A study of a second-order predictive control system

The purpose of this thesis is the study of a predictive control system by simulating it on an analog computer. Logic criteria for step reference inputs are derived by the phase- plane technique, and tie corresponding logic network designed to bring the error and error rate of the controlled system toward zero in the least possible time. The responses of the predictive control system for step, ramp, sinusoidal and exponential reference inputs are investigated with primary emphasis placed on the rise time and overshoot for several values of step inputs of the reference. Finally, recommendations are made for further investigations in the areas which are deemed to be vital in helping to theorize and design a more general type of predictive- control system --Abstract, page 2

Synthesis and Characterization of Vanadium Dioxide on III-Nitride Thin Films Using Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition for Sensing Applications

State-of-theart technology demands new exotic materials fit for utilization in miniaturized circuits; also, additionally, increase their capabilities. Transition metal oxides have attracted keen interest over the last decade, thanks to the variety of physical properties that they exhibit. These thesis works present a study for the development and characterization of VO2 on substrates; AlGaN/ GaN, SiO2, and Sapphire. The Oxides of Vanadium has exclusive properties with a potential novel application within the Integrated-Circuits industry. The low-pressure chemical vapor deposition technique makes a highly pure and ordered form of crystalline thin films of VO2 on every one of those substrates. The sharp transition in electrical and structural properties of VO2 throughout the Metal-Insulator Transition (MIT) is suitable for varied electronic, optoelectronic, and sensing applications. We have primarily studied Chemical Vapor Deposition based synthesis of VO2 on metallic element chemical compound (AlGaN) thin films and compared them with those synthesized on Silicon and Sapphire. Thin-film Vanadium metal (35 nm and 70 nm) is deposited on different substrates, followed by oxidization to yield Vanadium dioxide films. The result of deposition time, oxygen flow rate, substrate temperature, radiative cooling time, and chamber pressure consistently studied to get the most effective quality films. The synthesis is conducted on comparatively large area vanadium deposited samples, and microscale vanadium patterned samples. The as-grown Vanadium Dioxide films were characterized by AFM and XRD techniques to work out their structural and crystalline qualities. VO2 films synthesized under optimal CVD growth conditions were successfully used in GaN MEMS devices for sensitive deflection transduction

FRONTAL PLANE LOWER LIMB KINEMATICS CHANGE AT TOE-OFF FOR LOADED WALKING TO MAINTAIN MEDIAL-LATERAL GAIT STABILITY

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of carrying backpack loads on the medial-lateral gait parameters. Seventeen primary school boys walked on an instrumented treadmill with 10%, 15% and 20% bodyweight loads. At the instance of toeoff of the ipsilateral leg, the whole body weight is supported by the contralateral leg. The shift to single leg support may render the gait unstable. However, a three-dimensional kinematic analysis revealed that at toe-off, the body adopts certain frontal plane gait changes at the knee to control the moment induced in the frontal plane by the quasi-force couple of the gravitational force on the centre of mass (COM) and the vertical normal reaction force on the contralateral supporting leg. For the loaded conditions, since the magnitude of the gravitational force and the normal reaction force increases because of the additional backpack load, the increase in the magnitude of the quasi-force couple is regulated by a change in knee kinematics

INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT ODOURS ON THE ASSOCIATIVE LEARNING OF LARVAL PARASITOID COTESIA PLUTELLAE (K.) (HYMENTOPTERA: BRACONIDAE)

The ability of insect parasitoids to learn a wide range of volatiles enables them to exploit the habitats while still maintaining their searching efficiency and achieving efficient rates of oviposition. In the present study, learning of Cotesia plutellae adults on various inexperienced odours and their memory dynamics has been studied. The odours either repelled or acted as neutral stimulus under unexperienced condition. However, they were found to be equally efficient to associate the novel odour viz. coriander, rose, vanilla, and citral with food source in an olfactometer. After experiencing the wasps with different odours, the memory of rose and coriander odour remained for more than four hours but the memory faded on vanilla and citral within four hours. It was also found that thelearning in these wasps depended on the duration of exposure to the odour while feeding on food source. The C. plutellae females could learn two odours at a time and responded to both odours in olfactometer when provided individually. Females did not show any preference for learned odour of vanilla and citral when both were provided in two choice condition in the olfactometer. But female preferred the rose odour over vanilla in the olfactometer after experiencing both the odour. This finding can be utilized to design the innundative release of the parasitoids. Growing coriander or rose flower in the vicinity of field and experiencing the wasps to these odours before releasing into field can arrest these parasitoids in the field which ultimately increase parasitisation and can become a key factor for the success of biological control program

Disruption of cell wall fatty acid biosynthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis using a graph theoretic approach

Fatty acid biosynthesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was analyzed using graph theory and influential (impacting) proteins were identified. The graphs (digraphs) representing this biological network provide information concerning the connectivity of each protein or metabolite in a given pathway, providing an insight into the importance of various components in the pathway, and this can be quantitatively analyzed. Using a graph theoretic algorithm, the most influential set of proteins (sets of {1, 2, 3}, etc.), which when eliminated could cause a significant impact on the biosynthetic pathway, were identified. This set of proteins could serve as drug targets. In the present study, the metabolic network of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was constructed and the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway was analyzed for potential drug targeting. The metabolic network was constructed using the KEGG LIGAND database and subjected to graph theoretical analysis. The nearness index of a protein was used to determine the influence of the said protein on other components in the network, allowing the proteins in a pathway to be ordered according to their nearness indices. A method for identifying the most strategic nodes to target for disrupting the metabolic networks is proposed, aiding the development of new drugs to combat this deadly disease

KINEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE POWER POSITION AND DELIVERY PHASE FOR THE O’BRIEN AND STANDING THROW SHOT PUT TECHNIQUES

The purpose of the study was to examine the kinematic variables of the power position phase for the O’Brien and standing throw techniques used by competitive school athletes so as to gain insights into any technique differences amongst the kinematic variables of the power position between the two techniques and also study whether school athletes are able to capitalize on the biomechanical advantages of the O’Brien technique over the standing throw technique. Three female competitive school athletes were recruited for the study. Each subject performed 4 trials of the throws for each technique. Data was captured using the Peak camera systems operating at 50 Hz and 1/500 shutter speed. Maximal effort was stressed and only the best trial was taken for analysis for each technique per subject. The study showed that the athletes did not effectively capitalize on the biomechanical advantages of the O’Brien technique for maximizing their throw distance

A Complete Characterization of all Magic Constants Arising from Distance Magic Graphs

A positive integer $k$ is called a magic constant if there is a graph $G$ along with a bijective function $f$ from $V(G)$ to first $|V(G)|$ natural numbers such that the weight of the vertex $w(v) = \sum_{uv \in E}f(v) =k$ for all $v \in V$. It is known that all odd positive integers greater equal $3$ and the integer powers of $2$, $2^{t}$, $t \ge 6$ are magic constants. In this paper we characterise all positive integers which are magic constants

Local Antimagic Coloring of Some Graphs

Given a graph $G =(V,E)$, a bijection $f: E \rightarrow \{1, 2, \dots,|E|\}$ is called a local antimagic labeling of $G$ if the vertex weight $w(u) = \sum_{uv \in E} f(uv)$ is distinct for all adjacent vertices. The vertex weights under the local antimagic labeling of $G$ induce a proper vertex coloring of a graph $G$. The \textit{local antimagic chromatic number} of $G$ denoted by $\chi_{la}(G)$ is the minimum number of weights taken over all such local antimagic labelings of $G$. In this paper, we investigate the local antimagic chromatic numbers of the union of some families of graphs, corona product of graphs, and necklace graph and we construct infinitely many graphs satisfying $\chi_{la}(G) = \chi(G)$

Biofabricated nanoparticles: Their delivery and utility in Plutella xylostella management

399-404The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) is one of the most serious cosmopolitan pests of cruciferous plants. It causes severe damage to crop quality and production, with estimated global losses of 20-40% per year. Consumer preference regarding pest-free and uncontaminated crop, unavailability of highly competitive natural enemies as well as migratory nature of DBM has obligated for the mandatory use of insecticides. The over reliance and indiscriminate use of chemical insecticides to control DBM has lead to development of resistance against almost all the modern insecticides. In addition, it has also developed resistance against most of the Bt strain. To overcome the problem of resistance, there is an urgent need for new and highly efficient method to control DBM which must be eco-friendly, cost effective and has minimum impact on the environment. One of such alternatives is nanotechnology which fulfil all the criteria to become an ideal insecticide or delivery system for insect pest management especially DBM. Nanotechnology offers great improvement in the field of pesticides as it is less toxic, shelf-life enhancement and higher water solubility. Loading of Indoxacarb on nanoparticles are reported to be highly effective they suppressed the activity of detoxification enzymes such as GST, CarE, and P450. Green synthesis of AgNPs, Single walled carbon nano tube (SWCNT) also exhibits larvicidal and pupicidal effect. These are also reported to adversely affect food consumption, growth, pupation and fecundity of P. xylostella.These nanoparticles have been found to be more stable, also the controlled release of active ingredient for a long time and provides target specific control of P. xylostella for solving adverse situations ofthe crop fields like less food security, lesser food productivity and environmental imbalance