Digital Commons Network^™

Tonoplast Sugar Transporters (Sbtsts) Putatively Control Sucrose Accumulation In Sweet Sorghum Stems, Saadia Bihmidine, Benjamin T. Julius, Ismail M. Dweikat, David M. Braun

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Carbohydrates are differentially partitioned in sweet versus grain sorghums. While the latter preferentially accumulate starch in the grain, the former primarily store large amounts of sucrose in the stem. Previous work determined that neither sucrose metabolizing enzymes nor changes in Sucrose transporter (SUT) gene expression accounted for the carbohydrate partitioning differences. Recently, 2 additional classes of sucrose transport proteins, Tonoplast Sugar Transporters (TSTs) and SWEETs, were identified; thus, we examined whether their expression tracked sucrose accumulation in sweet sorghum stems. We determined 2 TSTs were differentially expressed in sweet vs. grain sorghum stems, likely underlying the massive difference in sucrose …

Survivability Evaluation Of Gas, Water And Electricity Infrastructures, Alberto A. Avritzer, Laura Carnevali, Hamed Ghasemieh, Lucia Happe, Boudewijn R. H. M. Haverkort, Anne Koziolek, Daniel Sadoc Menasche, Anne Remke, Sahra Sedigh, Enrico Vicario

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The infrastructures used in cities to supply power, water and gas are consistently becoming more automated. As society depends critically on these cyber-physical infrastructures, their survivability assessment deserves more attention. In this overview, we first touch upon a taxonomy on survivability of cyber-physical infrastructures, before we focus on three classes of infrastructures (gas, water and electricity) and discuss recent modelling and evaluation approaches and challenges.

Career-Technical Students In Baccalaureate Programs: Predictors Of The Intent To Persist And Satisfaction With Educational Pathways, Julie Uranis

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This research explores the intersections of descriptive attributes, expectations, and influences (independent variables) and the degree to which they predict the intent to persist and satisfaction (dependent variables) of students enrolled in career-technical programs at four-year institutions. Little research exists for this population, and nothing based on the theoretical frameworks of Bean and Metzner (1985) and Lent, Brown and Hackett (1994). Expecting a significant relationship among several factors contributing to the intent to persist for career-technical students in degree programs, this research explores predictors for persistence in this population. This research revealed that there are simpler relationships among the variables …

Cellulose, Chitosan, And Keratin Composite Materials. Controlled Drug Release, Chieu D. Tran, Tamutsiwa Moven Mututuvari

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

A method was developed in which cellulose (CEL) and/or chitosan (CS) were added to keratin (KER) to enable [CEL/CS+KER] composites to have better mechanical strength and wider utilization. Butylmethylimmidazolium chloride ([BMIm⁺Cl^–]), an ionic liquid, was used as the sole solvent, and because the [BMIm⁺Cl^–] used was recovered, the method is green and recyclable. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results confirm that KER, CS, and CEL remain chemically intact in the composites. Tensile strength results expectedly show that adding CEL or CS into KER substantially increases the mechanical strength of the composites. We found …

The Formation And Fate Of Internal Waves In The South China Sea, Matthew H. Alford, Thomas Peacock, Jennifer A. Mackinnon, Jonathan D. Nash, Maarten C. Buijsman, Luca A. Centurioni, Shenn-Yu Chao, Ming-Huei Chang, David M. Farmer, Oliver B. Fringer, Ke-Hsien Fu, Patrick C. Gallacher, Hans C. Graber, Karl R. Helfrich, Steven M. Jachec, Christopher R. Jackson, Jody M. Klymak, Dong S. Ko, Sen Jan, T. M. Shaun Johnson, Sonya Legg, I-Huan Lee, Ren-Chih Lien, Matthew J. Mercier, James N. Mourn, Ruth Musgrave, Jae-Hun Park, Andrew I. Pickering, Robert Pinkel, Luc Rainville, Steven R. Ramp, Daniel L. Rudnick, Sutanu Sarkar, Alberto Scotti, Harper L. Simmons, Louis C. St. Laurent, Subhas Karan Venayagamoorthy, Yu-Huai Wang, Joe Wang, Ying J. Yang, Theresa Paluszkiewicz, Tswen-Yung David Tang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Internal gravity waves, the subsurface analogue of the familiar surface gravity waves that break on beaches, are ubiquitous in the ocean. Because of their strong vertical and horizontal currents, and the turbulent mixing caused by their breaking, they affect a panoply of ocean processes, such as the supply of nutrients for photosynthesis¹, sediment and pollutant transport² and acoustic transmission³; they also pose hazards for man-made structures in the ocean⁴. Generated primarily by the wind and the tides, internal waves can travel thousands of kilometers from their sources before breaking⁵, making it …

Efficient Calculation Of Large Finite Periodic Structures Based On Surface Wave Analysis, Xiaoyan Y.Z. Xiong, Ling Ling Meng, Li (Lijun) Jun Jiang, Wei E.I. Sha, Fan Yang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The electromagnetic modeling of practical finite periodic structures is a topic of growing interest. Due to the truncation of infinite periodic structures, surface waves will be excited and localized near discontinuous interfaces leading to the edge effect. In this work, surface waves are numerically extracted and their magnitudes and decay rates are analyzed for different materials and geometries. Based on the exponential decay of the surface wave, a novel method is developed by connecting the solution to the large finite array problem with that to a relatively small one to achieve low complexity and memory consumption. The method numerically reconstructs …

Estimating Cost Adjustments Required To Accomplish Target Savings In Chronic Disease Management Interventions: A Simulation Study, Rafael Diaz, Joshua G. Behr, Bruce S. Britton

VMASC Publications

Chronic diseases are persistent ailments that are not preventable or curable with medication or vaccination. Many of the leading chronic conditions in industrialized societies may be related to lifestyle choices. The prevalence of these chronic conditions significantly affects the health, suffering, and longevity of patients. This paper demonstrates the utility of system dynamics as an approach to model and simulate the behavior of key cost factors in the implementation of population health management interventions. The study uses modeling and simulation as an evaluative method to identify potential savings stemming from an intervention within a well-defined population group. The model is …

Photonic-Loop Modeling Using Ghost Waveguides, Parikshit Dale

Theses

In this thesis, we present a new method for the modeling and analyzing photonic-loop structures which is based on a rotated directional coupler and ghost waveguide. This new method is less complicated than available methods. Our method of photonic-loop structure modeling is demonstrated by modeling and analyzing a ring resonator and its parameters. We also model and analyze a multi-ring ring resonator.

Discharge Alternative Non-Urgent Care Education (D.A.N.C.E.) Protocol: Addressing Emergency Department Misuse, Samantha Leon

All Publications

Background: The misuse of the Emergency Department (ED) creates a substantial problem for the health care system, generating gaps in continuity of care, leaving little room for preventative care, and forcing a financial strain on the system. An increasing number of patients are using hospital EDs for non-urgent care despite the availability of alternative care sites such as retail clinics (RCs) and urgent care centers (UCCs).

Purpose: The project’s aim was to educate patients who utilize ED services as a source of care for non-urgent complaints with the use of the D.A.N.C.E. protocol. Enhancing the public’s knowledge of …

Performance And Energy Trade-Offs For 3d Ic Noc Interconnects And Architectures, James David Coddington

Theses

With the increased complexity and continual scaling of integrated circuit performance, multi-core chips with dozens, hundreds, even thousands of parallel computing units require high performance interconnects to maximize data throughput and minimize latency and energy consumption. High core counts render bus based interconnects inefficient and lackluster in performance. Networks-on-Chip were introduced to simplify the interconnect design process and maintain a more scalable interconnection architecture. With the continual scaling of feature sizes for smaller and smaller transistors, the global interconnections of planar integrated circuits are consuming higher energy proportional to the rest of the chip power dissipation as well as increasing …

Effect Of Used Motor Oil On The Macro And Micromechanical Properties Of Crumb Rubber Modified Asphalt, Magdy Abdelrahman, Mohyeldin Ragab, Daniel Bergerson

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The need to be more environmentally conscious has recently shifted toward the forefront of society. With this new focus on environmentally responsible behavior comes the practice of using recycled materials in construction when possible. Used motor oil (UMO) is an example of waste materials that can be utilized in numerous applications to alleviate its environmental disposal burden. In the current work, the effect of UMO on the internal structure of crumb rubber modified asphalt is investigated. This is carried out by employing rheological analysis including dynamic shear rheometer and microindentation testing. Rheological analysis was employed to determine the change in …

The Multimodal Brain Tumor Image Segmentation Benchmark (Brats), Bjoern H. Menze, Andras Jakab, Stefan Bauer, Jayashree Kalpathy-Cramer, Khan M. Iftekharuddin, Syed M.S. Reza

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper we report the set-up and results of the Multimodal Brain Tumor Image Segmentation Benchmark (BRATS) organized in conjunction with the MICCAI 2012 and 2013 conferences. Twenty state-of-the-art tumor segmentation algorithms were applied to a set of 65 multi-contrast MR scans of low-and high-grade glioma patients-manually annotated by up to four raters-and to 65 comparable scans generated using tumor image simulation software. Quantitative evaluations revealed considerable disagreement between the human raters in segmenting various tumor sub-regions (Dice scores in the range 74%-85%), illustrating the difficulty of this task. We found that different algorithms worked best for different sub-regions …

Hybrid Jacketing For Rapid Repair Of Seismically Damaged Reinforced Concrete Columns, Mostafa Fakharifar, Genda Chen, Mahdi Arezoumandi, Mohamed Elgawady

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study proposes hybrid jacketing for rapid repair of seismically damaged concrete columns for bridge safety. The hybrid jacketing for a reinforced concrete (RC) column is composed of a thin cold-formed steel sheet wrapped around the column and its outside prestressing strands. Although the prestressing strands can prevent buckling of the confining steel sheet, the steel sheet can in turn prevent the prestressing strands from cutting into the concrete. The hybrid jacketing concept was validated with testing of a large-scale RC column with lap splice deficiency typical of pre-1970 bridge constructions in the Central United States. Results from the original …

Integrated Freight Network Model: A Gis-Based Platform For Transportation Analyses, Ted H. Grossardt, John Ripy, Benjamin L. Blandford, Michael Shouse

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The models currently used to examine the behavior transportation systems are usually modespecific. That is, they focus on a single mode (i.e. railways, highways, or waterways). The lack of integration limits the usefulness of models to analyze the intermodal movement of freight. This project developed a GIS-based model of the three primary surface modes as well as intermodal connections. The resulting Integrated Freight Network Model (IFNM) accommodates highly detailed about shipping costs, transfer costs, traffic volumes (including non-freight auto traffic), and network interconnectivity properties. As a proof of concept, the research team conducted an exploratory analysis that asked what the …

Determining A Role For Taimain In The Drosophila Melanogaster Methoprene Response, Shivani Daryani

Student Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Land Of The Aging Sun : The Impact Of Population Decline On Japanese Economic Performance, Edson H. Flores

Student Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Integrating Truck Emissions Cost In Traffic Assignment, Peter Foytik, R. Michael Robinson

VMASC Publications

The adverse impacts of greenhouse gasses (GHG) and the imperative for reducing the existing rate of GHG production are well established. In the United States, the largest source of GHG emissions from human activities is from burning fossil fuels, primarily for the generation of electricity and transportation. The transportation sector accounts for 28% of all U.S. GHG production. Heavy-duty vehicles, such as large freight trucks, account for nearly one-fifth of the U.S. total, and this fraction is expected to grow rapidly. Consequently, many efforts are being used to reduce the total emissions of freight trucks. Most efforts emphasize one of …

Exploring A Toll Auction Mechanism Enabled By Vehicle-To-Infrastructure Technology, Andrew J. Collins, Erika Frydenlund, R. Michael Robinson, Mecit Cetin

VMASC Publications

High-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes—an increasingly popular solution for congested roadway networks—give drivers the option to access express lanes. The cost of entry often varies with demand, although no standard method of optimizing these price points exists. Using the principles of a Vickrey auction that incentivizes true-value bids, this paper proposes a tolling system that uses vehicle-to-infrastructure technology to optimize toll operator revenue with HOT lane usage. In the scenario, a roadway network consists of a HOT lane and a general-purpose lane, each with identical physical properties. Drivers can access the HOT lane at the start of the facility or at …

Electrospray Of An Energetic Ionic Liquid Monopropellant For Multi-Mode Micropropulsion Applications, Steven P. Berg, Joshua L. Rovey, Benjamin D. Prince, Shawn W. Miller, Raymond J. Bemish

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The multi-mode chemical-electric propulsion capable energetic ionic liquid propellant [Emim][EtSO4]-HAN is electro sprayed in a 100 µm capillary emitter to test the electric-mode performance of the propellant. The ionic liquid exhibits stable electrospray emission in both cation and anion extraction modes at a nominal extraction voltage of 3400 V. Near field measurements of current and mass flow rate distribution are taken at flow rates from 0.19 nL/s to 3.06 nL/s. Total emission current, as measured by Faraday cup and integrated, increases from 754 nA to 3195 nA for cation emission and from 552 nA to 2012 nA for anion emission. …

"Academia, Here I Come!" : Plain Language And Academese In The Postsecondary Academy, Heather Lockhart

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Since the birth of the plain language movement forty years ago, proponents of plain language have seen a considerable uptick in plain language advocacy, use, legislation, and regulation within government, legal, and business organizations. Those who have adopted this style believe that its most important benefits include increased clarity, ease of both reading and writing, and accessibility. In spite of these benefits, one field that has not yet embraced plain language is academia—a field that, as many have argued, could benefit from adopting a plainer writing style in order to make academic texts more accessible. The uncertainty about plain language’s …

1891 Convention Report, Minneapolis, Christian Endeavor Society

Books

No abstract provided.

Time-Domain Partial Element Equivalent Circuit Solver Including Non-Linear Magnetic Materials, Daniele Romano, Giulio Antonini, Albert E. Ruehli

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The PEEC solution of problems which include magnetic materials has recently been considered. Most of these solvers include linear magnetic material only. In this paper, we present a new PEEC solver including non-linear magnetic materials. A benchmark problem is presented in the time domain where the magnetic material operates in the non-linear region.

Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts 2014, Kentucky Transportation Center, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY’S TRAFFIC COLLISION FACTS report for 2014 is based on collision reports submitted to the Kentucky State Police Records Branch. As required by Kentucky Revised Statutes 189.635, “every law enforcement agency whose officers investigate a vehicle accident of which a report must be made…shall file a report of the accident…within ten days after investigation of the accident upon forms supplied by the bureau.” The stated purpose of this requirement is to utilize data on traffic collisions for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in the Commonwealth. Data contained in this report are based solely on the observations …

Stochastic Interdigitation As A Toughening Mechanism At The Interface Between Tendon And Bone, Y. Hu, Victor Birman, A. Demyier-Black, A. G. Schwartz, S. Thomopoulos, G. M. Genin

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Model For Consolidation Analysis Of Layered Soils Under Depth-Dependent Loading, Hefu Pu, Patrick J. Fox

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A numerical model is presented for one-dimensional large strain consolidation of a layered soil stratum. The algorithm accounts for vertical strain, soil self-weight, conventional constitutive relationships, changing material properties during consolidation, unload/reload, time-dependent loading and boundary conditions, an externally applied hydraulic gradient, and multiple soil layers with different material properties. The model can also accommodate depth-dependent loading and variable preconsolidation stress profiles. Verification checks of the model show excellent agreement with available analytical and numerical solutions for consolidation of soils with multiple layers and depth-dependent loading. An overview of this model is presented, and a parametric study is performed to …

Numerical Simulations Of Surface Charging At The Lunar Terminator, Daoru Frank Han, Joseph J. Wang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A full-particle particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation model is developed to perform fully-kinetic simulations of surface-plasma interactions at the lunar terminator region. This model uses a non-homogeneous immersed-finite-element (IFE) solver to calculate the electric field discontinuity (flux jump) at the plasma-surface interface and surface charging for realistic lunar surface terrain. The simulation includes all plasma species, including the solar wind electrons and ions, as well as photoelectrons with real proton-to-electron mass ratio so the kinetic properties in the mesothermal flow are resolved. We present simulation results of surface charging around a lunar hill at the lunar terminator region.

Development Of Composite Pcms By Incorporation Of Paraffin Into Various Building Materials, Shazim Ali Memon, Wenyu Liao, Shuqing Yang, Hongzhi Cui, Syed Farasat Ali Shah

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this research, we focused on the development of composite phase-change materials (CPCMs) by incorporation of a paraffin through vacuum impregnation in widely used building materials (Kaolin and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS)). The composite PCMs were characterized using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. Moreover, thermal performance of cement paste composite PCM panels was evaluated using a self-designed heating system. Test results showed that the maximum percentage of paraffin retained by Kaolin and GGBS was found to be 18% and 9%, respectively. FT-IR results show that …

Ecological Drivers And Habitat Associations Of Estuarine Bivalves, C. Seabird Mckeon, Björn G. Tunberg, Cora A. Johnston, Daniel J. Barshis

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Community composition of the infaunal bivalve fauna of the St. Lucie Estuary and southern Indian River Lagoon, eastern Florida was sampled quarterly for 10 years as part of a long-term benthic monitoring program. A total of 38,514 bivalves of 137 taxa were collected and identified. We utilized this data, along with sediment samples and environmental measurements gathered concurrently, to assess the community composition, distribution, and ecological drivers of the infaunal bivalves of this estuary system. Salinity had the strongest influence on bivalve assemblage across the 15 sites, superseding the influences of sediment type, water turbidity, temperature and other environmental parameters. …

The Impact Of The Quota-Based System On Social Stratification Among The Students At The Indian Institute Of Technology, Madras, India, Thyagarajan Vaidyanathan Ammachathram

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study attempted to identify the impact of the recent expansion in the quota system among Quota-Based Students (QBS) and General Category Students (GCS) at the Indian Institute of Technology (Madras) (IIT(M)). The study emphasized various institutional behaviors that affected the students and their educational endeavors and examined the impact of institutional practices on the students. This study examined some of the socialization practices of QBS and GCS based on Van Maanen and Schein’s (1979) work and revealed that hostels (residence halls) played a significant role especially among QBS educational endeavors at IIT(M). Van Maanen and Schein’s (1979) investiture socialization …

Creating Order Amidst Food Eco-Label Chaos, Jason J. Czarnezki

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Eco-labels, certifications, and seals of approval serve a variety of functions including communicating to businesses and consumers the environmental attributes of a particular product and incentivizing improvements in production. Eco-labels also provide a basis for companies to set measurable sustainability goals for sourcing, improvements, and transparency. As they gain greater traction in the marketplace, however, there has been a massive proliferation of labels, certifications, and green seals of approval. This has led to consumer confusion, inaccurate and misleading claims, and inconsistent standards. A 2009 survey identified about 600 labels that denote some definition of “environmentally friendly” worldwide, including more than …