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Honors Theses

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Articles 901 - 930 of 2158

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

The Synthesis Of Substituted Pentadentate Ligand Scaffolds And Their Future Application In Ruthenium-Catalyzed Water Oxidation, Manpreet Singh Jan 2016

The Synthesis Of Substituted Pentadentate Ligand Scaffolds And Their Future Application In Ruthenium-Catalyzed Water Oxidation, Manpreet Singh

Honors Theses

Rising global energy demands coupled with depleting natural resources have led to a strong emphasis on finding new sources of energy that are renewable and which limit the negative impact on the environment. One of the strongest candidates is utilizing solar energy to drive water oxidation to produce hydrogen as a fuel source. In order to do this, a better understanding of the mechanism involved in this process must be revealed. Homogenous molecular catalysts allow mechanistic studies and can be also used in Photoelectrochemical Cells (PECs) and other systems to produce chemical fuels. In this work, the new syntheses of …

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The Evolution Of The Sugarcoated American Food Market And The Paradox Of Artificial Sweeteners, Mary Moses Hitt Jan 2016

The Evolution Of The Sugarcoated American Food Market And The Paradox Of Artificial Sweeteners, Mary Moses Hitt

Honors Theses

Living in present-day America makes it hard to imagine an era when sugar was not as inexpensive and readily available as it is now. It is in little colorful packets on restaurant tables, filled to the brim in jars at coffee shops, or mixed into candy products located at the beginning of every cash register. Today, sugar is one of, if not, the most widely consumed food products in the world, but our love for sugar is nothing new. Humans have been experiencing the bliss triggered by sweet-tasting foods since their earliest diets, which included fruits and honey. Our diets …

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Paleosol Development And Trace Fossils In The Upper Triassic Cooper Canyon Formation Of The Dockum Group In Andrews County, Texas, Michael Charles Gratzer Jan 2016

Paleosol Development And Trace Fossils In The Upper Triassic Cooper Canyon Formation Of The Dockum Group In Andrews County, Texas, Michael Charles Gratzer

Honors Theses

It is unknown whether a relationship exists between paleosol development and the number of burrows in a paleosol. It is also unknown whether a relationship exists between the number of burrows in a paleosol and the diameters of those burrows. This paper details the methods, results, and conclusions of an investigation of these relationships. I assess the development of several paleosols in a core sample of the Upper Triassic Cooper Canyon Formation of the Dockum Group from well B-133 in Andrews County, Texas, using development scales based on methods from Bown and Kraus (1993) and Abels et al. (2013). I …

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Paleolithic Protection In A Western World: A Look Into Preagricultural Nutrition As A Remedy For The Diseases Of Civilization, Emilie R. Caron Jan 2016

Paleolithic Protection In A Western World: A Look Into Preagricultural Nutrition As A Remedy For The Diseases Of Civilization, Emilie R. Caron

Honors Theses

The aim of this investigation is to discover the associations of the Western diet to noncommunicable diseases and to determine if a reversion to a Paleolithic diet will provide treatment and prevention of these diseases. Noncommunicable diseases, otherwise known as Diseases of Civilization, are lifestyle influenced diseases and encompass obesity, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and associated cancers. Incidences of these diseases have skyrocketed in the past century and show no signs of decline. Since 1900, the death rates due to heart disease and cancer have risen to account for 47% of total deaths in the United States in 2010. (Tippett, …

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Multidimensional Motion Capture Using Doppler Ultrasound, Forrest Nolan Gamble Jan 2016

Multidimensional Motion Capture Using Doppler Ultrasound, Forrest Nolan Gamble

Honors Theses

Ultrasonic waves are used to measure the velocity of a target object by measuring the Doppler shift of the reflected waves. In this work, ultrasonic Doppler Sonar (UDS) was used to measure the velocity of objects, including a pendulum and a battery on a turntable. The investigation focused on developing a method to measure motion in two and three dimensions, for applications in gait analysis and sports motion capture. By using multiple ultrasonic transducers and novel data processing techniques, the UDS captured motion in two and three dimensions. In order to test the accuracy of the velocity and position measurements, …

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Calculating Liquefaction Potential Of Northern Mississippi Using Shear Wave Data, Peshani Herath Jan 2016

Calculating Liquefaction Potential Of Northern Mississippi Using Shear Wave Data, Peshani Herath

Honors Theses

The potential for liquefaction can be determined using the Liquefaction Potential Index (LPI). The LPI takes into account the thickness of the liquefiable layers and the factors of safety with respect to depth. This study creates a hybrid method for determining the LPI for different locations in Northern Mississippi. It calculates an average CSR for the region using existing borehole information. The CRR is then calculated using shear wave velocity profile data from a MASW survey. The LPI obtained from this process is compared to LPI values calculated using CPT data and borehole shear wave data. Surface shear wave velocity …

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Rhenium-Pyridyl-Nhcs For Photocatalytic Co2 Reduction, Emily Anne Sharpe Jan 2016

Rhenium-Pyridyl-Nhcs For Photocatalytic Co2 Reduction, Emily Anne Sharpe

Honors Theses

The ability to transform CO2 into a useable fuel source would have a remarkably positive impact on the environment by taking the vast amounts of previous unusable CO2 from the atmosphere and reducing it to CO, which can then be turned into fuel. This project involves the synthesis and testing of air and water stable Re (I) pyridyl N- heterocyclic carbene (NHC) compounds for photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into CO using a simulated solar spectrum. Previous research in this area focused on the use of Re(bpy)CO3X, which quickly became the benchmark of homogeneous CO2 reduction photocatalysts. The Re (I) pyridyl …

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A Computational Study Of High Energy Density Materials And Their Detection Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, Emily N. Hugo Jan 2016

A Computational Study Of High Energy Density Materials And Their Detection Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, Emily N. Hugo

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to theoretically predict the vibrational spectra of select high energy density materials (HEDMs) as well as some of their byproducts and to determine if using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) could be a viable detection method for these compounds. Studying the vibrational patterns of these compounds will help in identifying them in the environment for remediation purposes. Because the byproducts are smaller and easier to model than the parent compounds, these were studied more in depth through analyzing their Infrared and Raman spectra. Ag2 was used to model the interactions between the Ag nanoparticles used …

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Implementation Of An Enhanced System Of Motion Tracking For Virtual Reality Using 'Common Off-The-Shelf' Items, Sean M. O'Hara Jan 2016

Implementation Of An Enhanced System Of Motion Tracking For Virtual Reality Using 'Common Off-The-Shelf' Items, Sean M. O'Hara

Honors Theses

My project was tasked and guided by Dr. Adam Jones of the University of Mississippi's Computer Science Department to design and implement an improved system of infrared motion tracking for virtual reality. The enhancements allow Dr. Jones to use motion tracking for VR in ways that he previously could not, and these improvements include the ability to track multiple objects along with a foundation for expanding my project's use to work with a multiple camera setup for motion tracking. The hardware used in my project made use of Dr. Jones' supply of technology for development and research within the area …

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Noise Reduction In The Manufacturing Environment: A Study On Small Jet Geometry Alterations, Shawn Wesley Skinner Jan 2016

Noise Reduction In The Manufacturing Environment: A Study On Small Jet Geometry Alterations, Shawn Wesley Skinner

Honors Theses

Noise pollution is an identified issue in manufacturing environments. While machines, motion, production, etc. are a large factor in this noise pollution, other sources exist. Often copper tubing is connected to pressurized containers as a make-shift jet stream for reorienting elements on the assembly line. These makeshift jets when working in conjunction create noise pollution. By manipulating the exit of these small jets, it is hypothesized that the noise level can be decreased. Using the National Center for Physical Acoustics (NCPA) at the University of Mississippi, three geometry alterations—deburring the end, creating a converging-diverging nozzle, and flattening the end—were tested …

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Indolizine-Squaraine Nir Emissive Materials, Tana A. Rill Jan 2016

Indolizine-Squaraine Nir Emissive Materials, Tana A. Rill

Honors Theses

Near-infrared (NIR) emissive organic materials are an emerging area of study with an array of applications for both military and civilian purposes including night vision technologies, secure communications, surveillance, homing, fluoresence imaging, secure displays as NIR OLED materials, heat-blocking coatings, in vivo fluoresence biological imagaing, and additional optoelectronics device applications. We have developed a series of organic NIR emissive materials based on an indolizine donor and squaraine acceptor. The novel-to-squaraine donor, indolizine, exhibits a remarkable increase in absorption maximum wavelength when compared with benchmark indoline-based squaraine dyes (700 nm vs. 625 nm) with molar absorptivities ranging from 100,000-262,000 M-1cm-1. Emission …

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Method Development Toward The Analysis Of The Functionalization Of Proteins, Victoria Calcote Jan 2016

Method Development Toward The Analysis Of The Functionalization Of Proteins, Victoria Calcote

Honors Theses

Calmodulin is a ubiquitous small intracellular protein that functions as a receptor for regulatory calcium signals and thus regulates a multitude of physiological processes in organisms as diverse as yeast, fruit flies, and mammals. Since its structure and function have been extensively studied, our goal is to create a calmodulin biomaterial, with the ultimate goal of in situ drug delivery or as a scaffold for stem cell growth and differentiation. We plan to create this biomaterial by using Click Chemistry, the rapid creation of new heteroatom bonds through a copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. The bonds are created by treating calmodulin as …

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Gigapan Education, Marissa Morgan Dec 2015

Gigapan Education, Marissa Morgan

Honors Theses

Secondary-school students and teachers need a safe, secure website where they can experience the life of their peers around the world through GigaPan panoramic images. Using a simple point and shoot camera, students can create deep-zoomable panoramas called GigaPans. A Ruby on Rails website was created to provide a location and interface for sharing and discussing these GigaPan panoramas between students and teachers across the globe. By sharing experiences and culture through this technology, the website aims to create a community of technologically and culturally aware young people.

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The Effects Of Prompted Tutoring On An Emporium Model Math Course, Juliette Michelle Young Dec 2015

The Effects Of Prompted Tutoring On An Emporium Model Math Course, Juliette Michelle Young

Honors Theses

My research goal is to investigate how specific prompting of students would affect their involvement and progress in an emporium developmental math course. With the aim of increasing the students’ involvement and progress I tested a method that was in tended to increase students’ perceived connectedness with the classroom and promote the use of the available tutors and teachers. I monitored consenting students’ progress in the Spring 2015 courses and sent emails to students who met any one of three different criterion: (1) If the students time investment was below a threshold. (2) If the student’s mastery pace was less …

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Identification Of Morphemes And The Effect Of Memory Load On Second Language Learning, James A. Hebert Dec 2015

Identification Of Morphemes And The Effect Of Memory Load On Second Language Learning, James A. Hebert

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

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Analysis Of An Electrospun Nanofiber Device Applicable To Limb Salvage: Mass Loss, Morphological Changes, And Quantification Of Antibiotic Release, Caitlin Quinn Dec 2015

Analysis Of An Electrospun Nanofiber Device Applicable To Limb Salvage: Mass Loss, Morphological Changes, And Quantification Of Antibiotic Release, Caitlin Quinn

Honors Theses

The creation of an electrospun nanofiber embedded with two antibiotics that will be used to prevent infection while also stimulating bone regeneration will be explored. The nanofiber will contain an aminoglycoside and a glycopeptide, and it is sought to deliver a sustained release of antibiotics for up to 12 weeks. To determine release rate, nanofiber samples are immersed in 10.0 mL of MiliQ water (MQ), incubated at 37°C, assayed at specific time intervals, and then analyzed using ultra performance liquid chromatography in tandem with mass spectrometry. A hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) method utilizing ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) in tandem …

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A Manipulation Study: The Effect Of Predation Risk On The Space Use Of The Chilean Rodent, Octodon Degus, Erin D. Myers Dec 2015

A Manipulation Study: The Effect Of Predation Risk On The Space Use Of The Chilean Rodent, Octodon Degus, Erin D. Myers

Honors Theses

Predation has significant effects on animal behavior and space use across species. In small mammals, the home range areas are shown to be influenced by predation risk. This project incorporates trapping data to analyze how predation risk influences the space use of Octodon degus, a social rodent endemic to Chile. We compared range size of degus living in four predator exclusion enclosures versus four control, non-predator exclusion enclosures in Parque Nacional Bosque de Fray Jorge, Chile through grid trapping methods. For each enclosure (NP and P) 95% MCP, 95% Kernal, 95% Distance Interval, and average captures was measured. There were …

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Using Foraminifera Shell Geochemistry To Test Proxies For Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction, Catherine Hudson Dec 2015

Using Foraminifera Shell Geochemistry To Test Proxies For Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction, Catherine Hudson

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

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Developing A Parametric Downconversion Apparatus For Single-Photon Experiments In Quantum Optics, Stephen Dilorio Jun 2015

Developing A Parametric Downconversion Apparatus For Single-Photon Experiments In Quantum Optics, Stephen Dilorio

Honors Theses

We report our progress toward developing a parametric down conversion apparatus for studying single photon quantum optics in undergraduate laboratory classes, following the model of Galvez et al. [1]. We pump a beta barium borate (BBO) crystal with a 405 nm diode laser to produce correlated pairs of single photons that we detect using avalanche photodiodes (APD). We can conduct coincidence and anticoincidence counts and a measurement of the degree of second-order coherence with the apparatus, and we report a g(2) < 1. We also discuss the headway towards developing a single-photon interferometer.

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Kinetic Modeling Of Catalytic Aerogels, Yi Cao Jun 2015

Kinetic Modeling Of Catalytic Aerogels, Yi Cao

Honors Theses

As pollution becomes an increasing concern globally, strict regulations have been set on vehicle pollutant emissions. The three-way catalytic converter is capable of converting toxic emissions such as carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides to less hazardous waste such as carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen. Current catalysts employ platinum group metals, which are expensive and environmentally damaging to mine. Catalytically-active aerogels such as Co-Al, Cu-Al and V-Al aerogels have shown promise as alternatives to these metals. The work presented here adapts and extends a global kinetic model which predicts the conversion of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide on platinum catalyst …

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What It Is To Be Conscious: Exploring The Plasibility Of Consciousness In Deep Learning Computers, Peter Davis Jun 2015

What It Is To Be Conscious: Exploring The Plasibility Of Consciousness In Deep Learning Computers, Peter Davis

Honors Theses

As artificial intelligence and robotics progress further and faster every day, designing and building a conscious computer appears to be on the horizon. Recent technological advances have allowed engineers and computer scientists to create robots and computer programs that were previously impossible. The development of these highly sophisticated robots and AI programs has thus prompted the age-old question: can a computer be conscious? The answer relies on addressing two key sub-problems. The first is the nature of consciousness: what constitutes a system as conscious, or what properties does consciousness have? Secondly, does the physical make-up of the robot or computer …

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Classifying System Call Traces Using Anomalous Detection, William Doyle Jun 2015

Classifying System Call Traces Using Anomalous Detection, William Doyle

Honors Theses

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 …

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Optimizations For Rendering Realistic Lens Flares In Polynomial Optics, Stephen Dilorio Jun 2015

Optimizations For Rendering Realistic Lens Flares In Polynomial Optics, Stephen Dilorio

Honors Theses

Lens flare is a common optical phenomenon exhibited by lens systems, like those used for professional photography or film. As light travels from the front of a lens system towards the sensor at the back, it can either refract through or reflect off of the surfaces of the lenses. A lens flare is the result of (typically) unwanted reflections and scattering caused by imperfections in the lenses. This reflected or scattered light then travels to the sensor following unexpected paths. While considered by some to be degrading artifacts, lens flares have grown to become an essential ingredient for realistic imagery …

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Electrical Characterization Of Nanomaterials, Chase Martin Jun 2015

Electrical Characterization Of Nanomaterials, Chase Martin

Honors Theses

Our dependence on energy sources and depleting fossil fuel reserves are forcing the world to look for efficient and renewable sources of energy. Current renewable technology lacks the efficiency and storage capability necessary to continue our heavy reliance on energy. This project focuses on understanding the physical and electrical properties of nanomaterials for their use as super capacitors and as photovoltaic cells. Using multiple microscopy techniques on the Cascade Probe Station and Veeco Dimension V Atomic Force Microscope, local and bulk conductivity measurements were performed on Laponite RD infused polyaniline (PANI) samples synthesized by Union College Chemistry Department Students. Four …

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Partial Differential Equations, Nathaniel James Onnen Jun 2015

Partial Differential Equations, Nathaniel James Onnen

Honors Theses

This paper will discuss methods for solving many different partial differential equations, as well as real world applications in physics. We are interested in finding solutions to the wave and heat equations in one dimension, the wave equation in two dimensions, as well as a solution to Schrodinger’s equation. In order to do this, we will study different methods including Fourier series, Bessel functions, and Hermite polynomials. I will use these methods to derive solutions for the mentioned problems, as well as to produce visualizations for many of them.

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Controlling Carbon: A Study Of National And Regional Emissions Trading Systems, Jordan Pulling Jun 2015

Controlling Carbon: A Study Of National And Regional Emissions Trading Systems, Jordan Pulling

Honors Theses

The release of carbon and other chemicals into the atmosphere is a growing environmental problem. The use of carbon-based processes is at an all-time high with the continued growth in carbon-fueled transportation, electric power generation and other carbon-intensive industrial processes. With climate change increasingly threatening the daily lives of Earth's population, many countries are beginning to take steps to reduce their impact on the Earth and its climate. Over the last decade, carbon markets have been established in 18 countries worldwide. While all of these emissions trading systems have similarities, each also has some unique traits, including differences in allowance …

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The Sylow Theorems And Classification Of Small Finite Order Groups, William Stearns Jun 2015

The Sylow Theorems And Classification Of Small Finite Order Groups, William Stearns

Honors Theses

This thesis will provide an overview of various topics in group theory, all in order to accomplish the end goal of classifying all groups of order up to 15. An important precursor to classifying finite order groups, the Sylow Theorems illustrate what subgroups of a given group must exist, and constitute the first half of this thesis. Using these theorems in the latter sections we will classify all the possible groups of various orders up to isomorphism. In concluding this thesis, all possible distinct groups of orders up to 15 will be defined and the groundwork set for further study.

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Remote Water Metering In Venecia, Nicaragua, Jeffrey Wettstein Jun 2015

Remote Water Metering In Venecia, Nicaragua, Jeffrey Wettstein

Honors Theses

The senior Capstone Design Project is the culmination of over three years of undergraduate work in electrical engineering, and other related fields. The project allows students to demonstrate their knowledge on a tangible design. Starting from a blank slate, the Capstone process asks students to carefully move through every stage of design in order to create the most effect output. Water shortage is a major problem for the entire world including the United States, but particularly in developing countries like Nicaragua. The community of Venecia, Nicaragua has a unique water problem. Community members leave taps running in fear that if …

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Sem-Edx Analysis Of Aerosol Samples, Xuanhan Zhao Jun 2015

Sem-Edx Analysis Of Aerosol Samples, Xuanhan Zhao

Honors Theses

One of the important environmental issues in upstate New York is the acid rain problem in the Adirondack Mountains, which is associated with atmospheric aerosols. As a part of a systematic study to understand the transport, transformation, and effects of airborne pollutants in the Adirondack Mountains, we are performing an analysis of atmospheric aerosols collected at Piseco Lake. In previous work, we used proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) [1] spectrometry to measure the concentrations of elements in aerosol samples as a function of the size of the particulate matter. The results of the PIXE analysis indicate significant concentrations of sulfur …

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Analysis Of The Peerrank Method For Peer Grading, Joshua Kline Jun 2015

Analysis Of The Peerrank Method For Peer Grading, Joshua Kline

Honors Theses

Peer grading can have many benefits in education, including a reduction in the time instructors spend grading and an opportunity for students to learn through their analysis of others work. However, when not handled properly, peer grading can be unreliable and may result in grades that are vastly different from those which a student truly deserves. Therefore, any peer grading system used in a classroom must consider the potential for graders to generate inaccurate grades. One such system is the PeerRank rule proposed by Toby Walsh, which uses an iterative, linear algebra based process reminiscent of the Google PageRank algorithm …

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