TTU Published Journals @ Volpe Library
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Early Stage Prediction of Diabetes Risk Using Machine Learning
No full textDiabetes is one of the more fatal diseases in this world. Additionally, it is the reason behind a different range of disorders. For instance, blindness, urinary organ diseases, coronary failure, etc. Yet, while new technologies and scientific advancements have resulted in many diseases being cured around the world, some like diabetes can be prevented but not cured. Numerous data mining approaches, using techniques such as K-Nearest Neighbor Algorithm, Logistic Regression Algorithm, and Random Forest Algorithm, have been applied in this domain for the detection, prediction, and classification of diabetes. The aim of this paper is to develop an approach that predicts the early stages of diabetes
SecCAN-FD:A Next Generation Secure CAN Protocol
No full textThe Controller Area Network (CAN Bus) is the most popular in-vehicle communication network within modern commercial vehicles due to its affordable price, reduced weight, adherence to real-time requirements, and resilient fault-tolerance mechanism. Unlike Ethernet, CAN lacks a source and destination address and instead uses an arbitration identifier, with lower IDs indicating higher priority messages. However, CAN lacks basic security features such as encryption and authentication, and is therefore susceptible to attacks such as replay, masquerade, and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. Researchers have proposed various methods of securing CAN including encryption schemes, intrusion detection systems, and firewalls. SecCAN [Ullah et. al.] is a secure CAN protocol that protects against both replay and masquerade attacks but is susceptible to DoS and its proposed implementation is limited by the CAN protocol. Thus, we have designed SecCAN-FD, an improved version of SecCAN which will use CAN-FD, rather than CAN 2.0, to utilize its increased payload for enhanced lightweight encryption and authentication. Additionally, we are combining concepts from CANSentry [Humayed et. al.], a novel CAN firewall, to limit communication between ECUs exposed to attack surfaces and internal ECUs. To prevent targeted ID DoS attacks on legitimate arbitration IDs, a lightweight IDS component will monitor the frequency of messages originating from exposed ECUs
Predicting PGA Tournament Outcomes
No full textWith the explosion in the popularity of golf and sports betting, sports analysts have attempted to predict outcomes of golf tournaments based on statistical data. Many sports fans and analysts feel that golf is a game that can not be accurately predicted. However, professional golfers are not like your everyday amateur golfer, their high level of skill and consistency gives data scientists a better chance of predicting how the results of a professional golf tournament can unfold. In recent years, there has been a large push for collecting more data in regards to player performance on the PGA Tour with the introduction of ShotLink, which is the PGA Tour's proprietary method for collecting player statistics. This development has led to a massive amount of available statistics for analysts and data scientists to consider when predicting tournament outcomes. While this is a great advancement for the game of golf, it has also led to an overwhelming flood of data that can muddle the big picture of players' performances. This work will provide visualizations of critical player statistics as well as consider the statistics of each individual course the tour visits in order to determine a group of players that will perform well at each PGA Tour event
Data Clustering for Categorizing Normal and Unusual IoT Network Traffic to Identify Attacks
No full textInternet of Things (IoT) devices are becoming increasingly prevalent as time goes on, as they present a means of connectivity that is both straightforward and efficient for the end user. These devices are being used everywhere, like in homes, businesses, and people's pockets. Because of the amount of connectivity that they allow, network traffic security is a growing concern, especially as the devices become used in more sensitive environments. Data clustering, a machine learning technique used to group data points, is one solution to aid in classifying network data. By organizing network traffic as normal or unusual, direct and indirect attacks can be identified. This paper will compare the use of various data clustering algorithms to aid in analyzing IoT network traffic and determine if an attack was attempted or not
Creating 3D-Printed Anisotropic Media for Use in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
No full textVarious Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) techniques contribute to the determination of protein and small molecule structures. The use of Residual Dipolar Couplings in structural determinations requires a specialized anisotropic media based on solvated gel polymers. They typically take weeks to be ready for use and when combined with limited suppliers using these polymers can be costly. A 3D printed polymer substitute reduces cost and can vastly reduce the time between product creation and testing. The objective of this project was to create a 3D printed orienting media that contains many microscopic channels, allowing for the suspension of analyte molecules in an anisotropic environment. A 3D model file was created and produced in a resin 3D printer to create candidate orienting media. These were then used to obtain several NMR spectra in deuterated chloroform. Optimal solvent wash conditions were determined to avoid polymer cracking; pore size dimension and polymer compression were also explored to determine their impact on the orienting effects as measured in NMR. Moving forward, 3D printed polymers demonstrate promise as an alternative orienting media
Diffusion behavior of liquid state aliphatic phenothiazine compounds
Get PDFIonic compounds are high melting compounds comprised of cations and anions held together through electrostatic interactions. When these ionic compounds contain either an organic cation or anion they tend to melt below 100 ºC and they are referred to as ionic liquids (ILs). Double salt ionic liquids (DSIL) are complex ILs with either one anion and several cations, several anions and one cation or several anions and several cations. Both the ILs and DSILs have important applications in drug design as they will keep the pharmacological properties of the constituent ions while having improved properties (such as bioavailability and aqueous solubility) when compared to the corresponding neutral precursors. Thus, by modifying the ionic composition and molar ratio, one can easily formulate new ILs and DSILs with specific purposes. One powerful technique for characterizing these liquid state compounds is diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY). When applied to ILs and DSILs, DOSY measures the self-diffusion coefficients for the constituent anion(s) and cation(s). The work presented here focuses on using DOSY to determine the diffusion behavior of several DSILs obtained by combining aliphatic phenothiazine cations (promazine, chlorpromazine or triflupromazine) with two anions, namely the ibuprofenate (a known non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) and docusate (a penetration enhancer) anions
Women in STEM
No full textLike many issues regarding acknowledgment of women, there is a lack of appreciation and recognition for the women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Despite all disparities, women have made tremendous progress in STEM education, research, and workspace during the past 50 years. Women in the past few centuries and in the current century have worked hard to earn their positions in STEM fields. In this research paper, the authors present some of the women scientists who have made notable contributions to their fields of study; significant women like Rosalind Franklin and Andrea Ghez are mentioned. The authors compare recent, relevant data from Tennessee Technological University science departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry (undergraduate, masters, and graduate students as well as faculty) – findings show that science students are 54% female and science faculty are 31% female. The rate of STEM courses taken by female students dop off significantly at higher education levels. The authors conclude by describing propositions to bridge the gender gap and increase women's representation and desire for STEM careers. Solutions include researching areas where women are less represented and increasing the amount of female role models for younger generations. Overall, there needs to be more educational and employment opportunities for women in STEM, and society today can make that change a reality
Utilizing 1H-NMR spectroscopy to measure the octanol-water partition coefficient of hydantoin compounds
Get PDFSolid-state drugs exhibit polymorphism (transformations between crystalline structures), negatively impacting their solubility, bioavailability, and overall efficacy. These changes can be prevented by transforming these drugs into an ionic liquid state. Hydantoin drugs were initially used as antiseizure and antiepileptic medications. After additional investigation, their topical use as a treatment for chronic wounds has shown promise. Their solubility impacts their efficacy in wound fluid. Previous research has shown that these compounds can successfully be converted into liquid state through the ionic liquid approach. Gaining insight into the dissolution rates of these compounds allows for new delivery pathways to be investigated. Their hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties can be determined by calculating the octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow). Here our efforts evaluating these properties through the use of 1H-NMR spectroscopy are discussed
Abiotic Generation of Floating Iron (Fe) Hydroxide Film with Rainbow Reflection: A Preliminary Hypothesis Testing Study
No full textIron (Fe) is special. It is the last stable element generated in stars. Fe is also at the center of many chemical dramas involving ferric Fe (Fe(III)) and ferrous Fe (Fe(II)) and their reduction/oxidation (redox) staged in our environments. In a separate study, naturally occurring floating film with rainbow reflection observed on the surface of some natural waters was successfully regenerated in a laboratory setting (see the poster of Zac Rush and Zoe Penn). Here we report a laboratory study to test the hypothesis proposed in the separate study that the floating film is Fe(III) hydroxide polymer film generated by oxidation of Fe(II) (microbially produced at water/soil interface and released to water surface) to Fe(III) at water/air interface. Our study showed that the floating rainbow reflection film was successfully generated using inundated sand particles mixed with an Fe(II) salt in a beaker (as a simulation of the inundated soil systems). The study further demonstrated that the floating film was successfully generated even in a simplest system of a beaker with the Fe(II) salt and water only. We also found that the amount of the floating film generated was dependent on the level of the Fe(II) salt and the level of free oxygen present in the water and headspace of the beaker. The evidences collected in this preliminary study jointly support the hypothesis on the natural phenomenon of the floating film involving a fascinating environmental redox drama
Incorporation of Fluorinated-Tryptophan into c-Jun N-terminal Kinase 3
No full textc-Jun N-terminal Kinase 3 (JNK3) is a member of Mitogen-Activated Protein kinases (MAPK), which regulates a diverse signal transduction events related to many essential cellular processes including differentiation, apoptosis and prefoliation. JNK3 has been recognized as a therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. This project seeks to elucidate the potential binding induced conformational changes of JNK3 protein by using 19F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This study uses site specific incorporation of fluorine tags onto proteins through the use of chemically defined media, which seeks to deprive cells of the amino acid tryptophan. Through the addition of 5-fluoro-indole to the media, a fluorinated precursor to tryptophan, fluorinated tryptophan can be synthesized in cell by tryptophan synthase. For expression of JNK3 in this media, we will optimize the conditions by adding several nutrient additives (serine, and PLP) to increase the amount of fluorinated proteins. Our results demonstrate that the addition of serine and PLP significantly increases the production of functional JNK3. Preliminary NMR data indicates a successful incorporation of fluorine using this method of unnatural amino acid synthesis