Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Controlled Self-Organization And Tunable Collective Phenomena In Surface-Based Nanostructures, Eun Ju Moon

Doctoral Dissertations

Nanostructure systems possessing certain desirable features can arise from the self-organization of fundamental building blocks. In this thesis we explore two types of controlled self-assembly mechanisms in hetero-epitaxy: (a) classical assembly of atom vacancies into quasi one-dimensional line structures and (b) quantum-driven assembly of atoms into atomically-smooth two-dimensional thin films. In the classical assembly phenomenon, adatom vacancies, created via elastic strain-relaxation in compressively strained atom chains on a silicon substrate, self-organize into meandering vacancy lines. The average spacing between these line defects can be varied by adjusting the chemical potential μ of the adsorbed atoms. We implemented a lattice model …

Biological Simulations And Biologically Inspired Adaptive Systems, Edgar Alfredo Duenez-Guzman

Doctoral Dissertations

Many of the most challenging problems in modern science lie at the interface of several fields. To study these problems, there is a pressing need for trans-disciplinary research incorporating computational and mathematical models. This dissertation presents a selection of new computational and mathematical techniques applied to biological simulations and problem solving: (i) The dynamics of alliance formation in primates are studied using a continuous time individual-based model. It is observed that increasing the cognitive abilities of individuals stabilizes alliances in a phase transition-like manner. Moreover, with strong cultural transmission an egalitarian regime is established in a few generations. (ii) A …

Physical Adsorption Of Ethylene On Mgo(100): Effects Of Substrate Ionicity And Symmetry On Wetting, Andi Barbour

Doctoral Dissertations

The wetting behavior of ethylene adsorbed on MgO(100) was investigated from 83{ 135 K using high resolution volumetric adsorption isotherms. Layering transitions for ethylene on MgO(100) are observed below the bulk triple point at 79.2 K and 98.4 K, respectively. From these isotherms, thermodynamic quantities associated with physical adsorption are determined. It was found that the average area occupied by ethylene on MgO(100) is around 22.6 squared angstroms per molecule. Using the two dimensional isothermal compressibility, the location of two potential phase transitions are identified at 108.6 K and 116.5 K for the first and second layer, respectively. The potential …

Sequence-Based Specification Of Embedded Systems, Jason Martin Carter

Doctoral Dissertations

Software has become integral to the control mechanism of modern devices. From transportation and medicine to entertainment and recreation, embedded systems integrate fundamentally with time and the physical world to impact our lives; therefore, product dependability and safety are of paramount importance.

Model-based design has evolved as an effective way to prototype systems and to analyze system function through simulation. This process mitigates the problems and risks associated with embedding software into consumer and industrial products. However, the most difficult tasks remain: Getting the requirements right and reducing them to precise specifications for development, and providing compelling evidence that the …

Studies Of Tungsten Alkyl Alkylidyne Compounds And Iron Porphyrin Derivatives, Brenda Ann Dougan

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on two research projects. The first project examines the reactions of tungsten(VI) alkyl alkylidyne and bis-alkylidene complexes with phosphines and water and the studies of thermodynamics and kinetics of the reactions. These studies have been conducted in part to determine the mechanistic pathway in the formation of novel tungsten(VI) species. The second portion of this dissertation focuses on the spin density and structures of biomimetic Fe(III) porphyrin derivatives using neutron and X-ray diffraction techniques. The spin density and magnetic properties of an Fe(III) porphyrin derivative has been determined by polarized neutron diffraction.

In the first portion of …

The Design And Synthesis Of Biotinylated Tylophorine Analogues For Use As Affinity Probes In The Elucidation Of The Cellular Targets Of Dcb-3503, Samson Francis

Doctoral Dissertations

The tylophorine analogue, DCB-3503 (1-62b, NSC-716802), has been found to exhibit broad spectrum activity in vitro in the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) panel of 60 human-derived cell lines. Recent studies involving HepG2, a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, and two pancreatic ductal carcinoma cell lines (PANC-1 and HPAC), have suggested that DCB-3503 (1-62b) exerts its unique growth inhibition properties by modulating nuclear factor kappa B activity as well as through the inhibition of nuclear protein synthesis. However, the physiologically relevant protein binding partner(s) of DCB-3503 (1-62b) have not been identified. Herein, the design and …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Branched Polyelectrolytes: Star-Branched Napss, Daniel W. Holley

Doctoral Dissertations

In this thesis, we examined the effect of branching on the solution characteristics of polyelectrolytes using a set of star-branched NaPSS. The polystyrene precursors to these polyelectrolytes were synthesized using anionic polymerization allowing for the production of three distinct groups of star-branched polystyrenes with varying functionality and arm length.

Following sulfonation, several methods commonly employed in the literature for evaluation of sulfonation degree we established that sulfonation was quantitative. TGA was also demonstrated to reveal important characteristics of the sample.

We used aqueous SEC coupled with a multiple angle light scattering detector to determine several molecular characteristics of the star-branched …

Design And Synthesis Of Novel Tylophorine Analogs And Their Biological Activity, Julio Gutierrez

Doctoral Dissertations

Alkaloids containing the nitrogen atom in the bridgehead position of two rings, such as indolizidine, pyrrolizidine, and quinolizidine alkaloids, have a wide and varied distribution in nature. Some of these alkaloids demonstrate a broad range of pharmacological activities and have generated substantial synthetic interest. This thesis covers the total synthesis of novel tylophorine analogs called DCB 3503, DCB 3506, DCB 3507, DCB 3508, DCB 3509, and a derivative with a biotinylated chain attached to DCB 3506 for use as a biological probe. This thesis discusses the biological activity of these compounds as well.

Deciphering Climate From The Characterization Of Ring Width, Carbon, And Oxygen Isotopes In Latewood Tree-Ring Cellulose, Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas, Usa, Daniel Bruce Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations

Trees are excellent archives of paleoclimatic information. They can preserve records of past temperature, precipitation, drought, and extreme weather events. The focus of this dissertation is to use tree ring width, carbon isotopes, oxygen isotopes from multiple trees to characterize climate variability and the tree-ring tropical cyclone record. Living longleaf pine trees (Pinus palustris Mill.) were sampled from the Turkey Creek and Big Sandy Creek Units at Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas. Annual tree rings were measured and assigned yearly calendar dates. The latewood portion of each annual ring was shaved with a scalpel, and alpha-cellulose was extracted for …

Development And Implementation Of A New Technique To Study (P,Α) Reactions Relevant To Nucleosynthesis In Binary Systems, Brian Hossain Moazen

Doctoral Dissertations

The accurate determination of the strengths and energies of resonances in (p,alpha) reactions is important for understanding the influence of reaction cycles to element synthesis in many astrophysical environments. Thus far, (p,alpha) studies in inverse kinematics have employed solid polypropylene targets. These are not always advantageous, especially when the energy loss of the incoming beam in the solid target is significantly larger than the resonance width. At the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility, a new technique has been developed for measuring the strengths and energies of (p,alpha) reactions. In this technique, a large differentially-pumped scattering chamber is filled with hydrogen …

Static And Dynamic Scheduling For Effective Use Of Multicore Systems, Fengguang Song

Doctoral Dissertations

Multicore systems have increasingly gained importance in high performance computers. Compared to the traditional microarchitectures, multicore architectures have a simpler design, higher performance-to-area ratio, and improved power efficiency. Although the multicore architecture has various advantages, traditional parallel programming techniques do not apply to the new architecture efficiently. This dissertation addresses how to determine optimized thread schedules to improve data reuse on shared-memory multicore systems and how to seek a scalable solution to designing parallel software on both shared-memory and distributed-memory multicore systems.

We propose an analytical cache model to predict the number of cache misses on the time-sharing L2 cache …

Exercise Power Grid Display And Web Interface, Alexander (Alex) Chernetz

Computer Engineering

The 2008-2009 expansion of the Recreation Center at Cal Poly includes three new rooms with cardiovascular fitness equipment. As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainable development, the new machines connect to the main power grid and generate power during a workout. This document explains the process of quantifying and expressing the power generated using two interfaces: an autonomous display designed for a television with a text size and amount of detail adaptable to multiple television sizes and viewing distances, and an interactive, more detailed Web interface accessible with any Java-capable computer system or browser.

Social Behaviors Of Modern And Indigenous Peoples Impacting The Ecology Of The Amazon Rain Forest In Brazil, Josef W. Schaffer

Earth and Soil Sciences

Human induced disruption of the environment is prevalent in every culture. In Brazil, the effects of massive deforestation have become apparent since the nineteen eighties. However, along with deforestation, and a coinciding loss in an economic resource for the country, is a significant loss of natural habitat and species extinction. The Amazon in Brazil contains a large proportion of the world’s species diversity that is threatened by the socio-economic activities of modern Brazilian culture. Historically and presently, indigenous groups have contributed to insignificant levels of ecological disruption and are themselves threatened by the activities of modern Brazilians. The effects of …

Creation Of Soil Liquefaction Susceptibility Maps For San Luis Obispo & Marin Counties Using Geographic Information Systems., Amelia M. Lowman

Earth and Soil Sciences

Liquefaction of soils in response to earthquake shaking is a pressing issue in the state of California. Using Geographic Information Systems, Geological and lithology layers, along with criteria in order to separate out the data into four risk categories, a liquefaction risk assessment map was created for San Luis Obispo and Marin Counties. The accuracy of these maps was then assessed using liquefaction occurrences for San Luis Obispo County, and it was determined that while the map is somewhat accurate, in order to obtain a greater amount of accuracy and increase the usefulness of these maps, more data would need …

An Evaluation Of Potential Technologies For A Web Based Development Environment For Cs1 Students, Manuel Garcia

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The goal of this senior project was to design a web-based integrated development environment that would incorporate Web-CAT. Web-CAT is an automated testing tool designed by Stephen Edwards at Virginia Tech University, to help beginning students learn test-driven development. This tool runs on a server where a professor assigns usernames and passwords to students so they can submit code. This program can assist professors in grading, and students in showing errors in code. The development environment design waskept simple to create less confusion for beginning programming students. This development environment will be online to give all students universal access and …

Development Of Regional Hydraulic Geometry Curves For The Santa Cruz Mountains, Sarah Howell

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

This study was conducted to develop regional hydraulic geometry curves for the Santa Cruz Mountains that could be used in stream related and/or engineering projects. Data used to form these curves was collected from the USGS and by conducting stream geometry surveys. The resulting regional curves had high R² values ranging from .82 to .92. Compared to other regional curves in nearby areas, the Santa Cruz Mountains regional curve equations have higher exponents, meaning bankfull channel measurements increase at faster rates as drainage areas increases. Further measurements and analysis should be done before applying these curves to project sites.

The Malawi Project: From Conventional To Holistic Decision Making, Grace Wetmore

Animal Science

How the Cal Poly Malawi Appropriate Technologies Team, and other development groups, can use Holistic Management to aid developing countries in an effort towards a sustainable future.

2,5-Dichlorothiophene 1,1-Dioxide, Jonathan B. Briggs, Wenling Jia, Mikael D. Jazdzyk, Glen P. Miller

Chemistry

The complete molecule of the title compound, C(4)H(2)Cl(2)O(2)S, is generated by crystallographic twofold symmetry, with the S atom lying on the rotation axis. In the crystal, the molecules are linked by C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds..

Plato's Ghost: The Modernist Transformation Of Mathematics (Book Review), Calvin Jongsma

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Reviewed Title: Plato's Ghost: The Modernist Transformation of Mathematics by Jeremy Gray. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2008. 515 pages. ISBN 9780691136103.

An Enduring Technology: The Horse Logging Tradition In Maine, James E. Passanisi

Maine History

No abstract provided.

The Crystal Chemistry Of Holtite, L. A. Groat, Edward S. Grew, R. J. Evans, A. Pieczka, T. S. Ercit

Earth Science Faculty Scholarship

Holtite, approximately (Al,Ta,square)Al(6)(BO(3))(Si,Sb(3+),As(3+))(Sigma 3)O(12)(O,OH,square)(Sigma 3), is a member of the dumortierite group that has been found in pegmatite, or alluvial deposits derived from pegmatite, at three localities: Greenbushes, Western Australia; Voron'i Tundry, Kola Peninsula, Russia; and Szklary, Lower Silesia, Poland. Holtite can contain >30 wt.% Sb(2)O(3), As(2)O(3), Ta(2)O(5), Nb(2)O(5), and TiO(2) (taken together), but none of these constituents is dominant at a crystallographic site, which raises the question whether this mineral is distinct from dumortierite. The crystal structures of four samples from the three localities have been refined to R(1) = 0.02-0.05. The results show dominantly: Al, Ta, and vacancies …

Antarctic Climate Change And The Environment, Peter Convey, R. Bindschadler, G. Di Prisco, E. Fahrbach, J. Gutt, D. A. Hodgson, Paul Andrew Mayewski, C. P. Summerhayes, J. Turner, Acce Consortium

Earth Science Faculty Scholarship

The Antarctic climate system varies on timescales from orbital, through millennial to sub-annual, and is closely coupled to other parts of the global climate system. We review these variations from the perspective of the geological and glaciological records and the recent historical period from which we have instrumental data (similar to the last 50 years). We consider their consequences for the biosphere, and show how the latest numerical models project changes into the future, taking into account human actions in the form of the release of greenhouse gases and chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere. In doing so, we provide an essential …

Minerva 2009, The Honors College

Minerva

This issue of Minerva includes a story on alumna Betsy Leitch and her husband Bill Leitch, Betsy's connection to Colvin Hall, and their ongoing support of Honors; an article about Colvin Hall renovations and the opening of the Margaret Chase Smith Visiting Faculty Suite; and an interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning Honors graduate, Bettina Boxall. Other highlights include the story of Honors graduate Adam Jones and his involvement in saving the USS Alabama.

Distribution And Diversity Of Archaeal And Bacterial Ammonia Oxidizers In Salt Marsh Sediments, Nicole S. Moin, Katelyn A. Nelson, Alexander Bush, Anne E. Bernhard

Biology Faculty Publications

Diversity and abundance of ammonia-oxidizing Betaproteobacteria (β-AOB) and archaea (AOA) were investigated in a New England salt marsh at sites dominated by short or tall Spartina alterniflora (SAS and SAT sites, respectively) or Spartina patens (SP site). AOA amoA gene richness was higher than β-AOB amoA richness at SAT and SP, but AOA and β-AOB richness were similar at SAS. β-AOB amoA clone libraries were composed exclusively of Nitrosospira-like amoA genes. AOA amoA genes at SAT and SP were equally distributed between the water column/sediment and soil/sediment clades, while AOA amoA sequences at SAS were primarily affiliated with the …

Partially Coherent Standard And Elegant Laguerre-Gaussian Beams Of All Orders, Fei Wang, Yangjian Cai, Olga Korotkova

Physics Articles and Papers

Partially coherent standard and elegant Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams of all orders are introduced as a natural extension of coherent standard and elegant LG beams to the stochastic domain. By expanding the LG modes into a finite sum of Hermite-Gaussian modes, the analytical formulae are obtained for the cross-spectral densities of partially coherent standard and elegant LG beams in the source plane and after passing through paraxial ABCD optical system, based on the generalized Collins integral formula. A comparative study of the propagation properties of the partially coherent standard and elegant LG beams in free space is carried out via a …

The Ecology Of The Peaks Of Otter Salamander (Plethodon Hubrichti) In Sympatry With The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon Cinereus), Norman Reichenbach, Andrew Kniowski

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Peaks of Otter Salamander, Plethodon hubrichti, is found along a 19 km length of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia, USA, often in sympatry with the Eastern Red-backed Salamander, P. cinereus. In a sympatric area of Bedford County, Virginia, we conducted a mark-recapture study on a 10 × 10 m site. Surface densities of salamanders increased as the number of days without precipitation prior to a collection event increased. This suggests vertical movements in response to surface moisture. When salamanders returned to the surface after rain, individuals appeared to “shuffle” between rocks and likely, leaf litter. That is, we were …

Computational Exploration Of The Interaction Of Molecular Hydrogen With An Anionic Hydrogen Atom, Patrick Karl Moehlen

Doctoral Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is to facilitate the computation of the infrared absorption line shape of solid para-hydrogen with an anionic hydrogen atom dopant. For this, we compute the complete potential energy surface for the interaction of H¯ with H². The coupled cluster with singles, doubles, and perturbative treatment of triple excitations method was used with augmented correlationconsistent polarized valence triple-zeta atom-centered basis sets and a set of bonding functions.

The focus then turns to describing the rovibrational Hamiltonian of the system with the coupledchannel method. We find bound and quasi-bound stationary states of the system for …

A 236-Ghz Fe3+ Epr Study Of Nanoparticles Of The Ferromagnetic Room-Temperature Semiconductor Sn1-XFeXO2 (X = 0.005), Sushil K. Misra, S. I. Andronenko, Alex Punnoose, Dmitry Tipikin, J. H. Freed

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

High-frequency (236 GHz) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of Fe³⁺ ions at 255 K are reported in a Sn_1-xFe_xO₂ powder with x = 0.005, which is a ferromagnetic semiconductor at room temperature. The observed EPR spectrum can be simulated reasonably well as the overlap of spectra due to four magnetically inequivalent high-spin (HS) Fe³⁺ ions (S = 5/2). The spectrum intensity is calculated, using the overlap I(BL) + (I(HS1) + I(HS2) + I(HS3) + I(HS4)) 9 x e^-0.00001xB, where B is the magnetic field intensity …

Uniform Stabilization Of N-Dimensional Vibrating Equation Modeling ‘Standard Linear Model’ Of Viscoelasticity, Ganesh C. Gorain

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper, we deal with the elastic vibrations of flexible structures modeled by the ‘standard linear model’ of viscoelasticity in n-dimensional space. We study the uniform exponential stabilization of such kind of vibrations after incorporating separately very small amount of passive viscous damping and internal material damping of Kelvin-Viogt type in the model. Explicit forms of exponential energy decay rates are obtained by a direct method, for the solution of such boundary value problems without having to introduce any boundary feedback.

Optimal Filtering Of An Advertising Production System With Deteriorating Items, Lakhdar Aggoun, Ali Benmerzouga, Lotfi Tadj

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper, we consider an integrated stochastic advertising-production system in the case of a duopoly. Two firms spend certain amounts to advertise some product. The expenses processes evolve according to the jumps of two homogeneous, finite-state Markov chains. We assume that the items in stock may be subject to deterioration and the deterioration parameter is assumed to be random.