Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Effect Of Structure And Plasticizer On The Glass Transition Of Adsorbed Polymer, Boonta Hetayothin

Doctoral Dissertations

"The effect of molecular mass on adsorbed poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) on silica was determined using temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC). A two-component model, based on loosely-bound polymer (glass transition temperature, T_g, similar to that of bulk) and tightly-bound polymer (T_g higher than that of bulk) was used to interpret the thermograms. Similar amounts of tightly-bound polymer were found for 450 and 85 kDa PMMA (0.78 mg/m²), while the 32 kDa sample had a smaller amount (0.48mg/m²). A comparison of adsorbed PMMA, poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), and poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) on silica was made using the same technique. The …

Computational Methods For The Discovery And Analysis Of Genes And Other Functional Dna Sequences, Cyriac Kandoth

Doctoral Dissertations

"The need for automating genome analysis is a result of the tremendous amount of genomic data. As of today, a high-throughput DNA sequencing machine can run millions of sequencing reactions in parallel, and it is becoming faster and cheaper to sequence the entire genome of an organism. Public databases containing genomic data are growing exponentially, and hence the rise in demand for intuitive automated methods of DNA analysis and subsequent gene identification. However, the complexity of gene organization makes automation a challenging task, and smart algorithm design and parallelization are necessary to perform accurate analyses in reasonable amounts of time. …

Haart Drugs Induce Oxidative Stress And Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Blood-Brain Barrier, Kalyan Reddy Manda

Doctoral Dissertations

"The era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has controlled AIDS and its related disorders considerably; however, the prevalence of HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) has been on the rise in the post-HAART era. In view of these developments, we investigated whether a HAART drug combination of 3'-Azido-2', 3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) and Indinavir (IDV) can alter the functionality of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelial cells, thereby exacerbating the condition. Viability of hCMEC/D3 cells (in vitro model of BBB) that were exposed to the drugs was significantly reduced after a 72 hr treatment, in a dose-dependent manner. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were highly …

Image Edge Detection Using Ant Colony Optimization, Carlos M. Oppus, Anna Veronica Baterina

Department of Information Systems & Computer Science Faculty Publications

Ant colony optimization (ACO) is a population-based metaheuristic that mimics the foraging behavior of ants to find approximate solutions to difficult optimization problems. It can be used to find good solutions to combinatorial optimization problems that can be transformed into the problem of finding good paths through a weighted construction graph. In this paper, an edge detection technique that is based on ACO is presented. The proposed method establishes a pheromone matrix that represents the edge information at each pixel based on the routes formed by the ants dispatched on the image. The movement of the ants is guided by …

Intelligent Computational Argumentation For Evaluating Performance Scores In Multi-Criteria Decision Making, Rubal Wanchoo

Masters Theses

"Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) is a discipline aimed at assisting multiple stakeholders in contemplating a decision paradigm in an uncertain environment. The decision analysis to be performed involves numerous alternative positions assessed under varied criterion. A performance score is assigned for each alternative in terms of every criterion and it represents satisfaction of the criteria by that alternative. In a collaborative decision making environment, performance scores are either obtained when a consensus can be reached among stakeholders on a particular score or in some cases or controversial when stakeholders do not agree with each other about them. In the …

Zero-Sum Two-Player Game Theoretic Formulation Of Affine Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems Using Neural Networks, S. Mehraeen, T. Dierks, S. Jagannathan, M. L. Crow

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, the nearly optimal solution for discrete-time (DT) affine nonlinear control systems in the presence of partially unknown internal system dynamics and disturbances is considered. the approach is based on successive approximate solution of the Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs (HJI) equation, which appears in optimal control. Successive approximation approach for updating control input and disturbance for DT nonlinear affine systems are proposed. Moreover, sufficient conditions for the convergence of the approximate HJI solution to the saddle-point are derived, and an iterative approach to approximate the HJI equation using a neural network (NN) is presented. Then, the requirement of full knowledge of …

Differences In The Mechanism Of Collagen Lattice Contraction By Myofibroblasts And Smooth Muscle Cells, J. C. Dallon, H P. Ehrlich

Faculty Publications

Both rat derived vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) and human myofibroblasts contain $\alpha$ smooth muscle actin (SMA), but they utilize different mechanisms to contract populated collagen lattices (PCLs). The difference is in how the cells generate the force that contracts the lattices. Human dermal fibroblasts transform into myofibroblasts, expressing $\alpha$-SMA within stress fibers, when cultured in lattices that remain attached to the surface of a tissue culture dish. When attached lattices are populated with rat derived vascular SMC, the cells retain their vascular SMC phenotype. Comparing the contraction of attached PCLs when they are released from the culture dish on …

Multiscale Modeling Of Cellular Systems In Biology, J. C. Dallon

Faculty Publications

Here we review eight different multiscale modeling efforts dealing with cellular systems in biology. The first two models focus on collagen based tissue, one dealing with the biomechanical properties of the tissue and the other focusing on how the dermis is remodeled in scar tissue formation. The next two models deal with first avascular tumor growth and then the role of the vasculature in tumor growth. We then consider two models which use the Immersed Boundary method to model tissue properties and cell-cell adhesion. Finally we conclude with two models with treatments of the Cellular Potts Model. The first models …

Duskside F-Region Dynamo Currents: Itsrelationship With Prereversal Enhancement Of Vertical Plasma Drift, P. Park, H. Luhr, Bela G. Fejer, K. W. Mim

Bela G. Fejer

From magnetic field observations by CHAMP we estimate F-region dynamo current densities near the sunset terminator during solar maximum years from 2001 to 2002. The dynamo currents are compared with the pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) of vertical plasma drift as observed by ROCSAT-1. The seasonal-longitudinal variation of PRE can be largely related to the F-region dynamo current density, with the correlation coefficient reaching 0.74. The correlation can be further improved if we consider a zonal gradient of the E-region Pedersen conductivity, which also depends on season and longitude. It is widely accepted that the Fregion dynamo drives PRE near sunset. For …

Temporal And Spatial Variations In Freshwater 14C Reservoir Effects: Lake Mývatn, Northern Iceland, Philippa L. Ascough, G. T. Cook, M. J. Church, E. Dunbar, Á. Einarsson, Thomas H. Mcgovern, A. J. Dugmore, Sophia Perdikaris, H. Hastie, A. Friðriksson, H. Gestsdóttir

School of Global Integrative Studies: Faculty Publications

Lake Mývatn is an interior highland lake in northern Iceland that forms a unique ecosystem of international scientific importance and is surrounded by a landscape rich in archaeological and paleoenvironmental sites. A significant freshwater reservoir effect (FRE) has been identified in carbon from the lake at some Viking (about AD 870–1000) archaeological sites in the wider region (Mývatnssveit). Previous accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) measurements indicated this FRE was about 1500–1900 ¹⁴C yr. Here, we present the results of a study using stable isotope and ¹⁴C measurements to quantify the Mývatn FRE for both the Viking and modern periods. …

When Is .999... Less Than 1?, Karin Usadi Katz, Mikhail G. Katz

The Mathematics Enthusiast

We examine alternative interpretations of the symbol described as nought, point, nine recurring. Is "an infinite number of 9s" merely a figure of speech? How are such alternative interpretations related to infinite cardinalities? How are they expressed in Lightstone's "semicolon" notation? Is it possible to choose a canonical alternative interpretation? Should unital evaluation of the symbol .999... be inculcated in a pre-limit teaching environment? The problem of the unital evaluation is hereby examined from the pre-R, pre-lim viewpoint of the student.

Citizen Professionals: The Effective Practices Of Experts Helping Community Organizations, Sarah Hippensteel Hall

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Although numerous local, state, and federal laws and policies address water pollution, many problems remain. To address these problems thousands of groups of citizens, who are concerned with their water resources - rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and groundwater - organized around the U.S. over the past several decades. To succeed, these community organizations need the resources and capacity to reach their goals. To gain capacity, some community organizations turn to people outside the organization for assistance. Citizen professionals are helpers who work jointly with an organization to help develop an organization's adaptive capacity to deal with challenges and achieve goals. …

Photopolymerizable Nanocomposites For Holographic Applications, Elsa Leite

Doctoral

Photopolymerizable nanocomposites with good optical properties consisting of an acrylamide based photopolymer and zeolite nanoparticles (Beta, zeolite A, AlPO-18, silicalite-1 and zeolite L) were fabricated and characterized for holographic applications. The colloidal zeolite solutions used in this project were characterized by several techniques including X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy to ensure their successful synthesis. The dependence of grating performances in these nanocomposites on recording intensity, spatial frequency and zeolite concentration were studied. It was found that the incorporation of silicalite-1 nanoparticles or a small amount of zeolite A nanoparticles (up to …

“What Was Really Accomplished Today?” Mathematics Content Specialists Observe A Class For Prospective K–8 Teachers, Andrew M. Tyminksi, Sarah Ledford, Dennis Hembree

The Mathematics Enthusiast

One of the important activities mathematics teacher educators engage in is the development of teachers at both the in-service and pre-service levels. Also of importance is the professional development of these professional developers. In the summer of 2004, a summer institute was held that allowed mathematics teacher educators watch the teaching of a mathematics content course for prospective K–8 teachers. This paper examines the manner in which a specific group of mathematics content specialists experienced this professional development.

Effect Of Various Heavy Metals On The Enzymatic Activity Of Bacterial Alkaline Phosphatase, Maithah Maktoom Salmeen Al Nuaimi

Theses

Soil is a natural resource that is utmost importance from an agricultural as well as environmental perspective. Good soil health not only helps improve the quality and yield of agriculture products, but is also important for recycling of significant amounts of organic biomass. However, pollution of soil by various pollutants, such as heavy metals, pesticides or petroleum hydrocarbons, can lead to serious environmental as well as biological effects. This pollution can directly harm animals and human beings, leach into drinking water source, damage plants and vegetation, as well as affect the endemic microorganisms and insects living in the soil.

Microorganisms …

The Effect Of Visfatin And Adiponectin On Metabolic Parameters Of An Animal Model Of Type 2 Diabetes, Thuraya Saeed Ali Alshamisi

Theses

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common exocrine disorders affecting more than 6% of the world’s population. The incidence and prevalence of this chronic disease are on the rise in many parts of the world including the Middle East. DM is caused by defective Insulin production, release and/or function. The causes and nature of abnormal insulin metabolism is less than clear. While defective insulin secretion is observed in type 1 diabetes, insulin resistance is predominant in type 2 diabetes, which affects more than 94% of the diabetic patients.

Materials and Methods: Rats between the age of two …

The Prevalence Of Epstein Barr Virus In The Tonsils And Adenoids Of United Arab Emirates Nationals, Shamma Sultan Mohamed Al Dhaheri

Theses

Although Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is often found in human tonsils and adenoids, it remains to be precisely determined in what cells and microenvironment the virus is present. Although generally regarded as a B lymphotropic virus, EBV can infect non B-cells. The aim of this project is to determine the prevalence of EBV in the tonsils and adenoids of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Nationals and to provide a basis for understanding the origin and biology of EBV -infected B and non-B cells, the immunophenotype of all EBV -infected cells in reactive tonsils was determined by subjecting tonsil and adenoid sections …

On The Convergence Of Greedy Algorithms For Initial Segments Of The Haar Basis, S J. Dilworth, E Odell, Th Schlumprecht, Andras Zsak

Faculty Publications

We consider the X-Greedy Algorithm and the Dual Greedy Algorithm in a finite-dimensional Banach space with a strictly monotone basis as the dictionary. We show that when the dictionary is an initial segment of the Haar basis in Lp[0, 1] (1< p < 1) then the algorithms terminate after finitely many iterations and that the number of iterations is bounded by a function of the length of the initial segment. We also prove a more general result for a class of strictly monotone bases.

The Genetic Basis Of Familial Hypercholesterolemia In The United Arab Emirates, Shaikha Saif Mohamed Al Mazrooei

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Dietary Supplement On Risk Of Infection In Community Based Patients With Type Two Diabetes Mellitus, Mamoon Ibrahim Abu Haltem

Theses

Background: Type Two diabetes mellitus prevalence is increasing dramatically universally and locally. Diabetic patients have shown higher risk of infections and associated morbidity. Many factors contribute to this, including poor nutritional status of this population. The lack of evidence in this field inspired us to look at the relationship between the dietary supplements and risk of infection in these patients.

Objective: To measure the effect of dietary supplement on risk of infection in community based patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: Following informed written consent 100 diabetic patients have been randomly assigned to receive either an oral dose of …

Far-Field Optical Nanoscopy Based On Continuous Wave Laser Stimulated Emission Depletion, C. Kuang, Wei Zhao, Guiren Wang

Faculty Publications

Stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy is one of the breakthrough technologies that belong to far-field optical microscopy and can achieve nanoscale spatial resolution. We demonstrate a far-field optical nanoscopy based on continuous wave lasers with different wavelengths, i.e., violet and green lasers for excitation and STED, respectively. Fluorescent dyes Coumarin 102 and Atto 390 are used for validating the depletion efficiency. Fluorescent nanoparticles are selected for characterizing the spatial resolution of the STED system. Linear scanning of the laser beams of the STED system along one line of a microscope slide, which is coated with the nanoparticles, indicates that a …

Assessing The Application Of 3d Collaborative Interfaces Within An Immersive Virtual University, Gavin Mcardle, Bianca Schoen-Phelan, Michela Bortolotto

Articles

The need to stimulate and engage students is of paramount importance within any learning scenario. Despite this, recent developments in online learning have failed to take this requirement into account. As a result e-learning courses which utilise traditional online learning management systems have a higher dropout rate than their classroom based counterparts. The attrition rate is attributed to boredom with the interfaces used to deliver learning material and also to the lack of opportunities to interact socially with others. Furthermore, being in a virtual environment imposes a whole new set of challenges onto users due to the distinct lack of …

Pursuing Geoengineering For Atmospheric Restoration, James Salzman, Robert B. Jackson

Faculty Scholarship

Geoengineering is fraught with problems, but research on three approaches could lead to the greatest climate benefits with the smallest chance of unintentional environmental harm. The authors propose a model for thinking about geoengineering based on the concept of restoration, suggesting the term “atmospheric restoration.” Under this model geoengineering efforts are prioritized based on three principles: to treat the cause of the disease itself, to reduce the chance of harm, and to prioritize activities with the greatest chance of public acceptance.

Based on these principles, the authors propose three forms of geoengineering that could provide the greatest climate benefits with …

Is Screening Cargo Containers For Smuggled Nuclear Threats Worthwhile?, Jason R. W. Merrick, Laura A. Mclay

Statistical Sciences and Operations Research Publications

In recent years, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has installed radiation sensors to screen cargo containers entering theUnited States. They are concerned that terrorists could use containers to smuggle radiological material into the country and carry out attacks with dirty bombs or a nuclear device. Recent studies have questioned the value of improving this screening system with new sensor technology. The cost of delays caused by frequent false alarms outweighs any reduction in the probability of an attack in an expected cost analysis. We extend existing methodology in three ways to demonstrate how additional factors affect the value of screening …

Magnetism In Zno Nanowire With Fe/Co Codoping: First-Principles Density Functional Calculations, S. Ghosh, Q. Wang, G. P. Das, Puru Jena

Physics Publications

Using first-principles density functional calculations, at both generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and GGA+U levels we have investigated the electronic structure and magnetic properties of Fe/Co codoped ZnO nanowire. Here we have addressed some of the key issues such as, the preferable sites that Fe/Co can occupy, the coupling mechanism, and role of defects in coupling. We found that the spin alignment between the transition-metal atoms depends on their location. When Fe and Co atoms are nearest neighbors on the outer surface of the nanowire along [0001] direction is the lowest energy configuration with ferrimagnetic (FiM) ground state. At GGA level …

Probing The Existence Of Energetically Degenerate Cluster Isomers By Chemical Tagging, Qian Wang, Qiang Sun, Puru Jena

Physics Publications

Current methods for identifying the ground state geometry of a cluster require synergy between theory and experiment. However, this becomes a difficult problem when the accuracy of the theoretical methods is not sufficient to distinguish between nearly degenerate isomers. Using density functional theory based calculations, we show that the near degeneracy between the planar and the cage structures can be lifted by tagging these with halogens and superhalogens moieties such as Cl and BO2. The energy of the planar Au16− isomer is lowered from 0.15 eV before tagging to 0.51–0.55 eV after tagging, thus providing a way to probe its …

Genome-Scale Metabolic Analysis Of Clostridium Thermocellum For Bioethanol Production, Seth B. Roberts, Christopher M. Gowen, J. Paul Brooks, Stephen S. Fong

Chemical and Life Science Engineering Publications

Background

Microorganisms possess diverse metabolic capabilities that can potentially be leveraged for efficient production of biofuels. Clostridium thermocellum (ATCC 27405) is a thermophilic anaerobe that is both cellulolytic and ethanologenic, meaning that it can directly use the plant sugar, cellulose, and biochemically convert it to ethanol. A major challenge in using microorganisms for chemical production is the need to modify the organism to increase production efficiency. The process of properly engineering an organism is typically arduous.

Results

Here we present a genome-scale model of C. thermocellum metabolism, iSR432, for the purpose of establishing a computational tool to study the …

Communications: Chain And Double-Ring Polymeric Structures: Observation Of Alnh3n+1− (N=4–8) And Al4h14, Xiang Li, Andrej Grubisic, Kit H. Bowen, Anil K. Kandalam, Boggavarapu Kiran, Gerd Gantefor, Puru Jena

Physics Publications

A pulsed arc discharge source was used to prepare gas-phase, aluminum hydride cluster anions, AlnHm−, exhibiting enhanced hydrogen content. The maximum number of hydrogen atoms in AlnHm− species was m=3n+1 for n=5–8, i.e., AlnH3n+1−, and m=3n+2 for n=4, i.e., Al4H14−, as observed in their mass spectra. These are the most hydrogen-rich aluminum hydrides to be observed thus far, transcending the 3:1 hydrogen-to-aluminum ratio in alane. Even more striking, ion intensities for AlnHm− species with m=3n+1 and m=3n+2 hydrogen atoms were significantly higher than those of nearby AlnHm− mass peaks for which m<3n+1, i.e., the ion intensities for AlnH3n+1− and for Al4H14− deviated from the roughly bell-shaped ion intensity patterns seen for most AlnHm−species, in which m ranges from 1 to 3n. Calculations based on density functional theory showed that AlnH3n+1− clusters have chain and/or double-ring polymericstructures.

2010 Annual Report Of The Water Quality Monitoring Project For The Water Quality Protection Program Of The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.

2010 Annual Report Of The Water Quality Monitoring Project For The Water Quality Protection Program Of The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (Summary), Joseph N. Boyer, Henry O. Briceño

SERC Research Reports

No abstract provided.