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Real-Time Hand Tracking Virtual Reality Interface

Abstract

The goal of this research is to develop a gesture control system prototype for a robot by utilizing Oculus Quest real-time hand tracking feature. The robot is currently run in a virtual simulated world. Users can control its movement by interacting with the control terminal that implemented in Unity VR. The objects in the virtual simulated world are recreated in Unity game world by a real-time generated mesh using the camera data from the robot.

Type of Resource

AudioObject

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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Instrument Landing System for Remote-control Planes

Abstract

The goal of this project was to build an Instrument Landing System (ILS) that could help Remote-Control (RC) plane pilots safely land their planes with little or even no visual contact. Landing safely and accurately requires pilots to know an RC plane's accurate location information in real-time. Global Positioning System (GPS) with Real Time Kinematic (RTK) enhancements to improve accuracy was used to determine location information. The final design for the RC ILS consists of three subsystems. An RTK base station provides real-time correction messages to the on-plane GPS module. The on-plane module updates position data in real-time and broadcasts it to the pilot ground station. The pilot ground station retrieves position data and displays it on a laptop for visualization. A prototype was built that demonstrates the concept but does not yet fully integrate all the subsystems. Testing was limited to ground-based experiments, but showed that the required accuracy for landing could be achieved. Once an RC plane is available for testing, the whole system can be tested and improved by performing full system tests under realistic operating conditions.

Type of Resource

VideoObject

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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Design an indoor three-phase transformer

“ … in the form of either Wye (Y)-or Delta (∆)- connection. Lu Zhang Advisor: Luke Dosiek, Ph.D Figure 4, 5. … ”

Abstract

A transformer is a device that changes the voltage level of an AC electric power through a magnetic field. Since DC power systems have significant drawbacks at power transmission, almost all electric power generation and power transmission systems around the world are AC power systems. Since most of the AC power systems are in the form of three-phase AC circuits. Three-phase AC power systems have more advantages compared to one-phase systems because the three-phase systems allow more power delivered through the same amount of metal. In a three-phase system, all components should consist of three-phase including generators, transformers, and loads. So, three-phase transformers are quite essential in real-world applications.

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Developing an APEX Assay to Investigate Signaling and Protein Interaction of the Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor

“ … - 33 - Kong L, Tang M, Zhang T, Wang D, Hu K, Lu W, Wei C, Liang G, Pu Y. 2014. … microscopy and proximity labeling. Nat Methods 12 … - 34 - Zhang R and Xie X. 2012. Tools for GPCR drug discovery. Acta … high- throughput, simple to use, and homogenous ( Zhang and Xie 2012). One of … used to characterize the … ”

Abstract

Infertility affects millions of people in the United States. In addition to being unable to conceive, patients can face a variety of challenges ranging from mental health issues to increased economic costs. One cause of infertility is a defect in follicle stimulating hormone (hFSH). hFSH is a peptide hormone that is crucial for fertility in both males and females. In males, hFSH is involved in spermatogenesis. In females, hFSH is involved in estrogen production and ovarian follicle development. To better understand the role hFSH plays in fertility, our lab is interested in investigating the function of the hFSH receptor (hFSHR). hFSHR is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR); signaling from the receptor is of particular interest to us, because if we know how hFSHR signals, we can identify potential molecules to investigate that may be targets to improve fertility. However, investigating the signaling of GPCRs is challenging. Ideal assays to investigate GPCR signaling should be sensitive, simple to use, high throughput, and non-radioactive. Although assays for investigating GPCR signaling have historically been used, they have significant drawbacks. Assays using radioactive ligands are sensitive and high throughput, but are not simple to use and generate radioactive waste. Other assays such as G protein-dependent functional assays are sensitive, but are only able to screen for the activity of one molecule. The APEX assay is a new assay for investigating GPCR signaling that has significant advantages over other assays. When cells expressing a GPCR-APEX fusion protein are incubated in culture media containing biotin-phenol, APEX tags signaling molecules 20 nm radius with biotin-phenoxy radicals. Furthermore, this reaction can be quenched. Thus, the iii APEX assay can be used to investigate GPCR signaling with high spatial and temporal resolution. To develop the APEX assay to investigate hFSHR signaling, it is necessary to clone a plasmid coding for the hFSHR-APEX fusion protein. Creation of this plasmid will allow us to use a high-throughput, time dependent assay to investigate new therapeutic targets for infertility.

Type of Resource

Thesis

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Investigating the Lipid Raft Residency and Caveolin Binding Motif of Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor

“ … 1082-1093. doi:10.1124/mol.109.060160 Kong L, Tang M, Zhang T, Wang D, Hu K, Lu W, Wei C, Liang G, Pu Y. (2014). … ”

Abstract

Follicle stimulating hormone is involved in male and female fertility as a component of the HPG Axis. Its functions include spermatogenesis in males and ovarian follicle development in females. To better understand the physiology of this hormone and its effects, we focused on the receptor for hFSH (hFSHR) and its location on the cell membrane. Previous work in our lab has demonstrated that hFSHR localizes in lipid rafts. These are regions of the cellular membrane with high levels of cholesterol and sphingolipids. What is unclear is how the receptor gets into the lipid rafts. To study the interaction between hFSHR and caveolin of lipid rafts, I examined the properties of the lipid rafts and their sensitivity to various detergents. This was done to verify that regions of the membrane where hFSHR was located were detergent resistant. The results showed that lipid rafts are resistant to some mild detergents such as Triton but were disrupted by stronger ones such as SDS. I also used the methods of immunoprecipitation and western blot analysis to directly study the interaction between caveolin proteins and hFSHR. Experiments have suggested that the caveolin protein is closely linked with the receptor. Future experiments will build off these results and make use of caveolin mutants produced in the Cohen Lab to determine how changes to caveolin interfere with hFSHR function by measuring levels of downstream signaling molecules. This has potential implications in developing contraceptives and possible treatments for fertility treatments involving the action of FSH and its receptor.

Type of Resource

Thesis

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Modulating Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor Action Using Small Molecules

“ … Motif?” PLOS ONE. Feb. 2013. 19 Alioua, Abderrahmane, Rong Lu, Yogesh Kumar, et al. “Slo1 Caveolin-Binding Motif … , Rajendra, Yan Wang, Naifang Lu, Martin Matzuk. “Follicle Stimulating Hormone is Required … but Not Male … Pharmacology. 2007. 21 Syme, Colin A., Lei Zhang , Alessandro Bisello. “Caveolin-1 Regulates Cellular … ”

Abstract

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) plays an integral role in the maturation of gametes in both males and females, making it a target for both contraceptive and fertility research. This heterodimeric protein hormone acts on a g protein-coupled receptor aptly named the follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), which is expressed in testicular Sertoli and ovarian granulosa cells. This receptor has been known to associate with cholesterol and sphingolipid-rich membrane domains called lipid rafts as well as the membrane protein caveolin, which act to regulate signaling. The binding of the hormone to its receptor activates an intracellular signaling cascade which as traditionally been considered to be mainly cAMP-dependent. However, recent research has indicated that the actual mechanism of action of FSHR's signaling may be far more complicated than previously considered. In this work, small molecule modulators were used to attempt to more clearly characterize the intricacies of receptor signaling. First, peptide mimetic of the receptor's caveolin interaction motif were used to examine the interaction between caveolin and the receptor complex. Second, downstream signaling after administration of negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) known to inhibit FSHR signaling was examined to determine where in the signaling cascade inhibition is evident. Western blotting was used to compare relative amounts of secondary messenger activation. Results suggest that caveolin has an inhibitory action on the receptor, and generally, small molecules have the ability to modulate receptor action. Better understanding of this signaling pathway may eventually enable the development of more targeted pharmaceuticals for both contraception and fertility.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

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A possible role for Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) in regulating acetylation and detyrosination of…

“ … Tsavachidou, C. Nguyen-Charles, K. Wa Cheng, H. Hall, D. Zhang , Y. Lu, M. Ravoori, V. Kundra, J. Ajani, J.-S. Lee, W. Ki … … J., T. D. Mullen, Q. Hou, J. Bielawski, A. Bielawska, X. Zhang , L. M. Obeid … ”

Abstract

Recently, studies have linked microtubule (MT) behavior and the activity of the enzyme, AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase), known as the master regulator of cell metabolism. AMPK is activated when glucose or other cellular energy sources are depleted. Also cellular stress, i.e. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) depletion, causes MTs to become hyperstable. Since post-translational modifications (PTMs), i.e. acetylation and detyrosination, are known to increase the stability of MTs, we studied the relationship between AMPK and the acetylation and detyrosination of hyper-stable MTs. We investigated whether MTs in ATPdepleted C3H10T1/2 mouse fibroblasts are heavily acetylated and detyrosinated, and if so,whether these PTMs are dependent on AMPK activity. When cells were depleted of ATP via treatment with sodium azide and 2-deoxyglucose, there was a significant increase in hyper-stable MTs with these PTMs, as seen by western blot and immunofluorescence. ATP-depletion also led to an increase in the active form of AMPK, phosphorylated-AMPK. To observe if there was a relationship between AMPK activation and these PTMs of MTs, we used an AMPK inhibitor, Compound C (CC), in the presence of ATP depletion to determine if the inhibition of AMPK leads to a decrease in these PTMs of hyper-stable MTs. Through western blot, we observed that the inhibition of AMPK had no significant effect on the PTMs of hyper-stable MTs. However, CC did not reduce AMPK to control levels, so we still believe there is a connection between AMPK activity and these PTMs, but other methods need to be used to lower AMPK levels.

Type of Resource

Thesis

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Investigation of Ppt1 and other lysosomal storage disease genes during drosophila neurogenesis

“ … Genetics. 10, 69-75. 8. Hofmann, S. L., Das, A. K., Lu, J., and Soyombo, A. A. … – 2390. 10. Hofmann, S. L., Das, A. K., Lu, J., and Soyombo, A. A. (2001). Positional Candidate Gene Cloning of CLN1, pp. 69 – 92 … Yi, W., Lu, J-Y., Siakotos, A. N., Wisniewski, K. E., and Hofmann, S. … ”

Abstract

Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses (INCL) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by a defect in the Palmitoyl Protein Thioesterase 1 (PPT1) protein. Studies have shown that the Drosophila ortholog, Ppt1, is essential for proper embryonic neurogenesis. Without Ppt1, flies exhibit defects in neuronal precursor cell fates, axon misrouting, and fasciculation. This study extends this analysis by examining the role of other lysosomal storage disease genes during Drosophila neurogenesis, namely SAK, palmitoyl protein thioesterase 2, and spinster. Flies carrying mutations in these genes were individually crossed into the Ppt1 knockout background in order to investigate whether they genetically interact with Ppt1. Embryos from the mutant strains and crosses were stained with ?BP102 using a 2-day immunohistochemistry protocol and digital images were taken of well-stained stage 16 embryos. Embryonic neurogenesis was analyzed in each embryo to determine whether mutations in SAK, Ppt2, or spinster disrupted nervous system development and/or interacted genetically with Ppt1. Fly strains mutant for SAK, Ppt2, and spinster exhibited abnormalities in nervous system development. When SAK was crossed into the Ppt1-mutant background, abnormalities increased; when spinster was crossed in the Ppt1-mutant background, abnormalities significantly decreased.

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Thesis

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The Fragmentation of Collective Action in Contemporary China: Micro-regions and Occupation

“ … 119 Xiaobu, Lu, and Elizabeth Perry, ed. Danwei: The Changing Chinese … Reuters (Hong Kong) 16 Jan 2012, Web. 27 Feb. 2012. Zhang , S.S 2010. IHLO: A Political Economic Analysis of the … the regional location, work unit of that worker. Xiaobu, Lu, and Elizabeth Perry, ed. Danwei: The … economy slogan … ”

Abstract

Since the creation of labor markets in China, there has been a rapid increase in collective contentious action, such as striking and protesting, and this has attracted the attention of many scholars. Because the country contains such a myriad of diverse regions, scholars have commonly analyzed Chinese collective action through a "regional" lens. While that approach has been useful, this paper goes further by disaggregating Chinese collective action along two dimensions: by micro-region and by occupational sector. More specifically, this research disaggregates large macro-regions to show diversity at the city-level within regions. It also considers differences in collective action across occupations and industries, such as transportation workers and factory workers in the auto parts, electronics and textiles industries. To illustrate this disaggregated approach, I have constructed a searchable database of collective action in China over the past years, which consists of 94 verified cases of collective action. These cases have demonstrated that the targets of and reasons for collective action among China's regions have been far less general and uniform than scholars have projected. In disaggregating collective action within many of China's vast regions and across occupational groups, I have developed a new framework to analyze China's collective action.

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Thesis

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The Death Penalty in a Changing Socialist State: Reflections of 'Modernity' from the Mao Era to Contemporary China

“ … University Press, Inc, 2009. Lu, Hong; Miethe, Terance D. China’s Death Penalty: History, … Practice. NYC: Taylor & Francis Group, LLC, 2007. Lu, Hong; Miethe, Terance D. Punishment: A Comparative … Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Lu, Hong; Zhang , Lening. “Death Penalty in China: The law and the … ”

Abstract

In the past century, China has abandoned its feudal system, created a republic, ended the republic for a communist socialist society, closed its markets and then opened them; now, China is an established world power, has a strong economic base, and is often perceived as having an iron fist regarding domestic crime and punishment. Modern day China's criminal law, in the context of capital punishment, has undergone many drastic transformations in the past sixty years. The death penalty has been so differently implemented in modern China that within a span of twenty years, the usage of the death penalty and other criminal procedures has shifted in Chinese perspective from one end of the spectrum to the other. Comparing different aspects within the Mao era and the reform era can explain how this shift of death penalty implementation in China has changed.

Type of Resource

Thesis

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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Control System for a Doubly Fed Induction Generator

“ … ber=5157395 Zhang Yingchao; Zhao Zhengming; Lu Ting; Li Long; , "Direct … ”

Abstract

Doubly Fed Induction Generators (DFIGs) are typically used in large scale (three to five Megawatt) wind turbines because they can be operated over a wide range of wind speeds, have flexible control systems, power electronics need only pass about 30% of the generator power, and the windmill experiences fewer mechanical stresses. This project is to construct the control system for a DFIG. This control system will be used to test the feasibility of using a DFIG on a small-scale wind turbine. Testing confirms that the DFIG delivers power over a wider range of simulated wind speed than a standard induction generator does and delivers an average of 54% more power than a standard induction generator.

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Thesis

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Classifying System Call Traces using Anomalous Detection

“ … Volume 3, Issue 2-3, pp 193-200 [13] Z. Su, Q. Yang, Y. Lu, H. Zhang , WhatNext: a prediction system for Web requests using … ”

Abstract

We used data mining techniques to detect intrusions among system call traces and have outlined our results. Recent work at the intersection of security and machine learning has lead to better understanding of anomalous intrusion detection. There is a need to more thoroughly understand how anomaly detection can be used because of its potential applications and advantages over current standard methods. In this thesis, we report on a new approach of anomalous detection using system call traces. Our goal is to be able to create a system that can accurately detect hacking attacks by analyzing the sequences of system calls the operating system is performing. We will look at how this data can be processed to achieve correct detection of intrusions on a system. In the end, we will outline ways in which system call traces can be leveraged as well as what we can do and learn from these results.

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Thesis

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The Importance of State Intervention in Improving Gender Inequality in China

“ … Lu, Xinhua. “The Wounded.” In The Wounded: New Stories of the … Xing. “No Longer … ://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2017.11.012. Zhang , Junsen. “The Evolution of the China’s One-Child … Yi, Fan, Yi Junjian, Ye Yuan, Junsen Zhang . “The Glorified Mothers of Sons: Evidence from Child … ”

Abstract

Over the last century, China has undergone a tremendous amount of change. For women, these changes have brought unprecedented rights and opportunities. The state plays a critical role in the status of women in China and this is shown in the accomplishments that the Chinese government has achieved regarding women's rights. To understand gender disparity in China, it is important to understand traditional customs and rituals, traditional ideologies, and the traditional roles that the state used to play in the subordination women in ancient Chinese society. However, enormous changes have occurred in the last century. The fall of the last dynasty ushered in a new state, with a completely different ideology. This is a state that has implemented laws and reforms that have drastically improved the lives of Chinese women. However, despite all these positive changes, some traditional norms remain deeply rooted in Chinese society and in Chinese families. This thesis argues that this is due to the lack of enforcement of those laws and reforms by the state. Although Chinese women are legally equal to men, this is not the case in reality. If gender equality is to be realized in China, the support of the Chinese state is necessary.

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Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies (2021): Volume 24, issue 1

“ … PA RT N E R S H I P Figure 4. Installation of Herbicide … Zhang , Congwen, and Kevin Boyle. 2010. “The Effect of an … has a negative effect on lakefront residence prices ( Zhang and Boyle, 2010, Horsch and Lewis … ”

Abstract

Volume 24, issue 1: Table of Contents Volume 24, issue 1, article 1: The Impact of Climate Change on Hockey Expertise in the North Country and Adirondack Region of New York by Jon Rosales Volume 24, issue 1, article 2: Challenges and Successes Managing Eurasian Watermilfoil in Lake Luzerne: A 25 Year Citizen-Government Partnership by Avi Gajjar Volume 24, issue 1, article 3: Conservation and the Under-Represented Revisited by Louis Curth Volume 24, issue 1, article 4: My Crane Mountain Home: Rare North Country Photographs Now Available Through The Adirondack Research Library by Matthew Golebiewski

Type of Resource

Book

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