Engineering Commons^™

The Future Of Transit In West Virginia, Diana Long, Benjamin L. Blandford, Peter J. Dailey, Sinaya Dayan, Justin Matthews, Kent Sowards

Reports with Contribution from KTC Researchers

No abstract provided.

Broadcasting With Prediction And Selective Forwarding In Vehicular Networks, Jainjun Yang, Zongming Fei

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Broadcasting in vehicular networks has attracted great interest in research community and industry. Broadcasting on disseminating information to individual vehicle beyond the transmission range is based on inter-vehicle communication systems. It is crucial to broadcast messages to other vehicles as fast as possible because the messages in vehicle communication systems are often emergency messages such as accident warning or alarm. In many current approaches, the message initiator or sender selects the node among its neighbors that is farthest away from it in the broadcasting direction and then assigns the node to rebroadcast the message once the node gets out of …

Pavement Evaluation Of The Concrete Tie-Bars And Dowel Baskets On Irvin Cobb Drive, Us 60, Mccracken County, Ky, Brad W. Rister, Jamie Creech, Joe Whelan, Timothy R. B. Taylor

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

A 1500 Mhz. ground coupled, ground penetrating radar antenna was used to identify both the horizontal alignment and the vertical displacement of the concrete tie-bars and the transverse joint dowel bar assembles on a Portland-Cement-Concrete-Pavement (PCCP) on US 60 in McCracken County, KY. Approximately 5 lanes miles of PCCP were evaluated using the 1500 Mhz. ground coupled antenna. Results indicate that only one transverse dowel basket out of an approximate total of 1,760 were within 4.17 inches of the pavement surface. Seven transverse dowel baskets were misaligned four inches or greater from the location of the sawed joint. These areas …

Fiscal Year 2013 Fhwa-536 Report For The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Steven Douglas Kreis, Candice Y. Wallace, Bryan Gibson, Sarah M. Mccormack

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requires state transportation agencies to submit a biennial report on local highway finances. The purpose of these reports is to provide FHWA with the data it needs to capture the financing of highway activities at the local level. Based on this information, it can identify trends in revenue, expenditures, investments, and program development, and in turn make decisions about future investments. The report, FHWA-536, asks agencies to report on four areas of local highway finance: 1) disposition of highway-user revenues; 2) revenues used for roads and streets identified by source and funding type; 3) road …

Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy (Dcs) For Assessment Of Tissue Blood Flow In Skeletal Muscle: Recent Progress, Yu Shang, Katelyn Gurley, Guoqiang Yu

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Near-infrared diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) is an emerging technology for monitoring blood flow in various tissues. This article reviews the recent progress of DCS for the assessment of skeletal muscle blood flow, including the developments in technology allowing use during dynamic exercise and muscular electrical stimulation, the utilization for diagnosis of muscle vascular diseases, and the applications for evaluating treatment effects. The limitations of current DCS studies and future perspective are finally discussed.

Dopaminergic Modulation Of Memory And Affective Processing In Parkinson Depression, Lee X. Blonder, John T. Slevin, Richard J. Kryscio, Catherine A. Martin, Anders H. Andersen, Charles D Smith, Frederick A. Schmitt

Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Center Faculty Publications

Depression is common in Parkinson's disease and is associated with cognitive impairment. Dopaminergic medications are effective in treating the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease; however, little is known regarding the effects of dopaminergic pharmacotherapy on cognitive function in depressed Parkinson patients. This study examines the neuropsychological effects of dopaminergic pharmacotherapy in Parkinsonian depression. We compared cognitive function in depressed and non-depressed Parkinson patients at two time-points: following overnight withdrawal and after the usual morning regimen of dopaminergic medications. A total of 28 non-demented, right-handed patients with mild to moderate idiopathic Parkinson's disease participated. Ten of these patients were depressed according …

Binding, Transcytosis And Biodistribution Of Anti-Pecam-1 Iron Oxide Nanoparticles For Brain-Targeted Delivery, Mo Dan, David B. Cochran, Robert A. Yokel, Thomas D. Dziubla

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: Characterize the flux of platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM-1) antibody-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and its biodistribution in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS: Anti-PECAM-1 IONPs and IgG IONPs were prepared and characterized in house. The binding affinity of these nanoparticles was investigated using human cortical microvascular endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3). Flux assays were performed using a hCMEC/D3 BBB model. To test their immunospecificity index and biodistribution, nanoparticles were given to Sprague Dawley rats by intra-carotid infusion. The capillary depletion method was used to elucidate their distribution between the BBB and brain parenchyma.

RESULTS: Anti-PECAM-1 …

Compounds And Methods For Reducing The Occurrence Of Post-Surgical Adhesions, Thomas Dziubla, Eugene Kaplan, John Mark Medley Jr.

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Patents

Compounds and methods for reducing the occurrence of a post-surgical adhesion are provided. The compounds can include acrylic acid groups and ethylene glycol groups, and can be directed to an area of damaged tissue by the incorporation of a fibrin targeting peptide. The compounds can further include a brush-like portion, capable of creating a steric barrier between a damaged tissue or organ and adjacent tissues or organs, and a targeting portion, capable of directing the compounds to a damaged tissue or organ. Methods of detecting damaged tissue and kits are also provided.

Approximate Techniques In Solving Optimal Camera Placement Problems, Jian Zhao, Ruriko Yoshida, Sen-Ching Samson Cheung, David Haws

Statistics Faculty Publications

While the theoretical foundation of the optimal camera placement problem has been studied for decades, its practical implementation has recently attracted significant research interest due to the increasing popularity of visual sensor networks. The most flexible formulation of finding the optimal camera placement is based on a binary integer programming (BIP) problem. Despite the flexibility, most of the resulting BIP problems are NP-hard and any such formulations of reasonable size are not amenable to exact solutions. There exists a myriad of approximate algorithms for BIP problems, but their applications, efficiency, and scalability in solving camera placement are poorly understood. Thus, …

Updating The Kentucky Contract Time Determination System, Timothy R. B. Taylor, Paul M. Goodrum, Michael Brockman, Barry Bishop, Yongwei Shan, Roy E. Sturgill, Kevin Hout

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Federal Highway Administration requires State Transportation Agencies to have a formal method to estimate contract time for highway construction projects. To meet this requirement many states use an integrated scheduling system to estimate project durations based on assumed productivity rates and generic job logic. The current work investigated the accuracy of two of these systems found that both systems accuracy in predicting the duration of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet projects was greater than +200%. In response to this poor accuracy, a parametric project duration estimating tool was developed based on a multivariate regression analysis of bid item quantities and engineering …

Workforce Assessment Of The Inland Waterways Industry: A Survey Of Current And Future Training And Personnel Needs, Lenahan O'Connell, Timothy J. Brock

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report describes the findings of a preliminary review of the workforce needs of the inland waterways industry, which currently confronts a human resources crisis and must recruit more people who can work their way up to the skilled positions on towboats. The looming surge in retirements will present a significant hurdle—especially as its large cohort of baby boom river pilots and captains reach retirement age. The industry will need to recruit, train, and retain competent personnel for a very demanding and important set of jobs. While many people can handle the tasks of a deckhand, only a minority will …

A Tensile Deformation Model For In-Situ Dendrite/Metallic Glass Matrix Composites, J. W. Qiao, T. Zhang, Fuqian Yang, P. K. Liaw, S. Pauly, B. S. Xu

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

In-situ dendrite/metallic glass matrix composites (MGMCs) with a composition of Ti₄₆Zr₂₀V₁₂Cu₅Be₁₇ exhibit ultimate tensile strength of 1510 MPa and fracture strain of about 7.6%. A tensile deformation model is established, based on the five-stage classification: (1) elastic-elastic, (2) elastic-plastic, (3) plastic-plastic (yield platform), (4) plastic-plastic (work hardening), and (5) plastic-plastic (softening) stages, analogous to the tensile behavior of common carbon steels. The constitutive relations strongly elucidate the tensile deformation mechanism. In parallel, the simulation results by a finite-element method (FEM) are in good agreement with the experimental findings and theoretical calculations. The present study gives a mathematical model to clarify …

Repair Of I-65 Expressway Bridges Using Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (Cfrp) Composites, Ching Chiaw Choo, Abheetha Peiris, Issam E. Harik

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report documents the repair of five locations along the I-65 Expressway in Jefferson County, KY. The repair involved: (1) the precast prestressed concrete girder spans between Jacob Street and Gray Street, (2) the reinforced concrete bearing pads of Bridge Pier 4 at the intersection of Jefferson Street and Preston Street, (3) the reinforced concrete bearing pads of Bridge Pier 6 near the intersection of Main Street and Hancock Street, (4) the precast prestressed concrete girder spans between Chestnut Street and Gray Street and (5) the reinforced concrete pier column on East Muhammad Ali Blvd.

The precast prestressed concrete girders …

Repair Using Steel Fiber Reinforced Polymer On Us 150 Bridges, Ching Chiaw Choo, Abheetha Peiris, Issam E. Harik

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The report details the pre-construction monitoring, planning and design, and construction of the retrofit measures on the US150 bridge over Beech Fork River in Nelson County, KY and Cartwright Creek bridge on the border of Washington-Nelson County, KY. All reinforced concrete girders of the five-span Beech Fork River bridge and three-span Cartwright Creek bridge of deck-girder construction had developed diagonal cracks near or at the transition of the variable-and-constant depth regions.

To remedy the problem steel fiber reinforced polymer (SFRP) sheets were selected as the means of retrofit due to their strength and stiffness, as well as conformability and flexibility. …

Tools For Applying Constructability Concepts To Project Development (Design), Nikiforos Stamatiadis, Paul Goodrum, Emily Shocklee, Roy Sturgill, Chen Wang

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The purpose of this report is to document the activities of Phases I and II of the research effort and present the findings of the work accomplished. Phase I developed the Constructability Review Database for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Phase II conducted a benefit analysis of the constructability review process. The database provides the basis for entry and collection of constructability reviews and allows for the identification of trends leading to potential improvements of the process. The database can be used to summarize activities, generate reports for a project, and be capable of quantifying the benefits from the process. …

Kentucky's Prism-Based Automated Ramp Screening System Evaluation, Jerry Kissick, David Q. Hunsucker, Andrew Martin, Jennifer Walton, Mark Bell

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In 2010, Kentucky implemented a Performance Registration Information Systems and Management (PRISM) based automated ramp screening system (PARSS) at the Boone County inspection station on southbound I-71. The purpose of the PARSS is to identify and screen every vehicle that enters the Boone County inspection station. The system provides automated screening of trucks based on the license plate number and the USDOT number displayed on the vehicle. If it is determined that the vehicle should be stopped for inspection, that decision is communicated to the truck driver via the existing directional arrows that direct drivers to the static scale for …

Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Biomass At High-Solids Loadings – A Review, Alicia A. Modenbach, Sue E. Nokes

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Enzymatic hydrolysis is the unit operation in the lignocellulose conversion process that utilizes enzymes to depolymerize lignocellulosic biomass. The saccharide components released are the feedstock for fermentation. When performed at high-solids loadings (≥ 15% solids, w/w), enzymatic hydrolysis potentially offers many advantages over conversions performed at low- or moderate-solids loadings, including increased sugar and ethanol concentrations and decreased capital and operating costs.

The goal of this review is to provide a consolidated source of information on studies using high-solids loadings in enzymatic hydrolysis. Included in this review is a brief discussion of the limitations, such as a lack of available …

2013 Driver Attitudes And Awareness Survey, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green, Ronald E. Langley

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

A basic set of questions was developed that could be used in periodic surveys that track drivers attitudes and awareness concerning impaired driving, seat belt use, and speeding issues. The objective of the survey was to learn the knowledge, views, and behaviors of drivers in these areas. This report documents the results of the 2013 survey with a comparison to the 2011 and 2012 surveys as well as the 2010 baseline survey.

The method used to conduct the survey was a telephone survey. In addition to questions for the three major highway safety areas of impaired driving, seat belt use, …

Analysis Of Traffic Crash Data In Kentucky (2008-2012), Eric R. Green, Kenneth R. Agent, Jerry G. Pigman

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report documents an analysis of traffic crash data in Kentucky for the years of 200 8 through 201 2 . A primary objective of this study was to determine average crash statistics for Kentucky highways. Average and critical numbers and rates of crashes were calculated for various types of highways in rural and urban areas. These data can be used in Kentucky’s procedure to identify locations that have abnormal rates or numbers of crashes.

The other primary objective of this study was to provide data that can be used in the preparation of the problem identification portion of Kentucky’s …

Controlled Magnetic Reversal In Permalloy Films Patterned Into Artificial Quasicrystals, Vinayak Shantaram Bhat, J. Sklenar, B. Farmer, J. Woods, Jeffrey Todd Hastings, S. J. Lee, J. B. Ketterson, Lance E. De Long

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We have patterned novel Permalloy thin films with quasicrystalline Penrose P2 tilings and measured their dc magnetization and ferromagnetic resonance absorption. Reproducible anomalies in the hysteretic, low-field data signal a series of abrupt transitions between ordered magnetization textures, culminating in a smooth evolution into a saturated state. Micromagnetic simulations compare well to experimental dc hysteresis loops and ferromagnetic resonance spectra and indicate that systematic control of magnetic reversal and domain wall motion can be achieved via tiling design, offering a new paradigm of magnonic quasicrystals.

Experimental Investigation Of Blowing Effects On Turbulent Flow Over A Rough Surface, Mark A. Miller, Alexandre Martin, Sean C. C. Bailey

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

A high Reynolds number turbulent channel flow facility was used to study the combined effects of roughness and flow injection on the mean flow and turbulence characteristics. It was found that the additional momentum injection through the surface enhanced the roughness effects and for the mean flow the effect of blowing was indistinguishable from that of increased roughness. However, for the turbulence statistics, this analogy broke down in that the addition of blowing resulted in behavior which did not follow that predicted by Townsend’s hypothesis. This was observed as a reduction of outer-scaled Reynolds stress well into the outer layer. …

Assessment Of Kentucky’S Road Fund, Bryan Gibson, Dwight V. Denison, Candice Y. Wallace, Christopher Jepsen, Doug Kreis, Joseph D. Crabtree

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Kentucky’s Road Fund serves as the primary source of funds for the state’s roadway system. Motor fuels taxes and motor vehicle usage taxes are the two main components of Road Fund revenues. In recent years, there has been concern about the ability of the Road Fund, as currently constituted, to provide sufficient revenue to meet the funding needs for Kentucky’s transportation system. This study first analyzed the sources of Road Fund revenue, utilizing historical data to provide context for how past revenues have been generated and where those revenues were spent. In addition to examining revenues, the study also examined …

Utilization Of Mobile Lidar To Verify Bridge Clearance Heights On The Western Kentucky Parkway, Brad Rister, Levi Mcintosh, Joe Whelan

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Bridge clearances can vary from lane-to-lane beneath overpasses, and can often be difficult to measure due to high traffic volumes. Therefore, a mobile LiDAR unit was utilized in this project to obtain the bridge clearance heights on the Western Kentucky Parkway. The LiDAR information was collected at 400,000 points-per-second at a driving speed of 30 mph. Hand measurements were also taken on each bridge to assist in quantifying the potential error between field measurements and LiDAR measurements. The results of the collected LiDAR data appear to be less than 1.2 inches, which appears to be in line with both manufactures …

2013 Safety Belt Usage Survey In Kentucky, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green, Tony Fields

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of the survey summarized in this report was to establish a statewide safety belt usage rate in Kentucky for 2013. This rate can be compared to those determined from previous surveys. The 2013 statewide survey continues to document the increase in usage associated with the change in the law to allow primary enforcement and related evaluation and enforcement.

The Use Of Co-Culturing In Solid Substrate Cultivation And Possible Solutions To Scientific Challenges, Wanying Yao, Sue E. Nokes

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

This perspective systematically summarizes the use of solid substrate co‐cultures in agriculture, food, plant, and industrial biotechnology applications. The summarization is organized by organism, i.e. fungus, bacteria, yeast and then co‐cultivation of either two or three organisms. Generally, in solid substrate co‐culture, the organisms synergistically penetrate and degrade the solid substrate, thereby increasing product yield and productivity over a monoculture. Efforts to increase co‐culture performance include optimizing process parameters (pH, temperature, moisture, and oxygen demand) and defining the acceptable types of substrate. Scientific challenges exist in understanding the interactions between microbial stains, such as viability, suite of products, and bio‐transformations. …

Method And Apparatus For Characterizing Microscale Formability Of Thin Sheet Materials, Nasr A. Shuaib, Marwan K. Khraisheh

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Patents

A method of predicting sheet formability at a microscale level includes the steps of providing a grid pattern on a test sheet, bulging the test sheet to a hemispherical shape until a crack is initiated on the surface of the test sheet, detecting the initiation of the crack, acquiring two images of the surface adjacent to the crack and calculating surface strains on the test sheet.

Horizontal Pressures In Cylindrical Metal Silos And Comparison With Different International Standards, José W. B. Do Nascimiento, José P. Lopes Neto, Michael D. Montross

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The focus of this research was to evaluate the horizontal pressures on a cylindrical metal silo of corrugated walls and flat bottom with 1.82m diameter and 5.4m high, and to compare the values with those obtained theoretically by the ISO 11697, EP 433 and AS 3774 standards. The silo was symmetrically filled and constant speed with wheat cv. soft red for two different height/diameter ratios (H/D) and was unloaded through three orifices with a diameter of 71.6mm, one concentric and two eccentrics. Horizontal pressures were measured on the walls of the silo at three positions using hydraulic type pressure cells. …

Metal-Based Nanoparticle Interactions With The Nervous System: The Challenge Of Brain Entry And The Risk Of Retention In The Organism, Robert A. Yokel, Eric A. Grulke, Robert C. Macphail

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

This review of metal-based nanoparticles focuses on factors influencing their distribution into the nervous system, evidence they enter brain parenchyma, and nervous system responses. Gold is emphasized as a model metal-based nanoparticle and for risk assessment in the companion review. The anatomy and physiology of the nervous system, basics of colloid chemistry, and environmental factors that influence what cells see are reviewed to provide background on the biological, physical–chemical, and internal milieu factors that influence nervous system nanoparticle uptake. The results of literature searches reveal little nanoparticle research included the nervous system, which about equally involved in vitro and in …

Observations Of Peak Strength Behavior In Csa Cement Mortars, Joshua V. Brien, Kevin R. Henke, Kamyar C. Mahboub

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to assess the mechanical property performance behavior of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement mortar when cured at ambient laboratory temperature of ~23°C (73°F) and constant 50% relative humidity for an extended period of time. Four CSA cement mortars were tested. Three CSA cement mortars contained equivalent mass amounts of calcium sulfate; whereas, the fourth mortar contained double the amount of calcium sulfate. The three CSA cement mortars containing constant mass amounts of calcium sulfate differed as the specific type of calcium sulfate varied across the three formulations—one mortar containing solely anhydrite, one mortar contained half …

Evaluation Of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls For Bridge Ends In Kentucky; What Next?, Charlie Sun, Clark Graves

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report summarizes the nationwide survey results on MSE wall abutment status. Many of handy features on MSE Wall Abutment Inspection/Rating In KY web application are highlighted, and various graphical user interfaces of the web application are illustrated and described. The inspection/rating results for fifty-six (56) existing MSE wall abutments are presented and discussed.