Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Wright Message, 2013-2014, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Mathematics.

The Wright Message

Inside this issue:

-- Dear Department Alumni and Friends
-- Around Wright Hall
-- New Faculty: C. Adam Feldhaus
-- 2013 - 2014 Tenure-Stream Faculty
-- Faculty Spotlight: Syed Kirmani
-- UNI on the March
-- The Litwiller Bequest: A Gift that Keeps on Giving
-- Retiring Faculty Member: Glenn Nelson
-- The Center for Teaching and Learning Mathematics
-- David & Lois Kail: Donor Spotlight
-- Addresses by Mathematics Faculty
-- Department of Mathematics Goes Digital
-- Alumni Spotlight: Slade Hovick & Sarah Miesner
-- Student Spotlight: Jesse Moeller, Katherine Pearce, & Adam Feller
-- The 2013 Math Shindig …

Drycleaner Compliance Manual, Iowa Waste Reduction Center., Iowa. Department Of Natural Resources.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Book Gallery

The Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC) at the University of Northern Iowa has provided environmental services including business assistance, industry training, as well as research and development for nearly 25 years. Since inception, the center has conducted over 3,600 on-site reviews in all 99 Iowa counties and as a result has become a national leader in small business environmental assistance. The IWRC works with dry cleaning facilities providing environmental on-site assistance offering recommendations for air, hazardous waste, wastewater, and solid waste compliance issues. The Iowa Air Emissions Assistance Program (IAEAP) at the IWRC, supported by the Iowa Department of Natural …

Communiqué: College Of Humanities, Arts & Sciences Alumni Magazine,Volume 2, Winter 2013, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts, And Sciences.

Communiqué: College of Humanities, Arts & Sciences Alumni Magazine

Inside this issue:

-- Dean's Message
-- Major Change
-- The Art of Teaching
-- Briefs: Humanities and Fine Arts
-- Square Peg, Round Hole
-- Brazil and Back
-- CHAS Applause
-- News in Short
-- Going Viral
-- NASA: We Have an Intern
-- Get Energized, Iowa!
-- Blowin' Up
-- Briefs: Sciences
-- New Exchanges
-- Change and Innovation
-- Transitions
-- Donor Feature
-- Alumni News

Stress Reduction For Pillar Filled Structures, Rebecca J. Nikolic, Adam Conway, Qinghui Shao, Lars Voss, Chin Li Cheung, Mushtaq A. Dar

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

According to one embodiment, an apparatus for detecting neutrons includes an array of pillars, wherein each of the pillars comprises a rounded cross sectional shape where the cross section is taken perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the respective pillar, a cavity region between each of the pillars, and a neutron sensitive material located in each cavity region.

A Facile, Low-Cost Route For The Preparation Of Calcined Porous Calcite And Dolomite And Their Application As Heterogeneous Catalysts In Biodiesel Production, Rui Wang, Hu Li, Fei Chang, Jiafeng Luo, Milford A. Hanna, Daoyang Tan, Deyu Hu, Yuping Zhang, Baoan Song, Song Yang

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

Despite their potential for biodiesel synthesis, directly calcined minerals rich in magnesium/calcium carbonates are used at the expense of large amounts of the catalyst, high alcohol loading, long processing times, and severe conditions. We report a facile and low-cost route for preparing calcined porous calcite (CPC) and dolomite (CPD) via simple thermal decomposition of the reaction mixtures of natural calcite and dolomite with stearic acid. CPC and CPD, both of which have porous structures, were compared with previously reported catalysts and examined as promising heterogeneous base catalysts under mild conditions. A 40% increase in conversion through CPC and CDC was …

Chasing Squares [Pamphlet], Jeremiah Farrell

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Pamphlet accompanying Jeremiah Farrell's mass-produced "Chasing Squares" puzzle.

Flying Saucer, Jeremiah Farrell, Karen Farrell

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Jeremiah's puzzle "Flying Saucer", which was exchanged at the 2013 International Puzzle Party in Washington, DC. 100 puzzle designers create 100 copies of their puzzle and pass it out at the party and exchange them. This puzzle is also manufactured by Walter Hoppe as "Flying Saucer".

Lightcurve Analysis Of Four Asteroids, Bin Li, Haibin Zhao, Xianming Han, Lina R. Annable, Eli M. Finkel, Orry R. Heffner, Adam W. Kidd, Bradley J. Magnetta, Tiffany M. Ramires, Frederick W. Rastede, Sean G. Sproston

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

From June 2011 through May 2012 May, photometric data for four asteroids were obtained using the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA) telescope located at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. The following synodic periods were found: 4808 Ballaero, P = 8.8976 ± 0.0007 h; 7750 McEwen, P = 27.82 ± 0.01 h; 11941 Archinal, P = 2.717 ±0.006 h; and (47035) 1998WS, P = 7.996 ± 0.001 h.

Photometric Observation Of 3024 Hainan, 3920 Aubignan, And 5951 Alicemonet, Bin Li, Haibin Zhao, Xianming Han, Wenjuan Liu, Luming Sun, Jingjing Shi, Shan Gao, Hongyan Zhou

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Three minor planets were measured photometrically between 2012 September 4 and 21 using the SARA (Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy) South telescope, located in Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. The following synodic periods were found: 3024 Hainan, P = 11.785 ± 0.005 h; 3920 Aubignan, P = 4.4762 ± 0.0005 h; and 5951 Alicemonet, P = 3.8871 ± 0.0005 h.

Emotion Capture: Emotionally Expressive Characters For Games, Cathy Ennis, Ludovic Hoyet, Arjan Egges, Rachel Mcdonnell

Conference papers

It has been shown that humans are sensitive to the portrayal of emotions for virtual characters. However, previous work in this area has often examined this sensitivity using extreme examples of facial or body animation. Less is known about how attuned people are at recognizing emotions as they are expressed during conversational communication. In order to determine whether body or facial motion is a better indicator for emotional expression for game characters, we conduct a perceptual experiment using synchronized full-body and facial motion-capture data. We find that people can recognize emotions from either modality alone, but combining facial and body …

The Lismullin Enclosure:A Designed Ritual Space, Frank Prendergast

Book/Book Chapter

The discovery in 2007 of a prehistoric post-built enclosure at Lismullin, Co. Meath, during archaeological investigations in advance of the construction of the M3 motorway is, arguably, the most significant Irish archaeological discovery of recent times. This appendix summarises a commissioned specialist report on the spatial and archaeoastronomical features of the enclosure.

Novel Microwave Assisted Synthesis Of Zns Nanomaterials, Suresh Pillai, Michael Seery, Damian Synnott, John Colreavy, Stephen Hinder

Articles

A novel ambient pressure microwave-assisted technique is developed in which silver and indium modified ZnS is synthesised. The as prepared ZnS is characterised by X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and luminescence spectroscopy. This procedure produced crystalline materials with particle sizes below 10 nm. The synthesis technique leads to defects in the crystal which induce mid energy levels in the band gap and lead to indoor light photocatalytic activity. Increasing the amount of silver causes a phase transition from cubic blende to hexagonal phase ZnS. In a comparative study, when the ZnS cubic blende is heated in a conventional …

Uv And Visible Light Activated Tio2 Photocatalysis Of 6-Hydroxymethyluracil, A Model Compound For The Potent Cyanotoxin Cylindrospermopsin, Cen Zhao, Miquel Pelaez, Dionysios Dionysiou, Suresh Pillai, John Byrne, Kevin O'Shea

Articles

TiO₂ photocatalyses of 6-hydroxymethyl uracil (6-HOMU) a model compound for the potent cyanotoxin, cylindrospermopsin (CYN), were carried out employing visible and UV irradiation using different non-metal doped TiO₂ materials, nitrogen and fluorine-TiO₂ (NF-TiO₂), phosphorus and fluorine-TiO₂ (PF-TiO₂) and sulfur-TiO₂ (S-TiO₂). The model compound was readily degraded under UV TiO₂ photocatalysis with pseudo-first-order rate constants (k) of 2.1, 1.0, and 0.44 h⁻¹ for NF-TiO₂, PF-TiO₂ and S-TiO₂, respectively. Under visible light activated (VLA), NF-TiO₂ was the most active photocatalyst, PF-TiO …

Visualising Museum Stories, Eoin Kilfeather

Publications

Storytelling is fundamental to our ability to understand, and find meaning in, the world around us. Stories allow us to organise and share knowledge, and to identify the relationships between objects, events, and experiences. Within museums stories allow visitors to engage with collections and to gain meaningful understanding of museum objects. Stories transform a collection of objects into a meaningful knowledge structure that connects the objects and give them meaning.

This paper describes the Open Source Storyscope system that has been developed by the EU FP7 DECIPHER project. Storyscope's workspace and tools allow museum professionals and visitors to research, develop, …

Synthesis And Electrodeposition Of Mixed Metal Trinuclear Clusters Of Molybdenum And Chromium In Ionic Liquid Onto A Platinum Electrode, Lynn Renee Frock

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Electrochemical properties of [Mo3O2(O2CCH3)6(H2O)(CF3SO2H)2 and [Cr2Mo(u2-CH3COO)6(u3-O)(H2O)3][CF3SO3] in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(pentafluoroethanesulfonyl)-imide ionic liquid was investigated. Cyclic voltammograms using a Platinum electrode indicated deposition had occurred for the [Mo3O2(O2CCH3)6(H2O)(CF3SO2H)2 metal cluster but had not for the polynuclear complex [Cr2Mo(u2-CH3COO)6(u3-O)(H2O)3][CF3SO3]. Constant potential electrolysis of -1.23 V using a platinum foil electrode was performed. Scanning electron microscopy in combination with energy dispersion spectroscopy confirmed that deposition had occurred.

The Solvent-Free Synthesis Of And N-Methyl-N-Alkylpiperidinium Salts And Their Anion Exchange Reactions With Dilithium Phthalocyanine, Michael Joseph Krol Jr.

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

A nucleophilic substitution reaction of N-methylpiperidine with bromopropane, bromobutane, bromopentane, bromohexane and bromoheptane was carried out in a Q-Tube with excess alkyl halide and yielded N-methyl-N-propylpiperidinium bromide, N-methyl-N-butylpiperidinium bromide, N-methyl-N-pentylpiperidinium bromide, N-methyl-N-hexylpiperidinium bromide and N-methyl-N-heptylpiperidinium bromide in yields from 85 to 92 %. The salts, which were solids at room temperature, were soluble in dichloromethane and were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, elemental analysis and DSC. Two of the piperidinium bromides, N-methyl-N-propylpiperidinium bromide, N-methyl-N-butylpiperidinium bromide were used in an anion exchange reaction with dilithium phthlocyanine to yield N-methyl-N-propylpiperidinium lithium phthalocyanine and N-methyl-N-butylpiperidinium lithium phthalocyanine, respectively in 78 to 85% …

Abiotic Degradation Of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons (Chcs) With Zero-Valent Magnesium (Zvm) And Zero-Valent Palladium/Magnesium Bimetallic (Pd/Mg)-Reductant, Fang Yu

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Chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) in groundwater can be treated by monometallic and bimetallic metal reductants through abiotic degradation. The breakdown of CHC is achieved by gaining electrons from those reductants and removing chlorines from CHC molecules to transform the CHCs into less chlorinated compounds. As a proven technology in groundwater treatment, permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) have been used to passively treat contaminated groundwater, in which granular metals can be used as reactive materials. This study explored the abiotic degradation of CHCs by zero-valent magnesium (ZVM) and bimetallic palladium/magnesium (Pd/Mg) reductants. Different CHCs (carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, dichloromethane (DCM), 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA), 1,1,2-trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCA), …

Dual-Stimuli Responsive Poly(Ethylenimine)S With A Tunable Lcst For Gene Delivery, Mary Abraham

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Hyperbranched poly(ethylenimine)s (HPEI) were modified with hydrophobic isobutyryl amide groups (HPEI-IBAm_0.60) to cause an LCST. These modified polymers were then further substituted with hydrophobic alkyl chains (HPEI-IBAm_0.60-R_0.40), a mixture of alkyl chains and hydroxyethyl groups (HPEI-IBAm_0.60-EtOH_0.20-R_0.20), and a mixture of alkyl chains and low molecular weight PEG (HPEI-IBAm_0.60-PEG_0.20-R_0.20) to determine the effect of different functional groups on solubility behavior. At pH 7.4, all but three LCSTs were below body temperature (37 °C), while at pH 5, all but three LCSTs were above …

Hydroquinone-Based Poly(Arylene Ether)S With Pendent Benzothiazole Or Benzoxazole And 3-Sulfonated Phenyl Sulfonyl Groups For Use As Proton Exchange Membranes, Huong Hoang

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

A series of hydroquinone-based poly(arylene ether) copolymers, with truly pendent sulfonated phenyl sulfonyl groups and either benzothiazole or benzoxazole groups was synthesized for use as proton exchange membranes (PEM). Two homopolymers series, benzothiazole and benzoxazole based, were prepared via meta activated nucleophilic aromatic substitution polycondensation reactions. Two copolymer series of N-heterocyclic and sulfonated phenyl sulfonyl groups were synthesized via a similar method. The ratio of 3,5-difluoro-3'-sulfonated diphenylsulfone to 2-[3,5-bis-(4-hydroxyphenoxy)]benzothiazole or 2-[3,5-bis-(4-hydroxyphenoxy)]benzoxaole was varied to afford ion-exchange capacities ranging from 0.60 to 1.39 meq and 0.62 to 1.42 meq, respectively. Polymers were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), ¹³C NMR …

The Synthesis Of Haplomyrtin Utilizing The Triisopropylsilyl Protecting Group, William S. Barrow

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The synthesis of the arylnaphthalene lignan haplomyrtin using vanillin as a starting material is synthesized via: 1) a bromination of vanillin, 4-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzaldehyde, to produce 6-bromovanillin 2) a hydroxyl protection step of 6-bromovanillin with triisopropylsilylchloride to produce 2-bromo-4-triisopropylsilyoxy-5-methoxybenzaldehyde 3) an aldehyde protection step through a cyclic acetal formation using ethylene glycol to produce 2-(2-bromo-4-triisopropylsilyloxy-5-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-dioxolane 4) a lithium for halogen exchange of the doubly protected 6-bromovanillin leads to neucleophilic coupling with piperonal producing 1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl-[5-triisopropylsilyloxy-2-(1,3-dioxolane-2-yl)-4-methoxyphenyl]methanol and 5) an acid catalyzed intramolecular cycloaddition /Diels Alder adduct with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate producing dimethyl 1-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-4-hydroxy-6-methoxy-7-triisopropylsilyloxynaphthalene-2,3-dicarboxylate.

Cooperative Interactive Distributed Guidance On Mobile Devices, Gregory Burnett

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Mobiles device are quickly becoming an indispensable part of our society. Equipped with numerous communication capabilities, they are increasingly being examined as potential tools for civilian and military usage to aide in distributed remote collaboration for dynamic decision making and physical task completion. With an ever growing mobile workforce, the need for remote assistance in aiding field workers who are confronted with situations outside their expertise certainly increases. Enhanced capabilities in using mobile devices could significantly improve numerous components of a task's completion (i.e. accuracy, timing, etc.). This dissertation considers the design of mobile implementation of technology and communication capabilities …

Abiotic Reduction Of Nitrite And Nitrate By Nanoscale Chemogenic Magnetite: Pathways For Significant Greenhouse Gas Production, Adam Charles Burdsall

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The biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen in terrestrial systems is a major source of nitrous oxide (N₂O), which is among key greenhouse gases (GHG). While biotic processes are commonly accepted as the major drivers of N₂O production, the role of abiotic processes is less understood, and their importance may be underestimated. This study investigates abiotic reactions in the formation and breakdown of N trace gases, including nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) by naturally occurring nanoscale magnetite in soil as denitrification (reduction of nitrite) intermediates. Nitrogen biogeochemical cycling has been studied extensively with respect …

A Semantics-Based Approach To Machine Perception, Cory Andrew Henson

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Machine perception can be formalized using semantic web technologies in order to derive abstractions from sensor data using background knowledge on the Web, and efficiently executed on resource-constrained devices. Advances in sensing technology hold the promise to revolutionize our ability to observe and understand the world around us. Yet the gap between observation and understanding is vast. As sensors are becoming more advanced and cost-effective, the result is an avalanche of data of high volume, velocity, and of varied type, leading to the problem of too much data and not enough knowledge (i.e., insights leading to actions). Current estimates predict …

Capturing And Modeling A Three-Dimensional Stationary Noise Source Directivity Pattern With A Dynamic Array In The Near Field, Randy Mieskoski

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The author has studied several legacy landmark methodologies to develop an original measurement technique. Spherical harmonics modeling practices were leveraged to accurately represent a source directivity pattern. In this thesis a lightweight microphone measurement array that was manually maneuvered around a static noise source was employed. The measurement technique consisted of inserting a head-tracker sensor onto the microphone array to allow the location of the captured acoustic Sound Pressure Level (SPL) to be investigated. By leveraging the historical methodologies the acoustic SPL and location data collected with this technique were processes to represent a directivity pattern of the compressor source …

Electromagnetic Characterization Of Af455 With Dna-Ctma In Solvent Blends, Jessica Marie Hendricks

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This work studies the electromagnetic properties of AF455, a two photon dye, DNA bound with cetyltrimethyl ammonium (CTMA), in liquid solvent blends for use in thin film optical filters. The liquid properties of the materials are believed to be transferred to the films. The solvent blends used are ratios of toluene (T) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The complex permittivity and permeability of the samples are measured using the short open coaxial line technique in the frequency range of 1.0 x 107 Hz to 2.0 x 109 Hz. In this frequency range, AF455 does not act as a two photon absorber. …

Short And Long Term Volcano Instability Studies At Concepción Volcano, Nicaragua, Jose Armando Saballos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Concepción is the most active composite volcano in Nicaragua, and is located on Ometepe Island, within Lake Nicaragua. Moderate to small volcanic explosions with a volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of 1-2 have been characteristic of this volcano during the last four decades. Although its current activity is not violent, its volcanic deposits reveal stages of violent activity involving Plinian and sub-Plinian eruptions that deposited vast amounts of volcanic tephra in the Atlantic Ocean. These observations, together with the 31,000 people living on the island, make Concepción volcano an important target for volcanological research.

My research focuses on the investigation of …

Bayesian Estimation Of Panel Data Fractional Response Models With Endogeneity: An Application To Standardized Test Rates, Lawrence Kessler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this paper I propose Bayesian estimation of a nonlinear panel data model with a fractional dependent variable (bounded between 0 and 1). Specifically, I estimate a panel data fractional probit model which takes into account the bounded nature of the fractional response variable. I outline estimation under the assumption of strict exogeneity as well as when allowing for potential endogeneity. Furthermore, I illustrate how transitioning from the strictly exogenous case to the case of endogeneity only requires slight adjustments. For comparative purposes I also estimate linear specifications of these models and show how quantities of interest such as marginal …

Hypogene Speleogenesis In The Cerna River Basin, Sw Romania: A Sedimentological, Mineralogical, And Stable Isotopic Approach, Cristina Montana Puscas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ever since it was identified as a speleogenetic process in the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico, USA, hypogene speleogenesis has become the focus of numerous research projects aimed at discerning between classical epigene caves and sulfuric acid or thermal caves. The first distinguishing characteristics that were recognized for hypogene caves were passage and cave morphology. The following step was the identification of rare minerals, specific for processes associated to hypogene speleogenesis. One other important step was the recognition of the importance of stable isotopes - mainly of S - in tracing the source of S and the chemical processes affecting …

Modular Answer Set Solving, Yuliya Lierler, Miroslaw Truszczyński

Computer Science Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Modularity is essential for modeling large-scale practical applications.We propose modular logic programs as a modular version of answer set programming and study the relationship of our formalism to an earlier concept of lp-modules.

Towards A Tight Integration Of Syntactic Parsing With Semantic Disambiguation By Means Of Declarative Programming, Yuliya Lierler, Peter Schüller

Computer Science Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

We propose and advocate the use of an advanced declarative programming paradigm – answer set programming – as a uniform platform for integrated approach towards syntax-semantic processing in natural language. We illustrate that (a) the parsing technology based on answer set programming implementation reaches performance sufficient for being a useful NLP tool, and (b) the proposed method for incorporating semantic information from FRAMENET into syntactic parsing may prove to be useful in allowing semantic-based disambiguation of syntactic structures.