image recognition tests performed under a more realistic viewing environment of computer use. The statistical analysis results of the empirical experiment confirmed the effectiveness of the dynamic precompensation method, by showing significant improvement on the recognition accuracy. The merit and necessity of the dynamic precompensation were also substantiated by comparing it with the static precompensation. The visual benefit of the dynamic precompensation was further confirmed by the subjective assessments collected from the evaluation participants.

The multimedia domain is undergoing a rapid development phase with transition in audio, image, and video systems such as VoIP, Telepresence, Live/On-Demand Internet Streaming, SecondLife, and many more. In such a situation, the analysis of multimedia systems, like retrieval, quality evaluation, enhancement, summarization, and re-targeting applications, from various context is becoming critical. Current methods for solving the above-mentioned analysis problems do not consider the existence of humans and their affective characteristics in the design methodology. This contradicts the fact that most of the digital media is consumed only by the human end-users. We believe incorporating human feedback during the design and adaptation stage is key to the building process of multimedia systems. In this regard, we observe that affect is an important indicator of human perception and experience. This can be exploited in various ways for designing effective systems that will adapt more closely to the human response. We advocate an affect-based modeling approach for solving multimedia analysis problems by exploring new directions. In this dissertation, we select two representative multimedia analysis problems, e.g. Quality-of-Experience (QoE) evaluation and Image Enhancement in order to derive solutions based on affect-based modeling techniques. We formulate specific hypothesis for them by correlating system parameters to user's affective response, and investigate their roles under varying conditions for each respective scenario. We conducted extensive user studies based on human-to-human interaction through an audio conferencing system.We also conducted user studies based on affective enhancement of images and evaluated the effectiveness of our proposed approaches. Moving forward, multimedia systems will become more media-rich, interactive, and sophisticated and therefore effective solutions for quality, retrieval, and enhancement will be more challenging. Our work thus represents an important step towards the application of affect-based modeling techniques for the future generation of multimedia systems.

The estimation of power spectral densities is a critical step in many speech enhancement algorithms. The demand for multi-channel speech enhancement systems is high with applications in teleconferencing, cellular phones, and hearing aids. The first objective of the thesis is to develop a general multi-channel framework to solve for the diffuse noise power spectral densities whenever the spatial correlation or coherence matrix is pre-estimated and the number of speakers is less than the number of microphones. The second objective is to develop closed-form analytical solutions. The performance of the developed algorithms is evaluated with pre-existing algorithms using prescribed performance measures.