Digital Commons Network^™

3d Reconstruction Using Multi-View Imaging System, Conglin Huang

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

This thesis presents a new system that reconstructs the 3D representation of dental casts. To maintain the integrity of the 3D representation, a standard model is built to cover the blind spots that the camera cannot reach. The standard model is obtained by scanning a real human mouth model with a laser scanner. Then the model is simplified by an algorithm which is based on iterative contraction of vertex pairs. The simplified standard model uses a local parametrization method to obtain the curvature information. The system uses a digital camera and a square tube mirror in front of the camera …

An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study Of Prospective Middle Grades Teachers' Mathematical Connections While Completing Investigative Tasks In Geometry, Jennifer Ann Eli

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

With the implementation of No Child Left Behind legislation and a push for reform curricula, prospective teachers must be prepared to facilitate learning at a conceptual level. To address these concerns, an exploratory mixed methods investigation of twenty-eight prospective middle grades teachers’ mathematics knowledge for teaching geometry and mathematical connection-making was conducted at a large public southeastern university. Participants completed a diagnostic assessment in mathematics with a focus on geometry and measurement (CRMSTD, 2007), a mathematical connections evaluation, and a card sort activity. Mixed methods data analysis revealed prospective middle grades teachers’ mathematics knowledge for teaching geometry was underdeveloped and …

Iterative Methods For Computing Eigenvalues And Exponentials Of Large Matrices, Ping Zhang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, we study iterative methods for computing eigenvalues and exponentials of large matrices. These types of computational problems arise in a large number of applications, including mathematical models in economics, physical and biological processes. Although numerical methods for computing eigenvalues and matrix exponentials have been well studied in the literature, there is a lack of analysis in inexact iterative methods for eigenvalue computation and certain variants of the Krylov subspace methods for approximating the matrix exponentials. In this work, we proposed an inexact inverse subspace iteration method that generalizes the inexact inverse iteration for computing multiple and clustered …

Alterations Of Zinc Transporters In Alzheimer's Disease, Ganna Lyubartseva

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), one of the major causes of disability and mortality in Western societies, is a progressive age-related neurodegenerative disorder. Increasing evidence suggests the etiology of AD may involve disruptions of zinc (Zn) homeostasis. We hypothesize that disruption of Zn homeostasis leads to alterations of Zn transporter (ZnT) proteins, resulting in increased production of neurotoxic amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide in AD brain. To address this hypothesis we carried out the following studies.

1. We characterized alterations of ZnT-1, ZnT-4 and ZnT-6 in the brain of preclinical AD (PCAD) subjects, who show no overt clinical manifestations of AD but demonstrate …

Aspects Of The Geometry Of Metrical Connections, Matthew J. Wells

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Differential geometry is about space (a manifold) and a geometric structure on that space. In Riemann’s lecture (see [17]), he stated that “Thus arises the problem, to discover the matters of fact from which the measure-relations of space may be determined...”. It is key then to understand how manifolds differ from one another geometrically. The results of this dissertation concern how the geometry of a manifold changes when we alter metrical connections. We investigate how diverse geodesics are in different metrical connections. From this, we investigate a new class of metrical connections which are dependent on the class of smooth …

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 …

Matrix Geochemistry And Phytophthora Occurrence On Reforested Mine Lands In Appalachia, Kathryn M. Ward

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

At the Bent Mountain surface mine, Pike County, Kentucky, a study has been ongoing since 2005 to assess the influence of various types of loose-graded mine spoils on water quality and forest establishment. Six research plots consist of two replicates of brown weathered sandstone, gray unweathered sandstone, and mixed brown sandstone, gray sandstone, and shale that were emplaced according to Forestry Reclamation Approach criteria. A series of analyses was initiated in 2007 to examine influence of spoil matrix composition on sulfate and carbonate geochemistry of infiltrated waters, as well as to investigate the occurrence of Phytophthora, a group of …

The Law V. The Stranger: Language Interpretation And Legal Space In Lexington, Ky, Karen S. Kinslow

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

This thesis examines the role of interpretation in legal encounter in Lexington, Kentucky. Through an analysis of legal and interpretation practices, this study seeks to ascertain how these practices may affect non-native or low-proficiency English speakers’ (LLPs) experiences with both federal and local laws and legal spaces. This place-based study involves in-depth qualitative research. Using the methodological framework of feminist geo-jurisprudence, this research contributes to our understanding of 1) the limits of the publicity of legal space and, more specifically, the ways in which language barriers can prevent legal inclusion; 2) local strategies and tactics for dealing with the challenges …

Variation In C/P Ratios In Devonian-Mississippian Marine Shales: Testing The Productivity-Anoxia Feedback Model, Brian T. Scott

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Carbon/phosphorus ratios for late Devonian-early Mississippian marine black shales along a transect from the Illinois Basin, across the Cumberland Saddle, and into the Appalachian Basin were evaluated to assess the role of productivity in organic carbon accumulation. Phosphorus is a key limiting nutrient for biological productivity in marine environments and may be regenerated preferentially relative to organic carbon, the amount of regeneration possibly being related to bottom-water anoxia. A positive feed-back mechanism (more specifically, productivity-anoxia feedback or PAF) has been proposed between water-column anoxia, high benthic regeneration of phosphorus, and marine productivity. This regeneration of phosphorus under anoxic conditions and …

Use Of Surface Geophysical Techniques To Locate A Karst Conduit In The Cane Run - Royal Spring Basin, Kentucky, Ganesh N. Tripathi

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Groundwater flow in karst terrains is difficult to map because it can be concentrated through conduits that do not necessarily coincide with the surface features. We applied electrical resistivity (ER) and self-potential (SP) techniques at three sites to locate an inferred trunk conduit feeding a major spring in the Inner Bluegrass region of Kentucky. Royal Spring is the primary water supply for the city of Georgetown; the upper part of its basin coincides with the Cane Run watershed. ER and SP profiles were perpendicular to the inferred trunk conduit orientation. ER profiles (972 m total length) were measured using a …

Bedrock Mapping Of The Winchendon (1:25,000) Quadrangle (Ma-Nh): Evidence For Discontinous Deformation Along The Bronson Hill-Central Maine Boundary Zone, Timothy M. O'Brien

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Bedrock geology of the Winchendon quadrangle is divided into two zones based on structures and lithology. The eastern zone consists of tightly folded Silurian Rangeley and Paxton metasediments and pegmatites. Planar, NNE-SSW striking, W dipping foliations are characterized by alternating phyllosilicate-rich and leucosome layers. Fold axes of tight to isoclinal upright and recumbent folding are parallel to SSW-NNE shallowly plunging sillimanite, quartz and muscovite lineations. In the western zone Rangeley schists were intruded by Devonian Hardwick and Coys Hill and Fitzwilliam plutons. Planar NNE-SSW striking foliations dip shallowly to steeply west. Fold axes of tight-to-isoclinal asymmetric to recumbent folds plunge …

Structural Geology Of The Transylvania Fault Zone In Bedford County, Pennsylvania, Elizabeth Lauren Dodson

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Transverse zones cross strike of thrust-belt structures as large-scale alignments of cross-strike structures. The Transylvania fault zone is a set of discontinuous right-lateral transverse faults striking at about 270º across Appalachian thrust-belt structures along 40º N latitude in Pennsylvania. Near Everett, Pennsylvania, the Breezewood fault terminates with the Ashcom thrust fault. The Everett Gap fault terminates westward with the Hartley thrust fault. Farther west, the Bedford fault extends westward to terminate against the Wills Mountain thrust fault. The rocks, deformed during the Alleghanian orogeny, are semi-independently deformed on opposite sides of the transverse fault, indicating fault movement during folding and …

Utilizing Mixed Surfactants For Simultaneous Pore Templating And Active Site Formation In Metal Oxides, Mohammed Shahidur Rahman

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Self-assembled nonionic alkyl glycoside surfactants are of interest for creating functional adsorption and catalytic sites at the surface of mesoporous metal oxides, but they typically impart poor long-range order when used as pore templates. Improved order and control over the functional site density may be achieved by mixing them with a cationic surfactant. To confirm this hypothesis, we investigate the lyotropic liquid crystalline (LLC) phase behavior of aqueous solutions of the functional nonionic surfactant n-dodecyl β-D-maltoside (C₁₂G₂) and cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (C₁₆TAB). A ternary phase diagram of the C₁₆TAB-C₁₂G_{2 …}

A Protocol Suite For Wireless Personal Area Networks, Karl E. Persson

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

A Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) is an ad hoc network that consists of devices that surround an individual or an object. Bluetooth^® technology is especially suitable for formation of WPANs due to the pervasiveness of devices with Bluetooth^® chipsets, its operation in the unlicensed Industrial, Scientific, Medical (ISM) frequency band, and its interference resilience. Bluetooth^® technology has great potential to become the de facto standard for communication between heterogeneous devices in WPANs.

The piconet, which is the basic Bluetooth^® networking unit, utilizes a Master/Slave (MS) configuration that permits only a single master and up to …

Three-Dimensional Free Surface Non-Hydrostatic Modeling Of Plunging Water With Turbulence And Air Entrained Transport, Tien Mun Yee

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The advance in computational fluid dynamics in recent years has provided the opportunity for many fluid dynamic problems to be analyzed numerically. One such problem concerns the modeling of plunging water into a still water body, often encountered in pump stations. Air bubbles introduced into the system by the plunging jet can be a significant problem, especially when consumed into operating pumps. The classical approach to investigate the hydrodynamics of plunging jet in pump stations is by physical model studies. This approach is time consuming, tedious and costly. The availability of computational power today, along with appropriate numerical techniques, allows …

Vortex Model Of Open Channel Flows With Gravel Beds, Brian James Belcher

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Turbulent structures are known to be important physical processes in gravel-bed rivers. A number of limitations exist that prohibit the advancement and prediction of turbulence structures for optimization of civil infrastructure, biological habitats and sediment transport in gravel-bed rivers. This includes measurement limitations that prohibit characterization of size and strength of turbulent structures in the riverine environment for different case studies as well as traditional numerical modeling limitations that prohibit modeling and prediction of turbulent structure for heterogeneous beds under high Reynolds number flows using the Navier-Stokes equations. While these limitations exist, researchers have developed various theories for the structure …

Adolphe Nourrit, Gilbert-Louis Duprez, And Transformations Of Tenor Technique In The Early Nineteenth Century: Historical And Physiological Considerations, Jason Christopher Vest

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The April 1837 debut of tenor Gilbert-Louis Duprez at the Paris Opéra sparked uproarious applause and inspired a new group of tenors with a different vocal technique from tenors of the previous generation. Whereas previous tenors of the nineteenth century sang in a graceful, light, and flexible style that complemented the operatic compositions of Gluck, Rossini, and Bellini, Duprez sang in a powerful, forceful voice that brought new dramatic fervor to the existing repertoire of French Grand Opera. Duprez’ stentorian vocal representations of Arnold in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell and Robert in Meyerbeer’s Robert le diable, among others, inspired composers …

Analysis Of Esl Teacher Endorsement Effects On English Language Learners' Student Achievement And English Language Acquisition, Anna Marie Tracy

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past twenty years, classrooms throughout the United States have becomes more ethnically and linguistically diverse with the influx of immigrant residents. The impact of this demographic change has directly affected the makeup of the mainstream classroom. One response to this rapid growth in diversity demographics has been the requirement of additional teacher preparation for instruction of English language learners.

The study focuses on the impact of English as a Second Language endorsement (ESL) on the English language acquisition and academic achievement of elementary English language learners (ELL) over a two year period in a large mountain west urbansuburban …

Changes In Longitudinally Assessed Biomechanical Parameters Related To Increased Risk Of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (Acl) Injuries In Adolescent Female And Male Athletes, Kevin Ray Ford

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Females suffer anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries at a 2 to 10-fold greater rate compared to male athletes participating in similar sports. Altered movement patterns and inadequate knee stiffness are two interrelated factors that may increase ACL injury risk. Onset of these neuromuscular risk factors may coincide with the rapid adolescent growth that results in the divergence of a multitude of neuromuscular parameters between sexes. The overall purpose of this dissertation was to determine if neuromuscular ACL injury risk factors in female athletes increase following rapid growth and development compared to males. Male and female athletes were tested with three-dimensional …

Satisfaction Assessment Of Textual Software Engineering Artifacts, Elizabeth Ashlee Holbrook

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

A large number of software projects exist and will continue to be developed that have textual requirements and textual design elements where the design elements should fully satisfy the requirements. Current techniques to assess the satisfaction of requirements by corresponding design elements are largely manual processes that lack formal criteria and standard practices. Software projects that require satisfaction assessment are often very large systems containing several hundred requirements and design elements. Often these projects are within a high assurance project domain, where human lives and millions of dollars of funding are at stake. Manual satisfaction assessment is expensive in terms …

Persistent Currents And Quantum Critical Phenomena In Mesoscopic Physics, Oleksandr Zelyak

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

In this thesis, we study persistent currents and quantum critical phenomena in the systems of mesoscopic physics. As an introduction in Chapter 1 we familiarize the reader with the area of mesoscopic physics. We explain how mesoscopic systems are different from quantum systems of single atoms and molecules and bulk systems with an Avogadro number of elements. We also describe some important mesoscopic phenomena.

One of the mathematical tools that we extensively use in our studies is Random Matrix Theorty. This theory is not a part of standard physics courses and for educational purposes we provide the basics of Random …

Bootstrap Enhanced N-Dimensional Deformation Of Space With Acoustic Resonance Spectroscopy, David John Link

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Acoustic methods can often be used with limited or no sample preparations making them ideal for rapid process analytical technologies (PATs). This dissertation focuses on the possible use of acoustic resonance spectroscopy as a PAT in the pharmaceutical industry. Current good manufacturing processes (cGMP) need new technologies that have the ability to perform quality assurance testing on all products. ARS is a rapid and non destructive method that has been used to perform qualitative studies but has a major drawback when it comes to quantitative studies. Acoustic methods create highly non linear correlations which usually results in high level computations …

Rees Products Of Posets And Inequalities, Tricia Muldoon Brown

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation we will look at properties of two different posets from different perspectives. The first poset is the Rees product of the face lattice of the n-cube with the chain. Specifically we study the Möbius function of this poset. Our proof techniques include straightforward enumeration and a bijection between a set of labeled augmented skew diagrams and barred signed permutations which label the maximal chains of this poset. Because the Rees product of this poset is Cohen-Macaulay, we find a basis for the top homology group and a representation of the top homology group over the symmetric …

Paleogeographic Reconstructuion Of The St. Lawrence Promontory, Western Newfoundland, John Stefan Allen

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Neoproterozoic-Early Cambrian continental rifting related to the breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia framed the continental margin of eastern Laurentia and the departing cratons around the opening Iapetus Ocean. The result of continental extension was the production of a zig-zag set of promontories and embayments on the eastern Laurentian margin defined by northeast-trending rift segments offset by northwesttrending transform faults.

The St. Lawrence promontory defines the Laurentian margin in western Newfoundland. There, Neoproterozoic-Carboniferous clastic, volcanic, and carbonate successions record protracted continental rifting and passive-margin thermal subsidence followed by destruction of the margin during the early, middle, and late Paleozoic Appalachian orogenic …

The Interaction Between Personality Traits And Contextual Disadvantage On Criminal Behavior: A Longitudinal Study Of High Risk-Females, Lauren C. Gudonis

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This investigation examined several dimensions of personality functioning in a longitudinal sample of females. These data are part of an existing project evaluating female development across 3 different time points starting in adolescence and transitioning into adulthood. Subjects were categorized into a clinical group (females with a high degree of psychiatric comorbidity) and a normal control group. All participants were initially recruited when they were between 14-18 years of age, and were followed up twice when they were 19-23, and 24-28. In an attempt to explore possible heterogeneity in personality trait development, the research is presented as three separate studies …

Pattern Recognition Integrated Sensing Methodologies (Prisms) In Pharmaceutical Process Validation, Remote Sensing And Astrobiology, Thaddaeus S. Hannel

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Modern analytical instrumentation is capable of creating enormous and complex volumes of data. Analysis of large data volumes are complicated by lengthy analysis time and high computational demand. Incorporating real-time analysis methods that are computationally efficient are desirable for modern analytical methods to be fully utilized. The use of modern instrumentation in on-line pharmaceutical process validation, remote sensing, and astrobiology applications requires real-time analysis methods that are computationally efficient.

Integrated sensing and processing (ISP) is a method for minimizing the data burden and sensing time of a system. ISP is accomplished through implementation of chemometric calculations in the physics of …

Study Of Qcd Critical Point Using Canonical Ensemble Method, Anyi Li

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

QCD at non-zero baryon density is expected to have a critical point where the finite temperature crossover at zero density turns into a first order phase transition. To identify this point, we use the canonical ensemble approach to scan the temperaturedensity plane through lattice QCD simulations with Wilson-type fermions. In order to scan a wide range of the phase diagram, we develop an algorithm, the ”winding number expansion method” (WNEM) to fix the numerical instability problem due to the discrete Fourier transform for calculating the projected determinant. For a given temperature, we measure the chemical potential as a function of …

Imide-Functionalized Conjugated Polymers: Synthesis, Structure-Property And Device Studies, Xugang Guo

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Organic semiconductors are widely studied as potential active components for consumer electronics due largely to their easily tuned properties and the promise of lower-cost solution-based processing technology. Imide-functionalized organic small molecule compounds have been one of the more important and studied organic semiconductors. However, very few imide-functionalized conjugated polymers have been reported in the literature. The body of this dissertation focuses on the synthesis, structure-property and device studies of imide-functionalized conjugated polymers. Reasons for choosing arylene imides as polymer building blocks include: a) they impart low-lying LUMOs to polymers, allowing band-gap engineering through choice of comonomers with variable electron-donating ability; …

Production Sequencing And Stability Analysis Of A Just-In-Time System With Sequence Dependent Setups, John Thomas Henninger

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Just-In-Time (JIT) production systems is a popular area for researchers but real-world issues such as sequence dependent setups are often overlooked. This research investigates an approach for determining stability and an approach for mixed product sequencing in production systems with sequence dependent setups and buffer thresholds which signal replenishment of a given buffer. Production systems in this research operate under JIT pull production principles by producing only when demand exists and idle when no demand exists.

In the first approach, an iterative method is presented to determine stability for a multi-product production system that operates with replenishment signals and may …

Long-Period Ground Motions In The Upper Mississippi Embayment From Finite-Fault, Finite-Difference Simulations, Kenneth A. Macpherson

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

A 3D velocity model and 3D wave propagation code have been employed to simulate long-period ground motions in the upper Mississippi embayment. This region is exposed to seismic hazard in the form of large earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone and observational data are sparse, making simulation a valuable tool for predicting the effects of large events. These simulations were undertaken in order to estimate ground-motion characteristics and to investigate the influence of the 3D embayment structure and finite-fault mechanics. There are three primary fault zones in the New Madrid seismic zone, each of which was likely associated with …