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Articles 661 - 690 of 2158

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

An Analysis Of Commercial Oxidative Hair Dyes Using Raman Spectroscopy, Allyson Henke Jan 2018

An Analysis Of Commercial Oxidative Hair Dyes Using Raman Spectroscopy, Allyson Henke

Honors Theses

Here, we aim to further the potential use of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in analyzing hair dyes for use in forensic investigations. Current methods include light microscopy and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). However, these techniques can be destructive to the hair samples, do not have high discriminatory power, and have had problems with giving inconclusive results. Raman spectroscopy, on the other hand, is a fast, simple technique with a high discriminatory power. Previous work has shown that SERS can be used for in-situ analyses that is not destructive to the sample. This previous work also demonstrated that SERS could definitively differentiate …

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Raman Spectroscopic And Computational Study Of Hydrogen Bond Interactions Between Guanidine Hydrochloride, Trimethylamine N-Oxide (Tmao), Urea, And Water, Andrew Kamischke Jan 2018

Raman Spectroscopic And Computational Study Of Hydrogen Bond Interactions Between Guanidine Hydrochloride, Trimethylamine N-Oxide (Tmao), Urea, And Water, Andrew Kamischke

Honors Theses

Proteins are broken down in the body and produce water, CO2, and ammonia as by-products. Ammonia is toxic to cells, making it a priority to be excreted. Urea is the key route for the transportation of ammonia out of the body and is the main component of urine. Guanidine is another important nitrogen-containing molecule that is structural like urea and plays important biological roles in the stabilization of proteins. Guanidine hydrochloride and Urea are known to denature proteins and this functionality continues to be a topic of great interest. Urea and guanidine contain many hydrogen bonding sites and interactions with …

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Assembly Of A Protein-Based Hydrogel As A Vehicle For In Situ Drug Delivery, Austin Carroll Jan 2018

Assembly Of A Protein-Based Hydrogel As A Vehicle For In Situ Drug Delivery, Austin Carroll

Honors Theses

The goal of this work is to develop a self-assembling, protein-based gel to deliver drugs at the site of chronic inflammation. There are two engineered protomers that comprise the gel; calmodulin- and M13- are their critical components. Numerous enzymes have been shown to undergo calcium-dependent regulation by calmodulin, an intracellular protein highly resilient to its chemical environment. One of these enzymes, myosin light chain kinase, contains a remarkable 26 residue portion known as the M13 peptide that has been demonstrated to bind to calmodulin in the presence of calcium through hydrophobic interactions. Because the extracellular space in vivo constitutes an …

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Studies Of Carbonaceous Materials Using Raman Spectroscopy, Cameron L. Smith Jan 2018

Studies Of Carbonaceous Materials Using Raman Spectroscopy, Cameron L. Smith

Honors Theses

Various carbonaceous materials including graphene, treated biochar, and C60 were studied using Raman spectroscopy with particular attention given to the treatment process and the Raman enhancement methods. Such studies that focus on the treatment process are useful in determining the extent to which the species was affected via shifts in the Raman peaks. Previous collaborations have proven successful when multiple samples were studied and analyzed. The attempt to create a novel Raman enhancement technique via combination of two previously recorded techniques was ultimately unsuccessful but further work is necessary.

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Sentiment Of The Union: Analyzing Tone In Presidential State Of The Union Addresses, Chase Rydeen Jan 2018

Sentiment Of The Union: Analyzing Tone In Presidential State Of The Union Addresses, Chase Rydeen

Honors Theses

As the machine learning and data science craze sweeps the nation, the implications and implementations are vast. This paper takes a look at both of them through the lens of a topic of national importance, at the very least for the United States. This topic is the words used by past Presidents of the United States, which are being pulled from their State of the Union Addresses. The focus of this research is on Natural Language Processing (NLP) and it's applied processes. Natural Language Processing allows for effective analysis of text-based data. Using NLP, a sentiment analysis was conducted on …

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Classifying #Metoo Hash-Tagged Tweets By Semantics To Understand The Extent Of Sexual Harassment, Claire Hubacek Jan 2018

Classifying #Metoo Hash-Tagged Tweets By Semantics To Understand The Extent Of Sexual Harassment, Claire Hubacek

Honors Theses

This thesis contains a program that will process tweets from Twitter that use the hashtag "#MeToo" and categorize them by their relevance to the movement, their stance on the movement, and the type of sexual harassment expressed (if applicable). Being able to work with a narrowed set of tweets belonging to a specific category creates the capacity to do more in-depth research and analysis, exploring Twitter as a special platform for discussing these sensitive topics and showing that this online space for expressing personal experiences has delivered unprecedented potential avenues of study. This thesis also contains research into additional solutions …

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Targeting Metastatic Breast Cancer With Statin Drugs And Coq10, Jacob Thrasher Jan 2018

Targeting Metastatic Breast Cancer With Statin Drugs And Coq10, Jacob Thrasher

Honors Theses

Statin drugs are commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol levels in patients, but recently statins have been under investigation as a potential anti-cancer drug. Statins are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and subsequently inhibit the mevalonate pathway and cholesterol synthesis. Since cholesterol trafficking is vital in the growth and metastasis of cancer, statin drugs are being studied to explore their effects on cancer cells. CoQ10, one of the products from the mevalonate pathway, also has shown some potential anti-cancer properties, but its use to combat cancer is controversial. While some studies have shown that CoQ10 supplements can be synergistic with other cancer treatment …

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Cell-Free Telomere Dna As A Biomarker For Treatment Response And Tumor Burden In Glioblastoma, John P. North Jan 2018

Cell-Free Telomere Dna As A Biomarker For Treatment Response And Tumor Burden In Glioblastoma, John P. North

Honors Theses

Telomeres are repeated nucleotide sequences that cap the ends of each chromosome in eukaryotes. Telomeres are among the earliest genomic sequences to be degraded during apoptosis, potentially providing a biomarker of cell death. To study this, we quantified telomeres in serum from Glioblastoma and non-cancer patients. Cell-free DNA was isolated by centrifugation to remove intact cells, and purified using a QIAamp DNA Blood Midi Kit (Qiagen). Cell-free telomeric (cf-tel) and cell-free actin (cf-actin) DNA were analyzed with quantitative PCR. Total cell-free DNA was measured with PicoGreen assays. We hypothesize that patients with Glioblastoma tumors have higher cf-tel DNA levels than …

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Computational Investigation On Electronic Structures And Properties Of 4,6-Bis(Nitroimino)-1,3,5-Triazinan-2-One: An Insensitive Munitions Compound, Katarina M. Pittman Jan 2018

Computational Investigation On Electronic Structures And Properties Of 4,6-Bis(Nitroimino)-1,3,5-Triazinan-2-One: An Insensitive Munitions Compound, Katarina M. Pittman

Honors Theses

In order to minimize unintentional detonation, current munitions research has focused on the development of chemical compounds that are insensitive to external stimuli whilst maintaining their effectiveness. While these compounds, known as high performance in- sensitive munitions compounds, are promising in terms of potency and stability, their envi- ronmental impacts have either not been fully understood or are yet to be investigated. In the present research, we have performed a computational chemistry investigation on electronic structures and properties of an insensitive munition compound 4,6-bis(nitroimino)-1,3,5- triazinan-2-one (DNAM). The Density Functional Theory using the B3LYP and M06- 2X functionals and MP2 methodology …

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Studying The Effects Of Hydrogen Bonding In 1h-1,2,3-Triazole And Its Derivatives, Leah Alexandra Wallace Jan 2018

Studying The Effects Of Hydrogen Bonding In 1h-1,2,3-Triazole And Its Derivatives, Leah Alexandra Wallace

Honors Theses

1,2,3-triazole is used as a building block in many pharmaceutical drugs. The molecule has several derivatives that are useful in other areas including treating fungal infections and in dealing with some environmental issues. One of its derivatives, benzotriazole, is commonly used as an inhibitor of corrosion through the formation of a copper-benzotriazole complex. One area of particular interest in studying triazoles is the ability of these molecules to tautomerize. The hydrogen atom can move from the 1H position to the 2H position and this transfer is thought to be affected by solvent interactions. Here, we study the effects of hydrogen …

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Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Studies On Gold Nanoparticles, Leigh Sumner Jan 2018

Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Studies On Gold Nanoparticles, Leigh Sumner

Honors Theses

After determining that the size of nanoclusters can be tuned such that they have a precise formula much like a chemical compound, much is still not known about nanoclusters, their properties, and how they interact if core size, ligand, and even environment is changed. One such mystery is how does the size of the nanoparticle tune its ability as a catalyst. As it is known that nanoparticles possess unique properties, studies have begun to look towards nanoclusters as catalysts for alternative forms of energy. Therefore, determining how size affects the ability of a nanoparticle catalyst becomes a very important question. …

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Development Of A Gel Assay For Analysis Of Bovine Milk Casein, Masa Miscevic Jan 2018

Development Of A Gel Assay For Analysis Of Bovine Milk Casein, Masa Miscevic

Honors Theses

The main purpose of this research was to develop a gel assay for analysis of casein samples for ultimate application for studies of in vitro models for stomach and intestinal processing of dairy products in adults and infants. It is proposed that casein completely dissolves and is digestible in simulated gastric, and is somewhat soluble and digestible in simulated intestinal environments of adults and infants. The following experimental methods were devised to thoroughly examine behavior and properties of casein originating from different sources in range of solvents and varying pH values. First, casein was enriched in comparison to soluble materials …

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Purification Protocol Development And Analysis Of Binding Properties Of Calmodulin Collagen-Like Protein, Patrick P. Boddie Jan 2018

Purification Protocol Development And Analysis Of Binding Properties Of Calmodulin Collagen-Like Protein, Patrick P. Boddie

Honors Theses

Calmodulin is an intensely studied, intracellular, calcium-binding protein that is involved in diverse physiological processes. When bound to calcium, calmodulin undergoes a conformational change that allows it to bind specific target peptides with high affinity, one being the calmodulin binding region of myosin light chain kinase, herein called M13. This high affinity, calcium dependent association has made it a desirable choice for use in a biomaterial for drug delivery for non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Two artificial genes have been designed by our lab for use in the proposed biomaterial: calmodulin collagen-like protein (CCLP), a construct composed of two calmodulin …

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Autonomous Vehicle Communication Using Blockchain, Reid Barber Jan 2018

Autonomous Vehicle Communication Using Blockchain, Reid Barber

Honors Theses

With recent advancements in machine learning and interest in expanding the smart city, various technology companies and car manufacturers have begun pour- ing billions of dollars into research and development of autonomous vehicles. While many companies are hard at work developing their own driverless cars, it is important to begin planning how these cars will communicate with one another and other in- frastructure. Because the safety of passengers and pedestrians are heavily dependent on these communications, the careful design and implementation of these networks is crucial. Blockchain is another technology that has amassed a great deal of attention in recent …

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A Quantitative Evaluation Of The Htc Vive For Virtual Reality Research, Ethan Luckett Jan 2018

A Quantitative Evaluation Of The Htc Vive For Virtual Reality Research, Ethan Luckett

Honors Theses

The equipment typically used in virtual reality (VR) research, including head-mounted displays (HMDs) and motion capture systems, has traditionally been prohibitively expensive. The recent increase in the availability of consumer-grade VR equipment has greatly lowered the barrier to entry for VR research. The equipment typically used for research can cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars, but the consumer-grade HTC Vive system offers an HMD with room-scale tracking for less than $500. In order for scientific studies to be properly conducted using the Vive, its tracking must be well understood. This study measures the accuracy and drift in the …

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Automating The Calculation Of Hilbert-Kunz Multiplicities And F-Signatures, Gabriel Johnson Jan 2018

Automating The Calculation Of Hilbert-Kunz Multiplicities And F-Signatures, Gabriel Johnson

Honors Theses

We describe an application written to automate a calculation for the mathematical research of Dr. Spiroff of University of Mississippi & Dr. Enescu of Georgia State University. This work represents a way to overcome the barriers of the mathematical calculations in obtaining theoretical results.

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O-Glcnac Post Translational Modification Of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (Hif) Proteins, Hailey Elisabeth Grisham Jan 2018

O-Glcnac Post Translational Modification Of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (Hif) Proteins, Hailey Elisabeth Grisham

Honors Theses

O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) post-translational modification (O- GlcNAcylation), plays a vital role in many metabolic pathways, including those of numerous diseases. New research methods and basic functional roles of O-GlcNAc post- translational modification on metabolism, human health, and cancer are quickly developing, but a vast amount of research remains on the specificity of this pathway towards specific proteins. In this study, T47D breast cancer cells were used as an in vitro model to investigate the effects of O-GlcNAc modification on hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) proteins.

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Investigation Of Vibrational Signatures Of Nitrobenzenes Enhanced By Argyrophilic Interactions, Hailey Reed Jan 2018

Investigation Of Vibrational Signatures Of Nitrobenzenes Enhanced By Argyrophilic Interactions, Hailey Reed

Honors Theses

This investigation studies the interactions between various nitroaromatic high energy density materials (HEDMs) and a pair of silver atoms (Ag2). Additionally, we examine the changes in frequency, infrared (IR) intensities, and Raman activities induced by the Ag2 unit as the complexes form. Full geometry optimizations of the isolated HEDM molecules as well as complexes where Ag2 is bound to various argyrophillic sites of these compounds have been carried out along with the corresponding harmonic vibrational frequency computations using the M06-2X density functional with a correlation consistent triple-ζ basis set augmented with diffuse functions on all atoms and a relativistic pseudopotential …

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Heterobifunctional Linear Dendritic Block Co-Polymers (Ldbcs) As Multifunctional Carriers For Targeted Drug Delivery, William Rieger Jan 2018

Heterobifunctional Linear Dendritic Block Co-Polymers (Ldbcs) As Multifunctional Carriers For Targeted Drug Delivery, William Rieger

Honors Theses

Despite current research towards applications of polymeric drug delivery systems (DDSs) in biomedical research, significant limitations—specifically in synthetic accessibility, bio compatibility, and principles of molecular self-assembly—have been discerned. To address these drawbacks, we will investigate the synthesis and characterization of heterobifunctional linear-dendritic block copolymers (LDBCs), which combine the advantageous properties of both linear and dendritic blocks to afford nanomaterials with superior mechanical properties. Our LDBC systems contain two differing functional constituents, namely a hydrophilic polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendron covalently linked to a hydrophobic polyester (polylactic acid, or PLA), and can self-assemble to form nanoparticles of various morphologies that serve as the …

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Post-Translational Modification Of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Proteins By O-Linked -N-Acetylglucosamine In Breast Cancer Cells, Sean Williamson Jan 2018

Post-Translational Modification Of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Proteins By O-Linked -N-Acetylglucosamine In Breast Cancer Cells, Sean Williamson

Honors Theses

One of the hallmarks of cancer is its ability to adapt its metabolism to survive and thrive despite needing to overcome significant energy barriers and low oxygen settings in order to do so. The hypoxia-inducible factor proteins (HIFs) play important roles in the processes in which cancer fulfills these requirements. The O-linked -N-acetylglucoseamine (O-GlcNAc) can be attached to cellular proteins through O-glycosylation, and is thus considered a potential target for anticancer mechanisms. HIFs are composed of (HIF-1 and HIF-2, respectively) and subunits. This research found that O-GlcNAc is able to attach to and modify the HIF proteins. This was accomplished …

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Energetics And Vibrational Signatures Of Nucleobase Argyrophilic Interactions, Suhwan Paul Lee Jan 2018

Energetics And Vibrational Signatures Of Nucleobase Argyrophilic Interactions, Suhwan Paul Lee

Honors Theses

This study investigates the interactions of both purine (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidine (cytosine, thymine, and uracil) nucleobases with a pair of silver atoms (Ag2). Full geometry optimizations were performed on several structures of each nucleobase/Ag2 complex and the corresponding isolated monomers using the M06-2X density functional theory (DFT) method with a correlation consistent triple-ζ basis set augmented with diffuse functions on all atoms and a relativistic pseudopotential on Ag (aug-cc-pVTZ for H, C, N, and O and aug-cc-pVTZ-PP for Ag; denoted aVTZ). Harmonic vibrational frequency computations indicate that each optimized structure corresponds to a minimum on the M06-2X/aVTZ potential …

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Biodiversity Of Larval And Adult Dragonflies And Damselflies (Odonata) Of Interdunal Wetlands At Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area, Devon Volz Dec 2017

Biodiversity Of Larval And Adult Dragonflies And Damselflies (Odonata) Of Interdunal Wetlands At Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area, Devon Volz

Honors Theses

The effects of climate change on insects in the United States have yet to be fully understood. Research on the insect populations of Lake Michigan’s interdunal wetlands has been particularly limited. As these vibrant habitats are already at risk of destruction due to increased development, it is vital to have a working knowledge of the species that are living in the habitat. However, to date, there have been no studies on assemblages of interdunal wetlands in Michigan. Examining community compositions is critical to understanding the ecological problems that could occur in the future. This study is the first to look …

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Prep-Hplc Method Development To Isolate Potentially-Carcinogenic, Arginine-Based Heterocyclic Amines, Victoria S. Kim Dec 2017

Prep-Hplc Method Development To Isolate Potentially-Carcinogenic, Arginine-Based Heterocyclic Amines, Victoria S. Kim

Honors Theses

Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are carcinogenic molecules generated from the reaction of creatin(in)e and amino acids at high cooking temperatures in meat. Previous research has shown that replacing creatine with arginine leads to new, uncharacterized HCA molecules. This research entails implementing and optimizing the preparative HPLC analysis of extracts from multiple burnings of arginine with phenylalanine. Isolated fractions from the prep-HPLC analysis were further analyzed using the Ames test to identify mutagenic compounds. Prep-HPLC provides quality control to the burning process along with isolation of larger quantities of materials for further characterization and molecular structure identification.

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An Analysis Of Prevalence Of Chytrid Fungus In An Amphibian Assemblage In Middle Tennessee, Cameron Brocco Dec 2017

An Analysis Of Prevalence Of Chytrid Fungus In An Amphibian Assemblage In Middle Tennessee, Cameron Brocco

Honors Theses

Chytridiomycosis is an infectious, fungal disease largely seen in amphibians, which is caused by the highly virulent, zoosporic, pathogenic, single-celled fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). It is known to cause epidermal hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis, skin ulcerations, and fatalities by asystolic cardiac arrest either from shifts in electrolytes or increased acidity in the blood plasma. Previous research has demonstrated that urban water bodies have a higher prevalence of chytrid fungus than rural water bodies. Researchers have also found that chytrid is more prevalent in open canopy habitats than closed canopy habitats. Furthermore, it is implicated in global population declines and local extinctions in …

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A Biotic Survey Of Outcroppings And Pinctada Longisquamosa In Oyster Pond, San Salvador Island, Bahamas, One Year After Hurricane Joaquin, Ashton Selah Mitchell Dec 2017

A Biotic Survey Of Outcroppings And Pinctada Longisquamosa In Oyster Pond, San Salvador Island, Bahamas, One Year After Hurricane Joaquin, Ashton Selah Mitchell

Honors Theses

Oyster Pond is one of the marine inland ponds located on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. Oyster Pond has connections to the ocean through a series of conduits in the pond, which cause the salinity of the pond to be marine pond, except after a hurricane and during a drought. Oyster Pond has a variety of marine life such as algae, small fish, and invertebrates occurring in mangroves, flocculent, conduits, and biotic outcroppings. The focus of this research was to evaluate the impact of the 2015 Hurricane Joaquin (17 months later) on water chemistry and the marine life of the biotic …

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Effectiveness Of Conservation Education At The Chattanooga Zoo, Luke Allen Black Dec 2017

Effectiveness Of Conservation Education At The Chattanooga Zoo, Luke Allen Black

Honors Theses

Conservation is the central focus of many modern zoos and aquariums. These zoos incorporate guest education to facilitate a connection between zoo guests and animal conservation. I conducted a study at the Chattanooga Zoo and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga which examined two modern zoo education approaches. The two approaches utilized in the study are currently used in keeper chats at the Chattanooga Zoo. The first approach is an emotional appeal (an appeal to the personalities of the chimps at the zoo) and the second approach is a utilization of a take-action initiative (recycling cell phones to reduce mining …

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Statistical Linear Mixed Models For Evaluation Of Training Program In Hand Surgery Chief Residents, Zoe Michelle Ross Dec 2017

Statistical Linear Mixed Models For Evaluation Of Training Program In Hand Surgery Chief Residents, Zoe Michelle Ross

Honors Theses

Resident clinics (RCs) are intended to catalyze the achievement of educational milestones through progressively autonomous patient care. However, few studies quantify their effect on competency-based surgical education, and no previous publications focus on hand surgery RCs. This study aims to use statistical theories and knowledge of descriptive statistics and inference statistics, such as confidence intervals, two sample t-tests, correlation and association tests, as well as statistical model building such as analysis of variance with random effects and mixed linear models. We hypothesize that the higher a resident’s training years, the higher the autonomy score (quality of surgery) will be. We …

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Developmental Steroids And Vitamins: Identified And Quantified In Predatory Lady Beetles, Andrea Hixson Dec 2017

Developmental Steroids And Vitamins: Identified And Quantified In Predatory Lady Beetles, Andrea Hixson

Honors Theses

Autumn brings ladybeetles into homes to seek shelter during the winter, which is a nuisance. Their bites may induce an allergic reaction resulting in painful rashes. Predatory ladybeetles have been used as a biological control agents. Not only do they feed on ecological pests, they also feed on the saps of ripe fruits reducing the value of the damaged crop. Two species of ladybeetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) will be examined to determine the quantities of steroids and vitamins used throughout their life stages. The species examined are native, Hippodamia convergens, of North America, and an invasive, Harmonia axyridis, of Asia. The …

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Predicting The Author Of Twitter Posts With Markov Chain Analysis, Daniel Freeman Dec 2017

Predicting The Author Of Twitter Posts With Markov Chain Analysis, Daniel Freeman

Honors Theses

Given a set of text with known authors, is it possible to take new text, not knowing who wrote it, and correctly identify the author? One way to do this is to analyze the text using Markov chains. This research project will first attempt to answer this question using books available in the public domain. Using what is learned from trying to identify authors of books, the primary goal of this project is to identify the best way to guess the author of a post on the social media network Twitter using Markov chains.

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The Clean Air Act And Its Impact On Ground Level Ozone Pollution Levels In Los Angeles, California, Rebecca G. Ford Oct 2017

The Clean Air Act And Its Impact On Ground Level Ozone Pollution Levels In Los Angeles, California, Rebecca G. Ford

Honors Theses

Ozone (O3) occurs naturally as a protective, ultraviolet radiation-shielding “Ozone Layer” in the Stratosphere and as a photochemically produced pollutant in the Troposphere. The Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1970 regulates the emission and concentration of O3 and five other atmospheric pollutants. Since the signing of the CAA, the ongoing question has been whether or not the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and regulatory policies have had an effect on decreasing O3 concentration. The Los Angeles metropolitan area is a prime example of how O3 can be a public health hazard, and taint a …

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