Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Homochiral Metal-Organic Materials: Design, Synthetic And Enantioseletive Separation, Shi-Yuan Zhang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Owing to the growing demand for enantiopurity in biological and chemical processes, tremendous efforts have been devoted to the synthesis of homochiral metal-organic materials (MOMs) because of their potential applications in chiral separation and asymmetric catalysis. In this dissertation, the synthetic strategies for homochiral MOMs are discussed keeping the focus on their applications. Two distinct approaches have been taken to synthesize chiral structures with different topologies and accessible cavities. The chiral MOMs have been utilized in enantioselective separation of racemates.

Chiral variants of the prototypal metal-organic framework MOF-5, δ-CMOF-5 and [lambda]-CMOF-5, have been synthesized by preparing MOF-5 in the presence …

Template-Directed Synthesis And Post-Synthetic Modification Of Porphyrin-Encapsulating Metal-Organic Materials, Zhenjie Zhang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metal-organic materials (MOMs) represent an emerging class of materials comprised of molecular building blocks (MBBs) linked by organic linker ligands. MOMs recently attract great attention because of their ability to exhibit permanent porosity, thereby enabling study of properties in the context of gas storage, gas separation, solid supports for sensors, catalysis and so on. Although MOMs have been studied for over 60 years, the porous nature of MOMs was not systematically and widely explored until the early 1990's. This may be one of the reasons why template-directed synthesis of MOMs remains relatively underexplored, especially when compared to other classes of …

Computer Model Inversion And Uncertainty Quantification In The Geosciences, Jeremy White

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The subject of this dissertation is use of computer models as data analysis tools in several different geoscience settings, including integrated surface water/groundwater modeling, tephra fallout modeling, geophysical inversion, and hydrothermal groundwater modeling. The dissertation is organized into three chapters, which correspond to three individual publication manuscripts.

In the first chapter, a linear framework is developed to identify and estimate the potential predictive consequences of using a simple computer model as a data analysis tool. The framework is applied to a complex integrated surface-water/groundwater numerical model with thousands of parameters. Several types of predictions are evaluated, including particle travel time …

Mapping The Spatial Movements, Behaviors, And Interactions Of Captive Orangutans Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning And Gis, Zachary Joseph Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Five captive Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) were observed in order to better understand their spatial selection, behavior, and interaction with their environment and each other. A newly introduced adult male's interactions with a female group containing two adults, one adolescent, and one juvenile, was documented. Visual observations were performed to document individual behaviors, along with any interactions with silvery langur monkeys, public crowd levels, temperature, and enrichment props. Methods included 15 observation periods, 0.5-3 hours in length each, during which behaviors were verbally and visually confirmed using a HD video camera. Spatial locations of each individual were recorded every three …

Impedance Extraction By Matlab/Simulink And Labview/Multisim, Jen-Pin Lin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies the techniques of small-signal impedance measurement in three-phase power systems. Stability issue has become critically important since power electronics are highly applied in power distribution and conversion systems. Controlled output systems cause the risk of instability. In order to obtain the impedance model, an impedance extraction in D-Q reference frame algorithm is developed. This paper also applied Interpolated Fast Fourier Transform to increase accuracy of impedance model. Based on the voltage injection, Phase-Locked Loop, Park Transform, D-Q reference frame, and IPFFT. Three-phase system has been realigned on D-Q coordinate and impedance model is extracted in this form. …

An Analysis Of Public Perception And Response To Hurricane Sandy, Lindsay L. Rice

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hurricane Sandy made landfall in Brigantine, New Jersey on October 29th, 2012. The storm impacted the coastal regions of New Jersey and New York, especially the heavily populated area of New York City. This research, which analyzes secondary data obtained from a telephone survey, investigates the public response of residents before, during and after Hurricane Sandy. The survey consisted of questions regarding what the residents expected concerning the threat of Hurricane Sandy, whether it matched what they experienced, where they got their information and how they made their decision to evacuate or not. The results from the survey were statistically …

Response Of Benthic Foraminifera To Ocean Acidification And Impact On Florida's Carbonate Sediment Production, Paul O. Knorr

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 are in dynamic equilibrium with the oceans. The absorption of CO2 by seawater causes a decrease in seawater pH and calcite saturation state (SS). This process, termed ocean acidification, exerts deleterious effects on marine calcifiers. Studies of symbiont-bearing large benthic foraminifera (LBF) have reported a generally unfavorable response to increased concentrations of carbon dioxide ([CO2]).

Experiments and analyses were undertaken to examine the effect of increased [CO2] on the growth rate, ultrastructure, stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen, as well as Mg/Ca of the high-Mg miliolid Archaias angulatus and the low-Mg rotalid Amphistegina gibbosa. A …

Combination Of The Computational Methods: Molecular Dynamics, Homology Modeling And Docking To Design Novel Inhibitors And Study Structural Changes In Target Proteins For Current Diseases, Katherine Cristina Parra

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, molecular dynamics simulations, molecular docking, and homology modeling methods have been used in combination to design possible inhibitors as well as to study the structural changes and function of target proteins related to diseases that today are in the spotlight of drug discovery. The inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels constitute the first target in this study; they are involved in cardiac problems. On the other hand, tensin, a promising target in cancer research, is the second target studied here.

The first chapter includes a brief update on computational methods and the current proposal of the combination of …

It's About Time: Dynamics Of Inflationary Cosmology As The Source Of The Asymmetry Of Time, Emre Keskin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project is about the asymmetry of time. The main source of discontent for physicists and philosophers alike is that even though in every physical theory we developed and/or discovered for explaining how the universe functions, the laws are time reversal invariant; there seems to be a very genuine asymmetry between the past and the future. The aim of this project is to examine several attempts to solve this friction between the laws of physics and the asymmetry and provide a new proposal that makes use of modern cosmology. In the recent history of physics and in contemporary philosophy of …

Photocatalysis And Grazing-Ion Beam Surface Modifications Of Planar Tio2 Model Systems, Timothy Luttrell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is related to the understanding of catalytic reactions of metal oxides. For several decades, the surfaces and bulk of materials have been probed to determine additional properties that relate to photocatalytic applications. This investigation furthers these efforts by the (a) modification of a metal oxide surface to isolate known influences of chemical properties and (b) proposing and utilizing a novel methodology for attribution of photocatalytic activity to a discernable influence. For the first effort, by effectively utilizing a known technique for a new application on a metal oxide, such isolations can be made despite unfavorable states. For the …

A Maximum Principle In The Engel Group, James Klinedinst

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we will examine the properties of subelliptic jets in the Engel group of step 3. Step-2 groups, such as the Heisenberg group, do not provide insight into the general abstract calculations. This thesis then, is the first explicit non-trivial computation of the abstract results.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Climate Policy In Florida's State And Local Governments (2000 To 2010), Sandra Jo Garren

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to assess the current state of climate policy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission trends in the state Florida and its local governments. The research is guided by three research questions 1) What has been the policy response from state and local governments to the threat of climate change; 2) What were the GHG emission trends from 2000 to 2010 in Florida and its local governments and what were the drivers of change?; and, 3) what were the issues related to the data and methodologies to quantify GHG emissions at the local government level? Policymakers …

Atmospheric And Ocean Conditions And Social Aspects Associated With Rip Current Drownings In The United States, Charles Hugh Paxton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to provide a better understanding of the physical and social aspects of rip currents in ocean areas that will lead to better forecasts, better governmental policies in beach areas, and ultimately to save lives. A rip current is a nearshore circulation in which breaking waves run up onto the beach then retreat rapidly in deeper channels back toward the sea. Rip currents pose a significant threat to beachgoers and can pull even the strongest swimmers out to sea. The primary factors associated with rip current formation on unarmored beaches are variations in the local …

Improving Spectrophotometric Carbon System Measurements, Mark Patsavas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work provides improved procedures for spectrophotometric carbon system measurements. Indicator dyes used for routine spectrophotometric pH measurements in seawater suffer from impurity issues, which introduce vendor-specific systematic errors in pH determinations. The magnitude of these errors for several vendors was investigated for meta Cresol Purple (mCP) and Cresol Red (CR). Flash chromatography procedures were developed to obtain purified mCP and CR on a bulk scale in order to supply the oceanographic research community with the indicators. Easy access to the purified indicators ensures global intercomparability of spectrophotometric pH determinations.

Internal consistency of marine inorganic carbon system measurements was studied …

Design & Synthesis Of Peptidomimetics Adopting Secondary Structures For Inhibition Of P53/Mdm2 Protein-Protein Interaction And Multiple Myeloma Cell Adhesion, Hyun Joo Kil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The protein-protein interactions (PPIs) occur when two or more proteins are bound together. Also, this protein-protein interactions (PPIs) cause the various biological processes in the body. Due to this reason, abilities of controlling or inhibiting PPIs can give us promising advantages like (1) better understanding of biological systems, (2) development of new diagnostic approaches for health or disease, and (3) establishment of novel molecular therapeutics. Many proteins adopt the secondary structures, where most of protein-protein interactions take place. -Helices and -sheets are the prevalent secondary conformations, but there are extended secondary structures such as -hairpins, -turns, 310 helix, and so …

First-Principles Atomistic Simulations Of Energetic Materials, Aaron Christopher Landerville

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is concerned with the understanding of physico-chemical properties of energetic materials (EMs). Recently, a substantial amount of work has been directed towards calculations of equations of state and structural changes upon compression of existing EMs, as well as elucidating the underlying chemistry of initiation in detonating EMs. This work contributes to this effort by 1) predicting equations of state and thermo-physical properties of EMs, 2) predicting new phases of novel EMs, and 3) examining the initial stages of chemistry that result in detonation in EMs. The motivation for the first thrust, is to provide thermodynamic properties as input …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of 3-Aryl-4(1h)-Quinolones As Orally Active Antimalarials: Overcoming Challenges In Solubility, Metabolism, And Bioavailability, Andrii Monastyrskyi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Infectious diseases are the second leading cause of deaths in the world with malaria being responsible for approximately the same amount of deaths as cancer in 2012. Despite the success in malaria prevention and control measures decreasing the disease mortality rate by 45% since 2000, the development of single-dose therapeutics with radical cure potential is required to completely eradicate this deadly disease. Targeting multiple stages of the malaria parasite is becoming a primary requirement for new candidates in antimalarial drug discovery and development. Recently, 4(1H)-pyridone, 4(1H)-quinolone, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridone, and phenoxyethoxy-4(1H)-quinolone chemotypes have been shown to be antimalarials with blood stage activity, …

Lead (Pb) Contamination Of Water Drawn From Pitcher Pumps In Eastern Madagascar, David Bradlee Akers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Access to safe water supply--a major determinant of public health--is less than 50% in Madagascar, and access to piped, treated water remains out of reach financially for many in the urban and peri-urban areas where available. The Self-supply option of the Pitcher Pump has been meeting the need for household water in coastal areas of Madagascar since the early 1960s and has proven a sustainable option for many. These pumps make use of leaded components in the construction, however, which may pose a health risk for heavy metal intoxication and therefore cause the water to be unsafe for drinking and …

Influence Of Diet On Element Incorporation In The Shells Of Two Bivalve Molluscs: Argopecten Irradians Concentricus And Mercenaria Mercenaria, William Noland Elsaesser

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recently, biogenic carbonates have received much attention as potential proxies of environmental change; however, a major pathway of elemental incorporation is often overlooked when making interpretations or designing experiments. This research experimentally examines the influence of diet on elemental composition in juvenile shells of the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians concentricus, and the northern quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria.

Exploratory trials were conducted using Argopecten irradians concentricus juveniles fed different algal diets: Isochrysis, Chaetoceros, Pavlova, Tetraselmis, or a mix of all four in a 2:1:2:2 ratio. No differences between the left and right valves were revealed, thus, subsequent analysis of the dietary influence …

Sustainable Energy And Nutrient Recovery From Swine Waste, Adib Amini

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Swine production represents approximately 40% of the world's meat production, and swine wastes contain high concentrations of organic matter, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Swine production is intensifying as meat demand increases and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are becoming increasingly common, making it difficult to treat the waste generated. A system for holistic treatment of swine waste produced in CAFOs was investigated in this study that sustainably generates energy and recovers N and P as saleable fertilizers. The system uses anaerobic digestion (AD) for methane production and solids stabilization, followed by precipitation of struvite (MgNH4PO4*6H2O) and recovery of N …

Baseline Studies Of Selected Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers In The Air Of The Nandamojo Watershed, Costa Rica, Mary Sophia Geesey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been used as flame retardants in a number of common household and commercial products around the world. PBDEs enter the environment in a variety of ways, such as through emissions, leaching from end-of-life electronics in landfills, and incineration. While many countries have phased out the manufacturing of penta-, octa-, and deca-PBDEs or have banned the manufacture and use of these congeners altogether, these persistent organic pollutants (POPs) continue to be detected in humans and the environment.

This study investigates spatial and temporal variations of selected PBDEs in the air of the Nandamojo watershed area in …

Insights Into [Aacute]-Aa Peptides And Ã-Aa Peptides As Broad Spectrum Antimicrobial Peptidomimetics And As Anti-Biofilm Agents, Shruti Padhee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The emergent resistance of bacteria against the conventional antibiotics has motivated the search for novel antimicrobial agents. Nature abounds with a number of antimicrobial peptides that are a part of our innate immune system and protect us against a variety of pathogenic bacteria. While they are broad-spectrum in their activity and show less drug-resistance induction, their intrinsic metabolic stability limits their potential therapeutic applications. Herein we describe the development of novel broad-spectrum bioactive antimicrobial peptidomimetics AA-peptides. AApeptides were designed based on chiral PNA backbone. Substitution of nucleobases yields AApeptides that are resistant to proteolysis and capable of mimicking peptides. Two …

On The Classification Of Groups Generated By Automata With 4 States Over A 2-Letter Alphabet, Louis Caponi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The class of groups generated by automata have been a source of many counterexamples in group theory. At the same time it is connected to other branches of mathematics, such as analysis, holomorphic dynamics, combinatorics, etc. A question that naturally arises is finding the ways to classify these groups. The task of a complete classification and understanding at the moment seems to be too ambitious, but it is reasonable to concentrate on some smaller subclasses of this class. One approach is to consider groups generated by small automata: the automata with k states over d-letter alphabet (so called, (k,d)-automata) with …

Properties Of Graphs Used To Model Dna Recombination, Ryan Arredondo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A model for DNA recombination uses 4-valent rigid vertex graphs,

called assembly graphs. An assembly graph,

similarly to the projection of knots, can be associated with an

unsigned Gauss code, or double occurrence word.

We define biologically motivated reductions that act on double

occurrence words and, in turn, on their associated assembly graphs. For

every double occurrence word w there is a sequence of reduction

operations that may be applied to w so that what remains is the

empty word, [epsilon]. Then the nesting index of a word w,

denoted by NI(w), is defined to to be …

Epibenthic Mobile Invertebrates Along The Florida Reef Tract: Diversity And Community Structure, Kristin Netchy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Benthic mobile invertebrates are important components of coral-reef diversity and community structure, though, in most cases, their ecological contributions are poorly known. Baseline information on their diversity, prevalence, assemblages, and ecological roles is needed to aid in the conservation of coral-reef habitats. The objectives of this study are to 1) describe diversity and assemblages of epibenthic, mobile invertebrates in shallow water coral-reef communities in Florida, 2) evaluate their ecological roles by reviewing published literature on diet, and 3) measure the degree of linear dependence between mobile invertebrates and scleractinian corals. Underwater surveys were conducted in the summer of 2013 at …

Agriculture, Environmental Restoration And Ecosystem Services: Assessing The Costs Of Water Storage On Agricultural Lands In South Florida, Kayla Ouellette

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A large part of the environmental restoration required by the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan calls for more water-storage on lands south of Lake Okeechobee in order to restore the natural water flows of the Everglades watershed. The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) can be used for increased water storage in order to relieve coastal estuaries of excess water in the rainy season. This water storage can deliver additional ecosystem services of soil retention and reduced CO2 emissions that could compensate farmers for the cost of water storage by increasing long term farm profitability. The goals of this study were 1) to …

Still Waters Run Deep: Landscaping Practices, Community Perceptions, And Social Indicators For Stormwater Nonpoint Source Pollution Management In Manatee County, Florida, Ann Rebecca Persaud

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stormwater nonpoint source pollution (NPSP) is a result of diffuse sources of pollutants transported by rainfall and surface runoff into stormwater ponds and drainage systems before percolating into the ground. In particular, the nutrients found in fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides applied in excess by homeowners and landscapers can cause a range of issues in stormwater ponds from fish kills to eutrophication. As a result, Manatee County, Florida has issued a fertilizer ordinance with best management practices (BMPs) and a fertilizer black out period to reduce NPSP. This study is aimed at capturing the perceptions of residents which affect stormwater NPSP …

Probabilistic Modeling Of Lava Flows: A Hazard Assessment For The San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona, Aleeza Harburger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study serves as a first step towards a comprehensive hazard assessment for the San Francisco volcanic field in northern Arizona, which can be applied to local response plans and educational initiatives. The primary goal of this thesis is to resolve the conditional probability that, given a lava flow effusing from a new vent in the San Francisco volcanic field, it will inundate the city limits of Flagstaff. The spatial distribution of vents within the San Francisco volcanic field was analyzed in order to execute a lava flow simulation to determine the inundation hazard to Flagstaff. The Gaussian kernel function …

[M3(Μ3-O)(O2cr)6] And Related Trigonal Prisms: Versatile Molecular Building Blocks For 2-Step Crystal Engineering Of Functional Metal-Organic Materials, Alexander Schoedel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metal-organic materials (MOMs) assembled from metal-based building blocks and organic linkers have attracted much interest due to their large pore dimensions and their enormous structural diversity. In comparison to their inorganic counterparts (zeolites), these crystalline materials can be easily modified to tailor pore dimensions and functionality for specifically targeted properties.

The work presented herein encompasses the development of a synthetic 2-step process for the construction of novel families of MOMs or 'platforms' and allow us exquisite design and control over the resulting network topologies. Examples of cationic mesoporous structures were initially exploited, containing carboxylate based centers connected by metal-pyridine bonds. …

Multi Sensor System For Pedestrian Tracking And Activity Recognition In Indoor Environments, Juan Jose Marron Monteserin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The widespread use of mobile devices and the rise of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have allowed mobile tracking applications to become very popular and valuable in outdoor environments. However, tracking pedestrians in indoor environments with Global Positioning System (GPS)-based schemes is still very challenging given the lack of enough

signals to locate the user. Along with indoor tracking, the ability to recognize pedestrian behavior and activities can lead to considerable growth in location-based applications including

pervasive healthcare, leisure and guide services (such as, museum, airports, stores, etc.), and emergency services, among the most important ones.

This thesis presents a …