Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Development Of A Systems Engineering Model Of The Chemical Separations Process: Final Report, Yitung Chen, Sean Hsieh

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The whole chemical separation process is complex to the point that definitely requires certain level of systematic coordination. To perform smoothly and meet the target extraction rates among those processes, this research proposed a general-purpose systems engineering model.

A general purposed systems engineering model, Transmutation Research Program System Engineering Model Project (TRPSEMPro), was developed based on the above design concept. The system model includes four main parts: System Manager, Model Integration, Study Plan, and Solution Viewer. TRPSEMPro can apply not only to chemical separation process, but also a general system model.

Software engineering and Object Oriented Analysis and Design (OOA&D) …

Evaluation Of Fluorapatite As A Waste-Form Material: Fourth Quarter Report, June 1 - September 30, 2004, Dennis W. Lindle, Oliver Hemmers

Separations Campaign (TRP)

Fluorapatite, fluorinated calcium phosphate, has been identified as a potential matrix for the entombment of the zirconium fluoride fission product waste stream from the proposed FLEX process. If the efficacy of fluorapatite-based waste-storage can be demonstrated, then new and potentially more-efficient options for handling and separating high-level wastes, based on fluoride-salt extraction, will become feasible. This proposal will develop a dual-path research project to develop a process to fabricate a synthetic fluorapatite waste form for the ZrF₄, FP waste stream, characterize the waste form, examine its performance under environmental conditions, and correlate the behavior of the waste form …

Interm Report Of A Pilot Study To Evaluate Impacts To Water Quality And Seagrass Meadows From The Green Mussel (Perna Viridis) Invasion In Hillsborough Bay, Tampa Bay, Florida., J.O.R. Johansson, W. M. Avery

Reports

The green mussel (Perna viridis) was discovered in Tampa Bay in 1999 and was first noted as a biofouler at a power generating plant. This was apparently the first record of this species in the U.S. Since 1999, green mussels have been found throughout Tampa Bay and in other marine locations outside Tampa Bay on the west-coast of Florida (Benson et al. 2001; Benson et al. 2002).

This report constitutes an interim report provided to the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) to describe progress on the project to date. A final project report, including a detailed discussion of …

Single-Sided Czt Strip Detectors, John R. Macri, B Donmez, Mark Widholm, L A. Hamel, Manuel Julien, T Narita, James M. Ryan, Mark L. Mcconnell

Space Science Center

We report progress in the study of thick CZT strip detectors for 3-d imaging and spectroscopy and discuss two approaches to device design. We present the spectroscopic, imaging, detection efficiency and response uniformity performance of prototype devices. Unlike double-sided strip detectors, these devices feature both row and column contacts implemented on the anode surface. This electron-only approach circumvents problems associated with poor hole transport in CZT that normally limit the thickness and energy range of double-sided strip detectors. These devices can achieve similar performance to pixel detectors. The work includes laboratory and simulation studies aimed at developing compact, efficient, detector …

Estimating The Retransformed Mean In A Heteroscedastic Two-Part Model, Alan H. Welsh, Xiao-Hua Zhou

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Two distribution free estimators are proposed to estimate the mean of a dependent variable after fitting a semiparametric two-part heteroscedastic regression model to a transformation of the dependent variable. We show that the proposed estimators are consistent and have asymptotic normal distributions. We also compare their finite-sample performance in a simulation study. Finally, we illustrate the proposed methods in a real-world example of predicting in-patient health care costs.

Unlv Public Lands Initiative, Nancy Flagg

Presentations (PLI)

• The Public Lands Initiative is providing management and oversight for selected SNPLMA projects that fit UNLV’s educational and research strengths and which are suitable for drawing upon the expertise of university faculty, staff, and students.

Public Lands Initiative Overview, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI)

The Public Lands Institute is dedicated to strengthening the national fabric that is essential for the protection, conservation, and management of public lands.

Microarrays For Global Expression Constructed With A Low Redundancy Set Of 27,500 Sequenced Cdnas Representing An Array Of Developmental Stages And Physiological Conditions Of The Soybean Plant, Elizabeth Shoop, Et Al

Elizabeth Shoop

No abstract provided.

Methodology Comparison For Canopy Structure Parameters Extraction From Digital Hemispherical Photography In Boreal Forests, Sylvain G. Leblanc, Jing M. Chen, Richard Fernandes, Donald W. Deering, Alexis Conley

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

The retrieval of canopy architectural parameters using off-the-shelf digital cameras with fish-eye lens is investigated. The technique used takes advantage of the sensor’s linear response to light of these cameras to improve the estimation of gap fraction using:

(1) the digital numbers of mixed sky-canopy pixels to estimate the within-pixel gap fraction; and (2) this process is done considering the variation in view zenith angle to take into account the sky radiance distribution and the canopy multiple scattering effects.

The foliage element clumping index is retrieved over a wide range of view zenith angles using:

(1) the accumulated gap size …

Production Of E+E− Pairs Accompanied By Nuclear Dissociation In Ultraperipheral Heavy-Ion Collisions, Star Collaboration, T.D. Gutierrez

Physics

We present data on e⁺e⁻ pair production accompanied by nuclear breakup in ultraperipheral gold-gold collisions at a center of mass energy of 200GeV per nucleon pair. The nuclear breakup requirement selects events at small impact parameters, where higher-order diagrams for pair production should be enhanced. We compare the data with two calculations: one based on the equivalent photon approximation, and the other using lowest-order quantum electrodynamics (QED). The data distributions agree with both calculations, except that the pair transverse momentum spectrum disagrees with the equivalent photon approach. We set limits on higher-order contributions to the cross section.

1H, 13C, And 15N Assignments For The Archaeglobus Fulgidis Protein Af2095, Robert Powers, Thomas B. Acton, Yi-Wen Chiang, P. K. Rajan, John R. Cort, Michael A. Kennedy, Jinfeng Liu, Lichung Ma, Burkhard Rost, Gaetano T. Montelione

Robert Powers Publications

Structural genomics is providing a means to determine the molecular and cellular function for the vast amount of proteins in the Human proteome that lack any explicit experimental information by characterizing the complete range of protein folds (Montelione, 2001). The Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium (NESG; http://www.nesg.org/) is a pilot project funded by the National Institutes of Health Protein Structure Initiative, focusing on proteins from eukaryotic model organisms including humans. The thermophillic archaea Archaeglobus fulgidis AF2095 protein is an example of a protein of unknown biological function targeted for structural analysis by NESG. AF2095 belongs to the Pfam family PF01981 – …

Curtius Rearrangement And Wolff Homologation Of Functionalized Peroxides, Patrick Dussault, Chunping Xu

Patrick Dussault Publications

The Curtius and Wolff rearrangements of peroxide-containing alkanoyl azides and diazoketones provide an efficient entry to peroxysubstituted amines, isocyanates, carbamates, and peroxyalkanoates.

Includes 6 pages of "Experimental/Supporting Information" not published with the printed journal edition, and previously available only online.

The Role Of Reactivity In Multiagent Learning, Bikramjit Banerjee, Jing Peng

Department of Computer Science Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In this paper we take a closer look at a recently proposed classification scheme for multiagent learning algorithms. Based on this scheme an exploitation mechanism (we call it the Exploiter) was developed that could beat various Policy Hill Climbers (PHC) and other fair opponents in some repeated matrix games. We show on the contrary that some fair opponents may actually beat the Exploiter in repeated games. This clearly indicates a deficiency in the original classification scheme which we address. Specifically, we introduce a new measure called Reactivity that measures how fast a learner can adapt to an unexpected hypothetical change …

History-Adjusted Marginal Structural Models And Statically-Optimal Dynamic Treatment Regimes, Mark J. Van Der Laan, Maya L. Petersen

U.C. Berkeley Division of Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Marginal structural models (MSM) provide a powerful tool for estimating the causal effect of a treatment. These models, introduced by Robins, model the marginal distributions of treatment-specific counterfactual outcomes, possibly conditional on a subset of the baseline covariates. Marginal structural models are particularly useful in the context of longitudinal data structures, in which each subject's treatment and covariate history are measured over time, and an outcome is recorded at a final time point. However, the utility of these models for some applications has been limited by their inability to incorporate modification of the causal effect of treatment by time-varying covariates. …

Production Of A Kev X-Ray Beam From Synchrotron Radiation In Relativistic Laser-Plasma Interaction, Antoine Rousse, Kim Ta Phuoc, Rahul Shah, Alexander Pukhov, Eric Lefebvre, Victor Malka, Sergey Kiselev, Frederic Burgy, Jean-Philippe Rousseau, Donald P. Umstadter, Daniele Hulin

Donald Umstadter Publications

We demonstrate that a beam of x-ray radiation can be generated by simply focusing a single high-intensity laser pulse into a gas jet. A millimeter-scale laser-produced plasma creates, accelerates, and wiggles an ultrashort and relativistic electron bunch. As they propagate in the ion channel produced in the wake of the laser pulse, the accelerated electrons undergo betatron oscillations, generating a femtosecond pulse of synchrotron radiation, which has keV energy and lies within a narrow (50 mrad) cone angle.

South Florida Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Network Quarterly Report (C-15397), Joseph N. Boyer

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Movements Of Urban Canada Geese: Implications For Nicarbazin Treatment Programs, Kurt C. Vercauteren, David R. Marks

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Resident Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and human populations in North America are increasing rapidly. Consequently, human-goose conflicts also are increasing. A potential approach to manage Canada goose populations is the use of orally delivered reproductive inhibitors. Nicarbazin, when ingested daily, is a reproductive inhibitor that has the potential to reduce the hatchability of Canada goose eggs. To successfully employ reproductive inhibition, managers must understand the behavior of local Canada goose populations, primarily springtime movements, nesting, and habitat use to develop effective methods for delivering necessary doses. We monitored movement, habitat use, and nesting of 51 resident Canada geese, …

The Program Of Gene Transcription For A Single Differentiating Cell Type During Sporulation In Bacillus Subtilis, Patrick Eichenberger, Masaya Fujita, Shane T. Jensen, Erin M. Conlon, David Z. Rudner, Stephanie T. Wang, Caitlin Ferguson, Koki Haga, Tsutomu Sato, Jun S. Liu, Richard Losick

Erin M. Conlon

Asymmetric division during sporulation by Bacillus subtilis generates a mother cell that undergoes a 5-h program of differentiation. The program is governed by a hierarchical cascade consisting of the transcription factors: σE, σK, GerE, GerR, and SpoIIID. The program consists of the activation and repression of 383 genes. The σE factor turns on 262 genes, including those for GerR and SpoIIID. These DNA-binding proteins downregulate almost half of the genes in the σE regulon. In addition, SpoIIID turns on ten genes, including genes involved in the appearance of σK. Next, σK activates 75 additional genes, including that for GerE. This …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Dendrimer Templated Supported Bimetallic Pt-Au Nanoparticles, Huifang Lang, S. Maldonado, K. J. Stevenson, Bert D. Chandler

Chemistry Faculty Research

Bimetallic dendrimer-stabilized nanoparticles (DSNs) were used to prepare supported Pt-Au catalysts within the bulk miscibility gap for this binary system. Hydroxy-terminated generation 5 PAMAM dendrimers were used to prepare Cu0 nanoparticles (NPs). The Cu⁰ NPs were subsequently used to reduce K₂PtCl₄ and HAuCl₄, preparing stabilized bimetallic Pt-Au NPs with a 1:1 stoichiometry. The stabilized NPs were adsorbed onto a high surface area silica support and thermally activated to remove the dendrimers. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed CO showed that this preparation route resulted in NPs in …

Red Rock Desert Learning Center Core Group Meeting: September 21, 2004, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Reports (RRLC)

1. Introductions (5 min.)
2. Approval of Minutes from August 17 Meeting (5 minutes)
3. Potential Tie-in with City of Las Vegas New Directions YouthArts Program –
   Markus Tracy (20 min.)
4. Presentation of Education in the Environment Curriculum Matrix and correlation to
   RRDLC curriculum development – Jeanne Klockow (30 min.)
5. Discussion of Policy-making Board for the Center – Michael Reiland (15 min.)
6. Discussion of Observatory Location – Michael Reiland (25 min.)
7. Standing Reports (20 minutes)
   A. Line and Space Architects Update – Les Wallach/Henry Tom
   B. UNLV/CESU Update – Nancy Flagg
   C. RRCNCA Capital Improvements Update – BLM
8. Committee Reports (10 min.)
   A. …

Solvent And Method For Extraction Of Triglyceride Rich Oil, Shubhender Kapila, Paul Ki-Souk Nam, V. J. Flanigan

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The present invention relates to a solvent for use in extracting oil from an oil bearing material, such as soybeans, with the solvent resulting in the selective extraction of a triglyceride rich oil, which contains 95% or greater triglycerides and non-polar constituents, with the solvent comprised of a hydrocarbon, preferably hexane, and a fluorocarbon, so that the solvent has a viscosity less than 2.6 centipoise and a polarity of less than 0.1. The present invention also relates to a method of using the solvent to extract the triglyceride rich oil, with the method including preferably extracting the oil at a …

On The Uscrn Temperature System, Kenneth Hubbard, X. Lin, C.B. Baker

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

In 2004 a new aspirated surface air temperature system was officially deployed nationally in the U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) commissioned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin- istration. The primary goal of the USCRN is to provide future long-term and high-quality homogeneous observations of surface air temperature and precipitation that can be coupled to past long-term observations for the detection and attribution of present and future climate change. In this paper two precision air temperature systems are included for evaluating the new USCRN air temperature system based on a 1-yr side-by-side field comparison. The measurement errors of the USCRN …

First Principles Study Of Transition-Metal Substitutions In Sm–Co Permanent Magnets, Renat F. Sabirianov, Arti Kashyap, Ralph Skomski, Sitaram Jaswal, David J. Sellmyer

David Sellmyer Publications

The microchemistry and magnetism of conventional and high-temperature Sm–Co permanent magnets are investigated by first-principles calculations. Particular emphasis is on the site preference for the substitution of Cu, Ti, and Zr in SmCo₅ and Sm₂Co₁₇ compounds. Cu substitution is more favorable in the 1:5 phase, in agreement with experimental findings. Titanium and zirconium have positive solution energies for both the phases, with Ti(Zr) having slight preference for the 1:5 (2:17) phase. Some Zr may segregate to the phase boundaries because of its large solution energy. For Ti and Zr the dumbbell site of the 2:17 phase …

In Situ Enzymatic Screening (Ises) Of P,N-Ligands For Ni(0)- Mediated Asymmetric Intramolecular Allylic Amination, David B. Berkowitz, Weijun Shen, Gourhari Maiti

David Berkowitz Publications

An in situ enzymatic screening (ISES) approach to rapid catalyst evaluation recently pointed to Ni(0) as a new candidate transition metal for intramolecular allylic amination. This led to further exploration of chiral bidentate phosphine ligands for such transformations. Herein, a variety of P,N-ligands are examined for this Ni(0)-chemistry, using a model reaction leading into the vinylglycinol scaffold. On the one hand, an N,N-bis(2-diphenylphosphinoethyl)alkylamine (‘PNP’) ligand proved to be the fastest ligand yet seen for this Ni(0)-transformation. On the other, phosphinooxazoline (PHOX) ligands of the Pfaltz–Helmchen– Williams variety gave the highest enantioselectivities (up to 51% ee) among P,N-ligands …

Polarization-Dependent Electron Affinity Of Linbo3 Surfaces, W.-C. Yang, B. J. Rodriguez, Alexei Gruverman, R. J. Nemanich

Alexei Gruverman Publications

Polar surfaces of a ferroelectric LiNbO₃ crystal with periodically poled domains are explored using UV-photoelectron emission microscopy (PEEM). Compared with the positive domains (domains with positive surface polarization charges), a higher photoelectric yield is found from the negative domains (domains with negative surface polarization charges), indicating a lower photothreshold and a corresponding lower electron affinity. The photon-energy-dependent contrast in the PEEM images of the surfaces indicates that the photothreshold of the negative domains is ~4.6 eV while that of the positive domains is greater than ~6.2 eV. We propose that the threshold difference between the opposite domains can be …

A Hypothesis Test For The End Of A Common Source Outbreak, Ron Brookmeyer, Xiaojun You

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

The objective of this paper is to develop a hypothesis testing procedure to determine whether a common source outbreak has ended. We do not assume that the calendar date of exposure to the pathogen is known. We assume an underlying parametric model for the incubation period distribution of a 2-paramter exponential model with a guarantee time, although the parameters are not assumed to be known. The hypothesis testing procedure is based on the spacings between ordered calendar dates of disease onset of the cases. A simulation study was performed to evaluate the robustness of the methods to a lognormal model …

Abstracts Of Papers From 6th Annual Meeting, Baltimore 2004

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 6th (2004)

Abstracts of 39 papers and 19 poster presentations.

Stark Width And Shift Of The Neutral Argon 425.9 Nm Spectral Line, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Vida Zigman, Stevan Djenize

Articles

The Stark parameters, the width (W) and the shift (d), of the neutral argon (Ar I) 425.9 nm spectral line have been studied in a linear, low-pressure, optically thin pulsed arc discharge. The line shapes are measured in three different plasmas at about 16,000 K electron temperature (T) and about 7.0×10²² m⁻³ electron density (N). The separate electron and ion contributions to the total Stark width (W_t), i.e. W_e and W_i, as well as to the total Stark shift (d_t), i.e. …

Kinematics Of X‐Ray–Emitting Components In Cassiopeia A, Tracey Delaney, Lawrence Rudnick, Robert A. Fesen, T. W. Jones

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present high-resolution X-ray proper-motion measurements of Cassiopeia A using Chandra X-Ray Observatory observations from 2000 and 2002. We separate the emission into four spectrally distinct classes: Si-dominated, Fe-dominated, low-energy-enhanced, and continuum-dominated. These classes also represent distinct spatial and kinematic components. The Si- and Fe-dominated classes are ejecta and have a mean expansion rate of 0.2% yr-1. This is the same as for the forward shock filaments but less than the 0.3% yr-1 characteristic of optical ejecta. The low-energy-enhanced spectral class possibly illuminates a clumpy circumstellar component and has a mean expansion rate of 0.05% yr-1. The continuum-dominated emission likely …

Optimal Sampling Times In Bioequivalence Studies Using A Simulated Annealing Algorithm , Leena Choi, Brian Caffo, Charles Rohde

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

In pharmacokinetic (PK) studies, blood samples are taken over time on subjects after the administration of a drug to measure the time-course of the plasma drug concentrations. In bioequivalence studies, the trapezoidal rule on the sampled time points is often used to estimate the area under the plasma concentration-time curve, a quantity of principle interest. This manuscript investigates the choice of sampling time points to estimate the area under the curve. In particular, we explore the relative merits of several objective functions, those functions which are minimized with respect to the sampling times to obtain an optimal study design. We …