DECENTRALIZED ADAPTIVE CONTROL FOR UNCERTAIN LINEAR SYSTEMS: TECHNIQUES WITH LOCAL FULL-STATE FEEDBACK OR LOCAL RELATIVE-DEGREE-ONE OUTPUT FEEDBACK

This thesis presents decentralized model reference adaptive control techniques for systems with full-state feedback and systems with output feedback. The controllers are strictly decentralized, that is, each local controller uses feedback from only local subsystems and no information is shared between local controllers. The full-state feedback decentralized controller is effective for multi-input systems, where the dynamics matrix and control-input matrix are unknown. The decentralized controller achieves asymptotic stabilization and command following in the presence of sinusoidal disturbances with known spectrum. We present a construction technique of the reference-model dynamics such that the decentralized controller is effective for systems with arbitrarily large subsystem interconnections. The output-feedback decentralized controller is effective for single-input single-output subsystems that are minimum phase and relative degree one. The decentralized controller achieves asymptotic stabilization and disturbance rejection in the presence of an unknown disturbance, which is generated by an unknown Lyapunov-stable linear system

Lobeline Attenuates the Locomotor-Activating Properties of Repeated Morphine Treatment in Rats

Purpose: Lobeline perturbs intra- and extracellular neurotransmitter levels and diminishes the in vitro and in vivo effects of psychostimulants. More recently, lobeline was shown to bind to μ opiate receptors, block the effects of opiate receptor agonists, and decrease heroin self-administration in rats. The present study determined the effect of lobeline on morphine-induced changes in locomotor behavior in rats.Methods: For 12 consecutive days (Days 1 - 12), male rats were administered lobeline (0.3 or 1 mg/kg) followed by morphine (5 or 10 mg/kg) and locomotor activity was measured. On Day 13, the effect of lobeline on the expression of morphine-induced increases in activity was determined.Results: With repeated morphine treatment, an increase in locomotor  activity was observed. In a dosedependent manner, lobeline decreased the morphine-induced increase in activity. Acute lobeline challenge on Day 13 also attenuated the expression of this morphine-induced increase in activity.                                                                               Conclusion: These results are consistent with previous work where lobeline blocks the locomotoractivtating properties of psychostimulants, and these findings support an emerging literature suggesting that lobeline produces its behavioral effects through an interaction with μ opiate receptors.Keywords: Behavior, Morphine, Locomotor activity, Behavioural sensitization, μ Opiate receptor

Development and Evaluation of Candidate Microbial Source Tracking Markers to Use Following Land Application of Biosolids

Biosolids are generated from the treatment of human waste and upon proper treatment specified by regulatory agencies they are frequently land applied on fields for waste disposal and as a soil amendment. Current methods for assessing water quality around land application sites cannot distinguish biosolid runoff from other sources of pollution. The goal of this research was to identify, develop, and validate novel biosolid microbial source tracking (MST) markers that can be used for tracking biosolid materials following land application. Biosolid samples were collected from two different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Southeastern region of the US. Total community DNA was extracted and high-throughput 454 pyrosequencing was performed to examine the microbial communities (Archaea and Bacteria) present in the samples. Microbial markers were designed and validated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for presence/absence in additional biosolids and animal manure samples. Using MST techniques in a field study, surface waters near biosolid land application fields were tested to demonstrate environmental detection of candidate microbial biosolid markers. The combined pyrosequencing and PCR analysis identified several candidate sequences within the Archaea and Bacteria kingdoms as potential microbial markers, and upon further in silico analysis, we selected sequences belonging to the following genera to target: unclassified Betaproteobacteria, Leptotrichiaceae, Methanosaeta, and an unclassified, uncultured Archaea. The validation study confirmed these microbial biosolid markers are sensitive to biosolid materials. However, initial tests with treated animal wastes suggest that these markers are not specific for biosolid materials but can be found in other digested wastes. The field study resulted in the environmental detection of candidate biosolid markers in surface water samples, along with fecal indicators and other microbes of public health concern. Although sample numbers were small and marker detection was not specific to just biosolids application sites, this research provides an approach for understanding the potential transport of biosolid materials following land application, and potential impacts on environmental quality.Doctor of Philosoph

Field Evaluation of Improved Methods to Detect Infectious Group F Adenoviruses in Source Water

Adenoviruses (Ads) are non-enveloped respiratory and enteric viruses containing a dsDNA genome. Group F ads 40 and 41 are of particular interest due to their persistence and abundance in ambient waters. Therefore, it is important to develop, verify, and apply a sensitive, specific, and efficient method to detect and quantify infectious adenoviruses in environmental samples of water and sewage. In this study the proposed method for infectivity assay is a combination of cell culture and mRNA reverse transcription (RT)-PCR for the viral hexon gene. In addition, the use of a housekeeping gene, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase (GAPDH), as an internal control for mRNA expression was used to evaluate the performance of this method. Source water samples of 20 L were collected three times from six water treatment plants (WTP) and concentrated to small volumes suitable for molecular analysis by hollow fiber ultrafiltration (HFUF) for primary concentration and polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation, chloroform extraction, and ultracentrifugation for secondary concentration. Because ads 40 and 41 are difficult to culture, newly developed transactivated 293 cell lines (293 CMV and 293 RAS) were compared to the STDG293 cell line to examine the levels of detectable viral mRNA expression and the incubation time required. The overall results indicated that infectious ads can be successfully detected from environmental source water and sewage samples using the new transactivated and standard cell lines. The housekeeping gene, GAPDH, as a positive control for the performance of CC/mRNA RT-PCR was found to be effective.Master of Science in Public Healt

On the Turaev genus of torus knots

The Turaev genus and dealternating number of a link are two invariants that measure how far away a link is from alternating. We determine the Turaev genus of a torus knot with five or fewer strands either exactly or up to an error of at most one. We also determine the dealternating number of a torus knot with five or fewer strand up to an error of at most two. Additional bounds are given on the Turaev genus and dealternating number of torus links with five or fewer strands and on some infinite families of torus links on six strands.Comment: 24 pages, 18 figure