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<p>  </p> <p>In this work, a conceptual design of a new configuration for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone, with three distinct flight modes (cruise, hover, and transition), is proposed. The drone is sized to meet mission objectives typical for a search and rescue operation and modelled in Surfaces, an aircraft modelling software, to validate its sizing and compute its stability/aerodynamic coefficients. A 3D model of the drone during the different flight modes is generated in Catia V5 and a nonlinear mathematical model of the drone in cruise mode (forward flight) is determined using Newton’s laws. A linearized model of the drone in forward flight is derived from the nonlinear model, about a trim altitude, and its flying qualities assessed. The inherent transient behavior of the drone is improved by implementing a stability augmentation system or feedback loop. Four autopilot systems are designed and tested on the linear drone model and finally implemented on the nonlinear model. The nonlinear model of the drone and autopilots are tested by simulating the flight of the drone through a set of lateral waypoints, representing victims in need of emergency assistance in a search and rescue mission. </p> <p><br></p>

Yes / A metasurface based decoupling structure that is composed of a square-wave slot pattern with exaggerated corners that is implemented on a rectangular microstrip provides high-isolation between adjacent patch antennas for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Multi-Input-Multi-Output (MIMO) systems. The proposed 1×2 symmetric array antenna integrated with the proposed decoupling isolation structure is designed to operate at ISM bands of X, Ku, K, and Ka. With the proposed mutual coupling suppression technique (i) the average isolation in the respective ISM bands listed above is 7 dB, 10 dB, 5 dB, and 10 dB; and (ii) edge-to-edge gap between adjacent radiation elements is reduced to 10 mm (0.28λ). The average antenna gain improvement with the metasurface isolator is 2 dBi. / H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016 SECRET-722424 and the financial support from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under grant EP/E0/22936/1

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of unknown cause that afflicts about 1.5 million Americans. The characteristic feature of PD is a deficiency of dopamine in the terminals of nigrostriatal neurons. Two enzyme systems, the neuronal form of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B), have been linked to neurodegenerative pathways leading to PD. Several MAO-B and nNOS inhibitors have been evaluated for their neuroprotective properties in the mouse model of neurodegeneration which employs the parkinsonian inducing neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). One such compound is 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), a compound which is reported to inhibit both enzymes. This thesis focuses on the synthesis and biological evaluation of a potential prodrug form of 7-NI and related indazolyl containing compounds which are designed to release the active drugs following a metabolic bioactivation process. These studies have led to a detailed description of the nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions between 4-chloro-1-methylpyridinium iodide and the indazolyl reactants that were employed as the initial step in the synthesis of the target compounds. The MAO-B substrate and inhibition properties of these "prodrugs" as well as the parent indazolyl compounds were examined. The results are discussed in relation to a previously developed active site model of MAO-B. / Master of Science