Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Three Ways To Stabilize An Injection Lock, Ethan Welch, Dallin Durfee, Jarom Jackson

Student Works

An injection locked laser can jump out of lock if its current or temperature drifts. By monitoring the spectra or the amplitude of the injection locked laser, we have been able to detect drifts and apply feedback to prevent injection lock from breaking.

Post-Translational Regulation Of Superoxide Dismutase 1 (Sod1): The Effect Of K122 Acylation On Sod1'S Metabolic Activity, Courtney Jean Banks

Theses and Dissertations

Many mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) cause destabilization and misfolding of the protein and are implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Likewise, a few post-translational modifications (PTMs) on SOD1 have been shown to cause the same phenotype. However, relatively few PTMs on SOD1 have been studied in depth and, in particular, very few studies have demonstrated how these PTMs affect SOD1's various biological roles. SOD1 is traditionally known for its role in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging but has also been found to have a few other biological roles, including transcription factor activity to promote genomic stability, preservation of cytoskeletal activity, …

Electrokinetically Operated Integrated Microfluidic Devices For Preterm Birth Biomarker Analysis, Mukul Sonker

Theses and Dissertations

Microfluidics is a vibrant and expanding field that has the potential for solving many analytical challenges. Microfluidics shows promise to provide rapid, inexpensive, efficient, and portable diagnostic solutions that can be used in resource-limited settings. Microfluidic devices have gained immense interest as diagnostic tools for various diseases through biomarker analysis. My dissertation work focuses on developing electrokinetically operated integrated microfluidic devices for the analysis of biomarkers indicative of preterm birth risk. Preterm birth (PTB), a birth prior to 37 weeks of gestation, is the most common complication of pregnancy and the leading cause of neonatal deaths and newborn illnesses. In …

The Annotation Cost Of Context Switching: How Topic Models And Active Learning [May Not] Work Together, Nozomu Okuda

Theses and Dissertations

The labeling of language resources is a time consuming task, whether aided by machine learning or not. Much of the prior work in this area has focused on accelerating human annotation in the context of machine learning, yielding a variety of active learning approaches. Most of these attempt to lead an annotator to label the items which are most likely to improve the quality of an automated, machine learning-based model. These active learning approaches seek to understand the effect of item selection on the machine learning model, but give significantly less emphasis to the effect of item selection on the …

Analysis Of Differential Equations Applications From The Coordination Class Perspective, Omar Antonio Naranjo Mayorga

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in mathematics teaching and learning at undergraduate level. However, many fields are little explored; differential equations being one of these topics. In this study I use the theoretical framework of Coordination Classes to analyze how undergraduate mechanical engineering students apply their knowledge in the context of system dynamics and what resources and strategies they used; in this subject, students model dynamics systems based on Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs). I applied three tasks in different contexts (Mechanical, Electrical and Fluid Systems) in order to identify what information was relevant for the students, …

Advancements In The Understanding Of Nonlinear Optics And Their Use In Material Analysis, Shawn C. Averett

Theses and Dissertations

Adhesion, heterogeneous catalysis, electrochemistry, and many other important processes and properties are driven by interactions at surfaces and interfaces. Vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy (VSFG) is an increasingly popular analytical technique because it can provide information about the nature and physical orientation of functional groups at these surfaces and interfaces. Analysis of VSFG data can be complicated by the presence of SFG signal that is not associated with a resonant vibration. This nonresonant sum frequency generation (NR-SFG) signal can interfere with the resonant signal and influence the detected spectrum. Methods have been developed to remove NR-SFG signal; however, these methods …

Characterizing The Low Net-To-Gross, Fluviodeltaic Dry Hollow Member Of The Frontier Formation, Western Green River Basin, Wyoming, Scott Romney Meek

Theses and Dissertations

The Frontier Formation in the Green River Basin of southwestern Wyoming consists of Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) marine and non-marine sandstones, siltstones, mudstones and coals deposited on the western margin of the Cretaceous Interior Seaway. Tight gas reservoirs exist in subsurface fluviodeltaic sandstones in the upper Frontier Formation (Dry Hollow Member) on the north-south trending Moxa Arch within the basin. These strata crop out in hogback ridges of the Utah-Idaho-Wyoming Thrust Belt approximately 40 km west of the crest of the Moxa Arch. Detailed, quantitative outcrop descriptions were constructed using emerging photogrammetric techniques along with field observations and measured sections at …

Characterizing The Fate And Mobility Of Phosphorus In Utah Lake Sediments, Matthew Chambers Randall

Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of lakes worldwide are impacted by eutrophication and harmful algal blooms due to nutrient inputs. Utah Lake is a unique eutrophic freshwater lake that is naturally shallow, turbid, and alkaline with high dissolved oxygen levels. Recently, the Utah Division of Water Quality has proposed a new limitation of phosphorus (P) loading to Utah Lake from wastewater treatment plants in an effort to mitigate eutrophication. However, reducing external P loads may not lead to immediate improvements in water quality due to the legacy pool of nutrients in lake sediments. The purpose of this study was to characterize the …

Microwave-Promoted Iminyl Radical Fragmentations: A Practical And Efficient Method Of Functionalization, Mary Megan Jackman

Theses and Dissertations

We report a novel fragmentation and functionalization method using a cyclic iminyl radical. Formation of this radical occurs by microwave heating under mild conditions and short reaction times. The reaction avoids the use of explosive or toxic radical initiators and propagating agents. This reaction is versatile, with the ability to install two functional groups that are ultimately derived from a ketone in the substrate precursor. A variety of radical traps capable of forming both carbon-carbon bonds and carbon-heteroatom bonds have been tested, and the products are obtained in good yields. We demonstrate the power of this reaction by functionalizing complex …

Geologic Mapping Of The Vernal Nw Quadrangle, Uintah County, Ut, And Stratigraphic Relationships Of The Duchesne River Formation And Bishop Conglomerate, Casey Andrew Webb

Theses and Dissertations

Detailed mapping (1:24,000), measured sections, and clast counts in conglomerates of the Duchesne River Formation and Bishop Conglomerate in the Vernal NW quadrangle in northeastern Utah reveal the middle Cenozoic stratigraphic geometry, the uplift and unroofing history of the eastern Uinta Mountains, and give evidence for the pulsed termination of Laramide uplift. The Unita Mountains are an EW-trending reverse fault bounded and basement-cored, Laramide uplift. The oldest unit of the Duchesne River Formation, the Eocene Brennan Basin Member, contains 80-90% Paleozoic clasts and <20% Precambrian clasts. Proximal to the Uinta uplift the conglomerates of this member are dominated by Paleozoic Madison Limestone clasts (70-90% of all clasts). Farther out into the basin, Paleozoic clasts still dominate in Brennan Basin Member conglomerates, but chert clasts are more abundant (up to 43%) showing the efficiency of erosion of the carbonate clasts over a short distance (~5 km). Conglomerates in the progressively younger Dry Gulch Creek, Lapoint, and Starr Flat members show a significant upward increase in Precambrian clasts with 34-73% Uinta Mountain Group and 8-63% Madison Limestone. Duchesne River Formation has a significant increase in coarse-grained deposits from the southern parts of the quadrangle (20-50% coarse) to the northern parts (75% coarse) nearer the Uinta uplift. The lower part of the Duchesne River Formation exhibits a fining upward sequence representing a tectonic lull. Clast count patterns show that pebbly channel deposits in the south maintain similar compositions to their alluvial fan counterparts. To the north, the fine-grained Lapoint and Dry Gulch Creek members of the Duchesne River Formation appear to pinch out completely. This can be explained by erosion of these fine-grained deposits or by lateral facies shifts before deposition of the next unit. Starr Flat Member conglomerates were deposited above Lapoint Member siltstones and represent southward progradation of alluvial fans away from the uplifting mountain front. Similarities in composition and sedimentary structures have caused confusion surrounding the contact between the Starr Flat Member and the overlying Bishop Conglomerate. Within the Vernal NW quadrangle, we interpret this contact as an angular unconformity (the Gilbert Peak Erosion Surface) developed on the uppermost tilted red siltstone of the Starr Flat Member sometime after 37.9 Ma. Stratigraphic and structural relationships reveal important details about the development of a Laramide mountain range: 1) sequential unroofing sequences in the Duchesne River Formation, 2) progradation of alluvial fans to form the Starr Flat Member, 3) and the unconformable nature of the Gilbert Peak Erosion Surface lead to the conclusion that there were at least 3 distinct episodes of uplift during the deposition of these formations. The last uplift episode upwarped the Starr Flat Member constraining the termination of Laramide uplift in the Uinta Mountains to be after deposition of the Starr Flat Member and prior to deposition of the horizontal Bishop Conglomerate starting at about 34 Ma. This, combined with ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages of 39.4 Ma from the Dry Gulch Creek and Lapoint member, show …

Improving Gamification By Leveraging Endogenous Value, Brennan Laurence Smith

Theses and Dissertations

"Gamification" is the application of game design principles to non-game contexts, such as education, personal fitness, etc. Gamification's intent is to incentivize unpalatable tasks. Current gamification efforts in the industry use some features traditionally associated with games, but fail to use game design principles as defined by the games industry. One such principle is endogenous rewards for task completion. We propose that endogenous rewards will increase the efficacy of gamification by increasing user engagement and retention. To demonstrate, we create a gamification framework where the rewards for completing real-life tasks are items with high endogenous value in the game, incentivizing …

Miniaturization Of Linear Ion Traps And Ion Motion Study In A Toroidal Ion Trap Mass Analyzer, Ailin Li

Theses and Dissertations

I describe the miniaturization of a linear-type ion trap mass spectrometer for possible applications in portable chemical analysis, and demonstrate the advantages of using lithographically patterned electrode plates in realizing an ion trap with dimension r₀ less than 1 mm. The focus of the work was to demonstrate the viability and feasibility of the patterned electrode approach to trap miniaturization, and also to discover potential obstacles to its use. Planar ceramic substrates were patterned with metal electrodes using photolithography. Plates that were originally used in a linear trap with a half-spacing (r₀) of 2.19 mm were positioned …

Role Of Molecular Chaperonin Cct And Its Co-Chaperone Phlp1 In The Assembly Of Mtor Complexes, Madhura Vinayak Dhavale

Theses and Dissertations

mTOR is the central kinase in biochemical pathways that regulate cellular growth, protein synthesis and cell survival. Deregulation of mTOR signaling results in uncontrolled cell proliferation and hence is implicated in various cancers and autoimmune diseases. mTOR functions through two distinct signaling complexes, called mTORC1 and mTORC2. CCT is a cytosolic chaperonin that assists in folding of several protein substrates. In these studies, we have identified two components of the mTOR complexes, mLST8 and Raptor, as substrates of CCT. We have performed biochemical and signaling studies which indicate that CCT is involved in assembly and signaling of mTOR complexes by …

Electrophilic Catalysis Using Heterobimetallic Complexes, Whitney Kaye Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Conventional ligand design in transition metal catalysis capitalizes on the ability of phosphorous, nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, and sulfur-based donors to modify the steric and electronic properties of a reactive metal center. Heterobimetallic transition metal complexes that contain a dative metal-metal bond provide a unique approach to ligand design where the reactivity of the metal center can be modified by metal-metal electronic communication. Our laboratory is interested in using the unique properties of heterobimetallic complexes to address significant limitations in current transition metal catalysis. My PhD work has focused on the ability of early/late transition metal heterobimetallic complexes to facilitate catalysis …

Ion Trap Miniaturization Considerations: Space-Charge Effects In Cylindrical Ion Traps And Misalignment Effects In A Two-Plate Linear Ion Trap, Yuan Tian

Theses and Dissertations

Portable mass spectrometers provide convenience for applications where conventional mass spectrometers are not suitable. However, a series of miniaturization issues show up in small mass spectrometers, specifically mass analyzers, that need to be thoroughly addressed before further miniaturization. The work in this dissertation focuses on miniaturization issues of ion trap mass analyzers. Space-charge is one of the major issues in small ion traps affecting their analytical performance. It limits ion trapping capacity when ion-ion repulsion causes spreading of a packet of ions. Simulation studies on the relationship between different trap dimensions and trapping capacity was done on a geometry-optimized cylindrical …

A General-Purpose Animation System For 4d, Justin Alain Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Computer animation has been limited almost exclusively to 2D and 3D. The tools for 3D computer animation have been largely in place for decades and are well-understood. Existing tools for visualizing 4D geometry include minimal animation features. Few tools have been designed specifically for animation of higher-dimensional objects, phenomena, or spaces. None have been designed to be familiar to 3D animators. A general-purpose 4D animation system can be expected to facilitate more widespread understanding of 4D geometry and space, can become the basis for creating unique 3D visual effects, and may offer new insight into 3D animation concepts. We have …

Microwave-Promoted Iminyl Radical Cyclizations For The Synthesis Of Azaheterocycles And The Total Synthesis Of Yaku'amide A, Yu Cai

Theses and Dissertations

Two different research projects are described in this dissertation. The first one focuses on microwave-promoted iminyl radical cyclization for the formation of azaheterocycles which are embedded within numerous pharmaceuticals and biologically active natural products (such as clindamycin, eletriptan, moxiflaxin, etc.). We are quite interested in this project because of the significance of nitrogen-containing heterocycles as pharmaceuticals and organocatalysts combined with the need for safe, simple, and economical means of constructing them. We have successfully developed an efficient one-step synthesis of 2-acylpyrroles and diastereoselective dihydropyrroles from readily available oxime ether substrates. This remarkably efficient and environmentally friendly methodology should be useful …

Kyozaikenkyu: An In-Depth Look Into Japanese Educators' Daily Planning Practices, Matthew David Melville

Theses and Dissertations

This study is in response to the question about how Japanese educators achieve such a high quality of instruction. Considering the area of lesson study has opened the door to new ideas and concepts that are not well defined and too broad to understand. Kyozaikenkyu is an aspect of lesson study that has been said to be a crucial aspect to successful lesson study. Kyozaikenkyu is done on a daily basis by Japanese educators; however, there is very little written about this process in relevant literature. This study examines what Japanese educators do during their daily kyozaikenkyu, and why …

Fundamental Studies And Applications Of Ambient Plasma Ionization Sources For Mass Spectrometry, Wade C. Ellis

Theses and Dissertations

The field of ambient desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (ADI-MS) has existed for over a decade. ADI-MS is a technique that offers benefits including fast analysis time, simple ionization sources that are easily constructed, and little to no required sample preparation. The research presented here describes efforts to better understand plasma-based ADI-MS sources and to explore the use of hydrogen-doped plasma gases with these sources. The use of hydrogen-doped argon (H₂/Ar) and hydrogen-doped helium (H₂/He) as plasma gases for a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and an AC glow discharge is presented first. When using the DBD, the intensity …

Acylation Of Superoxide Dismutase 1 (Sod1) At K122 Alters Sod1 Localization And Sod1-Mediated Inhibition Of Mitochondrial Respiration, Nathan William Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase (SOD1), is a ubiquitous antioxidant enzyme with several emerging roles outside of its canonical function. SOD1 is also emerging in central roles in cancer and neurodegenerative pathologies. Little is known about SOD1 regulation, particularly at a post-translational level. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) play an important role in enabling proteins to rapidly respond to their environment. Therefore, identifying specific PTMs involved in protein regulation represents a powerful opportunity to interfere with any associated pathologies. This work employs proteomics to identify mechanisms of post-translation regulation on cell survival signaling proteins. We focused on SOD1, which protects cells from oxidative stress. …

Using Advanced Psf Subtraction Techniques On Archival Data Of Herbig Ae/Be Stars To Search For New Candidate Companions, Emily Diane Safsten

Theses and Dissertations

Herbig Ae/Be (HAeBe) stars are intermediate mass (2-10 solar mass) pre-main sequence stars with circumstellar disks. Observing planets within these young disks would greatly aid in understanding planet formation processes and timescales particularly around massive stars. So far, only one planet, HD 100546 b, has been confirmed to orbit a HAeBe star. With over 250 HAeBe stars known, and several observed to have disks with structures thought to be related to planet formation, it seems likely that there are as yet undiscovered planetary companions within the circumstellar disks of some of these young stars. Direct detection of a low-luminosity companion …

Lithofacies And Sequence Architecture Of The Lower Desert Creek Sequence, Middle Pennsylvanian, Aneth, Utah, Chanse James Rinderknecht

Theses and Dissertations

Middle Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) strata of the Lower Desert Creek (LDC) sequence within the sub-surface Greater Aneth Field (GAF) reflect a hierarchy of 4th and 5th order carbonate-dominated cycles. The Lower Desert Creek sequence, along the studied transect are composed of eight carbonate facies deposited on an east-facing shelf. There is a lateral transition from open marine algal buildup from the southeast (cores R-19, Q-16, O-16, and J-15) to a more restricted lagoonal environment to the northwest (core K-430 and E-313). The Lower Desert Creek sequence within the GAF contains three main parasequence sets: a basal, relatively deep-water unit (LDC 1), …

Spaces Of Weakly Holomorphic Modular Forms In Level 52, Daniel Meade Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Let M^#_k(52) be the space of weight k level 52 weakly holomorphic modular forms with poles only at infinity, and S^#_k(52) the subspace of forms which vanish at all cusps other than infinity. For these spaces we construct canonical bases, indexed by the order of vanishing at infinity. We prove that the coefficients of the canonical basis elements satisfy a duality property. Further, we give closed forms for the generating functions of these basis elements.

Weakly Holomorphic Modular Forms In Level 64, Christopher William Vander Wilt

Theses and Dissertations

Let M^#_k(64) be the space of weakly holomorphic modular forms in level 64 and weight k which can have poles only at infinity, and let S^#_k(64) be the subspace of M^#_k(64) consisting of forms which vanish at all cusps other than infinity. We explicitly construct canonical bases for these spaces and show that the coefficients of these basis elements satisfy Zagier duality. We also compute the generating function for the canonical basis.

Busemann G-Spaces, Cat(K) Curvature, And The Disjoint (0, N)-Cells Property, Clarke Alexander Safsten

Theses and Dissertations

A review of geodesics and Busemann G-spaces is given. Aleksandrov curvature and the disjoint (0, n)-cells property are defined. We show how these properties are applied to and strengthened in Busemann G-spaces. We examine the relationship between manifolds and Busemann G-spaces and prove that all Riemannian manifolds are Busemann G-spaces, though not all metric manifolds are Busemann G-spaces. We show how Busemann G-spaces that also have bounded Aleksandrov curvature admit local closest-point projections to geodesic segments. Finally, we expound local properties of Busemann G-spaces and define a new property which we call the symmetric property. We show that Busemann …

Curriculum Decisions And Reasoning Of Middle School Teachers, Anand Mikel Bernard

Theses and Dissertations

For decades curriculum materials have been used as a means to reform the manner in which mathematics is taught. In an attempt to better understand what impact curriculum materials have on the teaching and learning of mathematics, researchers have begun to analyze the process in which teachers transform curriculum materials into instruction. Given that many of these studies have been broad in nature, I sought to study the specific decisions that three teachers made when planning lesson on geometric transformation and their reasoning for those decisions. In this study I found that while the participants in this study ignored the …

Teacher Response To Instances Of Student Thinking During Whole Class Discussion, Rachel Marie Bernard

Theses and Dissertations

While the use of student thinking to help build mathematical understandings in a classroom has been emphasized in best teaching practices, teachers still struggle with this practice and research still lacks a full understanding of how such learning can and should occur. To help understand this complex practice, I analyzed every instance of student thinking and every teacher response to that thinking during a high school geometry teacher's whole class discussion and used these codes as evidence of alignment or misalignment with principles of effective use of student mathematical thinking. I explored the teacher's practice both in small and large …

Ion Transport In A Commercial Icp-Ms, Jessica Joline Larsen

Theses and Dissertations

The performance of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, ICP-MS, depends on the instrument's ability to transport sample ions through the vacuum interface and focus the ions into a well-defined beam that will eventually reach the mass analyzer. In this study two main experiments were performed on the Perkin Elmer NexION 300S, a commercial ICP-MS. First, planar laser-induced fluorescence images were taken of the ion beam in a working instrument downstream from a unique quadrupole ion deflector. The images showed the ability of the instrument design to focus the ions in the ion beam. Second, laser-induced fluorescence was used to …

Function Of Ric-8a In G Protein E+- Subunit Biogenesis, Barry Willardson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

1. Grant Ludlam. The MEG award helped support Grant’s work from January 2015 through August 2016. During this time Grant has worked on three projects. He investigated the role of Ric8A in the folding of the G protein a subunit and its assembly into the G protein heterotrimeric complex. Unfortunately, his results showed that deletion of Ric8A in the photoreceptor cells of mice did not affect G protein signaling. As a result, he changed his research focus to determining the structure of the BBSome core complex. He assisted a graduate student, Takuma Aoba, in this work. They used a combination of …

A Novel Approach To A Big Simulation Problem: Creating Efficient Dry Granular Material Simulations With Accurate Visual Detail And Behavior, Seth Holladay

Journal of Undergraduate Research

We received a MEG grant for researching the simulation of granular materials for computer graphics and animation. Materials such as sand and snow simulation is very expensive but necessary for productions, as well as hard to control the look, so I have been mentoring undergraduate and graduate students researching how to make sand simulations both efficient and art directable.