The alkyl substitution effects and the hybridization effects on the rate of coupling of adsorbed hydrocarbon groups on Ag(111) have been investigated under ultrahigh vacuum by temperature programmed reaction/desorption (TPR/D). For these two different issues, two types of halide precursors were used. One is to form adsorbed fragments bearing C£\(sp3) and C£\-H, the other is to yield adsorbed fragments with different hybridized £\-carbons without C£\-H. The desired hydrocarbon groups were generated on Ag(111) by the thermal dissociation of the C-X (X = I or Br) bond in the corresponding halogenated compounds. Substitution of alkyl for hydrogen in the adsorbed alkyl groups systematically raises the coupling temperature. For example, 3-pentyl groups homo-couple at temperatures ~ 70 K higher than the ethyl homo-coupling reaction. The concept of ¡§geminal repulsion¡¨ can account for our experimental results while the size and the number of the alkyl substitution groups increase. Different hybridized C£\ (metal-bonded carbon) species cause various angle strain energies in the cyclic transition state for the coupling reaction. The C£\(sp) species (CH3C¡ÝC(ad) and (CH3)3SiC¡ÝC(ad)) have rather high coupling temperatures (~ 460 K) due to the unidirectional sp orbital and the stronger Ag-C(sp) bond in the transition state. The relative rates for homo-coupling as a function of the hybridization of the metal-bound carbon follow the trend sp3 > sp2 > sp on the Ag(111) surface. Lastly, we found that the isobutyl groups undergo a £]-hydride elimination instead of homo-coupling on the Ag(111) surface. It may be due to that isobutyl groups have a total of nine £]-hydogens among all the hydrocarbon groups, which makes this rare reaction pathway possibly occur on Ag(111).

This thesis descries the evolution and testing of a fully portable, inductive loop vehicle counter system. As a component of the NFS Embedded Distributed Simulation for Transportation System Management project, the system's cellular modem transmits real-time data to servers at Georgia Institute of Technology. From there, the data can be fed into simulations predicting travel behavior. Researchers revised both the detector circuit, and the temporary, reusable loop pad several times over multiple rounds of field testing. The final tested version of this system demonstrates the efficacy of uncommonly small inductive loops. When paired with a reliable data transmission channel, the system was shown to capture nearly 96% of actual through traffic.

Déterminer la structure 3D des protéines expérimentalement est une tâche très lourde et coûteuse, qui peut s'avérer parfois impossible à réaliser. L'arrivée massive de données provenant des programmes de séquençage à grande échelle impose de passer d'une approche biochimique à une approche bioinformatique, et nécessite en particulier de développer des méthodes de prédiction sur des séquences.<br />Cette thèse propose l'exploration de deux nouvelles pistes pour progresser dans la résolution de prédiction de ponts disulfures dans les protéines. Cette liaison covalente stabilise et contraint fortement la conformation spatiale de la protéine et la connaissance des positions où elle intervient peut réduire considérablement la complexité du problème de la prédiction de la structure 3D. Pour cela, nous utilisons dans un premier temps, l'inférence grammaticale et plus particulièrement les langages de contrôle introduit par Y. Takada, puis dans un deuxième temps, la programmation logique inductive.<br />Diverses expériences visent à confronter un cadre théorique d'apprentissage et des algorithmes généraux d'inférence grammaticale régulière à une application pratique de prédiction d'appariements spécifiques au sein d'une séquence protéique. D'autres expérimentations montrent que la programmation logique inductive donne de bons résultats sur la prédiction de l'état oxydé des cystéines en inférant des règles interprétables par les biologistes. Nous proposons un algorithme d'induction heuristique dont l'idée est d'effectuer plusieurs phases d'apprentissage en tenant compte des résultats obtenus aux phases précédentes permettant ainsi de diminuer considérablement la combinatoire dans les espaces d'hypothèses logiques en construisant des règles de plus en plus discriminantes.

Aerospace Engineering / The aim of this thesis is to explore the high strain rate behavior of metallic specimens using electromagnetic inductive loading as the means to inflict the required high strain rate deformation on laboratory scale specimens, allowing for controlled, repeatable experiments to be performed. Three separate experiments were designed and performed, using helical and spiral coils as the sources of radial and unidirectional loading. The first experiment evaluated the effect of applying a polymer coating on 30.5 mm diameter, Al 6061- O tube samples, in two lengths, 18 and 36 mm. The expanding tube experiment was used to apply a radial loading on the specimens and record the event. Several optical techniques were then used to evaluate the behavior of the samples. Coatings of polyurea and polycarbonate were used. It was observed that the polycarbonate coating seemed to have a more profound effect on the behavior of the metal, by applying a larger restraining pressure on the tube surface during the expansion process, and thereby modifying the stress state of the specimen. The second experiment looked to design an experimental arrangement to test the plane strain, high strain rate behavior of Al 6061-O tubes of different lengths. A 112 mm long solenoid was designed and manufactured, and testing was performed on 30.5 mm diameter Al 6061-O tubes in lengths of 50, 70 and 90 mm. It was observed that the coil behaved similar to shorter ones at low voltages and that the longer the specimen used, the more its deformation path approached a plane strain condition. Finally, a third experiment was performed to develop an experiment to accelerate a plate to high linear velocities, as a means to evaluate the use of a flat spiral coil as the driver for future experiments based upon electromagnetic inductive loading. A prototype coil was manufactured and installed into a converted expanding tube experimental setup. Three samples were tested in several sizes, and materials: aluminum and steel. Speeds in the range of 45 to 251 m/s were obtained, validating the apparatus as a viable method to provide a unidirectional loading. / text

Design is the meeting of the processes that one employs and the intentions that one brings. Exploring an inductive methodology situates the design environmentally. The inherent dynamic and constructive processes, which arise from the qualities of methodological inquiries, are the basis for the inhabitation within place. An inductive process began by exploring the role of aural perception prior to contextual and design intentions. This resulted in a strong emphasis on experience and presence. Research into analogous disciplines resulted in an exploration of methods that facilitate the inductive operations of media, particularly noise. The provision of a contextual framework for observations provided order to method. A strategy was posited, where the development of constructs that addressed the entire range of environmental dimensions, from site to structure, could supply integrity to the situation of contextual forces; their tension and release. Hence, a general theory for the constructive inhabitation of place.

This thesis purposes and develops inductively coupled LC (inductive-capacitive) pH sensors based on pH-sensitive electrode pair. The LC resonator circuit is based on a varactor and measures the low frequency potential difference. For wireless pH monitoring, the resonator circuit is integrated with a pH-sensitive electrode pair. This sensor demonstrates a linear response over 2 to 12 pH dynamic range, 0.1 pH accuracy and long-term stability. Accurate measurement of pH using electrode-based sensors is affected by temperature variation. A technique of simultaneously measuring two parameters, pH and temperature, with a single RLC resonator based sensor is presented. An algorithm is developed, which applies both pH and temperature measurement to incorporate temperature compensation in pH measurement. For in-fluid applications, an encapsulation method is applied to the LC resonator based sensor to reduce the influence of medium permittivity and conductivity on the sensor measurement. Non-invasive way to obtain reliable pH information from bacterial culture bioprocesses is demonstrated with the fluid embeddable sensor. The pH sensor is remodeled to an acidic and basic volatile sensor by embedding the electrodes in a hydrogel host electrolyte. Tests demonstrate that the volatile sensor has a detection limit of 1.5 ppm and 2 ppm for ammonia and acetic acid vapor, respectively. Application of the volatile sensor to fish spoilage monitoring shows that the sensor is capable of detecting the product rejection level with good sensitivity in real-time. It is important to develop low cost wireless passive pH sensor technologies for embedded applications such as bioprocess and food spoilage monitoring. The electrode-based passive LC sensor approach employed in this thesis overcomes drawbacks of some of the early developed passive pH sensors and can lead to an inexpensive implementation using printed electronics technology.

La théorie de la rigidité étudie l'unicité des réalisations des graphes, i.e., des charpentes. Initialement motivée par l'ingénierie des structures, la théorie de la rigidité trouve aujourd'hui des applications dans plusieurs domaines importants comme la prédiction de la flexibilité des protéines, la conception assistée par ordinateur, la localisation dans les réseaux des capteurs, etc. Cette thèse traite une grande variété de problèmes concernant différents types de rigidité, qui correspondent à différents niveaux d'unicité (locale/infinitésimale, globale et universelle) dans des modèles variés de charpentes. D'abord, nous développons des résultats sur la construction récursive et la décomposition des graphes avec des conditions mixtes de sparsité ainsi que des résultats sur le packing des arborescences avec des contraintes de matroïde. Ces résultats sont alors utilisés pour obtenir des caractérisations de la rigidité infinitésimale des charpentes avec des contraintes mixtes. Nous étudions aussi l'effet des opérations d'extension sur des charpentes et étendons un résultat connu sur la préservation de la rigidité globale d'$1$-extension dans les charpentes à direction et à longueur de la dimension deux aux dimensions supérieures. Pour la rigidité universelle, un sujet que l'on connait très peu, nous obtenons une caractérisation complète pour la classe des charpentes biparties complètes sur la ligne. Nous généralisons aussi une condition suffisante pour la rigidité universelle des charpentes en permettant des positions non générales.

After nearly a decade of development, human-implantable sensors for detection of muscle activity have recently been demonstrated in the literature. The implantable sensors are powered and communicate wirelessly through the skin using coupled inductor coils. The focus of the present work has been the development of a new approach to modeling the inductively coupled link by using the finite element method (FEM) to simulate a three-dimensional representation of the coils and surrounding magnetic field. The validity of the simulation is tested by comparison to analytically-developed formulas for self-inductance, ac resistance and mutual inductance of the coils. Determination of these parameters is necessary for calculation of the coupling coefficient between the coils, and to fully define the lumped circuit model of the link. This 3D FEM approach is novel and attractive because it is able to encompass physical geometric parameters and material properties that have been traditionally been a challenge to determine. In particular the contribution of a ferrite-core, and the case of non-symmetrical relative coil positioning can be evaluated. / Graduate

With the advancement of biomedical instrumentation technologies sensor based remote healthcare monitoring system is gaining more attention day by day. In this system wearable and implantable sensors are placed outside or inside of the human body. Certain sensors are needed to be placed inside the human body to acquire the information on the vital physiological phenomena such as glucose, lactate, pH, oxygen, etc. These implantable sensors have associated circuits for sensor signal processing and data transmission. Powering the circuit is always a crucial design issue. Batteries cannot be used in implantable sensors which can come in contact with the blood resulting in serious health risks. An alternate approach is to supply power wirelessly for tether-less and battery- less operation of the circuits.Inductive power transfer is the most common method of wireless power transfer to the implantable sensors. For good inductive coupling, the inductors should have high inductance and high quality factor. But the physical dimensions of the implanted inductors cannot be large due to a number of biomedical constraints. Therefore, there is a need for small sized and high inductance, high quality factor inductors for implantable sensor applications. In this work, design of a multi-spiral solenoidal printed circuit board (PCB) inductor for biomedical application is presented. The targeted frequency for power transfer is 13.56 MHz which is within the license-free industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band. A figure of merit based optimization technique has been utilized to optimize the PCB inductors. Similar principal is applied to design on-chip inductor which could be a potential solution for further miniaturization of the implantable system. For layered human tissue the optimum frequency of power transfer is 1 GHz for smaller coil size. For this reason, design and optimization of multi-spiral solenoidal integrated inductors for 1 GHz frequency is proposed. Finally, it is demonstrated that the proposed inductors exhibit a better overall performance in comparison with the conventional inductors for biomedical applications.

Ο Επαγωγικός Λογικός Προγραμματισμός (Inductive Logic Programming ή, σε συντομογραφία ILP) είναι ο ερευνητικός τομέας της Τεχνητής Νοημοσύνης (Artificial Intelligence) που δραστηριοποιείται στη τομή των γνωστικών περιοχών της Μάθησης Μηχανής (Machine Learning) και του Λογικού Προγραμματισμού (Logic Programming).Ο όρος επαγωγικός εκφράζει την ιδέα του συλλογισμού από το επί μέρους στο γενικό. Μέσω της επαγωγικής μάθησης μηχανής ο Επαγωγικός Λογικός Προγραμματισμός επιτυγχάνει το στόχο του που είναι η δημιουργία εργαλείων και η ανάπτυξη τεχνικών για την εξαγωγή υποθέσεων από παρατηρήσεις (παραδείγματα) και η σύνθεση-απόκτηση νέας γνώσης από εμπειρικές παρατηρήσεις. Σε αντίθεση με της περισσότερες άλλες προσεγγίσεις της επαγωγικής μάθησης ο Επαγωγικός Λογικός Προγραμματισμός ενδιαφέρεται για της ιδιότητες του συμπερασμού με κανόνες για την σύγκλιση αλγορίθμων και για την υπολογιστική πολυπλοκότητα των διαδικασιών. Ο Επαγωγικός Λογικός Προγραμματισμός ασχολείται με την ανάπτυξη τεχνικών και εργαλείων για την σχεσιακή ανάλυση δεδομένων. Εφαρμόζεται απευθείας σε δεδομένα πολλαπλών συσχετισμών για την ανακάλυψη προτύπων. Τα πρότυπα που ανακαλύπτονται από τα συστήματα στον Επαγωγικό Λογικό Προγραμματισμό προκύπτουν από κάποιο γνωστό θεωρητικό υπόβαθρο και θετικά και αρνητικά παραδείγματα και εκφράζονται ως λογικά προγράμματα. Ο Επαγωγικός Λογικός Προγραμματισμός έχει χρησιμοποιηθεί εκτεταμένα σε προβλήματα που αφορούν τη μοριακή βιολογία, την βιοχημεία και την χημεία. Ο Επαγωγικός Λογικός Προγραμματισμός διαφοροποιείται από τις άλλες μορφές Μάθησης Μηχανής, αφ’ ενός μεν λόγω της χρήσης μιας εκφραστικής γλώσσας αναπαράστασης και αφ’ ετέρου από τη δυνατότητά του να χρησιμοποιεί τη γνώση υποβάθρου. Έχουν αναπτυχθεί διάφορες μηχανισμούς υλοποίησης του ILP, εκ των οποίων η πιο πρόσφατη είναι η Progol, που βασίζεται σε ένα διερμηνέα της Prolog ο οποίος συνοδεύεται από έναν αλγόριθμο Αντίστροφης Συνεπαγωγής (Inverse Entailment). Η Progol κατασκευάζει νέες προτάσεις με τη γενίκευση των παραδειγμάτων που περιέχονται στη βάση δεδομένων που της δίνεται. Η θεωρία του Επαγωγικού Λογικού Προγραμματισμού εγγυάται ότι η Progol θα διεξάγει μια αποδεκτή αναζήτηση στο διάστημα των γενικεύσεων, βρίσκοντας το ελάχιστο σύνολο προτάσεων, από το οποίο όλα τα παραδείγματα μπορούν να προκύψουν. Σε αυτή την εργασία θα αναπτυχθούν αναλυτικά η θεωρία και οι κανόνες του Επαγωγικού Λογικού Προγραμματισμού, τα είδη των προβλημάτων που επιλύονται μέσω του Επαγωγικού Λογικού Προγραμματισμού, οι μέθοδοι που ακολουθούνται καθώς και ο τρόπος με τον οποίο αναπτύσσονται οι εφαρμογές του Επαγωγικού Λογικού Προγραμματισμού. Θα δοθούν επίσης παραδείγματα κατάλληλα για την κατανόηση των γνώσεων αυτών από ένα ακροατήριο που διαθέτει βασικές γνώσεις Λογικής και Λογικού Προγραμματισμού. / Inductive Logic Programming is a research area of Artificial Intelligence that operates in the intersection of cognitive areas of Machine Learning and Logic Programming. Through inductive machine learning, Inductive Logic Programming‟s objective is creating tools and developing techniques to extract new knowledge composing a background one and empirical observations (examples). Some methods are employed, the best known of which is the reverse implication, the reverse resolution and the inverse implication. Based on Inductive Logic Programming, some systems have been developed for knowledge production. The most widely used system is Progol, which uses an input of examples and background knowledge, whichε is stated in a kind of grammar compatible to that the programming language Prolog, and generates procedures in the same language that illustrate these examples. Other systems are FOIL, MOBAL, GOLEM and LINUS. There is also Cigol which is a programming language based on the theory of Inductive Logic Programming. These systems are used in many applications. The most important is the area of pharmacology, such as predictive toxicology, the provision of rheumatic disease and the design of drugs for Alzheimer's. Applications can also be found in programming, linguistics and games like chess.