Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Self-Assembly And Gold Nanoparticle Cross-Linking Of Stimuliresponsive Block Copolymers Synthesized Bt Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization, Adam Eugene Smith

Dissertations

The ability of amphiphilic block copolymers to self-assemble into various morphologies in aqueous solution in response to specific stimuli has attracted widespread interest for potential applications as targeted drug delivery and diagnostic vehicles. Stimuli-responsive block copolymers afford a facile method for tuning the hydrophilic mass fraction to provide access to various solution morphologies. Reversible additionfragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization provides the ability to prepare stimuli-responsive block copolymers while maintaining precise control over the macromolecular characteristics (molecular weight, copolymer composition, functionality, etc.) that dictate nanostructure morphology.

This work may be divided into four sections. In the first section the synthesis and …

Assessing The Impact Of A Computer-Based College Algebra Course, Ningjun Ye

Dissertations

USM piloted the Math Zone in Spring 2007, a computer-based program in teaching MAT 101and MAT 099 in order to improve student performance. This research determined the effect of the re-design of MAT 101 on student achievements in comparison to a traditional approach to the same course. Meanwhile, the study investigated possible effects of the Math Zone program on students’ attitude toward studying mathematics.

This study shows that there was no statistically significant difference on MAT101 final exam scores between the Math Zone students and the Classroom students in Fall 2007, Spring 2008 and Fall 2008. At the same time, …

Towards Multiplexed Electrogenerated Chemiluminescent Detection, Shijun Wang

Dissertations

The main objective of this dissertation is to understand and study the principle of electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) and its applications to detect biomolecules simultaneously. Four aspects of ECL were studied. In order to carry out multiplexed ECL detection, both classical and several novel ECL systems have been investigated.

In the first aspect, significant effect of chloride ions on the ECL behavior of the tris(2,2′-bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)3 2+)/tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) system at Au electrode was investigated. At low concentrations (e.g., [Cl-] < 5 mM), the ECL was enhanced; at relatively high concentrations, however, the ECL intensity decreased with the increase of the [Cl-]. At [Cl-] = 90 mM, ~ 50% and 100% ECL inhibition was observed for the first and the second ECL wave, respectively. The electrogenerated chloroaurate anions (AuCl2 - and AuCl4 -) which were verified using an electrochemical quartz-crystal microbalance (EQCM) method were found to be responsible for the ECL inhibition. This study suggests that care must be taken when Au working electrode is used for ECL studies in chloride-containing buffer solutions (widely used in DNA probes) and/or with the commonly used chloride-containing reference electrodes since in these cases the ECL behavior may significantly disagree with that obtained using other electrodes and reaction media.

In the second aspect, the electrochemical behavior of a trinuclear ruthenium(II)- containing complex, [((phen)2Ru(dpp))2RhCl2]5+ (where phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, dpp = 2,3-bis-2-pyridylpyrazine), …

Rational Design Of Self-Assembled Nanostructures Based On Polymers Synthesized Via Aqueous Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization, Stacey Kirkland York

Dissertations

Recent advances in reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization have allowed the rational, bottom-up design of biorelevant assemblies. Utilizing foresight, polymers can be tailored to self-assemble into nano-, micro-, and macroscopic structures. Given the size scale on which rationally-designed polymers can be tailored, they hold significant promise in the biomedical field. For example, nanoscale materials can be designed to carry small-molecule and gene therapeutics while macroscopic structures can be tailored for cell growth scaffolds. The design process begins by selecting monomers, chain transfer agents, and reaction conditions which will yield the desired polymer architecture and composition.

The work herein builds …

Developing A Biosensor For The Detection Of Bacteria: A Comparison Of Methods For Isolating Bacteria-Specific Antibodies, Scott Allen Walper

Dissertations

The antigen-antibody interaction is known to be a high affinity and highly specific interaction that can readily be used for the detection and identification of biological and chemical agents. These studies were conducted to develop an efficient and cost-effective method of obtaining bacteria-specific antibody molecules for integration into a fielddeployable biosensor. Antigen-binding molecules were obtained both as full-length IgG molecules from a hybridoma cell line and as recombinant single-chain Fv (scFv) antibodies isolated from naïve and immunize libraries. Monoclonal and recombinant antibody systems were compared on the effectiveness of producing new, target-specific molecules; the efficiency of production and purification of …

Guppie: A Coordination Framework For Parallel Processing Using Shared Memory Featuring A Master-Worker Relationship, Sean Christopher Mccarthy

Dissertations

Most programs can be parallelized to some extent. The processing power available in computers today makes parallel computing more desirable and attainable than ever before. Many machines today have multiple processors or multiple processing cores making parallel computing more available locally, as well as over a network. In order for parallel applications to be written, they require a computing language, such as C++, and a coordination language (or library), such as Linda. This research involves the creation and implementation of a coordination framework, Guppie, which is easy to use, similar to Linda, but provides more efficiency when dealing with large …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Deuterium Labeling Of Polyamides Studied By Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Christopher Allen Lange

Dissertations

The synthesis, characterization, and deuterium labeling of polyamides have been investigated. In Chapter II, selective deuterium labeling of various polyamides was demonstrated via a facile method which does not require organic solvent or catalyst. Quantitative solution-state NMR analysis showed deuterium incorporation at the carbon alpha to the carbonyl ranged from 20-75%. Incorporation in ε-caprolactam increased with repeated treatments. Isotopic shift effects for the deuterated materials were additive for all sites within experimental error.

In Chapter III, the effect of stoichiometric imbalances on the polymerization of poly(dodecamethylene terephthalamide)was investigated. Molecular weight was varied by polymerizing the monomer salt with excess diaminododecane, …

Structure-Property Relationships In The Formation Of Polyphenylsulfone Molecular Composites And Nanocomposites, Paul Joseph Jones

Dissertations

As the constituent phases in a polymer composite approach the molecular level, specific phenomena occur that can lead to significant changes in material properties when only minimal quantities of the additive are incorporated into the polymer matrix. Molecular composite and nanocomposites are state-of-the-art polymeric materials that contain nanostructured additives effectively dispersed within polymer matrices. The properties of molecular composites and nanocomposites are directly related to the interactions of the nanostructured additive and the polymer matrix. Subtle changes to the nanostructured additive can have profound effects on the ultimate properties of the composite material. Therefore, understanding the structure-property relationships in these …

A Study Of Three Artificial Neural Networks Models' Ability To Identify Emotions From Facial Images, Timothy Scott Hyde

Theses and Dissertations

Facial expressions conveying emotions are vital for human communication. They are also important in the studies of human interaction and behavioral studies. Recognition of emotions, using facial images, may provide a fast and practical approach that is noninvasive. Most previous studies of emotion recognition through facial images were based on the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). The FACS, which was developed by Ekman and Freisen in 1978, was created to identify different facial muscular actions. Previous artificial neural network-based approaches for classification of facial expressions focused on improving one particular neural network model for better accuracy. The purpose of this …

Neurophone: Brain-Mobile Phone Interface Using A Wireless Eeg Headset, Matthew K. Mukerjee

Dartmouth College Undergraduate Theses

Neural signals are everywhere just like mobile phones. We propose to use neural signals to control mobile phones for hands-free, silent and effortless human-mobile interaction. Until recently, devices for detecting neural signals have been costly, bulky and fragile. We present the design, implementation and evaluation of the NeuroPhone system, which allows neural signals to drive mobile phone applications on the iPhone using cheap off-the-shelf wireless electroencephalography (EEG) headsets. We demonstrate a mind-controlled address book dialing app, which works on similar principles to P300-speller brain-computer interfaces: the phone flashes a sequence of photos of contacts from the address book and a …

Chromatographic Studies Of Drug-Protein Binding In Diabetes, Kathryn (Krina) S. Joseph

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Drug-protein binding can have a dramatic impact on the distribution and metabolism of a drug. This manuscript describes the use of high-performance affinity chromatography to examine the binding of various compounds to human serum albumin (HSA) in normal and diabetic disease states.

The first study examined the use of four coumarin compounds as possible alternatives to warfarin as a probe for Sudlow site I on HSA. High-performance affinity chromatography and immobilized HSA columns were used to compare and evaluate the binding properties of these probe candidates. It was found from this group that 4-hydroxycoumarin was the best alternative to warfarin …

Upgrade To The Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory's Lidar System, Emily B. Petermann

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory currently operates four elastic lidar systems in order to characterize the atmospheric aerosol content above the observatory. The atmospheric information gained by the lidar system is then used in the calibration of the observatory’s four fluorescence detectors. Currently the four lidars in operation are unable to accurately determine the aerosol content below a distance of 1 km. A project is currently underway to upgrade the current lidar system by adding an additional detector to each of the existing lidar systems. The considered designs for this upgrade and the initial results from the upgrade prototype …

Commissioning An Anthropomorphic Spine And Lung Phantom For Remote Dose Verification Of Institutions Participating In Rtog 0631, Douglas F. Caruthers

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The RPC developed a new phantom to ensure comparable and consistent radiation administration in spinal radiosurgery clinical trials. This study assessed the phantom’s dosimetric and anatomic utility. The ‘spine phantom’ is a water filled thorax with anatomy encountered in spinal radiosurgery: target volume, vertebral column, spinal canal, esophagus, heart, and lungs. The dose to the target volume was measured with axial and sagittal planes of radiochromic film and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD). The dose distributions were measured with the radiochromic film calibrated to the absolute dose measured by the TLD. Four irradiations were administered: a four angle box plan, a seven …

Open Innovation In Platform Competition, Mei Lin

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We examine the competition between a proprietary platform and an open platform,where each platform holds a two-sided market consisted of app developers and users.The open platform cultivates an innovative environment by inviting public efforts todevelop the platform itself and permitting distribution of apps outside of its own appmarket; the proprietary platform restricts apps sales solely within its app market. Weuse a game theoretic model to capture this competitive phenomenon and analyze theimpact of growth of the open source community on the platform competition. We foundthat growth of the open community mitigates the platform rivalry, and balances the developernetwork sizes on …

A Scalable And Energy-Efficient Context Monitoring Framework For Mobile Personal Sensor Networks, Seungwoo Kang, Jinwon Lee, Hyukjae Jang, Youngki Lee, Souneil Park, Junehwa Song

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The key feature of many emerging pervasive computing applications is to proactively provide services to mobile individuals. One major challenge in providing users with proactive services lies in continuously monitoring users’ context based on numerous sensors in their PAN/BAN environments. The context monitoring in such environments imposes heavy workloads on mobile devices and sensor nodes with limited computing and battery power. We present SeeMon, a scalable and energy-efficient context monitoring framework for sensor-rich, resource-limited mobile environments. Running on a personal mobile device, SeeMon effectively performs context monitoring involving numerous sensors and applications. On top of SeeMon, multiple applications on the …

Point-Based Backup For Decentralized Pompds: Complexity And New Algorithms, Akshat Kumar, Shlomo Zilberstein

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Decentralized POMDPs provide an expressive framework for sequential multi-agent decision making. Despite their high complexity, there has been significant progress in scaling up existing algorithms, largely due to the use of point-based methods. Performing point-based backup is a fundamental operation in state-of-the-art algorithms. We show that even a single backup step in the multi-agent setting is NP-Complete. Despite this negative worst-case result, we present an efficient and scalable optimal algorithm as well as a principled approximation scheme. The optimal algorithm exploits recent advances in the weighted CSP literature to overcome the complexity of the backup operation. The polytime approximation scheme …

Exclusive Lasso For Multi-Task Feature Selection, Yang Zhou, Rong Jin, Steven C. H. Hoi

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We propose a novel group regularization which we call exclusive lasso. Unlike the group lasso regularizer that assumes co-varying variables in groups, the proposed exclusive lasso regularizer models the scenario when variables in the same group compete with each other. Analysis is presented to illustrate the properties of the proposed regularizer. We present a framework of kernel-based multi-task feature selection algorithm based on the proposed exclusive lasso regularizer. An efficient algorithm is derived to solve the related optimization problem. Experiments with document categorization show that our approach outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms for multi-task feature selection.

Innovative Entrepreneurs Workbook, Arcot Desai Narasimhalu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The workbook provides a step by step approach to identifying innovation opportunities and the key aspects of Innovation development

Bridging Lightweight And Heavyweight Task Organization: The Role Of Tags In Adopting New Task Categories, Christoph Treude, Margaret-Anne Storey

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In collaborative software development projects, tasks are often used as a mechanism to coordinate and track shared development work. Modern development environments provide explicit support for task management where tasks are typically organized and managed through predefined categories. Although there have been many studies that analyze data available from task management systems, there has been relatively little work on the design of task management tools. In this paper we explore how tagging with freely assigned keywords provides developers with a lightweight mechanism to further categorize and annotate development tasks. We investigate how tags that are frequently used over a long …

Tectonic Evolution Of The West-Central Portion Of The Newton Window, North Carolina Inner Piedmont: Timing And Implications For The Emplacement Of The Paleozoic Vale Charnockite, Walker Top Granite, And Mafic Complexes, Heather Elizabeth Byars

Masters Theses

Detailed geologic mapping of portions of the Banoak, Reepsville, Lincolnton West, and Cherryville 7.5-minute quadrangles has confirmed the easternmost exposure of the Brindle Creek fault, which frames the Newton window. The Brindle Creek fault is a terrane boundary that separates the overlying Siluro-Devonian assemblage of metasedimentary rocks and Devonian-Mississippian anatectic plutons of the Cat Square terrane from the Neoproterozoic(?)-Ordovician metasedimentary and igneous rocks of the Tugaloo terrane. Structures related to six deformational events have been identified in this portion of the Inner Piedmont. The Brindle Creek fault has been folded multiple times, resulting in a sinuous outcrop pattern and the …

Underwater Observation And Habitat Utilization Of Three Rare Darters (Etheostoma Cinereum, Percina Burtoni, And Percina Williamsi) In The Little River, Blount County, Tennessee, Robert Trenton Jett

Masters Theses

The Little River in Blount County is home to one of the richest darter faunas in East Tennessee. Increases in agriculture and development on several tributaries and the main stem of the Little River are suspected as causes for reduced abundance in fish populations. Earlier research on the Little River identified three species, Etheostoma cinereum (ashy darter), Percina burtoni (blotchside logperch), and P. williamsi (sickle darter), as having low densities. From May – October 2009, snorkel observations were made at 16 predetermined sites along the mainstem of the river to determine abundance and habitat association of these target species, as …

An Investigation Of Gas Bubble Generation And Measurement In Water And Mercury, Stuart A Walker

Masters Theses

The pressure increase attributed to the energy deposition in the liquid metal target of the Spallation Neutron Source results in cavitation and pitting erosion of the target pressure boundary. Introducing compressibility in the form of small gas bubbles will extend the lifetime of the target vessel. The pressure rise caused by the beam energy deposition occurs in one microsecond, which encourages use of bubbles of radius less than 20 microns, such that the bubble response to pressure change is adequately fast. Gas volume fraction near 0.5% is sufficient to accommodate the mercury volumetric expansion and reduce the pressure rise. Bubble …

A Mathematical Model Of The Biofluidmechanics Of The Non-Newtonian Mucus Layer Of The Tear Film In The Human Eye, Douglas M. Platt

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The human eye is a complicated and delicate organ. The structure of the eye is such that it provides for clear vision of the world. The cornea and conjunctiva at the front of the eye are avascular structures that require nutrients and moisture to be provided by the tear film. The tear film also provides for the removal of debris from the surface of the eye. The tear film has several layers: a lipid layer, an aqueous solution, and mucus. The optical clarity and structural uniformity of the tear film is maintained by the blinking motion of the eyelid. During …

Hydrogen Separation Membranes, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Technical brief describing hydrogen separation membranes and their potential to reduce cost of hydrogen production and CO₂ separation. Outlines membrane types, commercially available membranes, and new technological developments.

Quartz Grain Microtextures And Sediment Provenance: Using Scanning Electron Microscopy To Characterize Tropical Highland Sediments From Costa Rica And The Dominican Republic, Sarah Marie Deane

Masters Theses

Microtextures recorded on quartz sand grain surfaces provide evidence of past environment. Environmental processes, such as transport by glacial ice, create unique microtextures on sand grain surfaces that can be observed under high magnification with a scanning electron microscope. These microtextures and their proportions tend to be unique to environment type, allowing investigators to infer the environmental conditions to which sediments have been exposed, for example to distinguish sediments from fluvial versus mass-wasted environments. Microtextural evidence also allows inferences about the history of sediments of unknown origin.

This thesis determines the qualitative and quantitative microtextural fingerprint of glacigenic quartz sand …

Digital Aperture Photometry Utilizing Growth Curves, William Chandler Overcast

Masters Theses

Point source extraction is critical to proper analysis of images containing point sources obtained by focal plane array cameras. Two popular methods of extracting the intensity of a point source are aperture photometry and point spread function fitting. Digital aperture photometry encompasses procedures utilized to extract the intensity of an imaged point source. It has been used by astronomers in various forms for calculating stellar brightness. It is also useful for doing analysis of data associated with other unresolved radiating objects. The various aperture photometry methods include the two-aperture method, aperture correction, and growth curve method.

The growth curve method …

Naked Object File System (Nofs): A Framework To Expose An Object-Oriented Domain Model As A File System, Joseph P. Kaylor, Konstantin Läufer, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We present Naked Objects File System (NOFS), a novel framework that allows a developer to expose a domain model as a file system by leveraging the Naked Objects design principle. NOFS allows a developer to construct a file system without having to understand or implement all details related to normal file systems development. In this paper we explore file systems frameworks and object-oriented frameworks in a historical context and present an example domain model using the framework. This paper is based on a fully-functional implementation that is distributed as free/open source software, including virtual machine images to demonstrate and study …

Online Layered File System (Olfs): A Layered And Versioned Filesystem And Performance Analysis, Joseph P. Kaylor, Konstantin Läufer, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We present a novel form of intra-volume directory layering with hierarchical, inheritance-like namespace unification. While each layer of an OLFS volume constitutes a subvolume that can be mounted separately in a fan-in configuration, the entire hierarchy is always accessible (online) and fully navigable through any mounted layer. OLFS uses a relational database to store its layering metadata and either a relational database or any (virtual) host file system as its backing store, along with metadata and block caching for improved performance. Because OLFS runs as a virtual file system in user-space, its capabilities are available to all existing software without …

Automated Extraction Of Structures From Sketches Of Biological Specimens, Jamie J. Schirf

Department of Computer Science and Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The goal of this study was to develop automated techniques to extract biological structures from sketches of biological specimens. This will form the basis for a searchable database of information about the specimens. Having such a database enables researchers to efficiently search for specimens with particular qualities or identify unknown specimens.

After some preprocessing of the images, the important internal organs of the specimen are extracted using image analysis techniques. The shape, size, and organization of the organs are used to categorize and then to reorganize them in the image. Results using a large database of sketches of trematodes, in …

Chemical Characterization Of Botanical Products: Comprehensive Speciation By Liquid Chromatography Particle Beam Mass Spectrometry, Joaudimir Castro Georgi

All Dissertations

The dietary supplement industry has expanded and many of these supplements have become an important aspect of people's everyday lives. In 1994, the U.S. Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) classified numerous nutraceutical/botanical products as dietary supplements because of their beneficial medicinal properties and provided the necessary regulation to the supplement producers. Since then, the interest of the scientific community towards dietary supplements has grown intensively and numerous studies have been carried out in order to understand the chemical behavior of the active molecules in the human body. The development towards analytical methods for the quantification of the active …