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University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

2006

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Entropy Of Electroencephalogram (Eeg) Signals Changes With Sleep State, Blesy Anu Mathew Jan 2006

Entropy Of Electroencephalogram (Eeg) Signals Changes With Sleep State, Blesy Anu Mathew

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

We hypothesized that temporal features of EEG are altered in sleep apnea subjects comparedto normal subjects. The initial aim was to develop a measure to discriminate sleep stages innormals. The longer-term goal was to apply these methods to identify differences in EEGactivity in sleep apnea subjects from normals. We analyzed the C3A2 EEG and anelectrooculogram (EOG) recorded from 9 normal adults awake and in rapid eye movement(REM) and non-REM sleep. The EEG signals were filtered to remove EOG contamination. Twomeasures of the irregularity of EEG signals, Sample Entropy (SpEn) and Tsallis Entropy, wereevaluated for their ability to discriminate sleep stages. …

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The Universal Media Book, Shilpi Gupta Jan 2006

The Universal Media Book, Shilpi Gupta

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

We explore the integration of projected imagery with a physical book that acts as a tangible interface to multimedia data. Using a camera and projector pair, a tracking framework is presented wherein the 3D position of planar pages are monitored as they are turned back and forth by a user, and data is correctly warped and projected onto each page at interactive rates to provide the user with an intuitive mixed-reality experience. The book pages are blank, so traditional camera-based approaches to tracking physical features on the display surface do not apply. Instead, in each frame, feature points are independently …

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Fabrication Of Polymer Based Optical Devices For Communication And Sensing, Sandhya Pochiraju Jan 2006

Fabrication Of Polymer Based Optical Devices For Communication And Sensing, Sandhya Pochiraju

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Polymer waveguides present a potentially low cost alternative to electronics in communication systems. Polymers offer relatively straightforward and economical fabrication when compared to conventional materials. In this study, a fabrication process for Bragg gratings in polymer waveguides was developed. Waveguides were designed using finite-element analysis, patterned via e-beam lithography, and a detailed fabrication method was developed. Surface-Plasmon Resonance (SPR) is a widely accepted method for biological and chemical sensing. Measurement of bulk refractive index changes and specific surface binding is a crucial part in any biosensing. Design and fabrication of a novel self-referencing SPR sensor is described and its functionality …

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Optimization Of Cutting Conditions For Sustainable Machining Of Sintered Powder Metal Steels Using Pcbn And Carbide Tools, Kunal J. Joshi Jan 2006

Optimization Of Cutting Conditions For Sustainable Machining Of Sintered Powder Metal Steels Using Pcbn And Carbide Tools, Kunal J. Joshi

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Powder metals are becoming a popular choice in the automotive and other manufacturing industries because of their ability to meet wide ranging product functional requirements without compromising the performance of the product. They offer various advantages, including weight reduction, near net-shape processing capability, and their ability to be sintered to achieve desired properties in the end-product. However, in order to satisfy the product design requirements during manufacturing, they need to be machined to the required tolerances. Machining of powder metals is quite different to machining of traditional metals because of their specific properties, including porosity. This thesis work deals with …

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Differentiating Acculturation And Ethnic Identity In Predicting African American Psychosocial Functioning, Andrea Michelle Smith Jan 2006

Differentiating Acculturation And Ethnic Identity In Predicting African American Psychosocial Functioning, Andrea Michelle Smith

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Ethnic identity is a significant psychological variable for the study of African Americans in the United States and often associated with psychological health. However, the nature of this relationship is sometimes unclear. One reason for the confusion may be that ethnic identity is often confounded with acculturation as they are sometimes used interchangeably in research. Because of this confounding problem, it is not clear whether the relationship between ethnic identity and psychological health is really a reflection of ethnic identity or of ethnic identity confounded with acculturation. Thus, the aim of this study was to use factor analysis to separate …

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Effects Of Management On Reproductive Efficiency In Thoroughbreds, Reka Nagy Jan 2006

Effects Of Management On Reproductive Efficiency In Thoroughbreds, Reka Nagy

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Many factors influence the reproductive efficiency of thoroughbred mares. This thesisestimated two separate models for 13 farms in the 2004 breeding season. One model isestimated for pregnancy outcomes, the other is estimated for breeding intervals.Statistically significant variables include age of the mare, number of breedings, certainmedications, farm size, last date of breeding for the first model. Statistically significantvariables for the second model include age, status of mare, number of breedings, certainmedication, and farm size. The model has implication to achieve an optimal breedingschedule and associated management decisions

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A Feasibility Study Of Opening And Operating A Precision Farming Firm In Kentucky, Thomas Joseph Logsdon Jan 2006

A Feasibility Study Of Opening And Operating A Precision Farming Firm In Kentucky, Thomas Joseph Logsdon

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

In the recent past precision farming has become increasingly popular amongfarmers. However, little has been done to study the business aspect of precision farming,with most research focusing on the production side. This purpose of this thesis is tostudy the feasibility of successfully opening and operating a precision farming firm inKentucky. To determine the feasibility of such a venture a computer model was createdand a producer survey was designed and distributed to farmers in Western and CentralKentucky.The purpose of the computer model was to determine the factors that wouldinfluence the successful operation of a precision farming firm including number of acresserviced …

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Basis Variability And Its Effects On Hedging Efficiency For Kentucky Feeder Cattle, Nathaniel J. Routt Jan 2006

Basis Variability And Its Effects On Hedging Efficiency For Kentucky Feeder Cattle, Nathaniel J. Routt

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Kentucky plays a vital role in the beef supply chain. The cow/calf producers,back-grounding operations, and order buying industry are important parts of Kentucky'sagricultural economy. Basis risk is an issue that affects these groups in a negative way. Agood estimate of the expected basis must be available to make hedging efficient.Simulations were performed on Kentucky price data to determine the effectiveness ofshort hedging for Kentucky producers. A model was also used to describe some of thefactors that determine basis levels. The research revealed that it is difficult to predictbasis within an acceptable range to make short hedging with futures efficient. Eventhough …

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Dietary Lysine:Calorie Ratios And Their Influence On Nitrogen Metabolism And Digestibility In Moderately Obese Mature Dogs, Trista Reeder Jan 2006

Dietary Lysine:Calorie Ratios And Their Influence On Nitrogen Metabolism And Digestibility In Moderately Obese Mature Dogs, Trista Reeder

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

This experiment was conducted to determine if changing the amount of ideal aminoacids (meaning the amount of amino acids necessary to supply all the animal's needswithout excesses or deficiencies of any single amino acid), in relation to caloric intakewill change nitrogen metabolism and weight loss in obese mature dogs. Informationprovided by this experiment can be used to formulate canine diets emphasizing weightloss in older animals.Six moderately obese mature female crossbred hounds were fed diets varying in theirratio of lysine:calories (Lysine % : Mcal ME/g) (2.2, 3.0, and 3.8) in a 3 x 3 replicatedLatin square design. Increasing the lysine:calorie of …

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Peptide Deformylase: A Modeling Study Of The Active Sites Of Plants And Bacteria And The Design, Synthesis, And Biological Activity Analysis Of Peptide-Based Inhibitors, Jonathan C. Barnes Jan 2006

Peptide Deformylase: A Modeling Study Of The Active Sites Of Plants And Bacteria And The Design, Synthesis, And Biological Activity Analysis Of Peptide-Based Inhibitors, Jonathan C. Barnes

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

All nascent polypeptides synthesized in bacteria, mitochondria, or chloroplastsstart with a N-formylmethionine. Peptide deformylase (PDF) is a mononuclear metal ionprotein that is responsible for removing the N-formyl group of nascent proteins found inbacteria and chloroplasts in order for them to become mature proteins. It is possible, asseen from the literature with actinonin, to chelate the enzyme's metal ion and inhibit thefunction of protein production essentially resulting in death of the bacteria, or plant. Thisstudy examines the active site of Arabidopsis thaliana (At) types of PDF (AtDEF1 andAtDEF2, respectively) as well as bacterial DEF2 using sequence alignments andcomputational modeling. This work …

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Asphalt Pavement Pressure Distributions Using Tekscan Measurement System, Justin Anderson Jan 2006

Asphalt Pavement Pressure Distributions Using Tekscan Measurement System, Justin Anderson

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

As a nation that depends so heavily on its infrastructure, the United Statescontinually seeks to better maintain the investment that it has made in its roadways.Asphalt pavements make up the majority of the paved roadways in the United States andultimately contribute to the bulk of the expense of highway maintenance. The goal ofthis research was to develop a means for taking a simple measurement of pressure atvarious interfaces on and within an asphalt pavement structure in an effort to directlyassess the damaging effects of different wheel loadings. It is well known that everincreasing wheel loads and other unusual wheel loading …

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The Smart Bookshelf, Danny Sylvester Crasto Jan 2006

The Smart Bookshelf, Danny Sylvester Crasto

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The smart bookshelf serves as a test-bed to study environments that are intelligently augmented by projector-camera devices. The system utilizes a camera pair and a projector coupled with an RFID reader to monitor and maintain the state of a real world library shelf. Using a simple calibration scheme, the homography induced by the world plane in which book spines approximately lie is estimated. As books are added to the shelf, a foreground detection algorithm which takes into account the projected information yields new pixels in each view that are then verified using a planar parallax constraint across both cameras to …

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Information Technology For Next-Generation Of Surgical Environments, Jesus Caban Jan 2006

Information Technology For Next-Generation Of Surgical Environments, Jesus Caban

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Minimally invasive surgeries (MIS) are fundamentally constrained by image quality,access to the operative field, and the visualization environment on which thesurgeon relies for real-time information. Although invasive access benefits the patient,it also leads to more challenging procedures, which require better skills andtraining. Endoscopic surgeries rely heavily on 2D interfaces, introducing additionalchallenges due to the loss of depth perception, the lack of 3-Dimensional imaging,and the reduction of degrees of freedom.By using state-of-the-art technology within a distributed computational architecture,it is possible to incorporate multiple sensors, hybrid display devices, and3D visualization algorithms within a exible surgical environment. Such environmentscan assist the surgeon with …

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The Prevalence Of Temporomandibular Disorders In Fibromyalgia Patients Compared To That Of Failed Back Syndrome Patients: A Blinded Prospective Study, Ramesh Balasubramaniam Jan 2006

The Prevalence Of Temporomandibular Disorders In Fibromyalgia Patients Compared To That Of Failed Back Syndrome Patients: A Blinded Prospective Study, Ramesh Balasubramaniam

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in fibromyalgia (FM) patients compared to failed back syndrome (FBS) patients. In addition, the FM and FBS patients were assessed and compared with regard to their psychosocial dysfunction. The study included 51 adult patients (FM = 32, FBS = 19) recruited from a physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic and a FM workshop. Questionnaires included an orofacial pain questionnaire and a battery of psychological questionnaires that included the Symptom Check List-90-Revised, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Multi-dimensional Pain Inventory, the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version, and …

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Automatic Detection Of Sleep And Wake States In Mice Using Piezoelectric Sensors, Dharshan C. Medonza Jan 2006

Automatic Detection Of Sleep And Wake States In Mice Using Piezoelectric Sensors, Dharshan C. Medonza

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Currently technologies such as EEG, EMG and EOG recordings are the established methods used in the analysis of sleep. But if these methods are to be employed to study sleep in rodents, extensive surgery and recovery is involved which can be both time consuming and costly. This thesis presents and analyzes a cost effective, non-invasive, high throughput system for detecting the sleep and wake patterns in mice using a piezoelectric sensor. This sensor was placed at the bottom of the mice cages to monitor the movements of the mice. The thesis work included the development of the instrumentation and signal …

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Comparison Of Celp Speech Coder With A Wavelet Method, Sriram Nagaswamy Jan 2006

Comparison Of Celp Speech Coder With A Wavelet Method, Sriram Nagaswamy

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

This thesis compares the speech quality of Code Excited Linear Predictor (CELP, Federal Standard 1016) speech coder with a new wavelet method to compress speech. The performances of both are compared by performing subjective listening tests. The test signals used are clean signals (i.e. with no background noise), speech signals with room noise and speech signals with artificial noise added. Results indicate that for clean signals and signals with predominantly voiced components the CELP standard performs better than the wavelet method but for signals with room noise the wavelet method performs much better than the CELP. For signals with artificial …

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All Digital Design And Implementaion Of Proportional-Integral-Derivative (Pid) Controller, Hui Hui Chin Jan 2006

All Digital Design And Implementaion Of Proportional-Integral-Derivative (Pid) Controller, Hui Hui Chin

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Due to the prevalence of pulse encoders for system state information, an all-digital proportional-integral-derivative (ADPID) is proposed as an alternative to traditional analog and digital PID controllers. The basic concept of an ADPID stems from the use of pulse-width-modulation (PWM) control signals for continuous-time dynamical systems, in that the controllers proportional, integral and derivative actions are converted into pulses by means of standard up-down digital counters and other digital logic devices. An ADPID eliminates the need for analog-digital and digital-analog conversion, which can be costly and may introduce error and delay into the system. In the proposed ADPID, the unaltered …

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Self Referencing Spr Sensor By Simultaneous Excitation Of Long And Short Range Surface Plasmon Modes, Raghunandan K. Donipudi Jan 2006

Self Referencing Spr Sensor By Simultaneous Excitation Of Long And Short Range Surface Plasmon Modes, Raghunandan K. Donipudi

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

A novel surface plasmon resonance sensor is fabricated to evaluate its use in biochemical sensing. The sensor can differentiate between bulk refractive index changes and surface binding reactions of interest. There has been a great interest in developing sensors to differentiate biological or chemical agents from interfering effects, but they still remain in research phase. In this work, a prism coupler is used to simultaneously excite both long and short range surface plasmon modes of the sensor. The differing sensitivities of the long and short range modes allow one to distinguish surface binding reactions of interest from refractive index fluctuations. …

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Power Reduction By Dynamically Varying Sampling Rate, Srabosti Datta Jan 2006

Power Reduction By Dynamically Varying Sampling Rate, Srabosti Datta

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

In modern digital audio applications, a continuous audio signal stream is sampled at a fixed sampling rate, which is always greater than twice the highest frequency of the input signal, to prevent aliasing. A more energy efficient approach is to dynamically change the sampling rate based on the input signal. In the dynamic sampling rate technique, fewer samples are processed when there is little frequency content in the samples. The perceived quality of the signal is unchanged in this technique. Processing fewer samples involves less computation work; therefore processor speed and voltage can be reduced. This reduction in processor speed …

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Opto-Electronic Processes In Srs:Cu Actfel Devices, Dharmashankar Rajagopalan Jan 2006

Opto-Electronic Processes In Srs:Cu Actfel Devices, Dharmashankar Rajagopalan

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The a. c. thin film electroluminescent (ACTFEL) devices are of scientific interest due to their applications in large area, flat panel displays. Of particular interest to the research community is the mechanism of electron transport and luminance in these devices. Toward this end, a physical model and a mathematical model for SrS:Cu ACTFEL Devices were developed and published earlier by our group. The purpose of this thesis is to obtain a qualitative and quantitative match between experiment and theory. A brief summary of the model can be found here [1]. Effects of variation in drive parameters in experimental steady state …

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Influence Of Moisture Regime And Tree Species On Nitrogen Cycling And Decomposition Dynamics In Deciduous Forests Of Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, Usa, Eric Fabio Jan 2006

Influence Of Moisture Regime And Tree Species On Nitrogen Cycling And Decomposition Dynamics In Deciduous Forests Of Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, Usa, Eric Fabio

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The study of biogeochemical cycles and their role in ecosystem function has helped to highlight the impacts of human activities on natural processes. However, our understanding of the effects of nitrogen (N) deposition on forested ecosystems remains limited due to the variable controls on N cycling. Soils, microclimate, and vegetation can influence rates and processes of N cycling, singly or in concert at multiple scales. Understanding how these factors influence N cycling across the landscape will help to elucidate the impacts of N deposition. The objectives of this study were to characterize variation in soils, microclimate and vegetation characteristics, and …

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A Political Ecology Of The Chipko Movement, Sya Kedzior Jan 2006

A Political Ecology Of The Chipko Movement, Sya Kedzior

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The Indian Chipko movement is analyzed as a case study employing a geographically-informed political ecology approach. Political ecology as a framework for the study of environmental movements provides insight into the complex issues surrounding the structure of Indian society, with particular attention to its ecological and political dimensions. This framework, with its focus on social structure and ecology, is distinct from the more traditional approaches to the study of social movements, which tend to essentialize their purpose and membership, often by focusing on a single dimension of the movement and its context. Using Chipko as a case-study, the author demonstrates …

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Geographies Of Learning In The Blackfeet Nation, Kristin Kay Seery Jan 2006

Geographies Of Learning In The Blackfeet Nation, Kristin Kay Seery

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Though there is a wealth of theory and research on the relationship between space and identity, few, if any, investigations in geographic literature have examined the relationship between space, identity and education. This research asks the question: In what ways are the spaces of formal education and the spaces of informal education on the Blackfeet reservation similar or different and how does this relationship affect the formation of the identity of the Blackfeet traditional student? For this project, students affiliation with traditional practice is defined by their self-identification and is not connected with their tribal membership status. In interviews, students …

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Shear-Wave Velocities And Derivative Mapping For The Upper Mississippi Embayment, David M. Vance Jan 2006

Shear-Wave Velocities And Derivative Mapping For The Upper Mississippi Embayment, David M. Vance

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

During the past two decades, University of Kentucky researchers have been acquiring seismic refraction/reflection data, as well as seismic downhole data, for characterizing the seismic velocity models of the soil/sediment overburden in the central United States. The dataset includes densely spaced measurements for urban microzonation studies and coarsely spaced measurements for regional assessments. The 519 measurements and their derivative products often were not in an organized electronic form, however, limiting their accessibility for use by other researchers. In order to make these data more accessible, this project constructed a database using the ArcGIS 9.1 software. The data have been formatted …

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Petrofabric And Geochemical Analysis Of The Great Smoky -- Snowbird Group Contact, Western Blue Ridge, North Carolina And Tennessee, Kristopher M. Clemons Jan 2006

Petrofabric And Geochemical Analysis Of The Great Smoky -- Snowbird Group Contact, Western Blue Ridge, North Carolina And Tennessee, Kristopher M. Clemons

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Detailed structural and petrographic analysis of the Greenbrier Fault (GBF) reveal different fold and fabric styles and generations preserved in the Great Smoky Group (GSG) hanging wall and Snowbird Group (SG) footwall. Four planar fabrics (S0, S1, S2, and S3) are completely overprinted within meters of the contact by shear zone-related fabrics. Bedding (S0) is defined by planar laminations in the SG siltstones. S1 is weak, not associated with folding of S0, and defined locally by sub-parallel alignment of biotite. S2 (slaty cleavage) is deflected into a disjunctive planar (in GSG) or continuous planar (in SG) S3 foliation characterized by …

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Suspended Sediment And Pathogen Transport In Two Inner Bluegrass Karst Ground-Water Basins, Woodford County, Kentucky, Thomas M. Reed Jan 2006

Suspended Sediment And Pathogen Transport In Two Inner Bluegrass Karst Ground-Water Basins, Woodford County, Kentucky, Thomas M. Reed

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Multiple parameters were monitored during an 18-month period in two karst groundwater basins in Woodford County, Kentucky, in order to assess the effects of land use on water quality. Blue Hole Spring drains a primarily urban area, whereas spring SP-2 drains an agricultural area. Water-quality parameters were monitored manually weekly or biweekly, as well as more frequently during storms. Discharge (Q), temperature (T), specific conductance (SC), and turbidity were continuously monitored and logged at 15-minute intervals. It is hypothesized that pathogen and sediment concentrations would be lower at SP-2 than at Blue Hole Spring due to differences in land use …

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An Intelligent System For The Defect Inspection Of Specular Painted Ceramic Tiles, Jinhua Li Jan 2006

An Intelligent System For The Defect Inspection Of Specular Painted Ceramic Tiles, Jinhua Li

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Product visual inspection is still performed manually or semi automatically in most industries from simple ceramic tile grading to complicated automotive body panel paint defect and surface quality inspection. Moreover, specular surfaces present additional challenges to conventional vision systems due to specular reflections, which may mask the true location of objects and lead to incorrect measurements. Some sophisticated optical inspection methods have already been developed for high precision surface defect inspection in recent years. Unfortunately, most of them are highly computational. Systems built on those methods are either inapplicable or costly to achieve real-time inspection. This thesis describes an integrated …

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Characterization And Measurement Of Tension-Induced Longitudinal Wrinkles In Gossamer Membranes Using Photogrammetry, Sreeram Mangalampalli Jan 2006

Characterization And Measurement Of Tension-Induced Longitudinal Wrinkles In Gossamer Membranes Using Photogrammetry, Sreeram Mangalampalli

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Gossamer membranes are large, ultra light weight, highly flexible thin films. They have been proposed for use as elements in systems such as solar sails and optical apertures, whose large areas require a low-mass material that can be launched in a compact package and then deployed to operational configuration upon reaching orbit. Many of the proposed applications require that the film possess a flat, wrinkle-free surface. Surface wrinkle configuration is determined, in part, by the method used to support the film. One configuration that has not been studied in detail involves the formation of vertical wrinkles oriented along the direction …

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Experimental And Numerical Investigation Of Plasma-Jet Forming, Sailesh Kumar Tangirala Jan 2006

Experimental And Numerical Investigation Of Plasma-Jet Forming, Sailesh Kumar Tangirala

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Sheet metal forming has found increasing applications in modern industries. To eliminate use of expensive tools during product development, thermal forming, a rapid prototyping process that is flexible enough to decrease costs has been developed. Thermal forming processes use a heat source to perform the required deformation mainly by creating a thermal difference along the thickness of the sheet. Gas flames, lasers and plasma heat sources have been used for sheet metal bending by thermal forming. An alternative to laser and gas flames, plasma-jet forming has been developed that uses a non-transferred plasma arc as a heat source. The plasma-jet …

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Surface Wave Scattering From Metallic Nano Particles: Theoretical Framework And Numerical Analysis, Pradeep Kumar Garudadri Venkata Jan 2006

Surface Wave Scattering From Metallic Nano Particles: Theoretical Framework And Numerical Analysis, Pradeep Kumar Garudadri Venkata

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Recent advances in nano technology have opened doors to several next generation devices and sensors. Characterizing nano particles and structures in a simple and effective way is imperative for monitoring and detecting processes at nano scale in a variety of environments. In recent years, the problem of studying nano particle interactions with surface plasmons or evanescent waves has gained significant interest. Here, a numerical model is presented to characterize nano-size particles and agglomerates near a metal or a dielectric interface. The methodology is based on a hybrid method, where the T-matrix approach is coupled with the image theory. The far …

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