Engineering Commons^™

Isotope-Based Fluvial Organic Carbon (Isofloc) Model: Model Formulation, Sensitivity, And Evaluation, William I. Ford, James F. Fox

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Watershed-scale carbon budgets remain poorly understood, in part due to inadequate simulation tools to assess in-stream carbon fate and transport. A new numerical model termed ISOtope-based FLuvial Organic Carbon (ISOFLOC) is formulated to simulate the fluvial organic carbon budget in watersheds where hydrologic, sediment transport, and biogeochemical processes are coupled to control benthic and transported carbon composition and flux. One ISOFLOC innovation is the formulation of new stable carbon isotope model subroutines that include isotope fractionation processes in order to estimate carbon isotope source, fate, and transport. A second innovation is the coupling of …

Effects Of Individualized Centrifugation Training On Orthostatic Tolerance In Men And Women, Nandu Goswami, Joyce Evans, Stefan Schneider, Melanie Von Der Wiesche, Edwin Mulder, Andreas Rössler, Helmut Hinghofer-Szalkay, Andrew P. Blaber

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

AIMS: Exposure to artificial gravity (AG) at different G loads and durations on human centrifuges has been shown to improve orthostatic tolerance in men. However, the effects on women and of an individual-specific AG training protocol on tolerance are not known.

METHODS: We examined the effects of 90 minutes of AG vs. 90 minutes of supine rest on the orthostatic tolerance limit (OTL), using head up tilt and lower body negative pressure until presyncope of 7 men and 5 women. Subjects were placed in the centrifuge nacelle while instrumented and after one-hour they underwent either: 1) AG exposure …

Preliminary Evaluation Of The Disease Surveillance System During Influenza Outbreaks Of Pandemic Scale, Eric Meisheri, Diana M. Prieto, Peter Holvenstot, Richard Vanenk

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

In the United States it is currently unknown whether the influenza surveillance system is capable of producing timely and accurate data for case estimation during an outbreak of pandemic scale. This simulation provides a preliminary evaluation of the surveillance system’s ability to collect data and produce timely and accurate trends of cases confirmed with an influenza virus. For the evaluation, a computer-based simulation of the data-collection process was used, which was validated with real demographic and epidemiologic information. The results were analyzed to determine the most significant behavioral and operational factors influencing the data collection and to propose the exploration …

Fossil-Fuel-Fired Power Plant, Kunlei Liu, James K. Neathery

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty Patents

A power plant includes a boiler, a stream turbine generator, a post combustion processing system, a feed water regeneration processing system and a heat exchanger. Heat from the heat exchanger is used to regenerate (a) a reagent that absorbs carbon dioxide from flue gas and (b) a water-lean desiccant used to increase plant operating efficiency.

Scalable Control Architecture For Variable-Rate Turn Compensation, Michael P. Sama, Joe D. Luck, Timothy S. Stombaugh

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to determine if a CAN bus could be used to implement variable-rate turn compensation in a manner that is scalable by encoding application rates for an entire implement into a single data message. A variable-rate turn compensation test fixture was developed that used a CAN bus to communicate application rates to 16 individual nodes using a 2-byte data message (80-bit extended identifier CAN messages). The system assumed that the physical structure of an implement was linear and that the control nodes were equally spaced. Application rates for the outer-most nodes were broadcasted and the …

Teaching Cybersecurity Using The Cloud, Khaled Salah, Mohammad Hammoud, Sherali Zeadally

Information Science Faculty Publications

Cloud computing platforms can be highly attractive to conduct course assignments and empower students with valuable and indispensable hands-on experience. In particular, the cloud can offer teaching staff and students (whether local or remote) on-demand, elastic, dedicated, isolated, (virtually) unlimited, and easily configurable virtual machines. As such, employing cloud-based laboratories can have clear advantages over using classical ones, which impose major hindrances against fulfilling pedagogical objectives and do not scale well when the number of students and distant university campuses grows up. We show how the cloud paradigm can be leveraged to teach a cybersecurity course. Specifically, we share our …

Forensic Pavement Evaluation For Us 31 W, Jefferson County, Kentucky Using Ground Penetrating Radar, Brad W. Rister, Kean Ashurst, R. Clark Graves

Kentucky Transportation Center Technical Assistance Report

The Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) utilized ground penetrating radar technology to provide a forensic evaluation of the existing pavement structure for the US31W pavement rehabilitation Project in Jefferson County, KY. Processed ground penetrating radar data indicated that the integrity of the underlying concrete pavement beneath the asphalt pavement appears to be competent and structurally sound. The clay soil beneath the concrete pavement appears relatively dry and well compacted. The analyzed GPR data also indicated that the average asphalt layer varied by lane throughout the project from 4.89 to 7.59 inches +/- ½ inch and that the underlying concrete layer average …

Creating A National Coalition To Address Tractor Overturn Fatalities., Pamela J. Tinc, Paul D. Ayers, John J. May, Mark A. Purschwitz, Julie A. Sorensen

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Tractor overturns continue to be the leading cause of death on U.S. farms. While rollover protective structures (ROPS) are effective in preventing these fatalities, they are underutilized due to a number of barriers. Past programs in the U.S. and abroad have targeted this area of agricultural safety; however, a national program is not yet in place for U.S. farmers. This study seeks to build a national partnership to address tractor overturn fatalities by increasing the number of tractors with ROPS. A diverse, multisector steering committee has been organized and is working together using Whole System in a Room methods. This …

Hydrodemolition And Use Of A Rapid Early Strength Latex Modified Concrete Overlay, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Christopher Goff, Danny Wells, Sudhir Palle

Kentucky Transportation Center Technical Assistance Report

On July 11, 2014, KYTC held a letting for the hydro demolition of two bridge decks on I-64 in Franklin County - main-line twin bridges over Cardwell Lane MP 51.516 (Contract ID 143915; Fed/State Project No. IM 0643(052)). The special notes for the project are provided in Appendix A. The tabulation of bids is provided in Appendix B. Five bids were received ranging from $787,836.00 to $1,082,639.46. The contract was awarded to the lowest bidder, Halls Contracting. Each bridge is 30 ft. wide and 159 ft. long, with for a total area of 4,770 ft. The type 104 bridges have …

General Method To Predict Voltage-Dependent Ionic Conduction In A Solid Electrolyte Coating On Electrodes, Jie Pan, Yang-Tse Cheng, Yue Qi

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Understanding the ionic conduction in solid electrolytes in contact with electrodes is vitally important to many applications, such as lithium ion batteries. The problem is complex because both the internal properties of the materials (e.g., electronic structure) and the characteristics of the externally contacting phases (e.g., voltage of the electrode) affect defect formation and transport. In this paper, we developed a method based on density functional theory to study the physics of defects in a solid electrolyte in equilibrium with an external environment. This method was then applied to predict the ionic conduction in lithium fluoride (LiF), in contact with …

Poster Session, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

1. Quantification of Common Agricultural Herbicide Dispersal and Land Use in Selected Areas of the Kentucky River Watershed, Andrew Nagel and others, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY
2. Exploring the Effects of Herbicides on Willow Seedlings, Sarah Stryffeler and others, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY
3. LiDAR Mapping Sinkholes in Cane Run Watershed, Fidele Tibouo and others, Dept. Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
4. Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy to Study Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants, Frankie Wallace and Matthew Nee, Dept. of Chemistry, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
5. Test …

Session 2c, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Investigating the Recent Invasion of Silver Carp (Hypopthalmicthys molitrix) into Kentucky Lake, Utilizing Diet and Long Term Data Analysis, Ben Tumolo and Michael B. Flinn, Hancock Biological Station, Murray State University, Murray, KY
• Assessment of Chytrid Fungus (Bactrachochytrium dendrobatidis) Occurrence and Prevalence in Plethodontid Salamanders Across a Forest Disturbance Gradient in Southeastern Kentucky, Sarah M. Hamilton and others, Forestry Department, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• Strain Diversity in the Fecal Indicator Escherichia coli: Implications for its Use as a Produce Pathogen Surrogate, Ethan Givan and others, USDA-ARS, Bowling Green, KY

Session 2b, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• The Kentucky Nutrient Watershed Model, Ben Albritton and others, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• Model Parameter Uncertainty Analysis for an Annual Field-Scale P Loss Model, Carl Bolster, Food Animal Environmental Systems Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Bowling Green, KY
• Flood Modeling Using a Virtual 3D Environment to Help Student Learning, C. V. Chandramouli and others, Mechanical Engineering Department, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN
• Updating the Fresh-Saline Water Interface Map in Eastern Kentucky, Jerrad Grider and T. M. Parris, Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Session 2a, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Space-Time Behavior of Soil Water Status Measured Across Two Land Use Systems, Yang Yang and Ole Wendroth, Dept. of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• "Wetness" in Landsat Scenes versus "Wetness" on the Ground: Uses of the Tasselled Cap Transformation on Archival Imagery, Demetrio Zourarakis, Kentucky Division of Geographic Information, Frankfort, KY
• Dynamics of Soil Quality Indicators in Western Kentucky, Hannah Robbins and Iin Handayani, Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University, Murray, KY
• Sediment Organic Carbon Fate and Transport Mechanisms in a Fluvial Karst System in the Bluegrass Region, Admin Husic and …

Session 1c, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Stakeholder Engagement as a Tool for Better Environmental Decisions, Anna Hoover and Lindell Ormsbee, College of Public Health and Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• Diverse Participation in Watershed Planning and Governance: Building Social-Ecological Resilience in Kentucky Watersheds, Alexandra Chase and others, Center for Land Use and Environmental Responsibility, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
• Lexington is Giving Back - Lexington's Stormwater Grant Program is Giving Money Back to Fee Payers for Stormwater Projects, Christopher Dent, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Division of Water, Lexington, KY

Session 1b, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Hatchery Creek Stream Restoration Project - A Unique Opportunity to Maximize Trout Habitat, Create Recreational Opportunities and Provide Mitigation Credits, Oakes Routt and others, Stantec Consulting Services Inc., Louisville, KY
• Hatchery Creek Stream Restoration Project - Construction of A Trout Stream in Kentucky, Eric Dawalt and others, Ridgewater, LLC, Lexington, KY
• Implementing Site-Specific Flow Competence Monitoring to Inform Stream Restoration Design, Kurt Cooper and Bob Hawley, Sustainable Streams, LLC, Louisville, KY
• Streambank Stability and Riparian Habitat Relationships and Mapping Tools in the Triplett Creek Watershed, Nicole Meade and Toney Phillips, Center for Environmental Education, Morehead State …

Session 1a, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Water Quality Monitoring of McConnell Springs' Surface Waters, 2011 through 2014, David J. Price, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Division of Water, Lexington, KY
• Initial Findings from the Karst Water Instrumentation System Station, Royal Spring Groundwater Basin, Kentucky Horse Park, James Currens and others, Kentucky Geological Survey, Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• Calibration Method to Estimate Suspended-Sediment Concentration from Acoustic Backscatter in a Cross Section, Justin Boldt, USGS Kentucky Water Science Center, Louisville, KY
• Vapor Flux Sampling Techniques for Characterizing Vapor Intrusion, Evan Willett and others, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Plenary Session, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Purification, Sebastián Hernández and others, Dept. of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• Nanofiltration Membranes for Water Reuse and Toxic Inorganics Removal from Coal-Fired Power Plant Water, Andrew Colburn and others, Dept. of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• Thermal Analysis and Raman Studies of the Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants, Matthew Nee and others, Dept. of Chemistry, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

Proceedings Of 2015 Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

This symposium was planned and conducted as a part of the state water resources research institute annual program that is supported by Grant/Cooperative Agreement Number G11AP20081 from the United States Geological Survey. The contents of this proceedings document and the views and conclusions presented at the symposium are solely the responsibility of the individual authors and presenters and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USGS or of the symposium organizers and sponsors. This publication is produced with the understanding that the United States Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for government purposes.

Magnetic Response Of Aperiodic Wire Networks Based On Fibonacci Distortions Of Square Antidot Lattices, Barry Farmer, Vinayak Bhat, J. Sklenar, Eric Teipel, Justin Woods, J. B. Ketterson, J. Todd Hastings, Lance Delong

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The static and dynamic magnetic responses of patterned ferromagnetic thin films are uniquely altered in the case of aperiodic patterns that retain long-range order (e.g., quasicrystals). We have fabricated permalloy wire networks based on periodic square antidot lattices (ADLs) distorted according to an aperiodic Fibonacci sequence applied to two lattice translations, d₁  = 1618 nm and d₂  = 1000 nm. The wire segment thickness is fixed at t = 25 nm, and the width W varies from 80 to 510 nm. We measured the DC magnetization between room temperature and 5 K. Room-temperature, narrow-band (9.7 GHz) ferromagnetic resonance …

Frameless Representation And Manipulation Of Image Data, Henry G. Dietz

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Most image sensors mimic film, integrating light during an exposure interval and then reading the "latent" image as a complete frame. In contrast, frameless image capture attempts to construct a continuous waveform for each sensel describing how the Ev (exposure value required at each pixel) changes over time. This allows great flexibility in computationally extracting frames after exposure. An overview of how this could be accomplished was presented at EI2014, with an emphasis on frameless sensor technology. In contrast, the current work centers on deriving frameless data from sequences of conventionally captured frames.

Highway Rail Crossing Prioritization, Bryan Gibson, Reginald R. Souleyrette

Kentucky Transportation Center Technical Assistance Report

Research team members at the University of Kentucky in the Department of Civil Engineering and the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) worked with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) to develop a high-level mechanism for ranking highway-rail crossings for reconstruction and/or rehabilitation. The Highway Rail Crossing Prioritization implementation study yielded the Rail Crossing Improvement Priority (RCIP), which combined qualitative measures of crossing conditions with quantitative measures including proposed project costs and a valuation of the crossing based on rail and truck traffic. This effort provides a template by which further development can yield prioritization procedures for road-rail grade separation projects.

Activated Carbon, Carbon Nanofiber And Carbon Nanotube Supported Molybdenum Carbide Catalysts For The Hydrodeoxygenation Of Guaiacol, Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez, Maxime Perdu, Robert Pace, Tonya Morgan, Mark Crocker

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty and Staff Publications

Molybdenum carbide was supported on three types of carbon support—activated carbon; multi-walled carbon nanotubes; and carbon nanofibers—using ammonium molybdate and molybdic acid as Mo precursors. The use of activated carbon as support afforded an X-ray amorphous Mo phase, whereas crystalline molybdenum carbide phases were obtained on carbon nanofibers and, in some cases, on carbon nanotubes. When the resulting catalysts were tested in the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of guaiacol in dodecane, catechol and phenol were obtained as the main products, although in some instances significant amounts of cyclohexane were produced. The observation of catechol in all reaction mixtures suggests that guaiacol was …

Structural Evolution Of Molybdenum Carbides In Hot Aqueous Environments And Impact On Low-Temperature Hydroprocessing Of Acetic Acid, Jae-Soon Choi, Viviane Schwartz, Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez, Mark Crocker, Samuel A. Lewis Jr., Michael J. Lance, Harry M. Meyer Iii, Karren L. More

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty and Staff Publications

We investigated the structural evolution of molybdenum carbides subjected to hot aqueous environments and their catalytic performance in low-temperature hydroprocessing of acetic acid. While bulk structures of Mo carbides were maintained after aging in hot liquid water, a portion of carbidic Mo sites were converted to oxidic sites. Water aging also induced changes to the non-carbidic carbon deposited during carbide synthesis and increased surface roughness, which in turn affected carbide pore volume and surface area. The extent of these structural changes was sensitive to the initial carbide structure and was lower under actual hydroprocessing conditions indicating the possibility of further …

Composition And Work Function Relationship In Os–Ru–W Ternary Alloys, Phillip D. Swartzentruber, Michael J. Detisch, Thomas John Balk

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Os–Ru thin films with varying concentrations of W were sputter deposited in order to investigate their structure–property relationships. The films were analyzed with x-ray diffraction to investigate their crystal structures, and a Kelvin probe to investigate their work functions. An Os–Ru–W film with ∼30 at. % W yielded a work function maximum of approximately 5.38 eV. These results align well with other studies that found work function minima from thermionic emission data on M-type cathodes with varying amounts of W in the coatings. Furthermore, the results are consistent with other work explaining energy-level alignment and charge transfer of molecules on …

Temperature Dependence Of Anisotropic Magnetoresistance In Antiferromagnetic Sr2Iro4, C. Wang, H. Seinige, Gang Cao, J.-S. Zhou, J. B. Goodenough, M. Tsoi

Center for Advanced Materials Faculty Publications

Temperature-dependent magnetotransport properties of the antiferromagnetic semiconductor Sr₂IrO₄ are investigated with point-contact devices. The point-contact technique allows to probe very small volumes and, therefore, to look for electronic transport on a microscopic scale. Point-contact measurements with single crystals of Sr₂IrO₄ were intended to see whether the additional local resistance associated with a small contact area between a sharpened Cu tip and the antiferromagnet shows magnetoresistance (MR) such as that seen in bulk crystals. Point-contact measurements at liquid nitrogen temperature revealed large MRs (up to 28%) for modest magnetic fields (250 mT) applied within an …

Assessment Program For Kentucky Traffic Records, Lenahan O'Connell, Eric R. Green, Reginald R. Souleyrette

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

During 2013, the Kentucky Transportation Center identified 117 potential performance metrics for the ten databases in the Kentucky Traffic Records System. This report summarizes the findings of three main tasks completed in 2014: (1) assessment of the utility of each metric and/or the availability of data; (2) collection of data on the metrics deemed useful with available data; and (3) assessment the possibility of incorporating a number of the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC) elements into the CRASH database. Interviews with liaisons for each database reduced the number of metrics from 117 to 51. The reason for rejecting the …

Cytotoxic Activity Of Triazole-Containing Alkyl Ss-D-Glucopyranosides On A Human T-Cell Leukemia Cell Line, Edward Davis Oldham, Larissa M. Nunes, Armando Varela-Ramirez, Stephen E. Rankin, Barbara L. Knutson, Renato J. Aguilera, Hans-Joachim Lehmler

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Simple glycoside surfactants represent a class of chemicals that are produced from renewable raw materials. They are considered to be environmentally safe and, therefore, are increasingly used as pharmaceuticals, detergents, and personal care products. Although they display low to moderate toxicity in cells in culture, the underlying mechanisms of surfactant-mediated cytotoxicity are poorly investigated.

RESULTS: We synthesized a series of triazole-linked (fluoro)alkyl β-glucopyranosides using the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne reaction, one of many popular "click" reactions that enable efficient preparation of structurally diverse compounds, and investigate the toxicity of this novel class of surfactant in the Jurkat cell line. Similar to …

Contaminant-Tolerant Solvent And Stripping Chemical And Process For Using Same For Carbon Capture From Combustion Gases, Kunlei Liu, James K. Neathery, Joseph E. Remias

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty Patents

A contaminant-tolerant hybrid scrubbing solvent is provided for post-combustion CO₂ capture and removal, the scrubbing solvent including an amine and a low fraction of ammonia. A stripping carrier having a low latent energy is included for solvent regeneration. In one embodiment, the amine is MEA and the stripping chemical having low latent energy is pentane or an isomer thereof. Processes and apparatus for CO2 removal from post-combustion gases and for solvent regeneration are described.

Treating Proximal Tibial Growth Plate Injuries Using Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) Scaffolds, Amanda Clark, J. Zach Hilt, Todd A. Milbrandt, David A. Puleo

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Growth plate fractures account for nearly 18.5% of fractures in children. Depending on the type and severity of the injury, inhibited bone growth or angular deformity caused by bone forming in place of the growth plate can occur. The current treatment involves removal of the bony bar and replacing it with a filler substance, such as a free fat graft. Unfortunately, reformation of the bony bar frequently occurs, preventing the native growth plate from regenerating. The goal of this pilot study was to determine whether biodegradable scaffolds can enhance native growth plate regeneration following a simulated injury that resulted in …