Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Bacterial Residues In Coprolite Of Herbivorous Dinosaurs: Role Of Bacteria In Mineralization Of Feces, Thomas C. Hollocher, Karen Chin, Kurt T. Hollocher, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of northwestern Montana has yielded blocky, calcareous coprolites that contain abundant fragments of conifer wood and were produced by large herbivorous dinosaurs. The coprolites are generally dark gray to black in color due to a dark substance confined chiefly within what originally were the capillaries of tracheid and ray cells of xylem. This substance is a kerogen which consists in part of thin-walled vesicles 0.1-1.3 µm in diameter. Pyrolysis products of this kerogen are diagnostic of a bacterial origin with a possible contribution from terrestrial plants. The vesicular component is interpreted as the residue of …

Use Of Py-Gc/Ms Analysis Techniques In Animal Waste Management: A Preliminary Survey Of Dairy Manures, Daniel L. Vaughn, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The increasing practice of industrial-scale agriculture tends to concentrate large masses of animal waste in relatively compact areas, potentially leading to excessive release of polluting nutrients into waterways during major storms. Anaerobic treatment conditions are generally favored to conserve nitrate N as an agricultural commodity. However, overall N contents in waste are often in excess of crop fertilization needs: storing excess N in soluble nitrate form increases pollution potential. Thus the perceived needs of agriculture and society-at-large become at odds. Organic nitrogen forms (e.g., proteins) are more environmentally stable and are less subject to unintentional release. Although U.S. farmers tend …

Empirical Model For The Variarion In Concentration Of Metal Ions During A Precipitation Event, David M. Chittenden Ii, Julie D. Chittenden

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The concentration of a pollutant in an air mass and the concentration of that pollutant in a series of rain water samples from a single event within that air mass, fluctuate during the course of the event. This the result of scavenging, diffusion, and advection processes. A simple mathematical model, containing only a scavenging term has had limited success in describing changes of concentration in rain water. To date, no attempt has been made to include diffusion or advection terms in the model. In this study, a two factor model was developed after determining that (1) the exponential scavenging term …

Intramolecular (Electron) Delocalization Between Aromatic Donors And Their Tethered Cation–Radicals. Application Of Electrochemical And Structural Probes, Duoli Sun, Sergey V. Lindeman, Rajendra Rathore, Jay K. Kochi

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

To study the mechanism of electronic transduction along (poly)phenylene chains, a series of aromatic donors with general formula D–B–D has been synthesized [where D = 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl donor and B = (poly)phenylene bridge]; and the corresponding cation–radical salts D–B–D⁺˙ SbCl₆⁻ have been isolated for X-ray crystallographic analyses. The magnitude of the electronic interaction between the D and D⁺˙ moieties through the various B bridges has been measured (i) as the difference between the first and the second oxidation potentials of D–B–D donors and (ii) as the structural changes induced in neutral D by the presence …

Electrochemistry And Spectroelectrochemistry Of Iron Porphyrins In The Presence Of Nitrite, Zhongcheng Wei, Michael D. Ryan

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

The reaction of nitrite with ferric and ferrous porphyrins was examined using visible, infrared and NMR spectroscopy. Solutions of either ferric or ferrous porphyrin were stable in the presence of nitrite, with only complexation reactions being observed. Under voltammetric conditions, though, a rapid reaction between nitrite and iron porphyrins was observed to form the nitrosyl complex, Fe(p)(NO), where P = porphyrin. The products of the reduction of ferric porphyrins in the presence of nitrite were confirmed by visible spectroelectrochemistry to be Fe(P)(NO) and [Fe(P)]2O. Visible, NMR and infrared spectroscopy were used to rule out the formation of Fe(P)(NO) by the …

The Thermal Stability Of Cross-Linked Polymers: Methyl Methacrylate With Divinylbenzene And Styrene With Dimethacrylates, Fawn Marie Uhl, Galina F. Levchik, Sergei V. Levchik, Caroline Dick, John J. Liggat, C.E. Snape, Charles A. Wilkie

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Cross-linking of polymers is frequently presumed to enhance the thermal stability of polymer systems. Methyl methacrylate has been reacted with divinylbenzene and styrene with various dimethacrylates. These systems have been characterized by gel content, swelling ratio, infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, TGA/FT-IR, and solid state NMR. Both systems show enhanced thermal stability and char formation. This is most pronounced in the cases of methyl methacrylate with divinylbenzene and styrene with bisphenol A dimethacrylate.

Analysis Of Wine For Penicillin, Gary Morris, James Yuan, Roy Williams

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

This study addresses the question of whether the antibiotic Penicillin, which is produced by the common mold Penicillium notatum, could possibly become a contaminate of wine during the fermentation process. The significance of this study is related to the potential health effects this agent might produce in those consumers who have an allergic response to Penicillin. It has been estimated that between 6% and 8% of the American population is subject to this type of allergic response. A method is developed for the detection of penicillin in wines using high-pressure liquid chromatography. We demonstrate that penicillin G hydrolyzes rapidly …

Stm And Electrochemical Investigation Of Homoepitaxial Boron-Doped Cvd Diamond Films, John B. Cooper, Jason A. Moulton, Sacharia Albin, Bing Xiao

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Homoepitaxial growth of boron-doped CVD diamond films was carried out on (100) and (111) oriented substrates. Atomic resolution images were obtained for both (100) and (111) surfaces using scanning tunneling microscopy. STM images reveal the presence of a 2x1-monohydride reconstruction for the untreated (100) surface and a lxl reconstruction for the untreated (111) surface. No other atomically resolved reconstructions were observed under a wide range of growth conditions. Non-aqueous electrochemical investigations were carried out on the films exhibiting atomically resolved reconstructions. Evidence for potential-induced surface-reconstruction and surface chemical modification of the (100) 2xl-monohydride surface has been observed.

Dynamics Of Polyacrylates In Concentrated Chloroform Solutions, Frank D. Blum, Raj B. Durairaj

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The dynamics of polymers in polymer solutions have not been probed in great enough detail to provide a coherent picture of the behavior of these polymers, especially in more concentrated solutions. To help understand this behavior further, we have prepared a series of backbone-labeled polymers including poly(n-butyl acrylate)-d1 (PNBA). These provide a basis for comparison of the behavior among a group of related polymers. The dynamics have been probed by using deuterium relaxation times. Since the relaxation times are relatively fast and the quadrupolar relaxation mechanism is well understood, data from this technique provide a convenient means for comparison of …

Glass Transition Behavior Of Pmma Thin Films, Moses T. Kabomo, Frank D. Blum

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the last decade there has been an increased interest in the study of the properties of supported thin polymer films. This has been prompted by the incorporation of thin films into device applications and many other technologies. Although not without controversy, a large body of experimental work indicates departures from bulk behavior by thin films. Strong evidence from both theoretical and experimental work shows that the interaction of polymer with a substrate alters the polymer conformation and mobility. A variety of techniques has been employed to probe the mobility of thin supported polymer films. Some of these techniques indirectly …

Graduated Segmental Mobility In Polymer Layers On Silica, Frank D. Blum, Crystal E. Porter, Wuu-Yung Lin

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The behavior of thin polymer layers on oxide substrates has gotten a great deal of attention as the size of materials, and hence polymer films, has gotten smaller. Indeed, the properties of adsorbed polymers are such that they can be different from those of bulk polymers, especially when the films are very thin. A wide variety of studies have been made on adsorbed polymers and sometimes the results seem contradictory. One of the properties often measured in thin films is the apparent glasstransition temperature, Tg. In principle, many techniques are sensitive to phenomenological changes occurring around Tg and, therefore, can …

Thermal Analysis Of Ultrathin Ps-R-Pmma Copolymer Films On Silica, Bing Zhang, Frank D. Blum

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Composite materials represent a major part of man-made materials that are used in many applications. The interaction of polymers with surfaces plays a crucial role in the final properties of these materials and, by understanding the surface processes and adsorption mechanisms, better systems can be designed. Therefore, the behavior of polymer molecules at interfaces has been the topic of many studies in recent years and a rough picture has been obtained. Keddie et al. Obtained experimental results showing the dependence of the glass transition temperature (Tg) on the thickness of supported polystyrene films using ellipsometry. Later, they also investigated supported …

A Facile And Efficient Method For The Rearrangement Of Aryl-Substituted Epoxides To Aldehydes And Ketones Using Bismuth Triflate, Ram Mohan, Kaushik Bhatia, Kyle Eash, Nicholas Leonard, Matthew Oswald

Scholarship

Aryl-substituted epoxides undergo smooth rearrangement in the presence of 0.01–0.1 mol% Bi(OTf)3•xH2O. The rearrangement is regioselective with aryl-substituted epoxides, and products arise from cleavage of the benzylic C―O bond. The highly catalytic nature of this method coupled with the fact that the reagent is relatively non-toxic, easy to handle and inexpensive make it an attractive alternative to more corrosive and toxic Lewis acids, such as BF3•Et2O, currently used to effect epoxide rearrangements.

The Discovery-Oriented Approach To Organic Chemistry. 5. Stereochemistry Of E2 Elimination: Elimination Of Cis- And Trans-2-Methylcyclohexyl Tosylate, Ram Mohan, Marcus Cabay, Brad Ettlie, Adam Tuite, Kurt Welday

Scholarship

The E2 elimination is one of the most important reactions in organic chemistry and is discussed in considerable detail in a sophomore organic course. We have developed a discovery-oriented lab that illustrates the stereochemistry of the E2 elimination reaction and is a good exercise in 1H NMR spectroscopy. The added element of discovery insures that student interest and enthusiasm are retained.

An Efficient Method For The Chemoselective Synthesis Of Acylals From Aromatic Aldehydes Using Bismuth Triflate, Ram Mohan, Marc Carrigan, Kyle Eash, Matthew Oswald

Scholarship

Aromatic aldehydes are smoothly converted into the corresponding acylals in good yields in the presence of 0.10 mol% Bi(OTf)3•xH2O. Ketones are not affected under the reaction conditions. The highly catalytic nature of bismuth triflate and the fact that it is relatively non-toxic, easy to handle and insensitive to small amounts of air and moisture makes this procedure especially attractive for large-scale synthesis.

The Discovery-Oriented Approach To Organic Chemistry. 4. Epoxidation Of P-Methoxy-Trans-Β-Methylstyrene. An Exercise In 1H Nmr And 13C Nmr Spectroscopy For Sophomore Organic Laboratories, Ram Mohan, Rebecca Centko

Scholarship

Epoxidation of alkenes using peroxyacids is one of the most fundamental reactions in organic chemistry, yet there are very few examples of laboratory experiments that illustrate this important reaction. We have developed a discovery-oriented lab experiment that illustrates epoxidation of alkenes as well as the reactivity of epoxides toward acids. The experiment involves reaction of p-methoxy-trans-β-methylstyrene (trans-anethole) with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (MCPBA), in both the absence and presence of a buffer, followed by product identification using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and IR spectroscopy. The added element of discovery ensures that students' interest and enthusiasm are retained.

Deprotection Of Ketoximes Using Bismuth(Iii) Nitrate Pentahydrate, Ram Mohan, Bryce Nattier, Kyle Eash

Scholarship

Ketoximes undergo facile deprotection in acetone-H20 (9: 1) in the presence 01' 0.5 equivalents of Bi(N03h•5H20. Bismuth(III) nitrate is relatively non-toxic, insensitive to air and inexpensive. These features coupled with the use of a relatively nontoxic solvent system make this method an attractive alternative to existing routes for deprotection of ketoximes.

Resonant Energy Transfer From Argon Dimers To Atomic Oxygen In Microhollow Cathode Discharges, M. Moselhy, R. H. Stark, K. H. Schoenbach, U. Kogelschatz

Bioelectrics Publications

The emission of atomic oxygen lines at 130.2 and 130.5 nm from a microhollow cathode discharge in argon with oxygen added indicates resonant energy transfer from argon dimers to oxygen atoms. The internal efficiency of the vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) radiation was measured as 0.7% for a discharge in 1100 Torr argon with 0.1% oxygen added. The direct current VUV point source operates at voltages below 300 V and at current levels of milliamperes.

Xenon Excimer Emission From Pulsed Microhollow Cathode Discharges, M. Moselhy, R. H. Stark, K. H. Schoenbach, U. Kogelschatz

Bioelectrics Publications

By applying electrical pulses of 20 ns duration to xenon microplasmas, generated by direct current microhollow cathode discharges, we were able to increase the xenon excimer emission by more than an order of magnitude over direct current discharge excimer emission. For pulsed voltages in excess of 500 V, the optical power at 172 nm was found to increase exponentially with voltage. Largest values obtained were 2.75 W of vacuum-ultraviolet optical power emitted from a single microhollow cathode discharge in 400 Torr xenon with a 750 V pulse applied to a discharge. Highest radiative emittance was 15.2 W/cm². The …

On-Road Remote Sensing Of Automobile Emissions In The Denver Area: Year 2, Sajal S. Pokharel, Gary A. Bishop, Donald H. Stedman

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

No abstract provided.

On-Road Remote Sensing Of Automobile Emissions In The Phoenix Area: Year 2, Sajal S. Pokharel, Gary A. Bishop, Donald H. Stedman

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

No abstract provided.

Preliminary Studies Using Remote Sensing To Evaluate I/M Effectiveness, Sajal S. Pokharel, Gary A. Bishop, Donald H. Stedman

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

No abstract provided.

Electronic Structure And Bonding In Metal Phthalocyanines, Metal=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mg, M.-S. Liao, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Electronic structure and bonding in metal phthalocyanines (Metal=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mg) is investigated in detail using a density functional method. The metal atoms are strongly bound to the phthalocyanine ring in each case, by as much as 10 eV. The calculated orbital energy levels and relative total energies of these D_4h structures indicate that Fe and Co phthalocyanines have ³A_2g and ²E_g ground states, respectively, but that these states are changed upon interaction with strong-field axial ligands. The valence electronic structures of Fe and Co phthalocyanines differ significantly from those of …

Report Of The State Nuclear Safety Advisor Submitted To The Governor And 120th Legislature As Of January 15, 2001, Paula M. Craighead

Maine Collection

Report of the State Nuclear Safety Advisor submitted to the Governor and 120th Legislature As of January 15, 2001

Paula M. Craighead, State Nuclear Safety Advisor, Executive Department, Maine State Planning Office, Augusta, Maine, 2001.

Contents: Introduction and Executive Summary / I. Maine Yankee Decommissioning / II. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS) / III. Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) / IV. High Level Radioactive Waste / V. Transport Routes and Safety Response / VI. Shipments / VII. Status of Federal and State Legal and Administrative Proceedings / References and Resources / Glossary

Production Of A Novel Copper-Binding Ligand By Marine Synechococcus (Cyanobacteria) In Response To Toxic Concentrations Of Copper, Arunsi C. Brown, Andrew S. Gordon

Virginia Journal of Science

Marine Synechococcus spp. are extremely sensitive to copper toxicity. Some strains have been shown to produce high-affinity, extracellular ligands of unknown structure which form complexes with free cupric ion. They are also known to produce metallothioneins (MT) in response to cadmium and zinc stress. In the present study, marine Synechococcus PCC 73109 (Agmenellum quadruplicatum BG-1) (Van Baalen) was exposed to three concentrations of CuSO₄ for various times. Size exclusion chromatography, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and reverse phase HPLC were used to isolate an intracellular copper binding ligand of low molecular weight (< 6,500 Da). The ligand was detected after exposure to ≥ 8 μM CuSO₄ for 2 hr in BG-11 medium. …

On-Road Motor Vehicle Emissions Measurments Worldwide (Presentation), Sajal S. Pokharel, Gary A. Bishop, Donald H. Stedman

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

No abstract provided.

Motorcycle Emissions System (Presentation), Donald H. Stedman

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

No abstract provided.

How To Evaluate An On-Road Remote Sensor, Donald H. Stedman

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

No abstract provided.

Interpreting Remote Sensing Nox Measurements (Presentation), Robert Slott, Donald H. Stedman, Sajal S. Pokharel

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

No abstract provided.

Noncovalent Binding Of The Halogens To Aromatic Donors. Discrete Structures Of Labile Br2 Complexes With Benzene And Toluene, Alexandr V. Vasilyev, Sergey V. Lindeman, Jay K. Kochi

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Precise molecular structures resulting from the noncovalent interaction of Br₂ with benzene (and toluene) reveal the unusual localized bonding to specific (one or two) carbon centers in prereactive complexes leading directly to the transition states for electrophilic aromatic brominations.