Digital Commons Network^™

A Robust Controller For The Manipulation Of Micro Scale Objects, Qinmin Yang, Jagannathan Sarangapani

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A suite of novel robust controllers is presented for the manipulation and handling of micro-scale objects in a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) where adhesive, surface tension, friction and van der Waals forces are dominant. Moreover, these forces are typically unknown. The robust controller overcomes the unknown system dynamics and ensures the performance in the presence of actuator constraints by assuming that the upper bounds on these forces are known. On the other hand, for the robust adaptive controller, the unknown forces are estimated online. Using the Lyapunov approach, the uniformly ultimate boundedness (UUB) of the closed-loop manipulation error is shown for …

Uterine Mast Cells And Immunoglobulin-E Antibody Responses During Clearance Of Tritrichomonas Foetus, L. B. Corbeil, C. M. Campero, J. C. Rhyan, M. L. Anderson, L. J. Gershwin, D. W. Agnew, L. Munson, R. H. Bondurant

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We showed earlier that Tritrichomonas foetus–specific bovine immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 and IgA antibodies in uterine and vaginal secretions are correlated with clearance of this sexually transmitted infection. Eosinophils have been noted in previous studies of bovine trichomoniasis but the role of mast cells and IgE responses have not been reported. The hypothesis that IgE and mast cell degranulation play a role in clearance was tested in 25 virgin heifers inseminated experimentally and infected intravaginally with T. foetus strain D1 at estrus and cultured weekly. Groups were euthanatized at 3, 6, 9, or 12 weeks, when tissues were fixed and secretions …

West Nile Virus Infection In Farmed American Alligators (Alligator Mississippiensis) In Florida, Elliott R. Jacobson, Pamela E. Ginn, J. Mitchell Troutman, Lisa Farina, Lillian Stark, Kaci Klenk, Kristen L. Burkhalter, Nicholas Komar

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Aircraft Cabin Noise Minimization Via Neural Network Inverse Model, Xiao Hu, G. Clark, M. Travis, J. L. Vian, Donald C. Wunsch

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper describes research to investigate an artificial neural network (ANN) approach to minimize aircraft cabin noise in flight. The ANN approach is shown to be able to accurately model the non-linear relationships between engine unbalance, airframe vibration, and cabin noise to overcome limitations associated with traditional linear influence coefficient methods. ANN system inverse models are developed using engine test-stand vibration data and on-airplane vibration and noise data supplemented with influence coefficient empirical data. The inverse models are able to determine balance solutions that satisfy cabin noise specifications. The accuracy of the ANN model with respect to the real system …

Decentralized Discrete-Time Neural Network Controller For A Class Of Nonlinear Systems With Unknown Interconnections, Jagannathan Sarangapani

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A novel decentralized neural network (NN) controller in discrete-time is designed for a class of uncertain nonlinear discrete-time systems with unknown interconnections. Neural networks are used to approximate both the uncertain dynamics of the nonlinear systems and the unknown interconnections. Only local signals are needed for the decentralized controller design and the stability of the overall system can be guaranteed using the Lyapunov analysis. Further, controller redesign for the original subsystems is not required when additional subsystems are appended. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller. The NN does not require an offline learning phase and the weights …

Energy-Efficient Rate Adaptation Mac Protocol For Ad Hoc Wireless Networks, Maciej Jan Zawodniok, Jagannathan Sarangapani

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Resource constraints in ad hoc wireless networks require that they are energy efficient during both transmission and rate adaptation. In this paper, we propose a novel energy-efficient rate adaptation protocol that selects modulation schemes online to maximize throughput based on channel state while saving energy. This protocol uses the distributed power control (DPC) algorithm (M. Zawodniok et al., 2004) to accurately determine the necessary transmission power and to reduce the energy consumption. Additionally, the transmission rate is altered using energy efficiency as a constraint to meet the required throughput, which is estimated with queue fill ratio. Moreover, back-off scheme is …

Hardware Implementation Of A Mamdani Fuzzy Logic Controller For A Static Compensator In A Multimachine Power System, Salman Mohagheghi, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Satish Rajagopalan, Ronald G. Harley

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Mamdani based fuzzy logic controller is designed and implemented for controlling a STATCOM, which is connected to a 10 bus multimachine power system. Such a controller does not need any prior knowledge of the plant to be controlled and can efficiently provide control signals for the STATCOM during different disturbances in the network The proposed controller is implemented using the M67 DSP board and is interfaced to the multimachine power system simulated on a real-time digital simulator (RTDS). Experimental results are provided, showing that the proposed controller provides more effective damping than the conventional PI controller in a typical …

Traces In Proximity To Gaps In Return Planes, Todd H. Hubing, Thomas Van Doren, Theodore M. Zeeff

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Coupling between circuitry on printed circuit boards can be mitigated by a variety of well-known techniques. One such technique is to isolate circuitry in different areas of the printed circuit board by strategically placing a gap in the signal return plane. However, this technique is only effective at reducing common-impedance coupling, which is generally not a significant coupling mechanism at frequencies above 1 MHz. This paper investigates the effect of a gap located between and parallel to adjacent microstrip traces. The effect of the gap on the mutual inductance and mutual capacitance is evaluated. Laboratory measurements and numerical simulations show …

A Neural Network Based Optimal Wide Area Control Scheme For A Power System, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Swakshar Ray

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

With deregulation of the power industry, many tie lines between control areas are driven to operate near their maximum capacity, especially those serving heavy load centers. Wide area control systems (WACSs) using wide-area or global signals can provide remote auxiliary control signals to local controllers such as automatic voltage regulators, power system stabilizers, etc to damp out inter-area oscillations. This paper presents the design and the DSP implementation of a nonlinear optimal wide area controller based on adaptive critic designs and neural networks for a power system on the real-time digital simulator (RTDS©). The performance of the WACS as a …

A New Microsensor System For Plant Root Zone Monitoring, Chang-Soo Kim, Sandeep Sathyan, D. M. Porterfield

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The objective of this work is to develop a new microsensor system that can monitor dissolved oxygen and hydration environment at the plant root zone. A miniaturized plant growth system is prepared including the root zone layer, either a porous ceramic tube or porous ceramic wafer on which the plant is grown, and an underlying fluidic channel to deliver nutrients and water to the root zone. We demonstrate the feasibility of using a flexible microsensor array for dissolved oxygen detection, and a four-electrode impedance microelectrode for wetness detection on the surface of a porous tube nutrient delivery system. The unique …

Persuasive Email Messages For Patient Communication, Muhammad Walji, Kathy Johnson-Throop, Todd Johnson, Elmer Bernstam, Jiajie Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

To improve health and reduce costs, we need to encourage patients to make better health care decisions. Since email is widely available, it may be useful for patient-directed interventions. However, we know little about how the contents of an email message can influence a health-related decision. We propose a model to understand how patients may process persuasive email messages.

Drawing The Line Between Targeting And Patronizing: How “Vulnerable” Are The Vulnerable?, Joyce M. Wolburg

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose – This article aims to address the nature of vulnerability and the basis for protecting certain audiences from targeted goods and services. It aims to evaluate the need for protection as well as marketers’ defense that protection merely patronizes audiences.

Design/methodology/approach – This article cites published research that offers guidelines for determining vulnerability in the marketplace and examines conclusions from a case study that argue for holding companies to have standards of both individual and collective responsibility.

Findings – Categories of vulnerability are offered, and distinctions are drawn between the vulnerable and the disadvantaged to provide a rationale for …

Relationship Factors In Treating Substance Use Disorders, Jay L. Lebow, John Kelly, Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders, Rudolf Moos

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

An Adaptive Mamdani Fuzzy Logic Based Controller For A Static Compensator In A Multimachine Power System, Salman Mohagheghi, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Ronald G. Harley

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An adaptive Mamdani based fuzzy logic controller has been designed for controlling a static compensator (STATCOM) in a multimachine power system. Such a controller does not need any prior knowledge of the plant to be controlled and can efficiently control a STATCOM during different disturbances in the network. A model free approach using the controller output error is applied for training purposes that adaptively changes the controller output parameters based on a gradient descent method. Moreover, shrinking span membership functions are used for a more stable and accurate control performance. Simulation results show that the proposed controller outperforms the conventional …

Analytical Model For The Rectangular Power-Ground Structure Including Radiation Loss, Ji Chen, Todd H. Hubing, Weimin Shi, R. L. Chen

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An accurate analytical model to predict via coupling within rectangular power-return plane structures is developed. Loss mechanisms, including radiation loss, dielectric loss, and conductor loss, are considered in this model. The radiation loss is incorporated into a complex propagating wavenumber as an artificial loss mechanism. The quality factors associated with three loss mechanisms are calculated and compared. The effects of radiation loss on input impedances and reflection coefficients are investigated for both high-dielectric-loss and low-dielectric-loss printed circuit boards. Measurements are performed to validate the effectiveness of this model.

Block Phase Correlation-Based Automatic Drift Compensation For Atomic Force Microscopes, Qinmin Yang, Eric W. Bohannan, Jagannathan Sarangapani

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Automatic nanomanipulation and nanofabrication with an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is a precursor for nanomanufacturing. In ambient conditions without stringent environmental controls, nanomanipulation tasks require extensive human intervention to compensate for the many spatial uncertainties of the AFM. Among these uncertainties, thermal drift is especially hard to solve because it tends to increase with time and cannot be compensated simultaneously by feedback. In this paper, an automatic compensation scheme is introduced to measure and estimate drift. This information can be subsequently utilized to compensate for the thermal drift so that a real-time controller for nanomanipulation can be designed as if …

Calibration And Compensation Of Near-Field Scan Measurements, Masahiro Yamaguchi, Richard E. Dubroff, Kevin P. Slattery, Michael A. Cracraft, Jin Shi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A procedure for the calibration and compensation of near-field scanning is described and demonstrated. Ultimately, the objective is to quantify the individual field components associated with electromagnetic interference (EMI) from high speed circuitry and devices. Specific examples of these methods are shown. The effects of compensation are small but noticeable when the uncompensated output signal from near field scanning is already a very good representation of the field being measured. In other cases, the improvement provided by compensation can be significant when the uncompensated output signal bears little resemblance to the underlying field.

Determining Physical Conditions In Star Forming Regions, Nicholas Paul Abel

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of the physical conditions in star-forming regions, and combines observational data and theoretical calculations. We studied the physical conditions of Orions Veil, which is an absorbing screen that lies along the line of sight to the Orion H II region. We computed photoionization models of the Veil. We combined calculations with UV, radio, and optical spectra that resolve the Veil into two velocity components. We derive many physical parameters for each component seen in 21 cm absorption. We find the magnetic field energy dominates turbulent and thermal energies in one component while the other component …

Biosynthesis Of Trans-2-Hexenal In Response To Wounding In Strawberry Fruit And Interaction Of Trans-2-Hexenal With Botrytis Cinerea, Kyung Myung

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Intact strawberry fruit did not produce detectable t-2-H which is derived from -linolenic acid (18:3). However, in response to wounding by gentle bruising, strawberry fruit emitted t-2-H with the largest quantity produced within 10 min following injury. The level of total lipid 18:3 in the fruit increased two-fold in response to wounding whereas free 18:3 declined slightly (about 30%). At 10 min following wounding, fruit exhibited a 25% increase in 13-lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, which leads to the production of 13-hydroperoxyoctadecatrienoic acid (13-HPOT) from 18:3. The activity of hydroperoxide lyase (HPL), which catalyzes formation of cis-3-hexenal (c-3-H), the precursor of t-2-H, …

A Comparison Of Syntax Training For Students With Developmental Disabilities Utilizing Clinician-Directed Versus Self-Determined Session Paradigms, Jane O'Regan Kleinert

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Self-determination is the ability to control one’s life and to actively participate in the decisions which affect the direction of one’s life. This ability is considered a critical life skill for individuals with developmental disabilities. The ability to make choices, plan, and self-evaluate are among the primary skills included in the development of self-determination. Currently, there is very limited emphasis on the importance of self-determination in the literature of communication disorders. This study was designed to determine if a teaching paradigm which incorporates key elements of self-determination is as or more effective and efficient in teaching syntax than a traditional, …

Gene Regulatory Networks Of Agl15 A Plant Mads Transcription Factor, Cong Zhu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Plant embryogenesis is an intriguing developmental process that is controlled by many genes. AGAMOUS Like 15 (AGL15) is a MADS-domain transcriptional regulator that accumulates preferentially during this stage. However, at the onset of this work it was unknown which genes are regulated by AGL15 or how AGL15 is regulated. This dissertation is part of the ongoing effort to understand the biological roles of AGL15. To decipher how AGL15 functions during plant development, a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) approach was adapted to obtain DNA fragments that are directly bound by AGL15 in vivo. Putative AGL15 targets were isolated, and binding and regulation …

Etiology Of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Proximal Link To A Distal Problem, Lori Ann Bolgla

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most common, but least understood, knee disorders. Fulkerson (1997) believes that pathology may result from an excessive valgus force being applied to the patella. Researchers have historically examined quadriceps strength and neuromuscular activity and knee kinematics. However, results from these works have not provided conclusive answers. Powers (2003) has theorized that other structures can influence knee function, and researchers have shown that PFPS subjects can exhibit hip weakness and demonstrate altered hip kinematics during functional activities. Although they provide preliminary evidence regarding hip influences, investigations that simultaneously examine hip and knee function …

Law Library Design Bookshelf-An Annotated Bibliography, Stephen G. Margeton

Scholarly Articles

Professor Margeton provides an annotated list of selected materials related to library design. The list is arranged by topic and includes books, book chapters, reports, and articles.

Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik’S ‘Confrontation’: A Reassessment, Marshall J. Breger

Scholarly Articles

Responding to a recent symposium on Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik's 1964 article on the propriety of Christian-Jewish dialogue, this essay begins by assessing several arguments put forth by Soloveitchik. These include the incommensurability of religious faith, the risks interreligious dialogue presents to the Jewish minority, the dangers of syncretism, and the ability to separate neatly the sacred and the profane. The article then proceeds to discuss the nature of Catholic-Jewish today, and concludes with thoughts about the future of Christian and Jewish interaction.

Between Scylla And Charybdis: The Disagreement Among The Federal Circuits Over Whether Federal Law Criminalizing The Intrastate Possession Of Child Pornography Violates The Commerce Clause, Susanna Frederick Fischer

Scholarly Articles

Like Homer's hero Odysseus, who was confronted with the impossible challenge of safely navigating between Scylla, a terrifying monster, and Charybdis, a gigantic whirlpool, federal appeals courts are caught between two conflicting legal principles in cases involving the constitutionality of federal child pornography statutes. The United States Supreme Court unanimously held in New York v. Ferber that the First Amendment did not prohibit the regulation of child pornography even if it was not obscene under the famous standard set out in Miller v. California.

Child pornography is one of the most difficult problems facing judges today, both for those who …

Essays On Precision Agriculture Technology Adoption And Risk Management, Jean-Marc A. Gandonou

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Precision agriculture (PA) can be defined as a set of technologies that have helped propel agriculture into the computerized information-based world, and is designed to help farmers get greater control over the management of farm operations. Because of its potential to spatially reduce yield variability within the field through variable rate application of nutrients it is thought to be a production risk management instrument. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is another production risk management technology that is generating interest from the farming community as a result of new technological improvements that facilitate equipment maintenance and reduces water consumption.In the first article …

Neural Network Applications In Agricultural Economics, Jianhua Chen

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Neural networks have become very important tools in many areas including economic researches. The objectives of this thesis are to examine the fundamental components, concepts and theory of neural network methods from econometric and statistic perspective, with particular focus on econometrically and statistically relevant models. In order to evaluate the relative effectiveness of econometric and neural network methods, two empirical studies are conducted by applying neural network methods in a methodological comparison fashion with traditional econometric models.Both neural networks and econometrics have similar models, common problems of modeling and interference. Neural networks and econometrics/statistics, particularly their discriminant methods, are two …

Microelectrode Array Studies Of Normal And Disease-Altered L-Glutamate Regulation In The Mammalian Central Nervous System, Brian Keith Day

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

L-glutamate (Glu) is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. Monitoring extracellular Glu is critical to understanding Glu regulation to discriminate physiological and pathological roles. To overcome the limitations of previous in vivo extracellular Glu studies, we developed Glu selective microelectrode arrays with better spatial and temporal resolutions than commonly used techniques like microdialysis. We used these microelectrode arrays to characterize basal and potassium-evoked Glu neurotransmission in the normal rat brain. We then investigated disease-related Glu alterations in a rat model of Parkinson's disease and normal Glu regulation in young and aged rhesus monkeys. In the normal …

An Examination Of Dietary Amendments To Affect Phosphorus Utilization In Growing Pigs, Jorge Hernan Agudelo-Trujillo

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

For economical and ecological reasons, efficiency and profitability ofswine production relies heavily on the way pigs utilize key nutrients such as P,which is considered a potential pollutant of water ecosystems. Although cerealgrains and oilseed meals contain enough P to fulfill the biological needs of pigs,most of this P is tightly bound as phytate. As pigs do not have enough phytase(PHY) to cleave P from phytate, it is excreted in the feces. To prevent adeficiency, diets have traditionally been supplemented with highly availableinorganic sources of P. Today, an environmentally-friendly alternative is tosupplement diets with PHY.Growth promoting antibiotics are also used to …

Role Of Replication Protein A (Rpa) And Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (Pcna) In Dna Mismatch Repair, Shuangli Guo

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

PCNA and RPA are required for DNA mismatch repair (MMR), but their rolesin the pathway are not fully understood. Using an affinity pull-down approach, weshow that (1) increased PCNA binding to DNA heteroduplexes is associated withthe appearance and accumulation of excision products; and (2) RPAphosphorylation occurs when DNA polymerase ?? binds to the DNA substrate. Wetherefore hypothesize that PCNA plays an important role in mismatch-provokedexcision and that RPA phosphorylation plays an important role in DNA resynthesis.To determine the role of PCNA in MMR, mismatch-provoked and nick-directedexcision was assayed in a cell-free system in the presence of the PCNA inhibitor,p21CIP1/WAF. We …