Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Employing The Spectral Collocation Method In The Modeling Of Laminar Tube Flow Dynamics, Corey Michael Thibeault

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The spectral collocation method is a numerical approximation technique that seeks the solution of a differential equation using a finite series of infinitely differentiable basis functions. This inherently global technique enjoys an exponential rate of convergence and has proven to be extremely effective in computational fluid dynamics. This paper presents a basic review of the spectral collocation method. The derivation is driven with an example of the approximation to the solution of a 1D Helmholtz equation. A Matlab code modeling two fluid dynamics problems is then given. First, the classic two-dimensional Graetz problem is simulated and compared to an analytical …

Institutional Challenges For Mining And Sustainability In Peru, Anthony J. Bebbington, Jeffrey T. Bury

Geography

Global consumption continues to generate growth in mining. In lesser developed economies, this growth offers the potential to generate new resources for development, but also creates challenges to sustainability in the regions in which extraction occurs. This context leads to debate on the institutional arrangements most likely to build synergies between mining, livelihoods, and development, and on the socio-political conditions under which such institutions can emerge. Building from a multiyear, three-country program of research projects, Peru, a global center of mining expansion, serves as an exemplar for analyzing the effects of extractive industry on livelihoods and the conditions under which …

Predicting The Effect Of Wetland Restoration On Phosphorus Retention, Northwest Minnesota, Ryan J. Whittaker

Theses and Dissertations

Water quality in the Red River Valley and downstream in Lake Winnipeg has been diminishing due to excess nutrients from agriculture. One method to reduce nutrient loading to surface water is to create or restore wetlands in agricultural areas that drain cropped fields. It is commonly believed that wetlands improve water quality, but research has shown that restoring wetlands can actually release phosphorus (P) into solution. Reducing conditions caused by soil flooding can release Fe-bound P, since ferrous Fe is more soluble than ferric Fe. Little is known concerning how the soils in the Red River Valley will be affected …

Carbon Dioxide Flooding Induced Geochemical Changes In A Saline Carbonate Aquifer, Alyssa Boock

Theses and Dissertations

Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been injected into depleted oil reservoirs for enhanced oil recovery for several decades. Injection of CO2 into geologic formations in the Williston Basin is currently under consideration for long-term CO2 storage to reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. The Madison Group in the North Dakota Williston Basin provides the greatest potential for geologic sequestration in either deep saline aquifers or depleted oil reservoirs. Little is known about the geochemical reactions that take place when supercritical carbon dioxide is injected into deep saline aquifers at geologic conditions similar to those found in potential sequestration units of …

Natural Medicine: Personal Responsibility And Self-Empowerment, Kimber Lopez

Pomona Senior Theses

Although most “alternative” medical practices have existed far longer than conventional healthcare, modern allopathic continues to be the dominant system of medicine used in the United States. Herbal medicine is one of the oldest healing practices known to humankind and continues to be practiced today despite the numerous challenges modern society poses. As Julie Stone and Joan Mathews illuminate in Complimentary Medicine and the Law, “Plant-based remedies have been the principal source of medicines in healing traditions around the world and, as the World health Organization is at pains to remind us, 80 percent of the world’s population still depends …

Paleohydrology Of Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strømfjord), West Greenland During The Last ~8,000 Years, Frank Aebly, Sherilyn C. Fritz

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Major fluctuations of hydroclimate in West Greenland are recorded in paleoshoreline terraces that encircle several lakes near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland (67°01’N, 50°40’W). Geomorphic and stratigraphic analyses were used to construct a lake-level curve for Hunde Sø, a large closed-basin lake in this region. Changes in lake volume associated with lake-level fluctuations were calculated, and a water-balance model was used to determine the primary factors influencing lake volume and the changes in those factors necessary to affect reconstructed lake-level change. Sensitivity tests suggest that mean annual precipitation and the relative proportion of summer versus winter precipitation are the primary climate drivers of …

High-Resolution Calcareous Nannofossil Biostratigraphy For The Coniacian/Santonian Stage Boundary, Western Interior Basin, Stacie A. Blair, David K. Watkins

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

The Ten Mile Creek area (Dallas, Texas) is a proposed Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) candidate for the Coniacian/Santonian Stage boundary. The Santonian Working Group has designated the first appearance of Inoc¬eramus (Cladoceramus) undulatoplicatus as the diagnostic macrofossil bioevent for the base of the Santonian Stage. Cal¬careous nannofossils were examined from sediments of the Bruceville Marl at the proposed GSSP site and from well-preserved sediments of the coeval Smoky Hill Member-type area (northwestern Kansas) of the Niobrara Formation. Nannofossil bioevents were correlated with the lowest stratigraphic occurrence of I. undulatoplicatus to create a high resolution biostratigraphic framework and stratigraphic …

Long-Legged Pursuit Carnivorans (Amphicyonidae, Daphoeninae) From The Earlymiocene Of North America, Robert M. Hunt Jr.

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

In the early Miocene, endemic North American amphicyonids of the subfamily Daphoeninae evolved a lineage of large beardogs adapted for prey pursuit over open terrain. Three species comprise this lineage, here placed in the genus Daphoenodon, subgenus Borocyon Peterson, 1910, the sister subgenus to the daphoenine beardog Daphoenodon (Daphoenodon). These species (Borocyon robustum, B. niobrarensis, B. neomexicanus, n. sp.) are distinguished by limbs modified for fore–aft motion and parasagittal alignment contributing to a lengthened stride. These adaptive features are most evident in the terminal species, B. robustum, where the forelimb is conspicuously …

In Vitro Evaluation Of Bioactive Glass Scaffolds And Modified Bioactive Glasses With An Osteogenic Cell Line, Vernon C. Modglin

Masters Theses

"This investigation consisted of two parts focused on bioactive glasses and scaffolds for in vitro growth of bone cells for tissue engineering and bone repair. The first part involved evaluation of the ability of two new types of porous 13-93 bioactive glass scaffolds to support the growth and differentiation of mouse MLO-AS cells, an established osteogenic cell line used as a model of developing bone tissue. The two scaffold types tested included 13-93 glass fiber and trabecular-like scaffolds seeded with MLO-AS cells and cultured for intervals of 2 to 12 days. Collectively, in vitro results indicate that the 13-93 glass …

Using The Taguchi Design And The Central Composite Design To Increase The Robustness Of A Process From Its Raw Material Variability, Alvaro Cuevas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research presents an experimental study where four controllable and one noise factor are analyzed using the Taguchi approach and the Central Composite Design (CCD) in order to induce robustness in a process that is being designed to treat residual grease from small restaurants. Three response variables are analyzed separately to establish the parameters conditions to obtain the most robust process output. These suggested conditions are validated conducting confirmation runs that are compared statistically to the predictions from the Taguchi prediction model for the Taguchi approach, and the Response optimizer for the CCD. The accuracy of each method is measured …

Supporting Novice Application Users In Learning By Trial And Error And Using Help, Oscar Daniel Andrade

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines three related topics in analyzing user preferences for troubleshooting application usability problems and the kinds of issues that influence such preferences. The goal of this thesis is to propose (1) ways in which users can be supported to learn to use applications and (2) a model to rewrite help such that users are able to adapt its contents dynamically.

The consensus of documentation research is that users rarely use help, usually preferring to muddle through. To increase use of help, tutorials for novice users could be changed from guided presentations toward using the application's help system. To …

Modeling Forbidden Line Emission Profiles From Colliding Wind Binaries., Richard Ignace, R. Bessey, C. Price

ETSU Faculty Works

This paper presents calculations for forbidden emission-line profile shapes arising from colliding wind binaries. The main application is for systems involving a Wolf–Rayet (WR) star and an OB star companion. The WR wind is assumed to dominate the forbidden line emission. The colliding wind interaction is treated as an Archimedean spiral with an inner boundary. Under the assumptions of the model, the major findings are as follows. (i) The redistribution of the WR wind as a result of the wind collision is not flux conservative but typically produces an excess of line emission; however, this excess is modest at around …

Just Passing Through! The Water Cycle! On-Site Programming (Grade 4), Discover Mojave: Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

In “Just Passing Through! The Water Cycle!,” students begin exploring the importance of Lake Mead by making and recording observations of how water is being used in different ways by plants, animals, and people. Students view an animated PowerPoint presentation that follows one drop of water through Lake Mead’s water use cycle and then re-create the cycle on a magnet board. Working as scientists, students determine if water is the same in all parts of the lake by comparing water samples from the middle of the lake and from Las Vegas Bay. By examining a number of scenarios, students use …

Finicky Fish Finish... Last! On-Site Programming (Grade 5), Discover Mojave: Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

In “Finicky Fish Finish…Last!” students explore what has happened to the Colorado River and the reasons why it is so difficult for the razorback sucker to thrive in a changed environment. Working as ichthyologists (fish biologists) at Lake Mead, students collect water quality data such as temperature, pH, and clarity -- to determine whether current habitat conditions are sufficient for survival of young razorback suckers. Students observe and identify non-native fish in Lake Mead as they learn how the razorback sucker interacts with these neighbors. Students assess whether Lake Mead is still a good habitat for razorback suckers. Using the …

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Michelle Mouton, Cate Weeks, Stephanie Strow

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Setting Targets For Resource Condition In Doradine Catchment, Leon Van Wyk, Gregory Paul Raper

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Barriers And Drivers Influencing Adoption Of Perennial Pastures On The South Coast Of Wa, Jamie Bowyer, Rebecca Heath

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Surface Water Management In The East Yornaning Catchment, Tilwin Westrup

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Winter 2009, Scott R. Abella, Lindsay P. Chiquoine, Alice C. Newton

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

Chronology of forest structure and use in the Spring Mountains, Soil-Tech’s restoration work balancing construction with nature, species performance and treatment effectiveness for revegetation projects, and strategic research areas for Mojave conservation and management

City Of Las Vegas Green Building Program, City Of Las Vegas, Nevada

Publications (SD)

No abstract provided.

Desert Varnish As An Indicator Of Modern-Day Air Pollution In Southern Nevada, Piotr Nowinski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Rock varnish, often called desert varnish, is a slow-growing, manganese-rich coating that accumulates on exposed rock surfaces. The mechanism of varnish formation is not fully understood, however, most authors agree that varnishes derive their components from the atmosphere. The main goal of this study was to demonstrate the potential use of desert varnish as a passive environmental monitor of present and past atmospheric pollution. Analysis of varnishes is a new field that can potentially provide records of pre-anthropogenic levels of atmospheric metals and other environmental pollutants. To evaluate the potential of desert varnish as an environmental monitoring tool, the following …

Teaching Statistics Must Be Adapted To Changing Circumstances: A Case Study From Hungarian Higher Education, Andras Komaromi

The Mathematics Enthusiast

Teaching statistics can bring up difficulties of various types for the teacher. Some of these are independent of the environment, i.e. they could occur at any place and time; some are specifically conditional on the surrounding circumstances. This paper presents an example for both of these kinds from the practice of two Hungarian teachers.

A Versatile Synthesis Of Electroactive Stilbenoprismands For Effective Binding Of Metal Cations, Sergey V. Lindeman, Rajendra Rathore, Paromita Debroy

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

A versatile synthesis of a new class of polyaromatic receptors (stilbenoprismands) containing a Δ-shaped cavity similar to that of the π-prismand together with an intimately coupled electroactive stilbenoid moiety was accomplished via an efficient intramolecular McMurry coupling reaction. The presence of the Δ-shaped cavity in stilbenoprismands allows an efficient binding of a single silver cation as probed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Electron-rich stilbenoprismands undergo a ready oxidation to their highly robust cation−radical and dicationic salts. X-ray structure determination of a representative dicationic stilbenoprismand showed that the charges were largely localized on the tetraarylethylene moiety, which results in a twisting …

An Integrated Framework For Qos-Aware Data Reporting In Wireless Sensor Networks, Hyun Jung Choe

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations

Wireless sensor networks are being deployed in a wide variety of applications such as environment monitoring, smart buildings, security, machine surveillance system, and so on.The deployment of sensor networks for a specific sensing application enhances the ability to control and examine the physical environments while collecting meaningful information from the monitoring area.In densely deployed networks, the sensor nodes located in an adjacent area detect the targeted phenomena in its sensing range and report the gathered (raw or processed) data to designated sinks via single-hop or multi-hop communication paths.Although the correlation of data from proximity sensors cause overheads in terms of …

Nutrient Limitation Of Phytoplankton By Nitrogen And Phosphorus: Erosion Of The Phosphorus Paradigm, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, William M. Lewis Iii

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Freshwater Responses To Nitrogen And Phosphorus Pollution And A Case Study Of Cutler And Dingle Marsh Wetlands, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Extreme Eutrophication And Cyanotoxin Levels In Farmington Bay, A Polluted Embayment Of The Great Salt Lake, Utah, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Amy M. Marcarelli, Gregory Boyer

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

The Great Salt Lake of Utah is surrounded on its eastern and southern shores by 1.4 million people, with projections of 5 million by 2050. Agricultural, industrial and particularly secondary-treated domestic wastes from this population flow primarily into Farmington Bay, a 280 km2 shallow "estuary" with a mean depth near 0.5 m. Fish are rare but bird use is extensive and massive mortalities of waterfowl and shorebirds have occurred in the bay. Phosphorus loading rates of >2 g m-2yr-1 cause hypereutrophic conditions: Secchi depths are usually 0.6 mg/L, mean Chl. a is 179 ug/L and the combined trophic state index …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Grassbed Treatments As Habitat For Juvenile Black Bass In A Drawdown Reservoir, D. R. Ratcliff, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, J. Zustak

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Many reservoirs in arid regions experience highly variable water levels caused by seasonal inflow fluctuations and designated outflow requirements. At Shasta Lake, California, managers plant cereal-grain grassbeds on exposed drawdown shorelines to increase juvenile fish habitat, localize productivity, and increase invertebrate fish prey. To determine the efficacy of these plantings, the abundance of juvenile black basses Micropterus spp. (20–55 mm standard length) and the amount of periphyton and macroinvertebrate prey were compared among three treatment types: (1) planted grassbeds of cereal barley Hordeum vulgare; (2) artificial rope grassbeds, which eliminated physical deterioration and nutrient release; and (3) nonplanted control sites …

Mercury In The Biostrome Community Of The Great Salt Lake, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Caleb Izdepski

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Limnological Analyses Of Cutler Reservoir And Dingle Marsh With Respect To Eutrophication, J. D. Abbott, Deb Collins, Colin Cook, Dan Lamarra, Ryan Leonard, Ben Marret, Justin Stout, Gilbert Rowley, Jeremy Rowley, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Cutler Reservoir is located in Cache county, Utah and was created for the purposes of irrigation, water storage and flood control. High nutrient loading to Cutler has raised concerns about the health of this system and has resulted in it being listed on the state's 303(d) list of impaired waters. The TMDL plan being drafted for Cutler lists dissolved oxygen and phosphorous as the key issues of concern. The underlying problem created by nutrient loading is eutrophication. If Cutler is to remain as a valuable source of recreation, wildlife habitat, and water for the Cache Valley we must understand the …