Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Improvements In Triploid Crassostrea Virginica Production: Characterizing The Diploid Parent, Brian R. Callam

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The effect of triploidy to effect faster growth and increased survival compared to diploid oysters is called the ‘triploid advantage’ and this advantage in the Chesapeake Bay for Crassostrea virginica is the principal reason for the value of triploid C. virginica in the Chesapeake Bay, USA. The triploid advantage is hypothesized to be the result of genetic effects, physiological changes, or a combination of both. The causative genetic mechanisms at play may include additive genetic effects and heterosis while the physiological changes obtain from triploid sterility. The triploid advantage was examined by comparing 13 diploid and 13 triploid crosses across …

Seasonal Nitrogen Uptake And Regeneration In The Water Column And Sea-Ice Of The Western Coastal Arctic, Steven E. Baer

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The logistical difficulties of research in extremely low temperatures and lack of access to the Arctic have meant that there is a historic dearth of knowledge of coastal Arctic biogeochemistry, especially during winter when sea ice is present. Recent observations, however, indicate that the Arctic is changing rapidly. Changes include increased temperatures, decreased extent and volume of sea ice, and increased freshwater inputs. How these changes influence biogeochemical cycles is an open question, especially in the highly productive coastal regions of the Chukchi Sea. Here I present nitrogen (N) uptake and regeneration rates for phytoplankton and bacteria measured in the …

Gis Data: City Of Poquoson, Virginia Tidal Marsh Inventory, Marcia Berman, Karinna Nunez, Sharon Killeen, Tamia Rudnicky, Carl H. Hershner, David Stanhope, David Weiss, Julie Bradshaw, Christine Tombleson

Data

The 2013 Tidal Marsh Inventory update for the City of Poquoson, Virginia was generated using on-screen digitizing techniques in the most recent version of ArcGIS® - ArcMap while viewing conditions observed in the most recent imagery from the Virginia Base Mapping Program (VBMP). Dominant plant community types were primarily determined during field surveys from shallow-draft boats moving along the shoreline. Land-based surveys were performed in some locations. One shapefile is developed that portrays tidal marsh areas represented as polygons. A metadata file accompanies the shapefile to define attribute accuracy, data development, and any use restrictions that pertain to the data.

Ecologically-Framed Mercury Database, Exposure Modeling And Risk/Benefit Communication To Lower Chesapeake Bay Fish Consumers, Xiaoyu Xu

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Mercury concentrations and determinants of mercury accumulation were examined for ten finfish species from the lower Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. None of the sampled fish had total mercury concentrations approaching the U.S. EPA human health screening value. Mercury concentrations in different fish species generally increased with increasing delta 15N, but not delta 13C, suggesting that trophic position, but not dietary carbon source was a dominant determinant. A methylmercury biomagnification model was built to estimate a food web magnification factor of approximately 10-fold increase per trophic level in Chesapeake Bay. Based on otolith strontium-calcium ratios, Atlantic croaker inhabiting less saline …

Magnetic Order And Dimensional Crossover In Optical Lattices With Repulsive Interaction, Jie Xu

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

One of the most interesting and challenging problems in physics is understanding strongly correlated many-body systems, where strong interactions can yield many remarkable phenomena such as superfluidity in 4He, high-temperature superconductivity, etc. In order to attack these problems, we often need to reduce the complexity of the systems to simple models in hopes of getting better insights into the properties of the systems. The Hubbard model, the focus of this dissertation, is one of the most famous examples of such model, which describes a tunneling of electrons between nearest neighbor sites of a lattice with on-site interactions. This simple model …

Epidemic Models On Adaptive Networks With Network Structure Constraints, Ilker Tunc

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Spread of infectious diseases progresses as a result of contacts between the individuals in a population. Therefore, it is crucial to gain insight into the pattern of connections to better understand and possibly control the spread of infectious diseases. Moreover, people may respond to an epidemic by changing their social behaviors to prevent infection. as a result, the structure of the network of social contacts evolves adaptively as a function of the disease status of the nodes. Recently, the dynamic relationships between different network topologies and adaptation mechanisms have attracted great attention in modeling epidemic spread. However, in most of …

Experimental Generation And Manipulation Of Quantum Squeezed Vacuum Via Polarization Self-Rotation In Rb Vapor, Travis Scott Horrom

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Nonclassical states of light are of increasing interest due to their applications in the emerging field of quantum information processing and communication. Squeezed light is such a state of the electromagnetic field in which the quantum noise properties are altered compared with those of coherent light. Squeezed light and squeezed vacuum states are potentially useful for quantum information protocols as well as optical measurements, where sensitivities can be limited by quantum noise. We experimentally study a source of squeezed vacuum resulting from the interaction of near-resonant light with both cold and hot Rb atoms via the nonlinear polarization self-rotation effect …

Intelligent Feature Selection Techniques For Pattern Classification Of Time-Domain Signals, Corey Alexander Miller

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Time-domain signals form the basis of analysis for a variety of applications, including those involving variable conditions or physical changes that result in degraded signal quality. Typical approaches to signal analysis fail under these conditions, as these types of changes often lie outside the scope of the domain's basic analytic theory and are too complex for modeling. Sophisticated signal processing techniques are required as a result. In this work, we develop a robust signal analysis technique that is suitable for a wide variety of time-domain signal analysis applications. Statistical pattern classification routines are applied to problems of interest involving a …

Advanced Topographic Characterization Of Variously Prepared Niobium Surfaces And Linkage To Rf Losses, Chen Xu

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Superconducting radio frequency (SRF) technology is widely adopted in particle accelerators. The shallow penetration (∼ 40 nm) of the RF into superconducting niobium lends great importance to SRF cavity interior surface chemistry and topography. These in turn are strongly influenced by the chemical etching "surface clean-up" that follows fabrication.;The principal surface smoothing methods are buffered chemical polish (BCP) and electropolish (EP). The resulting topography is characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The power spectral density (PSD) of AFM data provides a more thorough description of the topography than a single-value roughness measurement. In this work, one dimensional average PSD functions …

Low Energy Tests Of The Standard Model, Benjamin Carl Rislow

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The Standard Model describes a wide range of fundamental interactions. Searches are ongoing for experimental results that differ from the Standard Model predictions. Such disagreements would both indicate that the Standard Model is incomplete and constrain the properties of New Physics scenarios. to probe the Standard Model over a wide kinematic range, low energy tests are necessary to complement experiments in the high energy regime. We perform calculations for experiments that are representative of two general types of low energy tests. The Qweak experiment at Jefferson Lab is a low energy measurement of the weak charge of the proton. Since …

A Search For A New Gauge Boson, Eric Lyle Jensen

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

In the Standard Model, gauge bosons mediate the strong, weak, and electromagnetic forces. New forces could have escaped detection only if their mediators are either heavier than O (TeV) or weakly coupled to charged matter. New vector bosons with small coupling a' arise naturally from a small kinetic mixing with the photon and have received considerable attention as an explanation of various dark matter related anomalies. Such particles could be produced in electron-nucleus fixed-target scattering and then decay to e+ e -- pairs. New light vector bosons and their associated forces are a common feature of Standard Model extensions, but …

Impacts Of Predicted Global Sea-Level Rise On Oregon Beaches And Tidelands, Curt D. Peterson

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Forward by:

Phillip Johnson, Executive Director Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition

The Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition’s "Coastal Climate Change Adaptation Project" is under development as an experiment in grassroots organizing for adaptive planning for expected climate change impacts. Oregon Shores is a regional conservation group with a 40-year history of working to protect marine, shoreline, estuarine and other coastal habitats. The organization’s board and staff came to recognize that the likely effects of climate change—rising sea levels, more intensive storm surges, increased erosion, lower-river flooding, among others—would affect every aspect of the group’s work. Consequently, a new program, the Climate Action …

Strain Energy Release From The 2011 9.0 Mw Tōhoku Earthquake, Japan, Kenneth M. Cruikshank, Curt D. Peterson

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this paper is to compare the strain energy released due to elastic rebound of the crust from the tragic 2011 9.0 Mw Tōhoku earthquake in Japan with the observed radiated seismic energy. The strain energy was calculated by analyzing coseismic displacements of 1024 GPS stations of the Japanese GEONET network. The value of energy released from the analysis is 1.75 × 1017 J, which is of the same order of magnitude as the USGS-observed radiated seismic energy of 1.9 × 1017 Nm (J). The strain energy method is independent of seismic methods for determining the energy released …

Total Synthesis Of (+)-Malbrancheamide B Utilizing A Stereoselective Domino Reaction Sequence To Establish The Bicyclo[2.2]Diazaoctane Core, Stephen William Laws

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

The Synthesis Of 2-Pyridones And Louisianin B, Kaila Ashley Margrey

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Sublethal Effects Of Methylmercury On Flight Performance And Molt In European Starlings (Sturnus Vulgaris), Jenna Rae Carlson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Studies Of Molecular Dynamics Of Fmoc-Alanine-D3 Through Solid State Deuteron Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Jianhua Sun

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Are Occupancy Models Feasible Alternatives To Collecting Breeding Data?, Morgan D. Niccoli

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Methylmercury Exposure Affects Risk-Taking Behaviors In Zebra Finches: Tradeoffs Between Eating And Being Eaten, Megan Elizabeth Kobiela

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Polymeric Radiation Shielding For Applications In Space: Polyimide Synthesis And Modeling Of Multi-Layered Polymeric Shields, Clinton Cleveland Schiavone

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Tracelab: Reproducing Empirical Software Engineering Research, Evan Alexander Moritz

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

A Bank Erosion Hazard Index (Behi) Study Of Dry Run Creek, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Cara Wright

Honors Program Theses

Dry Run Creek is a watershed located in Cedar Falls; Iowa and it is on a list of the state's impaired waterways. One reason it may be impaired is that there is excessive erosion in the stream. This study assessed the Bank Erosion Hazard Index of portions of the creek to determine erosion hotspots. The majority of the banks in all the branches had a Low score, meaning that the BEHI was less than 11.9. The minimum BEHI score is O and the maximum score is 40. The lower the score, the better the condition of the bank. Portions of …

Network Traffic Aware Smartphone Energy Savings, Andrew Joseph Pyles

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

In today's world of ubiquitous Smartphone use, extending the battery life has become an important issue. A significant contributor to battery drain is wireless networking. Common usage patterns expect Smartphones to maintain a constant Internet connection which exacerbates the problem.;Our research entitled A Network Traffic Approach to Smartphone Energy Savings focuses on extending Smartphone battery life by investigating how network traffic impacts power management of wireless devices. We explore 1) Real-time VoIP application energy savings by exploiting silence periods in conversation. WiFi is opportunistically placed into low power mode during Silence periods. 2.) The priority of Smartphone Application network traffic …

Lichens As A Biomonitoring Tool For Detecting Heavy Metal Air Pollution Associated With Industrial Activities In Collie, South-Western Australia, Meenu Chathurika Vitarana

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

During the last few decades, various techniques for using lichens as biomonitors have been developed for monitoring air pollution and forest ecosystem health. Lichens have been used effectively to determine the dispersion of heavy metals emitted by industrial point-sources; however the approach has not been commonly used in Australia. This thesis aimed to determine the effectiveness of using a lichen biomonitoring approach to measure the heavy metal pollutants emitted from coal-fired power stations and related industries in Collie, south-western Australia, an area with concern over poor air quality. Three different approaches to lichen biomonitoring were investigated. The first explored lichen …

Inorganic Hydrogeochemical Responses To Fires In Wetland Sediments On The Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia, David Blake

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In the past decade the wetlands of the Swan Coastal Plain (SCP) region of Western Australia have been subject to increasing fire frequency and intensity. Whilst wetland sediment fires (also known as peat fires) on the SCP are not new phenomena, the increased frequency, duration and extent of combustion have been concomitant with an increase in urbanisation and reduction in average annual rainfall for the region. This has led to a decrease in ground- and surface-water levels which, in turn, has increased the susceptibility of the wetland sediments to ignition and combustion events. Increased wetland fire severity has resulted in …

Mining Climate Data For Shire Level Wheat Yield Predictions In Western Australia, Yunous Vagh

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Climate change and the reduction of available agricultural land are two of the most important factors that affect global food production especially in terms of wheat stores. An ever increasing world population places a huge demand on these resources. Consequently, there is a dire need to optimise food production.

Estimations of crop yield for the South West agricultural region of Western Australia have usually been based on statistical analyses by the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia. Their estimations involve a system of crop planting recommendations and yield prediction tools based on crop variety trials. However, many crop …

Complexity And Creative Capacity : Reformulating The Problem Of Knowledge Transfer In Environmental Management, Kelly Chapman

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Ningaloo Reef is Australia’s largest fringing coral reef and an iconic tourist destination; however tourism development in Ningaloo has been ad hoc and the area is challenged by human pressure on numerous fronts. In response to these challenges a number of research agencies brought together a range of scientists to study the effects of human interaction on the reef. Moving from research to practice has been understood to depend on the adaptive capacity of the institutions responsible for governing human activities, in this case in the Ningaloo area. Knowledge transfer describes the suite of strategies used to try to …

Prospective Teachers’ Learning In Geometry: Changes In Discourse And Thinking, Sasha Wang

Mathematics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study investigates changes in prospective teachers’ levels of geometric thinking and the development of their geometric discourses in the classification of quadrilaterals. To examine prospective teachers’ thinking about geometry, this study connects Sfard’s discursive framework to another, namely the van Hiele theory. Findings of the study reveal discursive similarities and differences in participants’ geometric discourses within the same van Hiele level, as well as changes in geometric discourse as a result of changes in levels of geometric thinking. The study also investigates the usefulness of a discursive framework in providing rich descriptions of prospective teachers’ thinking processes.

Feasibility Of Seismic Monitoring To Identify Avalanche Activity: Snoqualmie Pass, Wa, Kathryn Johnston

All Master's Theses

Avalanches across the Interstate-90 corridor over Snoqualmie Pass, in Washington State, are a concern for winter travelers and backcountry recreation. The temporary closure of the interstate for avalanche mitigation work also affects commerce by delaying transportation of merchandise. The study of seismic signals associated with snow avalanches could allow for greater understanding of avalanche properties, while remote sensing of avalanche activity could help established avalanche control programs and regional avalanche centers with forecasting and mitigation efforts. Two seismic stations were installed near the Alpental ski area on Snoqualmie Pass and recorded seismic activity throughout the winters of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. …

Paleoseismologic Evidence For Holocene Activity On The Pinto Mountain Fault, Twentynine Palms, California, Ana Maria Cadena

All Master's Theses

Excavations across the Pinto Mountain fault in Twentynine Palms, California exposed faulted strata across a 32-m wide zone. Trench wall exposures revealed clear evidence for five ground-rupturing events during the Holocene, and two additional events in the late Pleistocene. Optically stimulated luminescence ages from alluvial sediments suggest that the most recent event occurred between 1.7-2.9 ka B.P. and the penultimate event between 2.7-4.2 ka B.P.. Prior to the penultimate event, there were five ground-rupturing earthquakes on the eastern Pinto Mountain fault between 3.5-13.6 ka B.P.. The average recurrence interval since 13.3-13.6 ka B.P. is 1510-1680 years, and 1200-1500 years in …