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Fate Of Nitrogen And Phosphorus Species From A Black And Goldtm Nugget Mix In A Laboratoy Column Simulated Septic Tank Drainfiel, Timir Shah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The presence of nitrates and phosphorus in ground water is a worldwide problem. A septic tank with drainfield that is conventionally designed does not typically remove nitrogen in the form of nitrates. The main risks are in "Blue baby" syndrome and suspected carcinogenic effect of nitrates on humans and the nutrient enrichment of receiving waters. In some areas nitrate and phosphorus removal are essentially required. Thus the information in this report concentrates on using media in the drainfield for the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus. Extensive work has been conducted in the past few decades in order to find suitable …

Image-Space Approach To Real-Time Realistic Rendering, Musawir Shah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the main goals of computer graphics is the fast synthesis of photorealistic image of virtual 3D scenes. The work presented in this thesis addresses this goal of speed and realism. In real-time realistic rendering, we encounter certain problems that are difficult to solve in the traditional 3-dimensional geometric space. We show that using an image-space approach can provide effective solutions to these problems. Unlike geometric space algorithms that operate on 3D primitives such as points, edges, and polygons, image-space algorithms operate on 2D snapshot images of the 3D geometric data. Operating in image-space effectively decouples the geometric complexity …

Biostability In Drinking Water Distribution Systems In A Changing Water Quality Environment Using Corrosion Inhibitors, Bingjie Zhao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the bacterial growth dynamics of 14 pilot drinking water distribution systems were studied in order to observe water quality changes due to corrosion inhibitor addition. Empirical models were developed to quantity the effect of inhibitor type and dose on bacterial growth (biofilm and bulk water). Water and pipe coupon samples were taken and examined during the experiments. The coupons were exposed to drinking water at approximately 20°C for at least 5 weeks to allow the formation of a measurable quasi- steady-state biofilm. Bulk water samples were taken every week. In this study, two simple but practical empirical …

Nebraska Blueprint - Winter 2006-07

Nebraska Blueprint (Student Publication)

Table of Contents:

Good for Livestock, Good for the Earth By Michaela McBride
Ethanol Isn’t the Fuel of the Future Editorial by Aaron Holmberg
Ethanol: The Most Viable Alternative Fuel Editorial By Frank Pribyl
Wind Energy: A Global Perspective By Khoa Chu
UNL Should Embrace Energy- Effi cient Buildings By Leila Knowles and Jeremy Emerson
Biodiesel: A Viable Alternative By Brian Neilson
On the Road Again with BioWillie By Brian Neilson
Attitude Adjustment By Aaron Holmberg

Pre/Post Assessment Of Abilities, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Instructional Materials

One approach to assess if students are learning in a course is to conduct a pre-test, post-test assessment of the course material. By comparing the two results, one can make an assessment of the knowledge learned in the course. For certain types of courses, it can be a challenge in defining an assessment instrument that measure student knowledge. This example is one I have developed for my IMSE 440/840 (Discrete Event Computer Simulation) course. Students are asked rate their ability for key course objectives defined on the course syllabus. I administer it on the first day of the course and …

Understanding Standing, Christopher Storey

Doctoral Dissertations

Research objectives. Psychophysical acceleration threshold is a tool for detecting deficits in dynamic postural control. Our lab has shown differences in the acceleration threshold among young adults, elderly adults, and elderly adults with diabetes. Electromyography, Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments, and hearing tests investigate the underlying physiological mechanisms for the detriments in postural control. Due to peri-sway perturbations, the motion of a person's sway affects the signal to noise ratio for perturbed stance. Since increases in sway range accompany postural instabilities, sway entrainment will allow us to investigate changes in acceleration threshold at different points in sway. The center of pressure, observed …

Modeling Free Chlorine And Chloramine Decay In A Pilot Distribution System, Jorge Miguel Arevalo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect that water quality, pipe material, pipe size, flow conditions and the use of corrosion inhibitors would have on the rate of free chlorine and chloramine decay in distribution systems. Empirical models were developed to predict the disinfectant residual concentration with time based on the parameters that affected it. Different water treatment processes were used to treat groundwater and surface water to obtain 7 types of finished waters with a wide range of water quality characteristics. The groundwater was treated either by conventional treatment by aeration (G1) or softening (G2) or …

Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute Annual Technical Report Fy 2006, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

KWRRI Annual Technical Reports (USGS’s 104b Grant Program)

The 2006 Annual Technical Report for Kentucky consolidates reporting requirements of the Section 104(b) base grant award into a single techincal report that includes: 1) a synopsis of each student research enhancement project conducted during the period, 2) citations for related reports and presentations, 3) a description of information transfer activities, 4) a summary of student support during the reporting period, 5) notable awards and achievements during the year, and 6) publications from prior projects.

Vibration Analysis Of A Boat And Dock, Annicka Gunderson

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

A structure is designed to withstand the maximum force that will be applied. In this case a boat dock is examined as a spring system. This exercise uses a typical design for a lake side boat dock, tires for buoys, and an average fishing boat. Vibration analysis can predict when the highest forces will occur. A solution can be found to graph the motion of the dock. In addition to the analytical solution, the MATLAB program is used to visualize the vibrations. With these tools the magnitude and timing of forces can be verified.

Modelling A Deposition Process In Collective Construction, Robert L. Stewart, R. Andrew Russell, Lindsay Kleeman

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

During collective construction tasks, swarm robots coordinate their actions in space and time to build structures that conform to some given design or specification. In this paper, a simulation model and a mathematical model (based on a Markov chain) are introduced to describe the deposition process of a previously detailed robotic swarm system that uses templates and feedback to facilitate construction. The models are based on the behaviour and geometry of real robots and predict the dynamics observed during practical trials as well as explaining the occurrence of different spatial patterns of building blocks. Furthermore, the models provide an insight …

Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts 2007 Report, Kentucky Transportation Center, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY’S TRAFFIC COLLISION FACTS report for 2007 is based on collision reports submitted to the Kentucky State Police Records Branch. As required by Kentucky Revised Statutes 189.635, “every law enforcement agency whose officers investigate a vehicle accident of which a report must be made...shall file a report of the accident...within ten days after investigation of the accident upon forms supplied by the bureau.” The stated purpose of this requirement is to utilize data on traffic collisions for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in the Commonwealth. Data contained in this report are based solely on the observations …

Swarms In Biology And Engineering, Kevin M. Passino

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

No abstract provided.

A Critical Review On Electromagnetic Precursors And Earthquake Prediction, Levent Sevgi̇

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Seismo-electromagnetic precursory-based earthquake prediction studies are criticized in terms of their scientific content, problem complexity, signal excitation and propagation, causal relations with earthquakes, and public awareness and expectations. One aim is to trigger a new debate on this hot topic in the Electromagnetic Society.

A Review Of Studies In Swarm Robotics, Levent Bayindir, Erol Şahi̇n

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Swarm robotics is a new approach to the coordination of large numbers of relatively simple robots. The approach takes its inspiration from the system-level functioning of social insects which demonstrate three desired characteristics for multi-robot systems: robustness, flexibility and scalability. In this paper we have presented a preliminary taxonomy for swarm robotics and classified existing studies into this taxonomy after investigating the existing surveys related to swarm robotics literature. Our parent taxonomic units are modeling, behavior design, communication, analytical studies and problems. We are classifying existing studies into these main axes. Since existing reviews do not have enough number of …

Aggregation, Foraging, And Formation Control Of Swarms With Non-Holonomic Agents Using Potential Functions And Sliding Mode Techniques, Veysel Gazi̇, Bariş Fi̇dan, Y. Si̇nan Hanay, İlter Köksal

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

In this article we consider the aggregation, foraging, and formation control of swarms whose agents are moving in 2-dimensions with non-holonomic unicycle agent dynamics. We approach these problems using artificial potentials and sliding mode control. The main contribution is extension of the recent results (mainly for aggregation) in the literature based on a similar approach for simple integrator agent dynamics models to a significantly more realistic and more difficult setting with non-holonomic unicycle agent dynamics models. In particular, we design continuous-time control schemes via a constructive analysis based on artificial potential functions and sliding mode control techniques. The effectiveness of …

Aggregation In Swarm Robotic Systems: Evolution And Probabilistic Control, Onur Soysal, Erki̇n Bahçeci̇, Erol Şahi̇n

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

In this study we investigate two approachees for aggregation behavior in swarm robotics systems: Evolutionary methods and probabilistic control. In first part, aggregation behavior is chosen as a case, where performance and scalability of aggregation behaviors of perceptron controllers that are evolved for a simulated swarm robotic system are systematically studied with different parameter settings. Using a cluster of computers to run simulations in parallel, four experiments are conducted varying some of the parameters. Rules of thumb are derived, which can be of guidance to the use of evolutionary methods to generate other swarm robotic behaviors as well. In the …

Swarm Robot Systems Based On The Evolution Of Personality Traits, Sidney Nascimento Givigi Jr.

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Game theory may be very useful in modeling and analyzing swarms of robots. Using game theory in conjunction with traits of personalities, we achieve intelligent swarm robots. Traits of personality are characteristics of each robot that define the robots' behaviours. The environment is represented as a game and due to the evolution of the traits through a learning process, we show how the robots may react intelligently to changes in the environment. A proof of convergence for the proposed algorithm is offered. The process of selection of traits is discussed and the potential of the modeling is demonstrated in several …

Photoionization And Electron-Impact Ionization Of Ar5+, Jing Cheng Wang, M. Lu, D. A. Esteves, M. Habibi, G. Alna’Washi, R. A. Phaneuf, A. L. D. Kilcoyne

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Absolute cross sections for photoionization and electron-impact ionization of Ar⁵⁺ have been measured using two different interacting-beams setups. The spectra consist of measurements of the yield of products due to single ionization as a function of electron or photon energy. In addition, absolute photoionization and electron-impact ionization cross sections were measured to normalize the measured Ar⁶⁺ product-ion yield spectra. In the energy range from 90 to 111 eV, both electron-impact ionization and photoionization of Ar⁵⁺ are dominated by indirect 3s subshell excitation-autoionization. In the energy range from 270 to 285 eV, resonances due to 2p …

Identification Of Chicken-Specific Fecal Microbial Sequences Using A Metagenomic Approach, Jingrang Lu, Jorge Santo Domingo, Orin Shanks

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

In this study, we applied a genome fragment enrichment (GFE) method to select for genomic regions that differ among different fecal metagenomes. Competitive DNA hybridizations were performed between chicken fecal DNA and pig fecal DNA (CP) and between chicken fecal DNA and an avian DNA composite consisting of turkey, goose, and seagull fecal DNA extracts (CB) to enrich for chicken-specific DNA fragments. A total of 471 non-redundant chicken metagenomic sequences were retrieved and analyzed. All of the clone sequences were similar to prokaryotic genes, of which more than 60% could not be assigned to previously characterized functional roles. In general …

Florida Seagrass Habitat Evaluation: A Comparative Survey For Chemical Quality, Michael A. Lewis, Darrin D. Dantin, Cynthia A. Chancy, Kathryn Abel, Christopher G. Lewis

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Contaminant concentrations were determined for media associated with 13 Florida seagrass beds. Concentrations of 10 trace metals were more commonly detected in surface water, sediment and two seagrass species than PAHs, pesticides and PCBs. Concentrations of copper and arsenic in surface water exceeded Florida aquatic life criteria more frequently than other trace elements. Total organic carbon, mercury, chromium, zinc, total chlordane, total PAHs, total PCBs, DDD and DDE were significantly greater in seagrass-rooted sediments than adjacent non-vegetated sediments. Total DDT, DDD, DDE, total chlordane, arsenic, copper and nickel exceeded proposed sediment quality guidelines at six of 13 grass beds. Pesticides, …

Genetically Attenuated Plasmodium Berghei Liver Stages Induce Sterile Protracted Protection That Is Mediated By Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I–Dependent Interferon-Y–Producing Cd8+ T Cells, Ousman Jobe, Joanne Lumsden, Ann-Kristin Mueller, Jackie Williams, Hilda Silva-Rivera, Stefan H. I. Kappe, Robert J. Schwenk, Kai Matuschewski, Urszula Krzych

United States Army: Publications

At present, radiation-attenuated plasmodia sporozoites (y-spz) is the only vaccine that induces sterile and lasting protection in malaria-naive humans and laboratory rodents. However, g-spz are not without risks. For example, the heterogeneity of the y-spz could explain occasional breakthrough infections. To avoid this possibility, we constructed a double-knockout P. berghei parasite by removing 2 genes, UIS3 and UIS4, that are up-regulated in infective spz.We evaluated the double-knockout Pbuis3(-)/4(-) parasites for protective efficacy and the contribution of CD8+ T cells to protection. Pbuis3(-)/4(-) spz induced sterile and protracted protection in C57BL/6 mice. Protection was linked to CD8+ …

Using Adaptive Management To Meet Conservation Goals, Thomas M. Franklin Franklin, Ronald Helinski Helinski, Andrew Manale Manale

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Natural resource professionals should know whether or not they are doing an effective job of managing natural resources. Their decision-making process should produce the kind of results desired by the public, elected officials, and their agencies’ leadership. With billions of dollars spent each year on managing natural resources, accountability is more important than ever. Producing results is the key to success. Managers must have the necessary data to make enlightened decisions during program implementation—not just at the conclusion of a program. Adaptive management is described as an adapt-and-learn methodology as it pertains to implementing Farm Bill conservation practices. Four regional …

Quantifying Kinematics Of Purposeful Movements To Real, Imagined, Or Absent Functional Objects: Implications For Modelling Trajectories For Robot-Assisted Adl Tasks, Kimberly J. Wisneski, Michelle J. Johnson

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Robotic therapy is at the forefront of stroke rehabilitation. The Activities of Daily Living Exercise Robot (ADLER) was developed to improve carryover of gains after training by combining the benefits of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) training (motivation and functional task practice with real objects), with the benefits of robot mediated therapy (repeatability and reliability). In combining these two therapy techniques, we seek to develop a new model for trajectory generation that will support functional movements to real objects during robot training. We studied natural movements to real objects and report on how initial reaching movements are affected by …

Ph Effect On Adsorption Of Saxititoxin On Powdered Activated Carbon, Jie Ding

Masters Theses

"The presence of algal toxins, or cyanotoxins, in surface water has been increasingly reported. These highly hazardous toxins are potential threat to both human health and animals by contaminating drinking water sources over the world. In this study, the removal efficiency of saxitoxin from water using powered activated carbon was tested at different pH values for deionized water and natural surface water. The results of this study showed that pH has a strong impact on removal efficiency of saxitoxin using powdered activated carbon. Specifically, the removal efficiency of saxitoxin is significantly increased at higher pH from 5.7 to pH 10.7. …

Single Cell Expression Profiling Reveals Major Disruption Of Dna Repair Capacity In Incipient Alzheimer's Disease, Monika Ray, Weixiong Zhang

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

Understanding the pathogenesis in the early stages of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) can help in gaining important mechanistic insights into this devastating neurodegenerative disorder. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterised by extensive cell death with disease progression. In this paper laser capture microdissection (LCM) based gene expression profiling, which is able to profile gene expression in a single cell type, is employed to analyse the gene expression regulation of incipient AD. Our analysis shows that LCM based gene expression profiling of neurons has a critical advantage over the conventional gene expression profiling method which uses samples of mixed cell types and …

A Hybrid Simulation Model For Studying Acute Inflammatory Response, Wayne W. Wakeland, Louis Macovsky, Gary An

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

The modeling of complex biological systems presents a significant challenge. Central to this challenge is striking a balance between the degree of abstraction required to facilitate analysis and understanding, and the degree of comprehensiveness required for fidelity of the model to its reference-system. It is likely necessary to utilize multiple modeling methods in order to achieve this balance. Our research created a hybrid simulation model by melding an agent-based model of acute local infection with a system dynamics model that reflects key systemic properties. The agent based model was originally developed to simulate global inflammation in response to injury or …

Coordinated Machine Learning And Decision Support For Situation Awareness, Timothy Draelos, Pengchu Zhang, Donald C. Wunsch, John E. Seiffertt Iv, Gregory Conrad, Nathan Brannon

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

For applications such as force protection, an effective decision maker needs to maintain an unambiguous grasp of the environment. Opportunities exist to leverage computational mechanisms for the adaptive fusion of diverse information sources. The current research employs neural networks and Markov chains to process information from sources including sensors, weather data, and law enforcement. Furthermore, the system operator's input is used as a point of reference for the machine learning algorithms. More detailed features of the approach are provided, along with an example force protection scenario.

Aeronautical Telemetry Using Multiple-Antenna Transmitters, Michael A. Jensen, Michael D. Rice, Adam L. Anderson

Faculty Publications

The placement of multiple antennas on an air vehicle is one possible practice for overcoming signal obstruction created by vehicle maneuvering during air-to-ground transmission. Unfortunately, for vehicle attitudes where more than one of these antennas has a clear path to the receiving station, this practice also leads to self-interference nulls, resulting in dramatic degradation in the average signal integrity. This paper discusses application of unitary space-time codes such as the Alamouti transmit diversity scheme and unitary differential space-time codes to overcome the self-interference effect observed in such systems. The mathematical foundations of these techniques within the context of this application …

Spike-Based Feature Extraction For Noise Robust Speech Recognition Using Phase Synchrony Coding, Ismail Uysal, Harsha Sathyendra, John G. Harris

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We propose a noise robust feature extraction technique for speech signals using phase synchrony. The front-end employs a psychoacoustic cochlea model with inner hair cells to transform speech into a parallel stream of spike trains as observed in the auditory nerve fibers. The degree of phase synchrony among nerve fibers with similar characteristic frequencies is calculated to yield a feature vector which shows little degradation in response to increasing levels of noise. As a benchmark, the feature set is used in a biologically plausible model with a spike-based, liquid state machine classifier for a simple acoustic classification task. Though applied …

Economic Analysis Of Cellulase Production Methods For Bio-Ethanol, Jun Zhuang, Mary A. Marchant, Sue E. Nokes, Herbert J. Strobel

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The cost of cellulase enzymes has limited the feasibility of producing ethanol from fibrous biomass. Traditional submerged fermentation (SmF) was compared to an alternative method of producing cellulase, solid state cultivation (SSC). Results from an economic analysis indicated that the unit costs for cellulase enzyme production were $15.67 (The prices are all 2004 prices in this article, except otherwise stated. We deflated newer prices to 2004 prices using a deflation factor 0.9 per year and inflated older prices to 2004 prices using an inflation factor 1.1.) per kilogram ($/kg) and $40.36/kg, for the SSC and SmF methods, respectively, while the …