Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Real-Time Regularized Ultrasound Elastography, Hassan Rivaz

Link Foundation Modeling, Simulation and Training Fellowship Reports

This paper introduces two real-time elastography techniques based on analytic minimization (AM) of regularized cost functions. The first method (1D AM) produces axial strain and integer lateral displacement, while the second method (2D AM) produces both axial and lateral strains. The cost functions incorporate similarity of RF data intensity and displacement continuity, making both AM methods robust to small decorrelations present throughout the image. We also exploit techniques from robust statistics to make the methods resistant to large local decorrelations. We further introduce Kalman filtering for calculating the strain field from the displacement field given by the AM methods. Simulation …

Creating Lakes From Open Pit Mines: Processes And Considerations, Emphasis On Northern Environments, Christopher H. Gammons, Les N. Harris, James M. Castro, Peter A. Cott, Bruce W. Hanna

Geological Engineering

Creating Lakes from Open Pit Mines: Processes and Considerations, Emphasis on Northern Environments. This document summarizes the literature of mining pit lakes (through 2007), with a particular focus on issues that are likely to be of special relevance to the creation and management of pit lakes in northern climates. Pit lakes are simply waterbodies formed by filling the open pit left upon the completion of mining operations with water. Like natural lakes, mining pit lakes display a huge diversity in each of these subject areas. However, pit lakes are young and therefore are typically in a non-equilibrium state with respect …

A New Construction Of Smooth Surfaces From Triangle Meshes Using Parametric Pseudo-Manifolds, Marcelo Siqueira, Dianna Xu, Jean Gallier, Luis Gustavo Nonato, Dimas Martinez Morera, Luiz Velho

Computer Science Faculty Research and Scholarship

We introduce a new manifold-based construction for fitting a smooth surface to a triangle mesh of arbitrary topology. Our construction combines in novel ways most of the best features of previous constructions and, thus, it fills the gap left by them. We also introduce a theoretical framework that provides a sound justification for the correctness of our construction. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our manifold-based construction with a few concrete examples.

Persistent Patterns And Multifractality In Fluid Mixing, Bala Sundaram, Andrew C. Poje, Arjendu K. Pattanayak

Faculty Work

Persistent patterns in periodically driven dynamics have been reported in a wide variety of contexts ranging from table-top and ocean-scale fluid mixing systems to the weak quantum-classical transition in open Hamiltonian systems. We illustrate a common framework for the emergence of these patterns by considering a simple measure of structure maintenance provided by the average radius of the scalar distribution in transform space. Within this framework, scaling laws related to both the formation and persistence of patterns in phase space are presented. Further, preliminary results linking the scaling exponents associated with the persistent patterns to the multifractal nature of the …

Diversity Graphs, P Blain, C Davis, Allen G. Holder, J Silva, C Vinzant

Mathematics Faculty Research

Bipartite graphs have long been used to study and model matching problems, and in this paper we introduce the bipartite graphs that explain a recent matching problem in computational biology. The problem is to match haplotypes to genotypes in a way that minimizes the number of haplotypes, a problem called the Pure Parsimony problem. The goal of this work is not to address the computational or biological issues but rather to explore the mathematical structure through a study of the underlying graph theory.

Radiotherapy Optimal Design: An Academic Radiotherapy Treatment Design System, Ryan Acosta, William Brick, A Hanna, Allen G. Holder, D Lara, G Mcquilen, D Nevin, P Uhlig, B Salter

Mathematics Faculty Research

Optimally designing radiotherapy and radiosurgery treatments to increase the likelihood of a successful recovery from cancer is an important application of operations research. Researchers have been hindered by the lack of academic software that supports head-to-head comparisons of different techniques, and this article addresses the inherent difficulties of designing and implementing an academic treatment planning system. In particular, this article details the algorithms and the software design of Radiotherapy optimAl Design (RAD).

Patterning High Surface Area Silica With Lysozyme: Adsorption Kinetics, Fluorescence Quenching, And Protein Readsorption Studies To Evaluate The Templated Surface, Rachel M. Greer, Brittni A. Scruggs, R Alan May, Bert D. Chandler

Chemistry Faculty Research

A method was developed for using an inexpensive and widely available protein, hen egg white lysozyme, as a patterning agent for commercial high surface area silicas. The basic patterning methodology involved spontaneous adsorption of the protein from aqueous solution, alkylation of the uncovered surface with an alkylsiloxane, and protein desorption in a slightly alkaline solution of morpholine. Adsorption kinetic studies using Bradford assays assisted in determining protein deposition conditions. These studies were generally consistent with results on more planar silica surfaces and indicated that the protein quickly and strongly adsorbs along its long axis at low surface coverages. A modified …

Atp-Dependent Unwinding Of U4/U6 Snrnas By The Brr2 Helicase Requires The C Terminus Of Prp8, Corina Maeder, A. K. Kutach, C. Guthrie

Chemistry Faculty Research

The spliceosome is a highly dynamic machine requiring multiple RNA-dependent ATPases of the DExD/H-box family. A fundamental unanswered question is how their activities are regulated. Brr2 function is necessary for unwinding the U4/U6 duplex, a step essential for catalytic activation of the spliceosome. Here we show that Brr2-dependent dissociation of U4/U6 snRNAs in vitro is activated by a fragment from the C terminus of the U5 snRNP protein Prp8. In contrast to its helicase-stimulating activity, this fragment inhibits Brr2 U4/U6-dependent ATPase activity. Notably, U4/U6 unwinding activity is not stimulated by fragments carrying alleles of prp8 that in humans confers an …

Oligocarbonate Molecular Transporters: Oligomerization-Based Syntheses And Cell-Penetrating Studies, Christina B. Cooley, B. M. Trantow, F. Nederberg, M. K. Kiesewetter, J. L. Hedrick, R. M. Waymouth, P. A. Wender

Chemistry Faculty Research

A new family of guanidinium-rich molecular transporters featuring a novel oligocarbonate backbone with 1,7-side chain spacing is described. Conjugates can be rapidly assembled irrespective of length in a one-step oligomerization strategy that can proceed with concomitant introduction of probes (or by analogy drugs). The new transporters exhibit excellent cellular entry as determined by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy, and the functionality of their drug delivery capabilities was confirmed by the delivery of the bioluminescent small molecule probe luciferin and turnover by its intracellular target enzyme.

Organocatalysis With Endogenous Compounds: Towards Novel Non-Enzymatic Reactions, David G. Alberg, Thomas B. Poulsen, Søren Bertelsen, Kasper L. Christensen, Rune D. Birkler, Mogens Johannsen, Karl Anker Jørgensen

Faculty Work

The aldol reaction of the endogeneous compounds acetone and methylglyoxal has been studied using organocatalysis in relation to biologically relevant non-enzymatic reactions. Under preparative conditions, 3-hydroxy-2,5-hexadione, known as Henze’s ketol, is formed in high yield and with enantioselectivities up to 88% ee. Furthermore, Henze’s ketol is also formed under simulated physiological conditions at micromolar scale, indicating that this reaction might take place in living organisms.

Estimating The Contribution Of Point Sources To Atmospheric Metals Using Single-Particle Mass Spectrometry, David C. Snyder, James J. Schauer, Deborah S. Gross, Jay R. Turner

Faculty Work

Single-particle mass spectra were collected using an Aerosol Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS) during December of 2003 and February of 2004 at an industrially impacted location in East St. Louis, IL. Hourly integrated peak areas for twenty ions were evaluated for their suitability in representing metals/metalloids, particularly those reported in the US EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). Of the initial twenty ions examined, six (Al, As, Cu, Hg, Ti, and V) were found to be unsuitable due to strong isobaric interferences with commonly observed organic fragments, and one (Be) was found to have no significant signal. The usability of three ions …

Subarctic Atmospheric Aerosol Composition: 2. Hygroscopic Growth Properties, Hanna Herich, Lukas Kammermann, Beth Friedman, Deborah S. Gross, Ernest Weingartner, Ulrike Lohmann, Peter Spichtinger, Martin Gysel, Urs Baltensperger, Daniel J. Cziczo

Faculty Work

Subarctic aerosols were sampled during July 2007 at the Abisko Scientific Research Station Stordalen site in northern Sweden with an instrument setup consisting of a custombuilt Hygroscopicity Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (HTDMA) connected in series to a single particle mass spectrometer. Aerosol chemical composition in the form of bipolar single particle mass spectra was determined as a function of hygroscopic growth both in situ and in real time. The HTDMA was deployed at a relative humidity of 82%, and particles with a dry mobility diameter of 260 nm were selected. Aerosols from two distinct air masses were analyzed during the …

11443, Eugen J. Ionascu

Faculty Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Artifact Preservation, Thomas Dolan

Faculty Bibliography

No abstract provided.

A Characterization Of Regular Tetrahedra In Z3, Eugen J. Ionascu

Faculty Bibliography

In this note we characterize all regular tetrahedra whose vertices in R 3 have integer coordinates. The main result is a consequence of the characterization of all equilateral triangles having integer coordinates ([3]). Previous work on this topic began in [4]. We will use this characterization to point out some corollaries. The number of such tetrahedra whose vertices are in the finite set {0, 1, 2, ..., n} 3 , n ∈ N, is related to the sequence A103158 in the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences ([9]).

The Investigation Of Epr Paramagnetic Probe Line Width And Shape Temperature Dependence In High-Temperature Superconductors Of Bi–Pb–Sr–Ca–Cu–O System, J. G. Chigvinadze, Juana Vivó Acrivos, I. G. Akhvlediani, M. I. Chubabria, T. L. Kalabegishvili, T. I. Sanadze

Faculty Publications, Chemistry

The work is related with the finding out of magnetic phases in strongly anisotropic high-temperature superconductor Bi1,7Pb0,3Sr2Ca2Cu3O10-δ in the temperature region where the superconductor is in the normal state. It was studied the temperature dependence of the paramagnetic probe EPR line width. In the normal state at T>Tc near 175 K it was revealed a pick in the temperature dependence of line width. In this region it was observed the time increase of the line width with the characteristic time ~ 17 min. This shows the possibility of magnetic phase formation in this material.

Synthesis Of 5-Methoxy-7-Methylbicyclo[3.2.0]Hept-2-En-6-Ol, Harlan Reid

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In order to generate a chiral metallocene ligand similar to Kaminsky-Sinn catalysts, a multistep synthesis for the production of 6,7-dimethylbicyclo[3.2.0]hepta-1,3-dienyl anion was proposed. Experiments directed at the initial phase of the proposal are included, ending with the characterization of new alcohols in compounds 9 through 12. Two steps from the synthesis were successfully combined, leading to improved recovery of the alcohols.

Administrative Perspectives On Technology Integration: The Globaloria: Myglife Program In West Virginia, William E. Chapman Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The reputed benefits of using technology in schools have been the topic of many research studies. When the World Wide Workshop Foundation implemented their Globaloria program into a group of pilot public secondary schools in West Virginia in the fall of 2008, another opportunity for study was created. The perceptions of principals relating to: 1) the effect(s) of the Globaloria program on students‘ academic outcomes; 2) the purpose(s) of the program; 3) the principal‘s role in the program 4) the benefits; and/or 5) the liabilities of having the program in their schools were examined in this mixed-method study. Analysis of …

A Gis Analysis On Possible Photovoltaic Cell Use For Energy Reduction During Peak Hours In Huntington, West Virginia, James Eric Tadlock

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Solar panels are one of the fastest growing renewable energy technologies. This study aims to identify to what extent roof-mounted solar panels can reduce the need of power provided by Appalachian Power Company. Data from the Reliability First Corporation was employed to determine the individual average household power usage. Three study areas in Huntington, West Virginia, were selected to determine if solar panels could be implemented. Roofs in the study areas were digitized to calculate the available area. Based on the average household usage, four different sized photovoltaic systems were determined. Potential power production was computed to identify any offset …

Finding Positive Solutions Of Boundary Value Dynamic Equations On Time Scale, Olusegun Michael Otunuga

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This thesis is on the study of dynamic equations on time scale. Most often, the derivatives and anti-derivatives of functions are taken on the domain of real numbers, which cannot be used to solve some models like insect populations that are continuous while in season and then follow a difference scheme with variable step-size. They die out in winter, while the eggs are incubating or dormant; and then they hatch in a new season, giving rise to a non overlapping population. The general idea of my thesis is to find the conditions for having a positive solution of any boundary …

High Resolution Single Molecule Optical Localization Of Multiple Fluorophores On Dna Origami Constructs Fluorophores On Dna Origami Constructs, Anuradha Rajulapati

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

An ongoing challenge in the development of nanoelectronics and nanophotonics is the nondestructive, high-resolution localization in space of single molecules and multi-molecular assemblies. The apparent barrier to the use of optical microscopy at the sub-100 nm scale is the well known Abbe Limit, the diffraction limit to resolution. This laboratory has adapted a technique called Single-molecule high resolution imaging with photobleaching (SHRIMP). We have developed methods for utilizing SHRIMP for the determination of the separation of two fluorophores in single DNA origami constructs.

DNA Origami is extremely useful because it can address nanocomponents down to 2nm separation. It should be …

The Transsulfuration Pathway Significantly Contributes To Glutathione Biosynthesis In Human Mammary Epithelial Cells, Andrea Del Pilar Belalcazar Maya

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Cellular methylation and antioxidant metabolism are linked by the transsulfuration pathway, which converts the methionine cycle intermediate homocysteine to cysteine, a precursor for glutathione biosynthesis, principally in hepatic cells. In mammals, the transsulfuration pathway has been identified in liver, kidney, pancreas and brain. To determine whether the pathway exists in mammary cells human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7) and normal mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) were labeled with ³⁵S-methionine for 24 hours following pre-treatment with a vehicle control, the cysteine biosynthesis inhibitor propargylglycine (PPG) or the gammaglutamyl cysteine synthesis inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine (BSO). Cell lysates were prepared and reacted with glutathione-S-transferase …

Modeled Red Spruce Distribution Response To Climatic Change In Monongahela National Forest, James Michael Stanton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In Monongahela National Forest of West Virginia, red spruce grows in high-elevation island ecosystems that are particularly sensitive to changes in climatic conditions. The ecological niche modeling application Maxent was used to project the distribution response of red spruce to climatic change for the purposes of conservation planning. Red spruce distribution data was acquired from the United States Forest Service. Three sets of nineteen bioclimatic variables, corresponding to present, 2050, and 2080 conditions, were derived from 1961-1990 monthly temperature and precipitation means and the IPCC A2 emissions scenario of HadCM3. The modeling revealed rapidly diminishing red spruce habitat suitability from …

Twin Solutions Of Even Order Boundary Value Problems For Ordinary Differential Equations And Finite Difference Equations, Xun Sun

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Avery-Henderson fixed-point theorem is first applied to obtain the existence of at least two positive solutions for the boundary value problem

(-1)ⁿy⁽²ⁿ⁾ = f(y); n = 1; 2; 3 ... and t 2 [0; 1];

with boundary conditions

y(2k)(0) = 0

y^(2k+1)(1) = 0 for k = 0; 1; 2 ... n - 1:

This theorem is subsequently used to obtain the existence of at least two positive solutions for the dynamic boundary value problem

(-1)^{n (2n)}u(k)g(u(k)); n = 1; 2; 3 .... and k (0; ... N);

with boundary conditions

(2k)u(0) …

Variable Shape Parameter Strategies In Radial Basis Function Methods, Derek Sturgill

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Radial Basis Function (RBF) method is an important tool in the interpolation of multidimensional scattered data. The method has several important properties. One is the ability to handle sparse and scattered data points. Another property is its ability to interpolate in more than one dimension. Furthermore, the Radial Basis Function method provides phenomenal accuracy which has made it very popular in many fields. Some examples of applications using the RBF method are numerical solutions to partial differential equations, image processing, and cartography. This thesis involves researching Radial Basis Functions using different shape parameter strategies. First, we introduce the Radial …

Structural Determination Of The 5' Untranslated Regions Of Ire-Containing Mrnas, Chandra Sekhar Bathina

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The expression of ferritin and amyloid precursor protein (APP) is post-transcriptionally regulated by iron-regulating proteins via binding to a stem-loop structure known as an iron-responsive element in the 5’-untranslated region (5’UTR) of ferritin and APP mRNAs. In this study, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to visualize the conformation of the 5’UTRs of ferritin heavy chain (Ferritin-H), ferritin light chain (Ferritin-L), and APP mRNA transcripts from human and mouse, and determined the secondary RNA structures using selective 2’-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE). The AFM imaging did not provide high resolution structural information about these RNAs, whereas the SHAPE …

Introduction To Common Native And Potential Invasive Freshwater Plants In Alaska, Vanessa Howard Morgan, Mark Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Freshwater aquatic plants are found in most lakes and rivers in Alaska. They range from tiny floating plants that can form mats on a lake surface to emergent plants growing two meters above the water. Aquatic plants are an important part of freshwater environments. They provide food and shelter for a wide variety of insects, fish, mammals, and birds; stabilize shorelines; and form an important link in nutrient cycles. To date, Alaska has had relatively few problems with invasive, non-native aquatic plants. However, invasive aquatic plants pose an increasing threat to human safety and the integrity of native aquatic communities. …

Dearth Of Dark Matter Or Massive Dark Halo? Mass-Shape-Anisotropy Degeneracies Revealed By Nmagic Dynamical Models Of The Elliptical Galaxy Ngc 3379, F. De Lorenzi, O. Gerhard, L. Coccato, M. Arnaboldi, M. Capaccioli, K. C. Freeman, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, N. R. Napolitano, E. Noordermeer, Aaron J. Romanowsky, V. P. Debattista

Faculty Publications

Recent results from the Planetary Nebula Spectrograph (PNS) survey have revealed a rapidly falling velocity dispersion profile in the nearby elliptical galaxy NGC 3379, casting doubts on whether this intermediate-luminosity galaxy has the kind of dark matter (DM) halo expected in Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmology. We present a detailed dynamical study of this galaxy, combining ground based long-slit spectroscopy, integral-field data from the Spectrographic Areal Unit for Research on Optical Nebulae (SAURON) instrument and PNS data reaching to more than seven effective radii. We construct dynamical models with the flexible χ2-made-to-measure (χ2M2M) particle method implemented in the NMAGIC …

The Planetary Nebula Spectrograph Elliptical Galaxy Survey: The Dark Matter In Ngc 4494, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, L. Coccato, M. Capaccioli, N. G. Douglas, E. Noordermeer, O. Gerhard, M. Arnaboldi, F. De Lorenzi, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, E. O'Sullivan, A. Cortesi, P. Das, K. C. Freeman

Faculty Publications

We present new Planetary Nebula Spectrograph observations of the ordinary elliptical galaxy NGC 4494, resulting in positions and velocities of 255 planetary nebulae out to seven effective radii (25 kpc). We also present new wide-field surface photometry from MMT/Megacam, and long-slit stellar kinematics from VLT/FORS2. The spatial and kinematical distributions of the planetary nebulae agree with the field stars in the region of overlap. The mean rotation is relatively low, with a possible kinematic axis twist outside 1Re. The velocity dispersion profile declines with radius, though not very steeply, down to ∼70 km s−1 at the last data point. We …

Probing The 2d Kinematic Structure Of Early-Type Galaxies Out To 3 Effective Radii, R. N. Proctor, D. A. Forbes, J. P. Brodie, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Strader, M. Spolaor, J. T. Mendel, L. Spitler

Faculty Publications

We detail an innovative new technique for measuring the two-dimensional (2D) velocity moments (rotation velocity, velocity dispersion and Gauss–Hermite coefficients h3 and h4) of the stellar populations of galaxy haloes using spectra from Keck DEIMOS (Deep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph) multi-object spectroscopic observations. The data are used to reconstruct 2D rotation velocity maps. Here we present data for five nearby early-type galaxies to ∼three effective radii. We provide significant insights into the global kinematic structure of these galaxies, and challenge the accepted morphological classification in several cases. We show that between one and three effective radii the velocity dispersion declines very …