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Sustainable Development Extension Plan (Sudex): Community Mobilization Through Proactive Participation And Synergistic Alliance To Alliviate Poverty And Achieve Sustainable Self Sufficiency, Stephen Forbes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation describes a sustainable development extension plan (Sudex Plan) to help communities in developing countries achieve Goal 1 of the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Goal 1 focuses on reducing poverty and hunger by 50% by the year 2015, but all the MDG are interrelated and one can not be achieved without considering the others, and to attain any is an empty accomplishment without ways to ensure that they can be sustained and continuously improved with the means to pass on the information, knowledge and lessons learned from community to community, generation to generation. The Sudex Plan is …

Spectroscopic Characterizations Of Organic/Inorganic Nanocomposites, Jayesh Rasikalal Govani

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Inorganic potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) is widely known for its value as a nonlinear optical material. In this study, pure and l-arginine-doped KDP single crystals were grown by the slow solvent evaporation technique and further subjected to infrared absorption and Raman studies for the confirmation of chemical group functionalization and possible bonding between the organic and inorganic materials. The appearance in the infrared absorption spectra of additional vibrational lines, which mostly originate from disturbed N-H, C-H, and C-N bonds of the l-arginine-doped salt, confirm the interaction between KDP and the organic material. This affirmation is supported by more evidence from …

Comparison Of Older Mexican American Upper Extremity Reach Capabilities To Older Anglo Americans, Odi Mike Ikpe

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The study aimed to investigate if there are upper extremity reach capability differences in older Mexican Americans and older Anglo Americans. The subjects were recruited and corresponded to the 2000 census track. Upper extremity reach capability was determined by analysis of 20 range of motion variables. A MANOVA analysis utilizing SPSS software was performed with age, gender and ethnicity as independent variables while height and 20 range of motion anthropometric measurements servings as dependent variables (responses). Ethnicity as a function of age was found to be significant in height, horizontal distance from buttock to hand, rotation of head to the …

Directional Analysis And Filtering For Dust Storm Detection In Noaa-Avhrr Imagery, Swapna Janugani

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this research, we propose spatio-spectral processing techniques for the detection of dust storms in 5-band NOAA-AVHRR imagery. The research is mainly focused on locating the dust sources and automatically finding the transport direction of the dust storm. Previous methods that use simple band math analysis have produced promising results but have some drawback in producing consistent results when low SNR images are used. Moreover, in seeking to automate the dust storm detection, the presence of clouds in the vicinity of the dust storm creates a challenge in being able to distinguish these two types of image texture. Our research …

Spatio-Temporal Ecg Analysis For Localization Of Arrhythmias Using Precordial Ecg Leads And 128-Lead Systems, Eduardo Morales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A novel and state-of-the-art approach for the analysis of cardiac arrhythmias is proposed. Currently, the analysis of the electrocardiogram is only performed in the time-domain. The proposed method improves the electrocardiogram analysis by adding spatial properties. The spatial properties added to the electrocardiogram allow for the analysis of specific regions inside the human heart where cardiac arrhythmias are suspected to have occurred. In this Dissertation, the concept of electrocardiography was extended using advanced bioelectromagnetism theory. In concrete, the multiple dipole model of the human heart was used to extend the concept of electrocardiography from a temporal analysis to a spatial-temporal …

Computational Modeling Studies Of The Structures And Properties Of Organotin(Iv) And Stannyl-Thioether Systems With Comparisons To X-Ray Crystallography, Michelle R. Stem Joseph

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Controlling the toxic effects of organotin(IV) compounds involves engineering the structure of the molecules to optimize their properties. Molecular engineering, coupled with improved capabilities to generate reliable computational optimization models (COMs), will enable researchers to have greater success at harnessing the highly specific cytotoxicity of organotins. For example, as the thio_n ligand phenyl groups were replaced with Cl atoms, the S-Sn intramolecularity was strengthened, the bond distance decreased, and the stannyl tetrahedral structure was deformed from its triphenyl conformation. With each substitution, conformation deformations lowered the damaging bioactivity levels of thio_n. Bonding various ligands to organotin(IV) compounds …

Remote Control Of Multiple Robots: A Wireless Sensor Network And Virtual Reality Approach, Yingjun Zhu

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A tele-operation system of robots based on virtual reality and WSN is established and demonstrated. Pro/E, Blender 3D and Python language are adopted to build up and carry out the virtual environment and virtual robot. Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technology has been used to achieve the tele-operation function. The WSN enables the users to control the robots and collect the data/status from the robots as well. Robot virtual reality software has been developed and presented in the paper. The network setup and the control/communication Application Programming Interface (API) has been shown in this paper.

Verification Of Nyslab A Software For The Analysis Of Jointed Pavements, Maryam Limouee

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A significant amount of research and development has been conducted for decades to provide a tool for the design and analysis of jointed slabs on different types of foundations. ILLI-SLAB, JSLAB, EverFE and ISLAB are the most used finite element modeling (FEM) codes that have gone through several iterations of improvement. JSLAB has been maintained by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and is distributed free of charge and there is significant interest in further improving the capabilities of that software package.

Researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso have been charged to implement several modifications in the latest …

Characterization And Cytotoxic Assessment Of Ballistic Aerosolized Particulates For Tungsten Alloy Penetrators Interacting With Steel Targets, Brenda Ivette Machado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The aerosolized particulates produced during an impact of depleted uranium munitions can potentially contaminate extensive areas around the impact sites and cause a wide spectrum of civilian and military damage. Thus materials such as WHA have been prompted for consideration. The present research is concerned with the regular collection of aerosol particulates associated with ballistic WHA rod penetration into rolled homogeneous steel (RHA) or other related steel armor as armor plate sequences. Particulate size characterization via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) along with chemical compositions via energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were the focus of this research. …

An Integrated Software Package For Model-Based Neuro-Fuzzy Classification Of Small Airway Dysfunction, Nazila Hafezi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Respiratory disorders can be difficult to differentiate, as their symptoms are sometimes similar to one another. Concerning asthma which is the major interest in this research, early detection of small airway impairment could greatly help with timely diagnosis. In this research, an integrated software package (ISP) has been developed to help clinicians in classification of asthma severities using Impulse Oscillation data.

The ISP has been developed based on object-oriented methodology. In this package, IOS "diagnostic" parameters such as AX and frequency-dependence of resistance as well as parameter estimates of extended RIC (eRIC) and augmented RIC (aRIC) models (simplified cases of …

Retention And Productivity In Industrial Search And Scan Tasks, Camilo Aguilera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

An experiment was developed in order to study the interaction between individual factors (gender and mood) and the retention ability in search and scan activities. 54 subjects between 18 and 30 years old participated in a computer-based memory test from the North of Mexico area. A full factorial design was used to analyze the variables. Two factors, one with two levels (gender: male and female), and the second factor with three levels (mood: positive, neutral, and negative) were used in the analysis. The output was measured as the amount of characters memorized in a string of random alphanumeric characters. Data …

Hybrid Approach For Site Selection Using Impact Assessment And Principal Component Analysis, Ugandhar Reddy Kondamadugula

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Principle component analysis (PCA) is used to analyze week data of emission of particulate material from the Residential community. In this Thesis we selected five sites maps where sensors are arranged to collect particulate materials PM0.25, PM 10.Impact Assessment on the site areas are done in the first case,the results Impact Assessment on the site shows that the Global warming potential is really high at the site when the analysis is run for hundred years the Global warming potential has a very high impact on Environment leading to various health hazards. Secondly Principal Component Analysis is used to find out …

Retrofitting A Stereolithography System Within A Laminar Flow Hood, Mahesh Pandurang Tonde

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research focused on retrofitting the stereolithography (SL), a rapid prototyping technology, inside a laminar flow hood to provide an aseptic, particulate-free environment for scaffold fabrication. Two of the important objectives of this project were to retrofit the commercial SLA 250/30 inside a laminar flow hood to demonstrate that the manufacturability of the Bio-SL system was comparable to original SLA 250 system and to conduct the sterility test on fabricated scaffolds to show that the laminar flow hood was able to provide an aseptic, particulate-free environment for the fabrication.

Vision-Based Virtual Mouse System, Tom Wanjala Watiti

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis describes a virtual mouse system that utilizes machine vision technology to enable a user to navigate through software window screens on a standard personal computer, access and control software, and/or peripheral devices attached to the personal computer. Utilizing the virtual mouse, the user can execute the standard control functions of the system mouse required to perform software application selection functions and navigation tasks without physical interface with the controlled computer. The machine vision algorithm utilizes a set of four simulated photoelectric sensors, with Gaussian filter sensitivities, to compute and track the mouse location. By utilizing Gaussian filters, instead …

Health Prognisis Of Electronics Via Power Profiling, Jonathan Amilcar Cervantes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this research is to investigate a new approach for the early detection of latent defects in electronic devices in the field. Reliability is assessed through the non-traditional approach of recording and evaluating the power profile of electronic devices within a deterministic state of operation. Traditionally, measuring the quiescent current (Iddq) of a device has been employed in manufacturing tests to detect defective parts prior to deployment to the field. However, the monitoring of the deterministic power signature (i.e. boot up or during a self-test routine) has never been exploited to monitor the health of a device in …

Characterization Of A Mems Accelerometer For A Highway Health Monitoring Ultra-Low Power Sensor, Karla Cecilia Enriquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

With the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, government officials recognized the need to implement automated methods that reduce the cost of assessment projects and provide a long-term solution to monitor the structural health of bridges and highways. Although important research exists in the area of non-destructive evaluation, current road health monitoring efforts continue to be costly and time consuming. This Thesis focuses on the characterization of a MEMS accelerometer intended to be the basis of a novel ultra-low power sensing system to remotely asses the condition of highways. The architecture of a sensor prototype built to validate an algorithm …

An Enhanced Method For The Existing Bluetooth Pairing Protocol To Avoid Impersonation Attacks, Patricia Aidee Mendoza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As the use of the Bluetooth technology in wireless technologies such as computers, cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), printers, digital cameras, PC peripherals, and headphones, among others, has enormously increased during this decade, it has also increased the need of employing a more secure and robust pairing protocol that protects the transfer of information between Bluetooth devices.

The existing Bluetooth pairing protocol starts when a Bluetooth device is set to be in discoverable mode and it is found by another device. After this step is completed, it initiates the pairing procedure by sharing some important device information, then by …

Transition Metal Catalysts For Hydrodesulfurization Reactions Applied To Petroleum Industry, Brenda Torres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Catalysis plays a fundamental role in petroleum refining and basic petrochemical industries creating new routes in the development of industrial processes. Moreover, catalysis has become indispensable to the solution of environmental pollution problems and therefore on public health. World wide concerns for preservation of the environment has motivated the development of "Green" catalyst based technologies, to achieve a better utilization of petroleum resources and demands for cleaner transportation fuels. These environmental concerns have led to increasingly drastic regulations on sulfur, nitrogen and aromatics content in fuels. Sulfur content in the motor and diesel fuels is continuously reduced by regulations to …

Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Induce Oxidative Stress And Dna-Adduct Formation But Not Dna-Breakage In Human Lung Cells, Kunal Bhattacharya, Maria Davoren, Jens Boertz, Roel P.F. Schins, Eik Hoffmann, Elke Dopp

Articles

Titanium dioxide (TiO2), also known as titanium (IV) oxide or anatase, is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium. It is also one of the most commercially used form. To date, no parameter has been set for the average ambient air concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles (NP) by any regulatory agency. Previously conducted studies had established these nanoparticles to be mainly non-cyto- and -genotoxic, although they had been found to generate free radicals both acellularly (specially through photocatalytic activity) and intracellularly. The present study determines the role of TiO2-NP (anatase, ∅ < 100 nm) using several parameters such as cyto- and genotoxicity, DNA-adduct formation and generation of free radicals following its uptake by human lung cells in vitro. For comparison, iron containing nanoparticles (hematite, Fe2O3, ∅ < 100 nm) were used. The results of this study showed that both types of NP were located in the cytosol near the nucleus. No particles were found inside the nucleus, in mitochondria or ribosomes. Human lung fibroblasts (IMR-90) were more sensitive regarding cyto- and genotoxic effects caused by the NP than human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). In contrast to hematite NP, TiO2-NP did not induce DNA-breakage measured by the Comet-assay in both cell types. Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured acellularly (without any photocatalytic activity) as well as intracellularly for both types of particles, however, the iron-containing NP needed special reducing conditions before pronounced radical generation. A high level of DNA adduct formation (8-OHdG) was observed in IMR-90 cells exposed to TiO2-NP, but not in cells exposed to hematite NP. Our study demonstrates different modes of action for TiO2- and Fe2O3-NP. Whereas TiO2-NP were able to generate elevated amounts of free radicals, which induced indirect genotoxicity mainly by DNA-adduct formation, Fe2O3-NP were clastogenic (induction of DNA-breakage) and required reducing conditions for radical formation.

Electrical And Mechanical Properties Of Mwcnt Filled Conductive Adhesives On Lead Free Surface Finished Pcb's., Keerthi Varma Mantena

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Electrically conductive adhesives (ECA) are an alternative to tin/lead solders for attaching Surface Mount Devices (SMD) in electronic assemblies. ECAs are mixtures of a polymer binder (for adhesion) and conductive filler (for electrical conductivity). They bring more conductivity, higher strength, less weight and longer durability than metal alloys. ECAs can offer numerous advantages such as fewer processing steps, lower processing temperature and fine pitch capability. Multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were used as conductive fillers in this research because of their novel electronic and mechanical properties.

The high aspect ratio of the nanotubes makes it possible to percolate at low …

Bluetooth Hacking: A Case Study, Dennis Browning, Gary C. Kessler

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

This paper describes a student project examining mechanisms with which to attack Bluetooth-enabled devices. The paper briefly describes the protocol architecture of Bluetooth and the Java interface that programmers can use to connect to Bluetooth communication services. Several types of attacks are described, along with a detailed example of two attack tools, Bloover II and BT Info.

Electronic Forms-Based Computing For Evidentiary Analysis, Andy Luse, Brian Mennecke, Anthony M. Townsend

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The paperwork associated with evidentiary collection and analysis is a highly repetitive and time-consuming process which often involves duplication of work and can frequently result in documentary errors. Electronic entry of evidencerelated information can facilitate greater accuracy and less time spent on data entry. This manuscript describes a general framework for the implementation of an electronic tablet-based system for evidentiary processing. This framework is then utilized in the design and implementation of an electronic tablet-based evidentiary input prototype system developed for use by forensic laboratories which serves as a verification of the proposed framework. The manuscript concludes with a discussion …

Dc Electrokinetic Transport Of Cylindrical Cells In Straight Microchannels, Ye Ai, Ali Beskok, David T. Gauthier, Sang W. Joo, Shizhi Qian

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Electrokinetic transport of cylindrical cells under dc electric fields in a straight microfluidic channel is experimentally and numerically investigated with emphasis on the dielectrophoretic (DEP) effect on their orientation variations. A two-dimensional multiphysics model, composed of the Navier-Stokes equations for the fluid flow and the Laplace equation for the electric potential defined in an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian framework, is employed to capture the transient electrokinetic motion of cylindrical cells. The numerical predictions of the particle transport are in quantitative agreement with the obtained experimental results, suggesting that the DEP effect should be taken into account to study the electrokinetic transport of …

Biocompatibility Of Poly-Ε-Caprolactone-Hydroxyapatite Composite On Mouse Bone Marrow-Derived Osteoblasts And Endothelial Cells, Haiying Yu, Paul H. Wooley, Shang-You Yang

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Tissue-engineered bone may be developed by seeding the cells capable of both osteogenesis and vascularization on biocompatible composite scaffolds. The current study investigated the performance of mice bone marrow-derived osteogenic cells and endothelial cells as seeded on hydroxyapatite (HA) and poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) composite scaffolds.

Methods

Mononuclear cells were induced to osteoblasts and endothelial cells respectively, which were defined by the expression of osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and deposits of calcium-containing crystal for osteoblasts, or by the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) and von Willebrand factor (vWF), and the formation of a capillary network in Matrigel™ …

Reliable Patient Monitoring: A Clinical Study In A Step-Down Hospital Unit, Octav Chipara, Chenyang Lu, Thomas C. Bailey, Gruia-Catalin Roman

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

This paper presents the design, deployment, and empirical study of a wireless clinical monitoring system that collects pulse and oxygen saturation readings from patients. The primary contribution of this paper is an in-depth clinical trial that assesses the feasibility of wireless sensor networks for patient monitoring in general (non-ICU) hospital units. The trial involved 32 patients monitored in a step-down cardiology unit at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis. During a total of 31 days of monitoring, the network achieved high reliability (median 99.92%, range 95.21% - 100%). The overall reliability of the system was dominated by sensing reliability (median 80.55%, range …

Agent Based Modeling In Computer Graphics And Games, Brian Macnamee

Books/Book Chapters

As graphics technology has improved in recent years, more and more importance has been placed on the behavior of virtual characters in applications set in virtual worlds in areas such as games, movies and simulations. The behavior of virtual characters should be believable in order to create the illusion that these virtual worlds are populated with living characters. This has led to the application of agent-based modeling to the control of these virtual characters. There are a number of advantages of using agent-based modeling techniques which include the fact that they remove the requirement for hand controlling all agents in …

Cross-Disciplinary Approaches For Developing Serious Games In Higher Education: Frameworks For Food Safety And Environmental Health Education, Pauline Rooney, K.C. O'Rourke, Greg Burke, Brian Mac Namee, Claudia Igbrude

Conference papers

While some educators have adopted commercial off the-shelf games for use in the classroom, such games may not always meet the individual requirements of lecturers whose courses are tied to specific learning utcomes. An alternative is to capitalise on in-house expertise in Higher Education and create serious games through cross-disciplinary team projects. This paper outlines such a project within one Higher Education institution. It describes synergies created across disciplines as a result of the collaboration on game design and implementation. It looks at tensions generated between the pedagogical requirements (of lecturers), entertainment objectives (of games designers) and technical excellence (sought …

An Evaluation Of The Traveling Wave Ultrasonic Motor For Force Feedback Applications, Nishant Venkatesan

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The traveling wave ultrasonic motor is considered for use in haptic devices where a certain input-output relation is desired between the applied force and the resulting motion. Historically, DC motors have been the standard choice for this purpose. Owing to its unique characteristics, the ultrasonic motors have been considered an attractive alternative. However, there are some limitations when using the ultrasonic motor for force-feedback applications. In particular, direct torque control is difficult, and the motor can only supply torque in the direction of motion. To accommodate these limitations we developed an indirect control approach. The experimental results demonstrate that the …

Investigation Of Surface Fine Grained Laminae, Streambed, And Streambank Processes Using A Watershed Scale Hydrologic And Sediment Transport Model, Joseph Paul Russo

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Sediment transport at the watershed scale in the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky is dominated by surface fine grained laminae, streambed, and streambank erosion; high instream sediment storage; and surface erosion processes. All these processes can be impacted by agricultural, urban, and suburban land-uses as well as hydrologic forcing. Understanding sediment transport processes at the watershed scale is a need for budgeting and controlling sediment pollution, and watershed modeling enables investigation of the cumulative effect of sediment processes and the parameters controlling these processes upon the entire sediment budget for a watershed. Sediment transport is being modeled by coupling the hydrologic …

Therapeutic Ultrasound Angioplasty: The Risk Of Arterial Perforation. An In Vitro Study, Mark Wylie, Garrett Mcguinness, Graham Gavin

Conference Papers

The use of therapeutic ultrasound delivered via small diameter wire waveguides may represent an emerging minimally invasive approach in the treatment of chronic total occlusions (CTOs), calcified and fibrous plaques. The distal-tip mechanical vibrations (typically 0-210 μm peak-to-peak) have been reported to debulk rigid calcified and fibrous tissues while healthy elastic arterial tissue remains largely unaffected. The risk of arterial (healthy tissue) perforation with energized waveguides is not fully understood. An ultrasonic apparatus capable of delivering a range of wire waveguide distal-tip displacements, up to 80 μm peak-to-peak (p-p), at an operational frequency of 22.5 KHz (+/- 6%) has been …