Digital Commons Network^™

A Knowledge Matrix Modeling Of The Intelligence Cycle, Kevin J. Whaley

Theses and Dissertations

This effort models information flow through the United States Intelligence Community's Intelligence Cycle using a knowledge matrix methodology. The knowledge matrix methodology takes explicit data from multiple sources and fuses that data to measure a current level of knowledge about a target, or situation. Knowledge matrices are used to develop a measure of user-needs satisfaction. User-needs satisfaction compares requested levels of knowledge to a probability of collecting that knowledge within a designated timeframe. This effort expands the work done by Captain Carl Pawling in his March 2004 thesis, Modeling and Simulation of the Military Intelligence Process, by modeling intelligence as …

An Evaluation Of Wind Turbine Technology At Peterson Afb, Randy C. Combs

Theses and Dissertations

Wind energy technology is a viable source for attaining the emission reduction and renewable energy use goals set forth by the executive office. In accordance with Executive Orders, the Air Force must reduce greenhouse emissions and energy consumption, and expand the use of renewable energy sources within its facilities nation-wide by year 2010. This mandate requires that the Air Force look at alternative electrical production and rely more on such renewable energy resources as wind power. The specific problem addressed by this research is whether on-site wind energy generation can be more economically feasible than the conventional energy consumption at …

Decision Analysis Using Value-Focused Thinking To Select Renewable Alternative Fuels, Eric A. Queddeng

Theses and Dissertations

The United States relies on imported oil as a result of domestic petroleum consumption rates greatly exceeding production rates. Alternative fuels are a major force in the effort to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation industry. The transportation industry also accounts for 1/3 of all greenhouse gas emissions and nearly half of all cancers attributed to outdoor sources of pollutants. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the economic and environmental feasibility of renewable alternative fuels and associated blends (ethanol, methanol, 100% biodiesel (B100), 20% biodiesel (B20) and e-diesel) compared to non-renewable alternative fuels (compressed natural gas and propane) …

Multiple-Model Optimization Of Proportional Integral Controllers On Canals, P. J. Van Overloop, J. Schuurmans, R. Brouwer, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Canals or open channels that convey water often consist of pools in series separated by control structures. Successful implementation of water-level control with these structures using decentralized proportional integral (PI) controllers depends heavily on the tuning of the control parameters. These parameters are hard to determine due to the interactions between the pools and the varying flow conditions in the canal. This paper presents a procedure for tuning any linear controller (including decentralized PI controllers) that guarantees stability of the controlled canal. It minimizes a cost function that weights the water-level deviations from the target level against control efforts at …

Effects Of An Impedance Threshold Valve Upon Hemodynamics In Standard Cpr: Studies In A Refined Computational Model, Charles F. Babbs

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

An impedance threshold valve (ITV) is a new airway adjunct for resuscitation that permits generation of a small vacuum in the chest during the recoil phase of chest compression. Objectives: To explore in detail the expected magnitude and the hemodynamic mechanisms of circulatory augmentation by an ITV in standard CPR. Method: A 14-compartment mathematical model of the human cardiopulmonary system—upgraded to include applied chest compression force, elastic recoil of the chest wall, anatomic details of the heart and lungs, and the biomechanics of mediastinal compression—is exercised to explore the conditions required for circulatory augmentation by an ITV during various modes …

Design And Simulation Of A Permanent-Magnet Electromagnetic Aircraft Launcher, Dean Patterson, Antonello Monti, Charles W. Brice, Roger A. Dougal, Robert O. Pettus, Srinivas Dhulipala, Dilip Chandra Kovuri, Tiziana Bertoncelli

Faculty Publications

This paper describes the basic design, refinement, and verification using finite-element analysis, and operational simulation using the Virtual Test Bed, of a linear machine for an electromagnetic aircraft launcher, for the aircraft carrier of the future. Choices of basic machine format and procedures for determining basic dimensions are presented. A detailed design for a permanent-magnet version is presented, and wound-field coil and induction machine versions are briefly discussed. The long armature-short field geometry is justified, and in particular the impact of this geometry on the scale of the power electronic drive system is examined.

Orbit Estimation Algorithms For A Microsatellite Rendezvous With A Non-Cooperative Target, John P. Heslin

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the minimum requirements to establish a satellite tracking system architecture for a microsatellite to rendezvous with a non-cooperative target satellite. A prototype optical tracking system was reviewed with emphasis on a proposed tactical employment that could be used by technologically unsophisticated state or non-state adversaries. With the tracking system architecture selected, simulated tracking data was processed with a Non-Linear Least Squares batch orbit estimation algorithm and a Bayes sequential orbit determination filter to update the target satellite's state vector.

Circumferential Vascular Deformation After Stent Implantation Alters Wall Shear Stress Evaluated With Time-Dependent 3d Computational Fluid Dynamics Models, John F. Ladisa, Lars E. Olson, Ismail Guler, Douglas Anthony Hettrick, Judy R. Kersten, David C. Warltier, Paul S. Pagel

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The success of vascular stents in the restoration of blood flow is limited by restenosis. Recent data generated from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models suggest that stent geometry may cause local alterations in wall shear stress (WSS) that have been associated with neointimal hyperplasia and subsequent restenosis. However, previous CFD studies have ignored histological evidence of vascular straightening between circumferential stent struts. We tested the hypothesis that consideration of stent-induced vascular deformation may more accurately predict alterations in indexes of WSS that may subsequently account for histological findings after stenting. We further tested the hypothesis that the severity of these …

Antegrade Iliac Artery Stent Implantation For The Temporal And Spatial Examination Of Stent-Induced Neointimal Hyperplasia And Alterations In Regional Fluid Dynamics, John F. Ladisa, Heidi T. Meier, Lars E. Olson, Judy R. Kersten, David C. Warltier, Paul S. Pagel

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Neointimal hyperplasia remains an important problem after stent implantation. Previous investigations examining vascular responses to stent implantation and effects of drugs have used a retrograde deployment approach that may inadvertently alter the local fluid dynamics surrounding the stent. We present a model of antegrade iliac artery stent implantation that facilitates the analysis of stent-induced alterations in neointimal hyperplasia and wall shear stress in vivo. Methods: Stent delivery catheters were inserted through the left carotid artery in anesthetized rabbits (n=37). Catheters were advanced under fluoroscopic guidance to the distal iliac arteries, where the stent was deployed. Hemotoxylin and eosin …

Methods For Simultaneous Control Of Lignin Content And Composition, And Cellulose Content In Plants, Vincent Lee C. Chiang, Laigeng Li

Michigan Tech Patents

The present invention relates to a method of concurrently introducing multiple genes into plants and trees is provided. The method includes simultaneous transformation of plants with multiple genes from the phenylpropanoid pathways including 4CL, CAld5H, AldOMT, SAD and CAD genes and combinations thereof to produce various lines of transgenic plants displaying altered agronomic traits. The agronomic traits of the plants are regulated by the orientation of the specific genes and the selected gene combinations, which are incorporated into the plant genome.

Carbon Fiber Filters, Marit Jagtoyen, Francis John Derbyshire, Rosemary Anne Alexander Derbyshire, Mario E. Tremblay, Steve G. Fishter, Dimitris I. Collias

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty Patents

Disclosed is a filter comprised of activated carbon fibers, wherein said filter has a Virus Removal Index (hereafter “VRI”) of at least about 99%, as measured in accordance with the test method described in the specification. The filter may comprise unbound fibers, or the fibers may be bound with a binder to form a composite of fibers. Also disclosed is a method of removing viruses from a liquid, the method comprising contacting the liquid with a filter comprising activated carbon fibers wherein said filter has a VRI of at least about 99%. Also described is an article of manufacture comprising: …

A Virtual Environment For Remote Testing Of Complex Systems, Loredana Cristaldi, Alessandro Ferrero, Antonello Monti, Ferdinanda Ponci, William Mckay, Roger A. Dougal

Faculty Publications

Complex systems, realized by integration of several components or subsystems, pose specific problems to simulation environments. It is, in fact, desirable to simulate the complex system altogether, and not component by component, since the operation of the single part depends on the surrounding system and an early verification can prevent damages and save time for modifications. The availability of detailed and validated models of the single parts is therefore critical. This task may be difficult to achieve. In fact, in industrial applications, where a system can be a mix of different devices produced by different manufacturers, the physical device may …

Automatic Classification And Speaker Identification Of African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) Vocalizations, Patrick J. Clemins, Michael T. Johnson, Kirsten Leong, Anne Savage

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

A hidden Markov model (HMM) system is presented for automatically classifying African elephant vocalizations. The development of the system is motivated by successful models from human speech analysis and recognition. Classification features include frequency-shifted Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) and log energy, spectrally motivated features which are commonly used in human speech processing. Experiments, including vocalization type classification and speaker identification, are performed on vocalizations collected from captive elephants in a naturalistic environment. The system classified vocalizations with accuracies of 94.3% and 82.5% for type classification and speaker identification classification experiments, respectively. Classification accuracy, statistical significance tests on the model parameters, …

Development And Application Of Fractionation Procedure For Drinking Water Organic Matters, Yong Pu

Dissertations

USEPA mandates a control of disinfection by-products (DBPs) in finished drinking water and recommends reduction of natural organic matters (NOM), DBP precursors, to achieve this regulatory goal. Studies relating NOM with DBP include fractionation of water samples, characterization of collected organic fractions, fractions' formation potential tests, and jar or similar tests to remove NOM. This study discussed a current resin fractionation procedure on principle, procedure, and its efficiency when applied to water samples of low NOM (< 5mgIL). The primary objective of this research is to develop a fractionation procedure intended for water of low NOM by carefully applying mass balance concept through each fraction's fractionation and a selection of stable ion exchange resins. A new protocol was presented with triple columns of XAD-8 adsorption resin, one column of AG-MP-50 cationic resin, and another column of WA 10 weak anionic resin in sequence. This protocol was experimented and confirmed for its efficiency (±10% loss of mass) with samples from Canal Road (CR) and Raritan Millstone (RM) surface water treatment plants (WTPs) in central New Jersey. The second objective of this study is to develop a statistical model with a potential of online delineation of organic fractions of NOM. The resulting model based on samples of Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC) WTP in northern New Jersey was applied to predict organic fractions of samples from CR and RM plants. Paired T-test (paired t ratio 1.15 < t critical 2.02) indicated a good correlation between the predicted and actual fraction concentration. Finally, samples of Middlesex Water Company (MWC) were fractionated and Trihalomethane formation potential tests (THMFP) on collected fraction showed hydrophilic matters possessed a higher potential to produce TTHM in finished water than hydrophobic matter. Jar tests indicated while coagulation was effective in removing hydrophobic matter, it may not be optimum for removal of hydrophilic matter.

This study developed an accurate fractionation procedure for low NOM waters. It provided a better understanding of organic matter transformation at different treatment …

Labview Controlled Study Of The Propagation Properties Of Ultrasound In Synthetic Fog Environment, Aparna Venkataraman

Theses

Diagnostic ultrasound employs pulsed, high frequency sound waves that are reflected back from body tissues and processed by ultrasound receivers to create characteristic images in varied applications such as cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology neurology and urology. Ultrasound intensity is primarily affected by the changes in acoustic impedance of the medium. Literature on ultrasound indicates that the propagation of ultrasound increases gradually as the density increases from air to water. Such studies have been confined to only the three states of matter and have never discussed a fog medium.

The primary objective of this thesis study was to design a system …

Parameter Based Synthesis Of Sign Language, Amanda Irving

Theses

The primary objective of this project is to demonstrate synthesis of signs in American Sign Language with a finite number of parameters. The parameters in this method include 22 key locations, six location modifiers, six orientation indicators, 46 hand shapes, six predefined movements and seven possible end effectors. These parameters can be used in conjunction with a computer script and they maximize precision and versatility while minimizing development time and resources. The parameters for each sign are stored in an individual text file averaging approximately half a kilobyte.

The success of this project is demonstrated using UGS's Jack Software, Version …

Ua3/9/5 Dedication Complex For Engineering & Biological Sciences, Wku President's Office

WKU Administration Documents

Talking points used by WKU president Gary Ransdell at the dedication of the Complex for Engineering & Biological Sciences.

Computer-Simulation-Assisted Lean Manufacturing Training, Luoding Wang

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis assesses the potential of using computer simulation to aid existing lean manufacturing training methods such as lecture and live simulation. An investigation of this possibility was carried out in conjunction with UMEP's Lean 101 class. In the study, two experimental computer simulation models demonstrating the push and pull production scenarios were constructed using ProModel software. Simulation models were equipped with a Visual Basic interface to aid trainees to manipulate the model via ActiveX. Constructed computer simulation was compared with live simulation to answer these research questions: 1. Was computer simulation able to teach additional lean concepts not covered …

Using Ems’S To Improve Compliance On Livestock And Poultry Operations, L. Mark Risse, Richard K. Koelsch, W. L. Bland, Elizabeth A. Bird, Thomas M. Bass

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

Across the United States and abroad, innovative producers, processors, trade organizations and others in the agricultural sector are exploring the promise of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) to improve their environmental and business performance. An Environmental Management System or EMS helps farmers develop their own, personal strategies for reducing environmental risk on their operations by integrating environmental management considerations into production management decisions. It is a voluntary, flexible approach and is based on a producer's own sense of how best to manage an operation.

Partnerships for Livestock Environmental Management Systems is a 4-year project to explore the potential of livestock Environmental …

Applying Alternative Technologies To Cafos: A Case Study, Richard K. Koelsch, Carol Balvanz, John George, Dan Meyer, John A. Nienaber, Gene Tinker

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

The US EPA National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit program has regulated open lot livestock production systems since the 1970’s, historically requiring collection, storage, and land application of runoff. Under the new Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) regulations, the effluent limitation guidelines (ELG) offer the option of Voluntary Alternative Performance Standards for beef and dairy. This potentially allows runoff management options such as vegetative treatment systems (VTS) that may perform equal to or better than our baseline system while maintaining a challenging standard for application of alternative technologies.

To facilitate application of VTS, the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) and Iowa …

Secretion Of Recombinant Human Fibrinogen By The Murine Mammary Gland, William H. Velander

Papers in Biotechnology

Transgenic animals secreting individual chains and assembled fibrinogen were produced to evaluate the capacity of the mammary gland for maximizing assembly, glycosylation and secretion of recombinant human fibrinogen (rhfib). Transgenes were constructed from the 4.1 kbp murine Whey Acidic Protein promoter (mWAP) and the three cDNAs coding for the Aα,Bβ and γ fibrinogen chains. Transgenic mice secreted fully assembled fibrinogen into milk at concentrations between 10 and 200 μg/ml, with total secretion of subunits approaching 700 μ g/ml in milk. Partially purified fibrinogen was shown to form a visible and stable clot after treatment with human thrombin and factor XIII. …

Secretion Of Recombinant Human Fibrinogen By The Murine Mammary Gland, William H. Velander

Papers in Biotechnology

Transgenic animals secreting individual chains and assembled fibrinogen were produced to evaluate the capacity of the mammary gland for maximizing assembly, glycosylation and secretion of recombinant human fibrinogen (rhfib). Transgenes were constructed from the 4.1 kbp murine Whey Acidic Protein promoter (mWAP) and the three cDNAs coding for the Aα,Bβ and γ fibrinogen chains. Transgenic mice secreted fully assembled fibrinogen into milk at concentrations between 10 and 200 μg/ml, with total secretion of subunits approaching 700 μ g/ml in milk. Partially purified fibrinogen was shown to form a visible and stable clot after treatment with human thrombin and factor XIII. …

Laboratory Evaluation Of Colored Light As An Attractant For Female Aedes Aegypti, Aedes Albopictus, Anopheles Quadrimaculatus, And Culex Nigripalpus, Douglas A. Burkett, Jerry F. Butler

United States Air Force: Publications

Mosquito feeding activity was monitored in an electronic apparatus (visualometer), having ten ports, illuminated from below with narrow bandwidths of light (700, 650, 600, 550, 500, 450, 400, or 350 nm). Responses of adult female Aedes albopictus Skuse, Ae. aegypti (L.), Anopheles quadrimaculatus, Say and Culex nigripalpus Theobald to feeding stations (blood containers) over each light port. No-light and broad spectrum white light were used as controls. Color preferences were based on electronic detection of feeding times. Aedes aegypti showed no significant feeding preferences over any of the colors. Conversely, Ae. albopictus, An. quadrimaculatus, and Cx. nigripalpus showed …

Digital Image Processing, Jonathan Blackledge

Books/Book chapters

Newspapers and the popular scientific press today publish many examples of highly impressive images. These images range, for example, from those showing regions of star birth in the distant Universe to the extent of the stratospheric ozone depletion over Antarctica in springtime, and to those regions of the human brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Processed digitally to generate spectacular images, often in false colour, they all make an immediate and deep impact on the viewer’s imagination and understanding.

Professor Jonathan Blackledge’s erudite but very useful new treatise Digital Image Processing: Mathematical and Computational Methods explains both the underlying theory and …

A Multiple-Objective Decision Analysis Of Stakeholder Values To Identify Watershed Improvement Needs, Jason R. W. Merrick, Gregory S. Parnell, Jamison Barnett, Margot Garcia

Statistical Sciences and Operations Research Publications

The paper describes the use of multiple objective decision analysis to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the quality of an endangered watershed and guide future efforts to improve the quality of the watershed. The Upham Brook watershed is an urban watershed that lies at the interface of declining inner city Richmond, Virginia and growth-oriented Henrico County. A section of stream within the watershed has been identified as so dangerously polluted that it threatens the health of the residents who live within the watershed boundaries. With funding provided by the National Science Foundation, the Upham Brook watershed project committee was formed to …

Medical Technology: Contexts And Content In Science And Technology, Michael A. De Miranda, Mark Doggett, Jane T. Evans

Architectural and Manufacturing Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Food Attributes And Feeding Environment On Acceptance, Consumption And Body Weight: Lessons Learned In A Twenty-Year Program Of Military Ration Research, Edward S. Hirsch, F. Matthew Kramer, Herbert L. Meiselman

United States Army: Publications

Twenty years of testing in the field has consistently revealed that food intake is inadequate when packaged military rations are fed as the sole source of food. Food intake is much lower and there is a loss of body weight. Conversely when these rations are fed to students or military personnel for periods ranging from 3 to 42 days in a cafeteria-like setting, food intake is comparable to levels of a control group provided with freshly prepared food. Under these conditions, body weight is maintained. In this review, the consumption pattern is considered in terms of characteristics of the food …

Conformational Sampling Of The Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype A Light Chain: Implications For Inhibitor Binding, James C. Burnett, James J. Schmidt, Connor F. Mcgrath, Tam L. Nguyen, Ann R. Hermone, Rekha G. Panchal, Jonathan L. Vennerstrom, Krishna Kodukula, Daniel W. Zaharevitz, Rick Gussio, Sina Bavari

United States Army: Publications

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most potent of the known biological toxins, and consequently are listed as category A biowarfare agents. Currently, the only treatments against BoNTs include preventative antitoxins and long-term supportive care. Consequently, there is an urgent need for therapeutics to counter these enzymes––post exposure. In a previous study, we identified a number of small, nonpeptidic lead inhibitors of BoNT serotype A light chain (BoNT/A LC) metalloprotease activity, and we identified a common pharmacophore for these molecules. In this study, we have focused on how the dynamic movement of amino acid residues in and surrounding the substrate binding …

Use Of Calcium Hypochlorite As A Sanitizer For Seeds Used For Sprouting: Task #2; Impact: Improved Alfalfa Decontamination Technologies, Emily Damron, Carrie Klein, Melissa Leach, Jordan Mourot, Tom Murphy, Amy Seamans, Ryan Wilson

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Consumption of raw or lightly cooked alfalfa sprouts has been a concern of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in recent years due to connections between sprouts and foodborne illnesses. Researchers have identified, contaminated seeds as the primary source of alfalfa sprouts contamination. Contamination of alfalfa seeds can originate in the field, harvesting, storing, or sprouting. Two pathogens of particular concern on alfalfa seeds are Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (E. coli) and Salmonella. These pathogens are capable of producing biofilms that provide protection for individual cells and allow for survival in otherwise hostile environments, including some disinfectant washes. Other factors …

Miniaturized Lead Sensor Based On Lead-Specific Dnazyme In A Nanocapillary Interconnected Microfluidic Device, In-Hyoung Chang, Joseph J. Tulock, Juewen Liu, Won-Suk Kim, Donald M. Cannon, Jr., Yi Lu, Paul W. Bohn, Jonathan V. Sweedler, Donald M. Cropek

United States Army: Publications

A miniaturized lead sensor has been developed by combining a lead-specific DNAzyme with a microfabricated device containing a network of microfluidic channels that are fluidically coupled via a nanocapillary array interconnect. A DNAzyme construct, selective for cleavage in the presence of Pb²⁺ and derivatized with fluorophore (quencher) at the 5’ (3’) end of the substrate and enzyme strands, respectively, forms a molecular beacon that is used as the recognition element. The nanocapillary array membrane interconnect is used to manipulate fluid flows and deliver the small-volume sample to the beacon in a spatially confined detection window where the DNAzyme is …