Digital Commons Network^™

Semistructured Probabilistic Object Query Language (A Query Language For Semistructured Probabilistic Data), Praveen Gutti

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

This work presents SPOQL, a structured query language for Semistructured Probabilistic Object (SPO) model [4]. The original query language for semistructured probabilistic database management system [20], SP-Algebra [4], has limitations such as complex functional notation and unfamiliarity to application programmers. SPOQL alleviates these problems by providing a user friendly and familiar SQL-like declarative syntax for writing queries against SPDBMS. We show that parsing SPOQL queries is a more involving task than parsing SQL queries. We describe the evaluation algorithm for SPOQL queries that we have implemented.

Influence Of Surface Roughness Of Copper Substrate On Wetting Behavior Of Molten Solder Alloys, Dinesh Reddy Nalagatla

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The objective of this study is to understand the effect of surface roughness of the Cu substrate on the wetting of molten solder alloys. Eutectic Sn-Pb, pure Sn and eutectic Sn-Cu solder alloys and Cu substrates with different surface finish viz., highly polished surface, polished surface and unpolished surface were used in this work. Highly polished surface was prepared in Metallography lab, University of Kentucky while other two substrates were obtained from a vendor. Surface roughness properties of each substrate were measured using an optical profilometer. Highly polished surface was found to be of least surface roughness, while unpolished surface …

The Process Of Using Superplastic Forming To Create Medical Components, Daniel Lee Thomas

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

In the present work superplastic forming (SPF) is used as part of a process to create medical implants out of titanium. SPF is a forming process which offers many advantages over conventional forming processes. It allows for greater complexity in shape as well as the ability to work with difficult to form metals such as titanium which is a key metal in the biomedical field. SPF has been used extensively in the aerospace and automobile industry, however in recent years it has been shown to be a viable means in creating medical implants. The current process involves manipulating CT scans …

The Use Of Selective Annealing For Superplastic Forming Of Mg Az31 Alloy, Michael Christopher Cusick

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

A recent study on the Post-Formed properties of Superplastically Formed Magnesium AZ31B has shown that the heating time prior to testing has a major effect on the Post Forming properties of the superplastically material. To this point, there has been very little examination into the effect of pre-heating or annealing on superplastic forming (SPF) properties. In this work, the effects of annealing prior to the SPF of Mg AZ31 alloy were examined. Both high temperature SPF tensile and bulge specimens were formed after annealing. Multiple annealing temperatures were examined to produce specimens with grain sizes ranging from 8 andamp;igrave;m to …

An Approach To Inverse Modeling Through The Integration Of Artificial Neural Networks And Genetic Algorithms, Kirthi Bedida

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

A hybrid model integrating predictive capabilities of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and optimization feature of Genetic Algorithm (GA) is developed for the purpose of inverse modeling. The proposed approach is applied to Superplastic forming of materials to predict the material properties which characterize the performance of a material. The study is carried out on two problems. For the first problem, ANN is trained to predict the strain rate sensitivity index m given the temperature and the strain rate. The performance of different gradient search methods used in training the ANN model is demonstrated. Similar approach is used for the second …

The Development Of An Engine Lubricant Containing Soybean Oil, Stephanie Mccoy

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The major downfalls of vegetable oils, namely soybean oil in this research, are very detrimental to engine lubricant performance. A unique - out of the box- additive package is needed to compensate for the lubricant deficiencies. This research searched for unique additive solutions to the problems of oxidation and heat stability, low temperature pumpability, and fluid corrosiveness. The additive solutions were then tested in preliminary engine tests. In this research, several formulations were developed that passed the main engine oil low temperature test, the mini rotary viscometer. The lubricants met the passing viscosity requirements of 60,000 centipoise and exhibited no …

Effectiveness Of Multifaceted Hospitalwide Quality Improvement Programs Featuring An Intervention To Remove Unnecessary Urinary Catheters At A Tertiary Care Center In Thailand, Anucha Apisarnthanarak, Kanokporn Thongphubeth, Sirinaj Sirinvaravong, Danai Kitkangvan, Chananart Yuekyen, Boonyasit Warachan, David K. Warren, Victoria J. Fraser

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Defining Limits Of Treatment With Humanized Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody For West Nile Virus Neurological Infection In A Hamster Model, John D. Morrey, Venkatraman Siddharthan, Aaron L. Olsen, Hong Wang, Justin G. Julander, Jeffery O. Hall, Hua Li, Jeffrey L. Nordstrom, Scott Koenig, Syd Johnson, Michael S. Diamond

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

E2f8 Is A Nonreceptor Activator Of Heterotrimeric G Proteins, Ian S. Hagemann, Kirk D. Narzinski, Thomas J. Baranski

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Calmodulin Kinase Ii Inhibition Enhances Ischemic Preconditioning By Augmenting Atp-Sensitive K+ Current, Jingdong Li, Celine Marionneau, Olha Koval, Leonid Zingman, Peter J. Mohler, Jeanne M. Nerbonne, Mark E. Anderson

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

The Pathogenic Fungus Cryptococcus Neoformans Expresses Two Functional Gdp-Mannose Transporters With Distinct Expression Patterns And Roles In Capsule Synthesis, Tricia R. Cottrell, Cara L. Griffith, Hong Liu, Ashley A. Nenninger, Tamara L. Doering

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Organogenesis Of Kidney And Endocrine Pancreas: The Window Opens, Marc R. Hammerman

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Calling Cards For Dna-Binding Proteins, Haoyi Wang, Mark Johnston, Robi David Mitra

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Electromagnetic Controlled Cortical Impact Device For Precise, Graded Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury, David L. Brody, Christine Mac Donald, Chad C. Kessens, Carla Yuede, Maia Parsadanian, Mike Spinner, Eddie Kim, Katherine E. Schwetye, David M. Holtzman, Philip V. Bayly

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Numerical Investigation And Parallel Computing For Thermal Transport Mechanism During Nanomachining, Ravi R. Kumar

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Nano-scale machining, or Nanomachining is a hybrid process in which the total thermal energy necessary to remove atoms from a work-piece surface is applied from external sources. In the current study, the total thermal energy necessary to remove atoms from a work-piece surface is applied from two sources: (1) localized energy from a laser beam focused to a micron-scale spot to preheat the work-piece, and (2) a high-precision electron-beam emitted from the tips of carbon nano-tubes to remove material via evaporation/sublimation. Macro-to-nano scale heat transfer models are discussed for understanding their capability to capture and its application to predict the …

Faster Dynamic Programming For Markov Decision Processes, Peng Dai

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Markov decision processes (MDPs) are a general framework used by Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers to model decision theoretic planning problems. Solving real world MDPs has been a major and challenging research topic in the AI literature. This paper discusses two main groups of approaches in solving MDPs. The first group of approaches combines the strategies of heuristic search and dynamic programming to expedite the convergence process. The second makes use of graphical structures in MDPs to decrease the effort of classic dynamic programming algorithms. Two new algorithms proposed by the author, MBLAO* and TVI, are described here.

A Camera-Based Energy Relaxation Framework To Minimize Color Artifacts In A Projected Display, Nathaniel Sanders

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

We introduce a technique to automatically correct color inconsistencies in a display composed of one or more digital light projectors (DLP). The method is agnostic to the source of error and can detect and address color problems from a number of sources. Examples include inter- and intra-projector color differences, display surface markings, and environmental lighting differences on the display. In contrast to methods that discover and map all colors into the greatest common color space, we minimize local color discontinuities to create color seamlessness while remaining tolerant to significant color error. The technique makes use of a commodity camera and …

Object Matching In Disjoint Cameras Using A Color Transfer Approach, Kideog Jeong

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Object appearance models are a consequence of illumination, viewing direction, camera intrinsics, and other conditions that are specific to a particular camera. As a result, a model acquired in one view is often inappropriate for use in other viewpoints. In this work we treat this appearance model distortion between two non-overlapping cameras as one in which some unknown color transfer function warps a known appearance model from one view to another. We demonstrate how to recover this function in the case where the distortion function is approximated as general affine and object appearance is represented as a mixture of Gaussians. …

3d Reconstruction From Stereo/Range Images, Qingxiong Yang

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

3D reconstruction from stereo/range image is one of the most fundamental and extensively researched topics in computer vision. Stereo research has recently experienced somewhat of a new era, as a result of publically available performance testing such as the Middlebury data set, which has allowed researchers to compare their algorithms against all the state-of-the-art algorithms. This thesis investigates into the general stereo problems in both the two-view stereo and multi-view stereo scopes. In the two-view stereo scope, we formulate an algorithm for the stereo matching problem with careful handling of disparity, discontinuity and occlusion. The algorithm works with a global …

Application Of Genetic Algorithms And Cfd For Flow Control Optimization, Narendra Beliganur Kotragouda

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Active flow control is an area of heightened interest in the aerospace community. Previous research on flow control design processes heavily depended on trial and error and the designers knowledge and intuition. Such an approach cannot always meet the growing demands of higher design quality in less time. Successful application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to this kind of control problem critically depends on an efficient searching algorithm for design optimization. CFD in conjunction with Genetic Algorithms (GA) potentially offers an efficient and robust optimization method and is a promising solution for current flow control designs. Current research has combined …

Power System Fault Detection And Classification By Wavelet Transforms And Adaptive Resonance Theory Neural Networks, Karthikeyan Kasinathan

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

This thesis aims at detecting and classifying the power system transmission line faults. To deal with the problem of an extremely large data set with different fault situations, a three step optimized Neural Network approach has been proposed. The approach utilizes Discrete Wavelet Transform for detection and two different types of self-organized, unsupervised Adaptive Resonance Theory Neural Networks for classification. The fault scenarios are simulated using Alternate Transients Program and the performance of this highly improved scheme is compared with the existing techniques. The simulation results prove that the proposed technique handles large data more efficiently and time of operation …

Analytical Methods For Transport Equations In Similarity Form, Abhishek Tiwari

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

We present a novel approach for deriving analytical solutions to transport equations expressedin similarity variables. We apply a fixed-point iteration procedure to these transformedequations by formally solving for the highest derivative term and then integrating to obtainan expression for the solution in terms of a previous estimate. We are able to analyticallyobtain the Lipschitz condition for this iteration procedure and, from this (via requirements forconvergence given by the contraction mapping principle), deduce a range of values for the outerlimit of the solution domain, for which the fixed-point iteration is guaranteed to converge.

Catalytic Growth Of Structured Carbon Via The Decomposition Of Halogenated Reactants Over Supported Nickel, Laxmi Deepshika Cherukuri

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The synthesis of highly ordered carbonaceous materials, including carbon nanofibers, has been the subject of a disparate and burgeoning literature over the past decade. Growth of carbon nanotubes via an atypical catalytic route, the decomposition of halogenated reactants as chlorobenzene (CB) over 10% (w/w) Ni/SiO2 is investigated. The C (carbon) yield and structural order are a function of reaction time and temperature. Greater degree of structural order and C yield is observed from CB relative to benzene, suggesting Cl/catalyst interaction(s) and metal site restructuring. Evaluation of the effect of H2 on C growth from CB reveals that C yield is …

Geophysical And Geological Investigation Of Neotectonic Deformation Along The Caborn And Hovey Lake Faults, Wabash Valley Fault System, Central United States, James Whitt

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Seismic reflection (P- and SH-wave), ground-penetrating radar, correlative drilling, and age dating data provide evidence of neotectonic deformation along the Caborn (CF) and Hovey Lake (HLF) faults, in the Wabash Valley fault system (WVFS). The WVFS is a series of high-angle normal faults located primarily in southern Indiana and Illinois. Since their formation, these faults have likely been transpressionally reactivated in the contemporary E-W-oriented compressive stress state. The WVFS has experienced large prehistoric earthquakes, but only moderate historic and contemporary seismicity; therefore, the seismic potential in this region is poorly defined. The bedrock expressions of the CF and HLF were …

Experiences And Lessons Learned In The Design And Implementation Of An Information Assurance Curriculum, Sreekanth Malladi, Omar F. El-Gayar, Kevin Streff

Research & Publications

In 2004, Dakota State University proposed a model for information assurance and computer security program development. That model provided a framework for developing undergraduate and graduate programs at DSU. This paper provides insight into experiences and lessons learned to further implement that model. The paper details modifications to both the undergraduate and graduate information assurance programs as a result of specific issues and challenges. Further, the paper highlights the introduction of a new terminal degree that includes an information assurance specialization. As a national center of excellence in information assurance education, we are confident that this paper will be helpful …

Reactions To Indefinite Preventive Detention: An Analysis Of How The Singapore, United Kingdom And American Judiciary Give Voice To The Law In The Face Of (Counter) Terrorism, Eunice Chua

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

[A] mid the clash of arms, the laws are not silent" - and it is up to judges to give voiceto the law. Acts of terrorism have not ceased since 11 September 2001 and news offresh attacks or foiled attempts continues to surface regularly. It is not surprising thatin order to preserve the nation state, governments have used legislative tools to deterand punish terrorism, including the tool of indefinite preventive detention. In thisarticle, I analyse the pieces of legislation providing for indefinite preventive detentionin Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the judicial responseto them. Adopting …

Automatic Detection And Segmentation Of Robot-Assisted Surgical Motions, Henry C. Lin

Link Foundation Modeling, Simulation and Training Fellowship Reports

Robotic surgical systems such as Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci system provide a rich source of motion and video data from surgical procedures. In principle, this data can be used to evaluate surgical skill, provide surgical training feedback, or document essential aspects of a procedure. If processed online, the data can be used to provide context-specific information or motion enhancements to the surgeon. However, in every case, the key step is to relate recorded motion data to a model of the procedure being performed. This paper examines our progress at developing techniques for "parsing" raw motion data from a surgical task …

04. Commentary To Amcc I.A – General Responsibilities - Make Safety Their Number One Priority, Aviators Code Initiative

Commentary, Aviators Model Code of Conduct

About the Commentary: The Commentary addresses selected issues within the Code of Conduct to elaborate on their meaning, provide interpretive guidance, and suggest ways of adopting the Code of Conduct. It is intended primarily for implementers, policy administrators, aviation association management, and pilots who wish to explore the Code in greater depth.

Mathematics & Statistics Newsletter January 2007, Rit Department Of Mathematics And Statistics

RIT Digital Archives

No abstract provided.

Optimization Of Porcine Buccal Mucosa For In Vitro Evaluation, Upendra D. Kulkarni

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Porcine buccal mucosa has been extensively used as in vitro model to study the permeability of drugs and assess their potential to deliver through buccal route. Porcine buccal mucosa is found to be very similar to human oral mucosa in structure and function. However, the in vitro permeation studies across porcine buccal mucosa show high variability which is mostly due to the various experimental and biological variables that are often overlooked while conducting such studies.

The precise nature of the permeability barrier offered by the various tissue layers of buccal mucosa was investigated in this study. It was observed that …