Digital Commons Network^™

How To Be A Hero: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Superman's First Appearance In Action Comics, Sevan Michael Paris

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Through a combination of rhetorical heightening, idiom, and structure, Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster influenced their young American audience with the first appearance of Superman in 1938’s Action Comics no. 1. Superman’s lack of distinguishing characteristics, dual identity, and embodiment of American culture allowed the character to become a vehicle for Siegel and Shuster, persuading children to be a helper of those in need and champion of the oppressed. Varying panel size and choosing what to show from what not to show allowed Siegel and Shuster to heighten specific moments within Superman’s story. Through metaphor and symbolic modeling, …

Caught In A Preventive Dragnet: Selective Counterterrorism In A Post 9/11 America, Sahar F. Aziz

Faculty Scholarship

While post-9/11 preventive counterterrorism policies have adversely impacted various groups of Americans, no group has been more profoundly affected than the Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities. Mosque infiltration has become so rampant that some congregants assume they are under surveillance as they fulfill their religious obligations. Government informants have ensnared numerous, seemingly hapless and unsophisticated young men such that Muslims no longer know whom they can trust among each other. Aggressive prosecutions of Muslim charities and individuals across the country have embittered communities that now feel under siege by their government and distrusted by their non-Muslim compatriots.19 Selective counterterrorism …

Soil Fertility And Crop Yields In Long-Term Organic And Conventional Cropping Systems In Eastern Nebraska, Samuel E. Wortman, Tomie D. Galusha, Stephen C. Mason, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Organic agriculture aims to build soil quality and provide long-term benefits to people and the environment; however, organic practices may reduce crop yields. This long-term study near Mead, NE was conducted to determine differences in soil fertility and crop yields among conventional and organic cropping systems between 1996 and 2007. The conventional system (CR) consisted of corn (Zea mays L.) or sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)–soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)–sorghum or corn–soybean, whereas the diversified conventional system (DIR) consisted of corn or sorghum– sorghum or corn–soybean–winter wheat (wheat, Triticum aestivum L.). The animal manure-based organic system (OAM) …

Buried Treasure Or Buried Hope? The Status Of Mexico-U.S. Transboundary Aquifers Under International Law, Gabriel E. Eckstein

Faculty Scholarship

Transboundary aquifers found along the 2,000 mile-long border between Mexico and the United States are not governed by any treaty. Yet, these aquifers are the primary source of water for many of the twelve million people who live in this parched region. The region’s groundwater, however, is being over-exploited and contaminated, which is threatening the very life that it currently sustains. As populations continue to expand and current rates of haphazard development persist, the absence of an agreement for the management and allocation of this critical resource could lead to bi-national economic, social and environmental tragedies. This study reviews groundwater …

Multilayer Network Resilience Analysis And Experimentation On Geni, Justin P. Rohrer, Egemen K. Çetinkaya, James P. G. Sterbenz

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

GENI is evolving to provide a promising environment in which to do experimental research in the resilience and survivability of future networks, by allowing programmable control over topology and mechanism, while providing the scale and global reach needed to conduct network experiments far beyond the capabilities of a conventional testbed. We will use GENI in general, and the GpENI infrastructure (expanding to 40 clusters with 200 nodes worldwide), federated with the larger GENI PlanetLab control framework and interconnected to several ProtoGENI facilities to perform resilience and survivability experiments at scale, both in terms of node count and with the geographic …

Eeg Artifact Removal Using A Wavelet Neural Network, Hoang-Anh T. Nguyen, John Musson, Jiang Li, Frederick Mckenzie, Guangfan Zhang, Roger Xu, Carl Richey, Tom Schnell, Thomas E. Pinelli (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper we developed a wavelet neural network. (WNN) algorithm for Electroencephalogram (EEG) artifact removal without electrooculographic (EOG) recordings. The algorithm combines the universal approximation characteristics of neural network and the time/frequency property of wavelet. We compared the WNN algorithm with the ICA technique and a wavelet thresholding method, which was realized by using the Stein's unbiased risk estimate (SURE) with an adaptive gradient-based optimal threshold. Experimental results on a driving test data set show that WNN can remove EEG artifacts effectively without diminishing useful EEG information even for very noisy data.

A Systematic Approach For Engagement Analysis Under Multitasking Environments, Guangfan Zhang, John Leddo, Roger Xu, Carl Richey, Tom Schnell, Frederick Mckenzie, Jiang Li, Thomas E. Pinelli (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

An overload condition can lead to high stress for an operator and further cause substantial drops in performance. On the other extreme, in automated systems, an operator may become underloaded; in which case, it is difficult for the operator to maintain sustained attention. When an unexpected event occurs, either internal or external to the automated system, a disengaged operation may neglect, misunderstand, or respond slowly/inappropriately to the situation. In this paper, we discuss a systematic approach monitor for extremes of cognitive workload and engagement in multitasking environments. Inferences of cognitive workload and engagement are based on subjective evaluations, objective performance …

Prediction Of Brain Tumor Progression Using Multiple Histogram Matched Mri Scans, Debrup Banerjee, Loc Tran, Jiang Li, Yuzhong Shen, Frederic Mckenzie, Jihong Wang, Ronald M. Summers (Ed.), Bram Van Ginneken (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

In a recent study [1], we investigated the feasibility of predicting brain tumor progression based on multiple MRI series and we tested our methods on seven patients' MRI images scanned at three consecutive visits A, B and C. Experimental results showed that it is feasible to predict tumor progression from visit A to visit C using a model trained by the information from visit A to visit B. However, the trained model failed when we tried to predict tumor progression from visit B to visit C, though it is clinically more important. Upon a closer look at the MRI scans …

Automatic Detection Of Aircraft Emergency Landing Sites, Yu-Fei Shen, Zia-Ur Rahman, Dean Krusienski, Jiang Li, Zia-Ur Rahman (Ed.), Stephen E. Reichenbach (Ed.), Mark Allen Neifeld (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

An automatic landing site detection algorithm is proposed for aircraft emergency landing. Emergency landing is an unplanned event in response to emergency situations. If, as is unfortunately usually the case, there is no airstrip or airfield that can be reached by the un-powered aircraft, a crash landing or ditching has to be carried out. Identifying a safe landing site is critical to the survival of passengers and crew. Conventionally, the pilot chooses the landing site visually by looking at the terrain through the cockpit. The success of this vital decision greatly depends on the external environmental factors that can impair …

Effect Of Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate And Harvest Season On Forage Yield, Quality, And Macronutrient Concentrations In Midland Bermuda Grass, Maru K. Kering, John A. Guretzky, Eddie Funderburg, Jagadeesh Mosali

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Bermuda grass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] is a major forage for grazing and hay production in the southern United States. The objectives of this study were to determine effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization rate (0, 112, 224, 336, and 448 kg ha⁻¹), split spring and summer applications of N at the 224 and 448 kg ha⁻¹ rates, and harvest periods (spring and summer) on forage yield, crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total digestible nutrients (TDN), and concentrations of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca) in Midland Bermuda …

Switchgrass For Forage And Bioenergy: Harvest And Nitrogen Rate Effects On Biomass Yields And Nutrient Composition, John A. Guretzky, Jon T. Biermacher, Billy Cook, Maru K. Kering, Jagadeesh Mosali

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) may have value as forage and a bioenergy feedstock. Our objective was to evaluate how harvest system and N fertilizer rates affected biomass yield and nutrient composition of young stands of switchgrass (cv. Alamo) in the southern Great Plains, USA. Nitrogen fertilization increased biomass yields from 10.4, 10.8, and 12.2 Mg ha⁻¹ at 0 kg N ha⁻¹ to 13.7, 14.6, and 21.0 Mg ha⁻¹ at 225 kg N ha⁻¹ when harvested after seed set (October), after frost (December), and twice per year after boot stage (July) and frost, respectively. Nutrient concentrations …

Learning Gains And Response To Digital Lessons On Soil Genesis And Development, Martha Mamo, James A. Ippolito, Timothy A. Kettler, Ronald Reuter, Dennis L. Mccallister, Patricia Morner, Dann E. Husmann, Erin E. Blankenship

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Evolving computer technology is offering opportunities for new online approaches in teaching methods and delivery. Well-designed web-based (online) lessons should reinforce the critical need of the soil science discipline in today's food, energy, and environmental issues, as well as meet the needs of the diverse clientele with interest in agricultural and/ or environmental disciplines. The objectives of the project were to: (1) develop web-based lessons in soil genesis and development and (2) evaluate context-based case studies or application lessons (agronomic, environmental, and ecological situations) to teach soil genesis and development. Six principles lessons, along with three applications lessons, were developed …

High-Yield Irrigated Maize In The Western U.S. Corn Belt: I. On-Farm Yield, Yield Potential, And Impact Of Agronomic Practices, Patricio Grassini, John Thorburn, Charles Burr, Kenneth Cassman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Quantifying the exploitable gap between average farmer yields and yield potential (Y_P) is essential to prioritize research and formulate policies for food security at national and international levels. While irrigated maize accounts for 58% of total annual maize production in the Western U.S. Corn Belt, current yield gap in these systems has not been quantified. Our objectives were to quantify Y_P, yield gaps, and the impact of agronomic practices on both parameters in irrigated maize systems of central Nebraska. The analysis was based on a 3-y database with field-specific values for yield, applied irrigation, and N …

Biological Suppression Of Velvetleaf (Abutilon Theophrasti ) In An Eastern Nebraska Soil, Jane Okalebo, Gary Y. Yuen, Rhae A. Drijber, Erin E. Blankenship, Cafer Eken, John L. Lindquist

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Weed-suppressive soils contain naturally occurring microorganisms that suppress a weed by inhibiting its growth, development, and reproductive potential. Increased knowledge of microbe–weed interactions in such soils could lead to the identification of management practices that create or enhance soil suppressiveness to weeds. Velvetleaf death and growth suppression was observed in a research field (fieldA) that was planted with high populations of velvetleaf, which may have developed via microbial mediated plant–soil feedback. Greenhouse studies were conducted with soil collected from fieldA (soilA) to determine if it was biologically suppressive to velvetleaf. In one study, mortality of velvetleaf …

Universal Binding And Recoil Corrections To Bound State G-Factors, Timothy James Semple Martin

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The gyromagnetic ratio of bound particles is an active field of experimental and theoretical research. Early measurements of corrections to the bound g-factor came from experiments involving hydrogen-like ions. As the sensitivity of such experiments has increased, it has become possible to instead use them to measure the electron-ion mass ratio -- but only if the theoretical bound g-factor is known with sufficient precision for these systems. By constructing an effective nonrelativistic Lagrangian, we derive leading order binding and recoil corrections for systems comprised of particles with arbitrary spin.

Lagrangians for spin one-half and spin one-theories are developed, …

Evaluation Of The Physicochemical Properties And Stability Of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Designed For The Delivery Of Dexamethasone To Tumors, Melissa Howard

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Pre-clinical and clinical trials suggest that pre-treatment with dexamethasone (Dex) may facilitate enhanced uptake of subsequently administered chemotherapeutic agents. To reduce the side effects associated with systemic administration of Dex, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) containing dexamethasone palmitate (Dex-P) were prepared as a means of achieving tumor-targeted drug delivery. These studies were aimed at evaluating the physicochemical properties and both the physiological and storage stability of the SLNs.

SLNs were prepared using nanotemplate engineering technology. Stearyl alcohol (SA) was used as the lipid phase with Brij^® 78 and Polysorbate 60 as surfactants and PEG6000 monostearate as a long-chain PEGylating agent. …

Depositional And Stratigraphic Significance Of Marine, Green-Clay, Mineral Facies In The Lower-Middle Mississippian Borden And Fort Payne Formations, Western Appalachian And Eastern Illinois Basins, Kentucky, Devi Bhagabati Prasad Udgata

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Detailed study of strata associated with the glauconite-rich Floyds Knob Bed in the western Appalachian and eastern Illinois basins have corroborated previous interpretations that the unit is a widespread, largely synchronous marker horizon. However, in some areas there are multiple glauconite beds; in others a distinct bed is lacking, but the glauconite is dispersed throughout many beds, forming an interval rather than a distinct bed. In Kentucky and adjacent states, the Floyds Knob interval, in upper parts of the Lower-Middle Mississippian Borden-Grainger delta sequence and in lower parts of the Fort Payne carbonate sequence, was deposited at the end of …

Computer Simulation Of A Hollow-Fiber Bioreactor: Heparan Regulated Growth Factors-Receptors Binding And Dissociation Analysis, Changjiang Zhang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis demonstrates the use of numerical simulation in predicting the behavior of proteins in a flow environment.

A novel convection-diffusion-reaction computational model is first introduced to simulate fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) binding to its receptor (FGFR) on cell surfaces and regulated by heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) under flow in a bioreactor. The model includes three parts: (1) the flow of medium using incompressible Navier-Stokes equations; (2) the mass transport of FGF-2 using convection-diffusion equations; and (3) the cell surface binding using chemical kinetics. The model consists of a set of coupled nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) for flow and …

Mechanical Characterizations Of Environmentally Conditioned Shape Memory Polymers For Reconfigurable Aerospace Structures, Jared T. Fulcher

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) have been candidate materials for morphing applications. However, the SMPs have not been fully tested to work in relevant environments required for Air Force missions. In this study, an epoxy-based SMP was separately exposed to moisture, lubricating oil and UV radiation, which are simulated service environments designed to be reflective of anticipated performance requirements. The thermomechanical properties and shape memory effects were studied by using novel high-temperature nanoindentation technique. Results show that environmental conditions have affected the glass transition temperature and mechanical properties of the SMPs. In most cases, the conditioned SMPs exhibited higher elastic moduli …

Modeling And Quantitative Analysis Of White Matter Fiber Tracts In Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Xuwei Liang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to record incoherent motion of water molecules and has been used to detect micro structural white matter alterations in clinical studies to explore certain brain disorders. A variety of DTI based techniques for detecting brain disorders and facilitating clinical group analysis have been developed in the past few years. However, there are two crucial issues that have great impacts on the performance of those algorithms. One is that brain neural pathways appear in complicated 3D structures which are inappropriate and inaccurate to be approximated by simple 2D structures, …

Advanced Studies On Series Impedance In Waveguides With An Emphasis On Source And Transfer Impedance, Jinghao Liu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Series impedances, including source and transfer impedances, are commonly used to model a variety of noise sources and noise treatment elements in duct systems. Particle velocity is assumed to be constant on the plane where the series impedances are defined. The research reported herein details investigations into measuring source and transfer impedance. Especially, the measurement and prediction of the transfer impedance of micro-perforated panel (MPP) absorbers is considered.

A wave decomposition method for measuring source impedance and source strength was developed that was purely based on acoustic concepts instead of the equivalent circuit analysis. The method developed is a two-load …

Beef Cattle Grazing Preference Of Tall Fescue As Affected By Endophyte, Herbert Troye Owens Iii

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Many factors control, contribute to, stimulate and limit forage selection. It is apparent that cattle prefer certain cultivars compared to others. This study sought to test if cattle displayed preferences for certain cultivars over a two-year period in 2008 and 2009. Determining the effect of endophyte status on preference was another objective. Previous research showed rapid increase in the selection of preferred cultivars, i.e., diet learning. We attempted to replicate those results. Forty cultivars (34 tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.) cultivars), two festuloliums (Festuca pratensis x Lolium perenne), two meadow fescue (Lolium pratense) and one meadow …

Petrologic, Geochemical, And Geochronologic Constraints On The Tectonic Evolution Of The Southern Appalachian Orogen, Blue Ridge Province Of Western North Carolina, Eric Douglas Anderson

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The Blue Ridge Province of western North Carolina contains a wide variety of metamorphosed igneous and sedimentary rocks that record the tectonic effects of Precambrian and Paleozoic orogenic cycles. Tectonic interpretations of the events that led to the present configuration are varied and often conflicting. This investigation examines metamorphosed mafic rocks that are widely interpreted to have formed during the closure of ocean basins. Metabasites, and specifically eclogites, have a tendency to mark tectonic sutures and frequently preserve pressure (P), temperature (T), and age data (t) that can be gleaned from mineral equilibria and U-Pb isotopic compositions. As such, the …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Mesoscale Protein Patterns Using Atomic Force Microscopy (Afm), Pei Gao

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

A versatile AFM local oxidation lithography was developed for fabricating clean protein patterns ranging from nanometer to sub-millimeter scale on octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) layer of Si (100) wafer. This protein patterning method can generate bio-active protein pattern with a clean background without the need of the anti-fouling the surface or repetitive rinsing.

As a model system, lysozyme protein patterns were investigated through their binding reactions with antibodies and aptamers by AFM. Polyclonal anti-lysozyme antibodies and anti-lysozyme aptamer are found to preferentially bind to the lysozyme molecules on the edge of a protein pattern before their binding to the interior ones. It …

Distal Radioulnar Joint Biomechanics And Forearm Muscle Activity, Joseph Scott Bader

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Optimal management of fractures, post-traumatic arthritis and instability of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) requires an understanding of the forces existing across this joint as a function of the activities of daily living. However, such knowledge is currently incomplete. The goal of this research was to quantify the loads that occur at the DRUJ during forearm rotation and to determine the effect that individual muscles have on those loads.

Human and cadaver studies were used to analyze the shear (A-P), transverse (M-L) and resultant forces at the DRUJ and to determine the role that 15 individual muscles had on those …

The Return Of The Black Bear To Eastern Kentucky: Conflict And Tolerance Between People And Wildlife, Hannah B. Harris

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The black bear (Ursus americanus) has returned to Kentucky and is now part of a reproducing population in the southeastern Cumberland Mountain region. The broad objective of this project was to examine the interactions between people and bears, with the ultimate goal of improving bear management in a way that addresses stakeholder concerns. Using interviews of regional stakeholders, participant observation, and media reports collected between summer 2003 and fall 2006, I investigated how the presence of black bears in Harlan and Letcher counties in Kentucky has had an impact on area residents. I complemented this information with observations …

Interactions And Effects Of Biomolecules On Au Nanomaterial Surfaces, Manish Sethi

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Au nanoparticles are increasingly being used in biological applications. Their use is of interest based upon their unique properties that are achieved at the nanoscale, which includes strong optical absorbances that are size and aggregation state dependent. Such absorbances can be used in sensitive chemical/biological detection schemes where bioligands can be directly attached to the nanoparticle surface using facile methods. Unfortunately, a number of complications persist that prevent their wide-scale use. These limitations include minimal nanoparticle stability in biological-based media of high ionic strength, unknown surface functionalization effects using simple biomolecules, and determining the binding motifs of the ligands to …

Resource Allocation And Efficient Routing In Wireless Networks, Jianjun Yang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

In wireless networks, devices (nodes) are connected by wireless links. An important issue is to set up high quality (high bandwidth) and efficient routing paths when one node wants to send packets to other nodes. Resource allocation is the foundation to guarantee high quality connections. In addition, it is critical to handle void areas in order to set up detour-free paths. Moreover, fast message broadcasting is essential in mobile wireless networks. Thus, my research includes dynamic channel allocation in wireless mesh networks, geographic routing in Ad Hoc networks, and message broadcasting in vehicular networks.

The quality of connections in a …

Development And Characterization Of Novel Monoclonal Antibodies For Studying Prion Pathogenesis, Chu-Chun Weng

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) recognizing different regions of PrP are potential tools in the study of prion diseases and immunotherapy. We used shuffled recombinant prion protein containing elk and mouse PrP as antigen to produce monoclonal antibodies in mice. We found that mAb 5C6 mapped to a discontinuous epitope comprised of amino acid 132 and 158 (mouse numbering). Monoclonal anibody 9E9 which maps to a unique N-terminal epitope at amino acid preferentially recognized cervid PrP. In contrast, the epitope of mAb 9H9 is located in the C-terminus and only reacted with mouse and hamster. The epitope for mAb 7H11 appears to …

Pragmatic Modernism: Project [Projekt] And Polish Design, 1956-1970, Mikolaj Czerwinski

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Recently Scholars of design history began to recognize the phenomenon of Socialist Modernism, the return to modernist aesthetics to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union during the thaw, the disavowal of Stalinist policies by Nikita Khrushchev after the 20^th Party Congress of the Communist Party in February of 1956 and the resulting turn away from Socialist Realism, a historicist method in architecture that expressed socialist values, which the Stalinist favored. Scholars of art and design argued that Socialist Modernism in Poland constituted an affirmation of the party’s authority and that of the political system because designers who practiced it …