Digital Commons Network^™

Visual Semantic Segmentation And Its Applications, Jizhou Gao

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

This dissertation addresses the difficulties of semantic segmentation when dealing with an extensive collection of images and 3D point clouds. Due to the ubiquity of digital cameras that help capture the world around us, as well as the advanced scanning techniques that are able to record 3D replicas of real cities, the sheer amount of visual data available presents many opportunities for both academic research and industrial applications. But the mere quantity of data also poses a tremendous challenge. In particular, the problem of distilling useful information from such a large repository of visual data has attracted ongoing interests in …

Toric Varieties And Cobordism, Andrew Wilfong

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

A long-standing problem in cobordism theory has been to find convenient manifolds to represent cobordism classes. For example, in the late 1950's, Hirzebruch asked which complex cobordism classes can be represented by smooth connected algebraic varieties. This question is still open. Progress can be made on this and related problems by studying certain convenient connected algebraic varieties, namely smooth projective toric varieties. The primary focus of this dissertation is to determine which complex cobordism classes can be represented by smooth projective toric varieties. A complete answer is given up to dimension six, and a partial answer is described in dimension …

Regularity And Uniqueness Of Some Geometric Heat Flows And It's Applications, Tao Huang

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

This manuscript demonstrates the regularity and uniqueness of some geometric heat flows with critical nonlinearity.

First, under the assumption of smallness of renormalized energy, several issues of the regularity and uniqueness of heat flow of harmonic maps into a unit sphere or a compact Riemannian homogeneous manifold without boundary are established.

For a class of heat flow of harmonic maps to any compact Riemannian manifold without boundary, satisfying the Serrin's condition,

the regularity and uniqueness is also established.

As an application, the hydrodynamic flow of nematic liquid crystals in Serrin's class is proved to be regular and unique.

The natural …

Relative Perturbation Theory For Diagonally Dominant Matrices, Megan Dailey

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

Diagonally dominant matrices arise in many applications. In this work, we exploit the structure of diagonally dominant matrices to provide sharp entrywise relative perturbation bounds. We first generalize the results of Dopico and Koev to provide relative perturbation bounds for the LDU factorization with a well conditioned L factor. We then establish relative perturbation bounds for the inverse that are entrywise and independent of the condition number. This allows us to also present relative perturbation bounds for the linear system Ax=b that are independent of the condition number. Lastly, we continue the work of Ye to provide relative perturbation bounds …

Thermobarometry Of Metamorphosed Pseudotachylyte And Determination Of Seismic Rupture Depth During Devonian Caledonian Extension, North Norway, Susan E. Leib

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Crustal faulting has long been known as the source of shallow seismicity, and the seismogenic zone is the depth (3-15 km) within the crust that is capable of co-seismic slip, largely under brittle conditions. However, some continental seismicity occurs at depths >> 15 km. I performed thermobarometry of mylonitic pseudotachylyte to determine the P-T of a seismogenic extensional fault in the Caledonian Norwegian margin. Two shear zones (Eidsfjord and Fiskfjord) located in northern Norway exhibit brittle extension propagating into the ductile regime of the lower crust as evidenced by the presence of pseudotachylyte. Averages from Eidsfjord (653 ± 38°C and 570 …

Shear-Wave Imaging And Birefringence In A Complex Near-Surface Geological Environment, Ali Z. Almayahi

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Multiple geophysical and geological data sets were compiled, reprocessed, and interpreted using state-of-the-art signal processing and modeling algorithms to characterize the complex post-Paleozoic geology that overlies the southwestern projection of the Fluorspar Area Fault Complex (FAFC) in western Kentucky. Specific data included 21.5 km of SH-wave seismic reflection, 1.5 km of P-wave seismic reflection, 2 km of electrical resistivity, vertical seismic profiles, Vp and Vs sonic-suspension logs, and 930 lithologic borehole logs. The resultant model indicates three general northeast–southwest-oriented fault zones pass through the study area as southwestern extensions of parts of the FAFC. These fault zones form two significant …

Spatio-Temporal Variability In Groundwater Discharge And Contaminant Fluxes Along A Channelized Stream In Western Kentucky, Ganesh N. Tripathi

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Spatio-temporal variability in groundwater discharge and contaminant fluxes along a channelized stream in western Kentucky

Surface and groundwater discharges and contaminant fluxes can vary with time and space depending upon the hydrogeological processes and geological setting of the area of interest. This study examined a ~300-m-long, channelized reach of a first-order perennial stream, Little Bayou Creek, in the Coastal Plain of far western Kentucky during the period October 2010–February 2012. Along the study reach, springs discharge groundwater contaminated by the chlorinated organic compound trichloroethene (TCE) and radionuclide technetium-99 (⁹⁹Tc) released as a result of past activities at the …

Distribution And Impacts Of Petroleum Hydrocarbons In Louisiana Tidal Marsh Sediments Following The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Rachel S. Hatch

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill, sediment cores were analyzed from marshes at various levels of oiling to determine how deeply oil penetrated sediment in these marsh environments, and if at these sites it had quantifiably affected benthic ecosystems. Minimum mixing depths were determined from penetration of the lithogenic radionuclide ²³⁴Th, which ranged from 0.25 to 4.5 cm. Sediment accumulation rates were determined using ²¹⁰Pb, with verification from ¹³⁷Cs in selected cores. Lead-210 profiles revealed long-term (decadal) mixing. Bay Jimmy, Louisiana was significantly affected by the DWH oil spill, as indicated by total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon …

Identifying Risk And Protective Factors Of Preparatory And Non-Preparatory Students In Agricultural Education Programs Of A Rural Kentucky High School, Randy J. Adams

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Today there is an increased demand for secondary agriculture education programs to prepare students to be college and career ready through a program of study. The purpose of this study was to identify risk and protective factors of preparatory and non-preparatory students within an agriculture education program at Anderson County High School in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The results of this study did not determine that there was a difference in risk and protective factors between preparatory and non-preparatory students within agriculture education courses. The study concluded that students among both categories were equally exposed to risks such as family conflict and …

Evaluation Of Motivation And Professional Development Of Curriculum For Agricultural Science Education (Case) Lead And Master Teachers, Miranda Rose Chaplin

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education™ (CASE) is an instructional system of support that provides professional development, curriculum, and assessments to agricultural educators. Through the CASE model, two CASE Lead or Master Teachers facilitate professional development, known as a CASE Institute. This study utilizes three sets of surveys to describe the motivation for CASE certified teachers applying to become CASE Lead and Master Teachers, determine the effectiveness of the professional development provided to Lead and Master Teachers during the Lead Teacher Orientation, and determine the Lead and Master Teachers’ demographic information.

Analysis Of Spatial Data, Xiang Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Statistics

In many areas of the agriculture, biological, physical and social sciences, spatial lattice data are becoming increasingly common. In addition, a large amount of lattice data shows not only visible spatial pattern but also temporal pattern (see, Zhu et al. 2005). An interesting problem is to develop a model to systematically model the relationship between the response variable and possible explanatory variable, while accounting for space and time effect simultaneously.

Spatial-temporal linear model and the corresponding likelihood-based statistical inference are important tools for the analysis of spatial-temporal lattice data. We propose a general asymptotic framework for spatial-temporal linear models and …

James-Stein Type Compound Estimation Of Multiple Mean Response Functions And Their Derivatives, Limin Feng

Theses and Dissertations--Statistics

Charnigo and Srinivasan originally developed compound estimators to nonparametrically estimate mean response functions and their derivatives simultaneously when there is one response variable and one covariate. The compound estimator maintains self consistency and almost optimal convergence rate. This dissertation studies, in part, compound estimation with multiple responses and/or covariates. An empirical comparison of compound estimation, local regression and spline smoothing is included, and near optimal convergence rates are established in the presence of multiple covariates.

James and Stein proposed an estimator of the mean vector of a p dimensional multivariate normal distribution, which produces a smaller risk than the maximum …

Conviction Celerity, Punishment Severity, And Treatment Compliance As Predictors Of Dui Recidivism: Mediation And Moderation Models Of Deterrence, Megan F. Dickson

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

Driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the most frequently committed offenses in the United States and approximately one-third of DUI offenders are recidivists. Researchers have evaluated multiple DUI prevention approaches, most of which have been rooted in deterrence theory. Recently, the criminal justice system has moved away from deterrence-based approaches and begun employing various forms of rehabilitation to reduce DUI recidivism. This shift in the criminal justice system has lead researchers to begin exploring the effects of rehabilitation on DUI offenders, including an examination of offender compliance with rehabilitation programs. Although each of these areas has been investigated …

A Framework For Understanding The Public's Perspectives Of Mining Applied To The Kentucky Coal Industry, Joshua M. Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

People’s perceptions of mining are heavily based on the media they consume and the messages therein. News outlets ordinarily report on mining only when there is an accident or environmental concern. When messages that the public is exposed to are negative, it is no wonder that there are negative perceptions about mining.

Current public relations campaigns on the behalf of specific companies or select sectors do exist; however, this is often a reactionary move in response to recent shifts in the socio-political environment. The details of these campaigns are often tied up in proprietary information or withheld by public relations …

Characterizing The Variability In Respirable Dust Exposure Using Johnson Transformation And Re-Examining 2010 Proposed Changes To The U.S. Underground Coal Mine Dust Standard, Al I. Khan

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), commonly referred to as black lung, is a chronic lung disease that results from the inhalation and deposition of coal dust in the lungs. While this disease continues to afflict coal miners, its prevalence has steadily declined over three decades since 1970. Based on a voluntary X-ray surveillance program, conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), this downward trend, however, ended in 2000 and has actually begun to rise. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) instituted a Comprehensive Initiative to “End Black Lung” to combat the reported upturn in black …

Cavitation Nanobubble Enhanced Flotation Process For More Efficient Coal Recovery, Ahmed S. Sayed Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Froth flotation is a widely used, cost effective particle separation process. However, its high performance is limited to a narrow particle size range, e.g., between 50 µm and 600 µm for coal and between 10 µm and 100 µm for minerals. Outside this range, the efficiency of froth flotation decreases significantly, especially for difficult-to-float particles of weak hydrophobicity (e.g., oxidized coal).

Nanobubbles integrated into a specially designed column flotation expanded the particle size range for efficient froth flotation as a result of increased probabilities of particle- bubble collision and attachment and reduced probability of detachment.

The major advantages of nanobubble …

Assessing And Mitigating Airborne Noise From Power Generation Equipment, Limin Zhou

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

This dissertation examines the assessment and mitigation of airborne noise from power generation equipment.

The first half of the dissertation investigates the diagnosis and treatment of combustion oscillations in boilers. Sound is produced by the flame and is reflected downstream from the combustion chamber. The reflected sound waves perturb the mixture flow or equivalence ratio increasing the heat release pulsations and the accompanying sound produced by the flame. A feedback loop model for determining the likelihood of and diagnosing combustion oscillations was reviewed, enhanced, and then validated. The current work applies the feedback loop stability model to two boilers, which …

Kinetics Of Wedge-Tee Joint Formation During Brazing Of An Aluminum Alloy Under Controlled Atmosphere, Fangxiao Dong

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

This work involves investigation of the kinetics data of a joint formation during aluminum alloy brazing. Data was generated by several groups of experiments conducted under conditions of a controlled oxygen level of the background brazing atmosphere. Generated data are examined to identify the phases of the joint formation and the time frame of its evolution. Specifically, the triple line kinetics data are analyzed to verify whether a power law between (1) the triple line of the molten metal preceding joint formation and (2) the formation time can be established for each formation phase. In addition, both initial and residual …

Near Wall Shear Stress Modification Using An Active Piezoelectric Nanowire Surface, Christopher R. Guskey

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

An experimental study was conducted to explore the possible application of dynamically actuated nanowires to effectively disturb the wall layer in fully developed, turbulent channel flow. Actuated nanowires have the potential to be used for the mixing and filtering of chemicals, enhancing convective heat transfer and reducing drag. The first experimental evidence is presented suggesting it is possible to manipulate and subsequently control turbulent flow structures with active nanowires. An array of rigid, ultra-long (40 μm) TiO₂ nanowires was fabricated and installed in the bounding wall of turbulent channel flow then oscillated using an attached piezoelectric actuator. Flow velocity …

Cerium Oxide (Ceo2) Promoted Oxygen Carrier Development And Scale Modeling Study For Chemical Looping Combustion, Fang Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

According to IPCC reports, the greenhouse gas CO₂ is responsible for global climate change. Studies show that CO₂ concentration reached a level of 400 ppm in 2013, or 40 % above pre-industrial levels. The contribution of CO₂ from industrial activity to increasing global CO₂ concentrations is widely accepted and points to the need to reduce the emission of this greenhouse gas.One possible combustion technology that shows promise for reducing CO₂ emissions is chemical looping combustion (CLC). It is an oxy-fuel technology, but has the advantages of in situ oxygen separation, low NO_x emissions and …

The Critical Role Of Mechanism-Based Models For Understanding And Predicting Liposomal Drug Loading, Binding And Release Kinetics, Sweta Modi

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Liposomal delivery systems hold considerable promise for improvement of cancer therapy provided that critical formulation design criteria can be met. The main objective of the current project was to enable quality by design in the formulation of liposomal delivery systems by developing comprehensive, mechanism-based mathematical models of drug loading, binding and release kinetics that take into account not only the therapeutic requirement but the physicochemical properties of the drug, the bilayer membrane, and the intraliposomal microenvironment.

Membrane binding of the drug affects both drug loading and release from liposomes. The influence of bilayer composition and phase structure on the partitioning …

Amalgamation Of Nucleosides And Amino Acids In Antibiotic Biosynthesis, Sandra H. Barnard

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

The rapid increase in antibiotic resistance demands the identification of novel antibiotics with novel targets. One potential antibacterial target is the biosynthesis of peptidoglycan cell wall, which is both ubiquitous and necessary for bacterial survival. Both the caprazamycin-related compounds A-90289 and muraminomicin, as well as the capuramycin-related compounds A-503083 and A-102395 are potent inhibitors of the translocase I enzyme, one of the key enzymes required for cell wall biosynthesis. The caprazamycin-related compounds contain a core nonproteinogen b-hydroxy-a-amino acid referred to as 5’-C-glycyluridine (GlyU). Residing within the biosynthetic gene clusters of the aforementioned compounds is a shared open reading …

The Pharmacokinetics Of Metal-Based Engineered Nanomaterials, Focusing On The Blood-Brain Barrier, Mo Dan

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Metal-based engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have potential to revolutionize diagnosis, drug delivery and manufactured products, leading to greater human ENM exposure. It is crucial to understand ENM pharmacokinetics and their association with biological barriers such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Physicochemical parameters such as size and surface modification of ENMs play an important role in ENM fate, including their brain association. Multifunctional ENMs showed advantages across the highly regulated BBB. There are limited reports on ENM distribution among the blood in the brain vasculature, the BBB, and brain parenchyma.

In this study, ceria ENM was used to study the effect of …

Formulation Optimization For Pore Lifetime Enhancement And Sustained Drug Delivery Across Microneedle Treated Skin, Priyanka Ghosh

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Microneedle (MN) enhanced drug delivery is a safe, effective and efficient enhancement method for delivery of drug molecules across the skin. The “poke (press) and patch” approach employs solid stainless steel MN to permeablize the skin prior to application of a regular drug patch over the treated area. It has been previously shown that MN can be used to deliver naltrexone (NTX) at a rate that provides plasma concentrations in the lower end of the therapeutic range in humans. The drug delivery potential of this technique is, however, limited by the re-sealing of the micropores in a 48-72h timeframe. The …

Polymer Micelles For Tunable Drug Release And Enhanced Antitumor Efficacy, Andrei G. Ponta

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Cancer remains a leading cause of death in the United States. The most common treatment options include chemotherapy, but poor solubility, adverse side effects and differential drug sensitivity hamper clinical applications. Current chemotherapy generally aims to deliver drugs at the limit of toxicity, assuming that higher dosage increases efficacy, with little attention paid to potential benefits of tunable release. Growing evidence suggests that releasing drugs at a constant rate will be as effective as a single bolus dose. To test this hypothesis, it is critical to develop drug delivery systems that fine-tune drug release and elucidate the impact of tunable …

Methylphenidate And Atomoxetine Treatment During Adolescence In The Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat: Mechanisms Underlying High Cocaine Abuse Liability In Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Sucharita S. Somkuwar

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Effects of pharmacotherapies for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on cocaine abuse liability in ADHD are not understood. Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR), an ADHD model, exhibited greater cocaine self-administration than control Wistar-Kyoto and Wistar rats. Methylphenidate, but not atomoxetine during adolescence enhanced cocaine self-administration in adult SHRs compared to controls. The mesocortical dopaminergic system, including medial prefrontal (mPFC) and orbitofrontal (OFC) cortices, is important for ADHD and cocaine addiction. Dopamine and norepinephrine transporter (DAT and NET) are molecular targets for methylphenidate, atomoxetine and cocaine action.

In the current studies, SHR, Wistar-Kyoto and Wistar were administered methylphenidate (1.5 mg/kg/day, p.o.), atomoxetine (0.3 …

Effects Of Restaurant Tax And Price Increases: Implications For Managers, Policy Makers, And Lobbyists, Junghee Han

Theses and Dissertations--Retailing and Tourism Management

Legislation has been proposed in Kentucky that would authorize city legislative bodies to levy a tax on restaurant meals of no more than 3%, regardless of the size of the city. The bill has garnered attention from Kentucky Travel Industry Association, the Kentucky Restaurant Association, and local tourism and restaurant organizations and associations that oppose the tax. The Kentucky League of Cities, an organization that represents the interests of city governments, supports the tax. The purpose of this research was to examine how a change in the tax rate on restaurant meals would affect restaurant demand. Effects of changes in …

Post Use Analysis Of Firefighter Turnout Gear- Phase Iii, Meredith Laine Cinnamon

Theses and Dissertations--Retailing and Tourism Management

The purpose of this research was to perform a post-use evaluation of retired firefighter turnout gear. Garments were categorized as 10-12 years old, 13-17 years old and 18-21 years old. Inspection and test procedures required by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1851 and NFPA 1971 were followed to determine if the current recommended 10 year wear life (retirement age) is appropriate. Testing included a visual inspection (closure system functionality, light evaluation, leakage evaluation and flashlight test) and performance properties (Thermal Protective Performance (TPP), flammability, breaking strength, tear strength, seam strength and water penetration) completed on 108 garments. Ten-year retirement, care, …

Overexpression/Silencing Of Selected Soybean Genes Alters Resistance To Pathogens, Mohamed H. El-Habbak

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Plant diseases remain a major obstruction to meeting the world’s increased demand for soybean oil and protein. Reducing the losses caused by diseases in order to improve crop production is a high priority for agricultural research. The need for novel strategies for plant disease control cannot be overstated. In the present study, selected defense-related genes were silenced and/or overexpressed in soybean using a virus-based vector and the resultant plants were tested for their responses to pathogens. The first part of the study focused on Rps1k (Resistance to Phytophthora sojae) gene. The two conserved domains encoding ‘P-Loop NTPase’ and ‘PLN03210’ …

Forest Harvest Equipment Movement And Sediment Delivery To Streams, Daniel Whiteside Bowker

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Streamside management zones (SMZs) have become important management techniques to prevent the introduction of sediment to stream networks. This study examined the current Kentucky best management practice (BMP) guidelines for SMZs by outfitting mobile forest harvest equipment with global positioning system (GPS) receivers, enabling modeling of equipment traffic and spatial analysis of stream sediment delivery. Three SMZ configurations were implemented during commercial timber harvest, along with four different techniques of crossing ephemeral channels, in order to determine where and why sediment was introduced to the stream network. Results indicate that increasing the SMZ buffer width leads to decreased sediment delivery, …