Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Tsunami Hazard And Total Risk In The Caribbean Basin, X. William Proenza, George A. Maul

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Deadly western North Atlantic Ocean tsunami events in the last centuries have occurred along the east coast of Canada, the United States, most Caribbean islands, and the North Atlantic Coast of South America. The catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 reminded natural hazards managers that tsunami risk is endemic to all oceans. Total Risk is defined as hazard (frequency of tsunami events) times measures of elements at risk (human exposure) times measures of vulnerability (preparedness) in a given epoch (Nott, 2006). While the tsunami hazard in the Caribbean (averaging 19 ± 22 years between deadly events) is lower than Pacific …

Multiplicity Results For P-Sublinear P-Laplacian Problems Involving Indefinite Eigenvalue Problems Via Morse Theory, Kanishka Perera, Ravi P. Agarwal, Donal O'Regan

Mathematics and System Engineering Faculty Publications

We establish some multiplicity results for a class of p-sublinear p- Laplacian problems involving indefinite eigenvalue problems using Morse theory.

Incorporating Industry Based Dredge Surveys Into The Assessment Of Sea Scallops, Placopecten Magellanicus, David B. Rudders

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Cooperative research utilizing industry vessels represents a viable approach to acquire the data necessary to meet the increasing needs associated with the modern management of marine resources. This dissertation addresses a variety of topics associated with the integration of commercial vessels into the stock assessment of the sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus. In this study we evaluate the efficacy of utilizing industry vessels with respect to topics that range from rotational closed area survey design, sampling gear evaluation as well as an experiment that broadens the scale of the traditional use of industry vessels in this fishery and provides data to …

Alternative Substrates As A Native Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Reef Restoration Strategy In Chesapeake Bay, Russell Paul Burke

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Oyster shell for native oyster reef restoration is scarce in Chesapeake Bay and other estuaries (Chapter 1). Consequently, alternative substrates merit consideration in oyster restoration. This dissertation examines the suitability of shell alternatives, including granite, concrete, limestone marl, concrete modules and reefballs with reef surveys and experiments in the Rappahannock and Lynnhaven Rivers of Chesapeake Bay. Oyster recruitment, growth, survival, density, biomass, condition, and disease stress, as well as reef accretion and persistence, were measured. In the Lynnhaven River, intertidal riprap had a mean density of 978 oysters m-2 (165 g AFDM m-2) and peak densities > 2000 oysters m-2 (Chapter …

The Heavily Polluted Atmosphere Of The Daz White Dwarf Galex J193156.8+011745, Stephane Vennes, Adéla Kawka, Péter Németh

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

We report on the discovery of a new heavily polluted white dwarf. The DAZ white dwarf GALEX J193156.8+011745 was identified in a joint Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX)/GSC survey of ultraviolet-excess objects. Optical spectra obtained at ESO New Technology Telescope show strong absorption lines of magnesium and silicon, and a detailed abundance analysis based on Very Large Telescope-Kueyen UVES spectra reveal super-solar abundances of silicon and magnesium and near-solar abundances of oxygen, calcium and iron. The overall abundance pattern bears the signature of on-going accretion on to the white dwarf atmosphere. The infrared spectral energy distribution shows an excess in the …

Chandra Observations Of The Radio Galaxy 3c 445 And The Hot Spot X-Ray Emission Mechanism, Eric S. Perlman, Markos Georganopoulos, Emily M. May, Demosthenes Kazanas

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

We present new Chandra observations of the radio galaxy 3C 445, centered on its southern radio hot spot. Our observations detect X-ray emission displaced upstream and to the west of the radio-optical hot spot. Attempting to reproduce both the observed spectral energy distribution and the displacement excludes all one-zone models. Modeling of the radio-optical hot spot spectrum suggests that the electron distribution has a low-energy cutoff or break approximately at the proton rest mass energy. The X-rays could be due to external Compton scattering of the cosmic microwave background coming from the fast (Lorentz factor Γ ≈ 4) part of …

Thunderstorm Characteristics Associated With Rhessi Identified Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes, Michael E. Splitt, Steven M. Lazarus, Diana H. Barnes, Joseph R. Dwyer, Hamid K. Rassoul, David M. Smith, Bryna J. Hazelton, Brian W. Grefenstette

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

The characteristics of thunderstorms that produce terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) observed by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) are determined using climatological and meteorological data. RHESSI observed TGFs follow diurnal, seasonal, and geographic patterns that are very similar to those of thunderstorms confirming, in part, that these events are directly connected to thunderstorm activity. The TGF producing thunderstorms are shown to be closely associated with tall (ranging from 13.6 km to 17.3 km) tropical thunderstorm systems, a finding that is consistent with theoretical expectations from models of relativistic breakdown that relate the source region to the spectral …

Plant Isotopes As Indicators Of N Cycling Processes In Agricultural Fields, Eric Thuss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

When nitrogen (N) availability exceeds biological demand, excess N, especially nitrate (NO₃), may subsequently pollute ground and surface water. Agricultural practices in Southern Ontario typically supplement soils with organic and inorganic nutrients to aid in crop development, and employ various management techniques to limit nutrient loss. Excess N has several potential fates, which are controlled by the net effects of numerous N cycling reactions in the soil that are often difficult to measure directly. N cycling in soils is controlled in large part by soil moisture, as it affects microbial activity and soil redox conditions. Stable isotope geochemistry …

Comparison Of In Situ And Columnar Aerosol Spectral Measurements During Texaqs-Gomaccs 2006: Testing Parameterizations For Estimating Aerosol Fine Mode Properties, Dean B. Atkinson, Paola Massoli, Norman T. O'Neill, Patricia K. Quinn, Sarah D. Brooks, Barry Lefer

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

During the 2006 Texas Air Quality Study and Gulf of Mexico Atmospheric Composition and Climate Study (TexAQS-GoMACCS 2006), the optical, chemical and microphysical properties of atmospheric aerosols were measured on multiple mobile platforms and at ground based stations. In situ measurements of the aerosol light extinction coefficient (σep) were performed by two multi-wavelength cavity ring-down (CRD) instruments, one located on board the NOAA R/V Ronald H. Brown (RHB) and the other located at the University of Houston, Moody Tower (UHMT). An AERONET sunphotometer was also located at the UHMT to measure the columnar aerosol optical depth (AOD). The σep data …

Applying The “Contextual Integrity” Model Of Privacy To Personal Blogs In The Blogoshere, Frances Grodzinsky, Herman T. Tavani

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper, we analyze some controversial aspects of blogging and the blogosphere from the perspective of privacy. In particular, we focus on Helen Nissenbaum’s theory of privacy as “contextual integrity” and apply it to personal blogs, in general, and the case of the “Washingtonienne” blogger, in particular. We examine the question of whether personal blogs that are not password protected can be considered “normatively private contexts” according to Nissenbaum’s principles of privacy. We argue that they cannot. Using Nissenbaum’s original model, we conclude that privacy expectations for those who disclose personal information in such blogs are unrealistic. We also …

Optimal Control Of Affine Nonlinear Continuous-Time Systems, T. Dierks, Sarangapani Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, the optimal regulation and tracking control of affine nonlinear continuous-time systems with known dynamics is undertaken using a novel single online approximator (SOL)-Based scheme. the SOLA-Based adaptive approach is designed to learn the infinite horizon continuous time Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation and its corresponding optimal control input. a novel parameter tuning algorithm is derived which not only ensures the optimal cost (HJB) function and control input are achieved, but also ensures the system states remain bounded during the online learning process. Lyapunov techniques show that all signals are uniformly ultimately bounded (UUB) and the approximated control signal approaches …

Nir Dyes For Bioimaging Applications, Jorge O. Escobedo, Oleksandr Rusin, Soojin Lim, Robert M. Strongin

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fluorescent dyes based on small organic molecules that function in the near infra red (NIR) region are of great current interest in chemical biology. They allow for imaging with minimal autofluorescence from biological samples, reduced light scattering and high tissue penetration. Herein, examples of ongoing NIR fluorophore design strategies as well as their properties and anticipated applications relevant to the bioimaging are presented.

Polymeric Paracest Mri Contrast Agents As Potential Reporters For Gene Therapy, Yunkou Wu, Christiane E. Carney, Michael Denton, Elaine Hart, Piyu Zhao, Daniel N. Streblow, A. Dean Sherry, Mark Woods

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Gene therapy is a potentially powerful treatment approach that targets molecular remedies for disease. Among other challenges it remains difficult to monitor gene delivery and its downstream metabolic consequences. Approaches to MRI gene reporters have been reported but few have the potential for translation beyond isolated cell systems. Herein, we report a polycationic polymer MRI contrast agent that binds to DNA in a ratio of one monomer unit per phosphate group of DNA. Significantly, this binding event diminishes the MR contrast signal from the agent itself potentially providing a platform for imaging delivery and release of a gene into cells …

Cest And Paracest Mr Contrast Agents, Ileana Hancu, W. Thomas Dixon, Mark Woods, Elena Vinogradov, A. Dean Sherry, Robert E. Lenkinski

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this review we describe the status of development for a new class of magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents, based on chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST). The mathematics and physics relevant to the description of the CEST effect in MR are presented in an appendix published in the online version only. We discuss the issues arising when translating in vitro results obtained with CEST agents to using these MR agents in in vivo model studies and in humans. Examples are given on how these agents are imaged in vivo. We summarize the status of development of these CEST agents, and …

Eliciting User Requirements Using Appreciative Inquiry, Carol Kernitzki Gonzales

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Many software development projects fail because they do not meet the needs of users, are over-budget, and abandoned. To address this problem, the user requirements elicitation process was modified based on principles of Appreciative Inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry, commonly used in organizational development, aims to build organizations, processes, or systems based on success stories using a hopeful vision for an ideal future. Spanning five studies, Appreciative Inquiry was evaluated for its effectiveness with eliciting user requirements. In the first two cases, it was compared with traditional approaches with end-users and proxy-users. The third study was a quasi-experiment comparing the use of …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns In Nitrous Oxide Flux From Agricultural Soil In Southern Ontario, Michelle E. Zurbrigg

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research examines spatial and temporal variations in N₂O flux from agricultural clay loam in corn-wheat and corn-oat rotations in southern Ontario. Gas samples are collected by the chamber method following significant precipitation events, thaw events, fertilization events, and otherwise every two weeks over a two-year period. Crop type appears to influence the magnitude of N₂O emisions, whereas N₂O fluxes do not otherwise seem to vary by landscape position. The seasonal pattern of in situ N₂O flux at Strawberry Creek (SC) indicates that the highest N₂O emissions are occuring during …

Improving Parallel I/O Performance Using Interval I/O, Jeremy Logan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today's most advanced scientific applications run on large clusters consisting of hundreds of thousands of processing cores, access state of the art parallel file systems that allow files to be distributed across hundreds of storage targets, and utilize advanced interconnections systems that allow for theoretical I/O bandwidth of hundreds of gigabytes per second. Despite these advanced technologies, these applications often fail to obtain a reasonable proportion of available I/O bandwidth. The reasons for the poor performance of application I/O include the noncontiguous I/O access patterns used for scientific computing, contention due to false sharing, and the somewhat finicky nature of …

Higher-Order Physic For Modeling Ice Streams In Ice Sheets, Debra A. Kenneway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ice streams are transitional between inland glaciers and ice shelves. Hence no stresses can be neglected. Ice streams are important dynamic features of a glacier; it is well known that ice streams drain up to 90% of the ice from an ice sheet. Herein I model ice streams as a multiphysics system of coupled components. This includes treating ice as a non-Newtonian fluid since empirical measurements show a power law relation between stress and strain rate. Sliding is a physical feature that must be included. This is done with a novel approach to sliding by way of a slippery layer. …

Carbon Dioxide Exchange In A Permafrost-Dominated Boreal Wetland In The Northwest Territories, Canada, Andrea J. Kenward

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Northern boreal wetland complexes are substantial reservoirs for carbon and play a crucial role in both regional and global carbon budgets but they are showing significant signs of impact by climate change. This study examined the carbon dioxide flux of a high boreal wetland during the snowmelt and growing season of 2008 in Scotty Creek Basin, located near Fort Simpson (61°18'N, 121°18'W), Northwest Territories. This basin is not only responding to shifts in atmospheric temperatures, but it is also under additional pressure from increasing permafrost degradation. A dynamic closed-system chamber was used to monitor and quantify mid-day total respiration (R …

Paleolimnological Reconstruction Of Hydrologic Change In The Slave River And Great Slave Lake During The Past Millennium, Matthew Ennis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Slave River Delta (SRD), NWT, represents a pivotal node in the upper Mackenzie Basin watershed and is a productive northern wetland landscape with a rich natural and cultural heritage. Concerns over environmental consequences of natural and anthropogenic-driven decline in river discharge as well as climate variability have prompted hydroecological sstudies to improve understanding of how this ecosystem functions over time and space. However, long-term natural hydrological variability of the Slave River system is not well documented and needs to be further developed. In order to provide a temperal context for understanding and evaluating the impacts of climate variability and …

Rethinking Biodiversity Conservation Effectiveness And Evaluation In The National Protected Areas Systems Of Tropical Islands: The Case Of Jamaica And The Dominican Republic, Suzanne Mae Camille Davis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Island conservation theory and practice with regard to conservation of tropical terrestrial biodiversity in protected areas systems has yet to be adequately addressed in conservation literature. This knowledge gap is identified as a key contributor to the adoption of scientific principles for in situ biodiversity conservation, and “universal” conservation and protected area management paradigms that are unsuitable for island contexts and geographical scale. The underlying assumption is that “universal” concepts of biodiversity conservation, protected areas management, and evaluation of their effectiveness are transferable to the ecological and socio-economic contexts of tropical islands. The expected outcome of this knowledge transfer is …

Calcium Carbonate Precipitation Mechanisms And Geochemical Analysis Of Particulate Material Found Within The Waters Of Maramec Spring, St. James, Missouri, Kyle Steven Rybacki

Masters Theses

"The purpose of the present study is to determine whether a mineral phase is precipitating from solution in the natural Maramec Spring system giving the spring water a milky blue color, to identify the mineral phase, and to investigate potential mechanisms for inducing precipitation. Maramec Spring is a first-order magnitude spring located 11 km southeast of St. James, Missouri. The water that expels from Maramec Spring varies between being near saturation, but undersaturated in calcium, with respect to calcite (saturation index of 0.994 mg/L). Moving downstream, away from the conduit, the spring waters increase in pH and temperature. Eh is …

Self-Energy Correction To The Bound-Electron G Factor Of P States, Ulrich D. Jentschura

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The radiative self-energy correction to the bound-electron g factor of 2P_1/2 and 2P_3/2 states in one-electron ions is evaluated to order α(Zα)². The contribution of high-energy virtual photons is treated by means of an effective Dirac equation, and the result is verified by an approach based on long-wavelength quantum electrodynamics. The contribution of low-energy virtual photons is calculated both in the velocity and in the length gauge, and gauge invariance is verified explicitly. The results compare favorably to recently available numerical data for hydrogenlike systems with low nuclear charge numbers.

Qed Corrections Of Order Α(Zα)²EF To The Hyperfine Splitting Of P1/2 And P3/2 States In Hydrogenlike Ions, Ulrich D. Jentschura, Vladimir A. Yerokhin

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The hyperfine structure (HFS) of a bound electron is modified by the self-interaction of the electron with its own radiation field. This effect is known as the self-energy correction. In this work, we discuss the evaluation of higher order self-energy corrections to the HFS of bound P states. These are expressed in a semianalytic expansion involving powers of Zα and ln(Zα), where Z is the nuclear charge number and α is the fine-structure constant. We find that the correction of relative order α (Zα)² involves only a single logarithm ln(Zα) for P_1/2 states [but no term of order …

Building Sustainable Societies: Exploring Sustainability Policy And Practice In The Age Of High Consumption, Cindy Isenhour

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is an attempt to examine how humans in wealthy, post-industrial urban contexts understand sustainability and respond to their concerns given their sphere of influence. I focus specifically on sustainable consumption policy and practice in Sweden, where concerns for sustainability and consumer-based responses are strong. This case raises interesting questions about the relative strength of sustainability movements in different cultural and geo-political contexts as well as the specific factors that have motivated the movement toward sustainable living in Sweden.

The data presented here supports the need for multigenic theories of sustainable consumerism. Rather than relying on dominant theories of …

Opioid-Cannabinoid Codrugs With Enhanced Analgesic And Pharmacokinetic Profile, Harpreet Kaur Dhooper

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The central hypothesis of the dissertation is that “the design and synthesis of a codrug of an opiate and a cannabinoid can be achieved which is stable in the gastrointestinal tract and shows a superior pharmacological and pharmacokinetic profile when compared to a physical mixture of the two parent drugs.” To prove the hypothesis, a series of novel codrugs were prepared by conjugation of the opiate drug codeine with Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC), cannabidiol, abn-cannabidiol and an opiate prodrug 3-O-acetylmorphine with Δ⁹-THC. Codeine-cannabinoid codrugs were evaluated for analgesic activity in the rat after oral administration. The …

Non-Portland Cement Activation Of Blast Furnace Slag, Anne Elizabeth Oberlink

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The purpose of this project was to produce a “greener” cement from granulated ground blast furnace slag (GGBS) using non-Portland cement activation. By eventually developing “greener” cement, the ultimate goal of this research project would be to reduce the amount of Portland cement used in concrete, therefore reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere during cement production.

This research studies the behavior of mineral binders that do not contain Portland cement but instead comprise GGBS activated by calcium compounds or fluidized bed combustion (FBC) bottom ash. The information described in this paper was collected from experiments including …

Hydraulic Geometry Relationships And Regional Curves For The Inner And Outer Bluegrass Regions Of Kentucky, Ruth Roseann Brockman

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Hydraulic geometry relationships and regional curves are used in natural channel design to assist engineers, biologists, and fluvial geomorphologists in the efforts undertaken to ameliorate previous activities that have diminished, impaired or destroyed the structure and function of stream systems. Bankfull channel characteristics were assessed for 14 United States Geological Survey (USGS) gaged sites in the Inner Bluegrass and 15 USGS gaged sites in the Outer Bluegrass Regions of Kentucky. Hydraulic geometry relationships and regional curves were developed for the aforementioned regions.

Analysis of the regression relationships showed that bankfull discharge is a good explanatory variable for bankfull parameters such …

Managing The Matrix: Decadal Responses Of Eucalypt-Dominated Savanna To Ambient Fire Regimes, Jeremy Russell-Smith, O Price, Brett Murphy

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Much of our understanding of the response of savanna systems to fire disturbance relies on observations derived from manipulative fire plot studies. Equivocal findings from both recent Australian and African savanna fire plot assessments have significant implications for informing conservation management and reliable estimation of biomass stocks and dynamics. Influential northern Australian replicated fire plot studies include the 24-year plot-scale Munmarlary and the five-year catchment-scale Kapalga, mesic savanna ( . 1000 mm/yr of rainfall) experiments in present-day Kakadu National Park. At Munmarlary, under low-to-moderate-intensity fire treatments, woody vegetation dominated by mature eucalypts was found to be structurally stable. At Kapalga, …

Global Estimates Of Co Sources With High Resolution By Adjoint Inversion Of Multiple Satellite Datasets (Mopitt, Airs, Sciamachy, Tes), M Kopacz, D J. Jacob, J A. Fisher, J A. Logan, L Zhang, I A. Megretskaia, R M. Yantosca, K Singh, D K. Henze, J P. Burrows, M Buchwitz, I Khlystova, W. W Mcmillan, J C. Gille, D P. Edwards, A Eldering, V Thouret, P Nedelec

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

We combine CO column measurements from the MOPITT, AIRS, SCIAMACHY, and TES satellite instruments in a full-year (May 2004–April 2005) global inversion of CO sources at 4◦ ×5◦ spatial resolution and monthly temporal resolution. The inversion uses the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model (CTM) and its adjoint applied to MOPITT, AIRS, and SCIAMACHY. Observations from TES, surface sites (NOAA/GMD), and aircraft (MOZAIC) are used for evaluation of the a posteriori solution. Using GEOSChem as a common intercomparison platform shows global consistency between the different satellite datasets and with the in situ data. Differences can be largely explained by different averaging kernels …