Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Hydrodynamic Modeling Of The Green Bay Of Lake Michigan Using The Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code, Paula Estefania Cedillo

Theses and Dissertations

In this project we created a hydrodynamic model of the Lower Green Bay of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, United States using the Visual Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC). The model includes four tributary rivers to Lower Green Bay as well as the open boundary flow conditions at Chambers Island. This case study is used to: 1) compare the results obtained with a previous study of Lower Green Bay to validate the creation of the model 2) examine the hydrodynamics of the bay, and 3) create a framework for future studies at Lower Green Bay. The Geographic Information used to build …

Arylboronates As H2o2 Or Photo-Inducible Dna Cross-Linking Agents: Design, Synthesis, Mechanism, And Anticancer Activity, Yibin Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Interest in the development of cancer therapies with improved selectivity and reduced host toxicity has been growing. In this thesis, we designed and synthesized a series of novel non-toxic arylboronic ester and biarylboronic ester derivatives that can be activated by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to induce DNA interstrand cross-link formation. The mechanism of DNA cross-linking induced by these arylboronates involves generation of phenol intermediates 1 followed by departure of leaving group (L) leading to quinone methides (QMs) 2, which directly cross-link DNA via alkylation. The QM formation is the rate-determining step for DNA cross-linking. The activity and selectivity of these compounds …

Compression Bodies And Their Boundary Hyperbolic Structures, Vinh Xuan Dang

Theses and Dissertations

We study hyperbolic structures on the compression body C with genus 2 positive boundary and genus 1 negative boundary. We consider individual hyperbolic structures as well as special regions in the space of all such hyperbolic structures. We use some properties of the boundary hyperbolic structures on C to establish an interesting property of cusp shapes of tunnel number one manifolds. This extends a result of Nimershiem in [26] to the class of tunnel number one manifolds. We also establish convergence results on the geometry of compression bodies. This extends the work of Ito in [13] from the punctured-torus case …

Novel Methods For Identification Of Posttranslational Lipid Modified Proteins By Mass Spectrometry, Ruchika P. Bhawal

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations

Study of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) is very important for developing potential new drugs for the treatment of several diseases. Posttranslational lipid modifications are major PTMs which help proteins to anchor to cell membranes and facilitate protein-protein interactions. There are several kinds of lipid modifications of proteins. The major lipid modifications are palmitoylation, myristoylation and prenylation. Prenylation are of two types - farnesylation and geranylgeranylation. These modifications are involved with several human cancers and genetic diseases. Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), a disease which causes premature aging for children is the product of prenylation. Understanding the mechanism of prenylation and their substrates …

The Search For Exomoon Radio Emissions, Joaquin P. Noyola

Physics Theses

The field of exoplanet detection has seen many new developments since the discovery of the first exoplanet. Observational surveys by the NASA Kepler Mission and several other instrument have led to the confirmation of over 1900 exoplanets, and several thousands of exoplanet potential candidates. All this progress, however, has yet to provide the first confirmed exomoon. Since all previous attempts to discover exomoons have failed, a novel method to detect them is proposed in this dissertation, which describes development of the method and its applications to select the best exomoon candidates for observational searches. The main goal of these searches …

No Major Changes On Paleoclimate And Paleoenvironment Across The Eocene–Oligocene Transition In The Central Rocky Mountains, Sara Ayyash

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses

Earth’s climate has experienced dramatic cooling during the Eocene-Oligocene Transition (EOT) based on well-constrained marine geological records, however, a consensus on the terrestrial responses to this event has not been reached. The White River Formation in the central Rocky Mountains, western U.S.A., is a well-dated stratigraphic unit covering the EOT. The formation contains tuffaceous mudrock and sandstone that were deposited in fluvial and eolian depositional environments. Here I study oxygen isotope ratios and clumped isotope temperatures of carbonate cements and bulk organic carbon isotope ratios in order to reconstruct the paleoenvironment and paleoclimate across the EOT. These carbonate cements were …

Determination Of Total And D-Amino Acid Content In Mice Brain Tissue By Achiral-Chiral Heart-Cutting Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography: Diagnostic And Clinical Relevance And A Comparison Between Non-Perfused And Perfused Tissue, Curran Parpia

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses

A heart-cutting two dimensional liquid chromatographic method for the quantification of free amino acid enantiomers from mouse brain tissue is demonstrated. Evidence to support the occurrence of D-amino acids in significant concentrations in physiological samples has spurred studies toward the elucidation of their importance and function. In this work, the level and regional distribution of select amino acids were determined by achiral-chiral LC/LC. Additionally, the effect of tissue perfusion on these levels was investigated. The free amino acid extracts were analyzed as their 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl derivatives and separated in the reverse phase mode on superficially porous C18. In the second dimension, …

Characterization Of The Constituent Mineral Components Of North African Surface Dust Samples Utilizing Computer Controlled Scanning Electron Microscopy (Ccsem), Zakariah Edward Sabatka

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses

Analysis of the constituent mineral components of surface dusts/soils from Chad-Niger region, North Africa, was undertaken by computer controlled scanning electron microscopy (CCSEM) to determine if differences in composition could be used for source attribution to distinguish windblown material from different contributing source areas. A total of 11 surficial samples were selected for analysis by computer controlled scanning electron microscopy (CCSEM). These samples were from two different geographic locations in the Chad-Niger region. CCSEM analysis generates data on individual dust particles that includes: particle size, shape, and chemical composition. This type of particle characterization used a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) …

Synthesis Of Modified Ribose Spin-Label, Ke-Wei Chang

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses

Transfer ribonucleic acids (tRNAs) from all organisms contain modified nucleosides, which are derived from four different nucleosides. Research has indicated that tRNA modifications affect translation and various metabolic pathways. Among these modifications, some of them need more than one enzyme to produce specific nucleosides. Researchers are interested in investigating the fundamental mechanisms and function of post-transcriptional modifying enzymes. A number of these enzymes are metal-dependent, such as MiaB and MiaE. MiaE enzyme (2-methylthio-N6-isopentenyl-adenosine(37)-tRNA monooxygenase) stereospecifically hydroxylates an adeonosine derivative at the 37th position of tRNA, ms2i6A37, to complete the hypermodification of 2-methylthio-N6-(4-hydroxyisopentenyl)-adenosine (ms2io6A37). Several studies showed that the ms2io6A37 modification …

Controlled Hydrosilylations Of Carbonyl Compounds And Computational Investigations Of A Hydride Shuttle Mechanism For Alkene Hydrosilylation, Gabriela Trog

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses

Chapter 1 describes tandem dual hydrosilylations of α,β-unsaturated enals. Hydrosilylations of both carbonyl compounds and alkenes have been utilized to create chiral alcohols. Tandem dual hydrosilylations (TDH) of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds create five-membered oxasilacycles that can be further converted to 1,3- diols, which are a common structural motif in the polyketide natural product family. We present preliminary data and a substrate scope for the formation of these oxasilacycles en route to the 1,3-diol compounds. Chapter 2 describes hydrosilylations of esters that result in silyl acetals. The silyl acetals are chemical synthons of the corresponding aldehyde. This reaction can be coupled …

New Conductometric Detection Methods For Sensitive Ion Chromatographic Measurement Of Weak Electrolytes, Hongzhu Liao

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses

Since Suppressed conductometric anion chromatography (SCAC) was proposed in the mid-1970s, SCAC has become a widely used tool for the determination of anion species in aqueous samples. Its application ranges from trace analysis in semiconductor manufacture to pharmaceutical analysis. This dissertation primarily focuses on three different projects on the conductometric determination of weak acids. Other work carried out during the same period both involved SCAC for the determination of anion composition of açaí Extracts and on the unusual ion exchange behavior of myo‐inositol phosphates. SCAC responds poorly and nonlinearly to weak acids, because they only ionize partially and the degree …

Fluid Uptake Of The Goddard Shale In Southeastern Oklahoma, Usa, Paul Huggins

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses

The South Central Oklahoma Oil Province is the current play for the Goddard shale and is also the main field for the underlying Woodford Formation. As of September 2015, an estimated 40 wells have been drilled to evaluate and produce the Goddard shale in the southeastern portion of the Anadarko Basin. With companies reporting initial production rates ranging from 1,000 boe/d to nearly 2,000 boe/d and 30 day reports averaging around 800 boe/d, the amount of recovery from this tight shale reservoir has exceptional potential. Continental Resources Inc. estimates a gross recovery of 940,000 boe per lateral well. Understanding the …

Theoretical Prediction Of Materials For Efficient Conversion Of Solar Energy, Pranab Sarker

Physics Dissertations

Our present work represents a systematic theoretical and computational research to find an affordable material for solar energy application using density functional theory (DFT) and post-DFT such as DFT+U and DFT-HSE06. Here, we predict a new photovoltaic material (CuSnW2O8) and a new photocatalyst (ZnSnW2O8). In addition, a new method for predicting the higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) optimized growth conditions will be presented. It is well known that all physical properties are calculated once crystal structure is known. However, knowing crystal structure is extremely challenging and to date, there is no success has been claimed in the case of a …

On The Unreliability Of Bug Severity Data, Yuan Tian, Nasir Ali, David Lo, Ahmed E. Hassan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Severity levels, e.g., critical and minor, of bugs are often used to prioritize development efforts. Prior research efforts have proposed approaches to automatically assign the severity label to a bug report. All prior efforts verify the accuracy of their approaches using human-assigned bug reports data that is stored in software repositories. However, all prior efforts assume that such human-assigned data is reliable. Hence a perfect automated approach should be able to assign the same severity label as in the repository – achieving a 100% accuracy. Looking at duplicate bug reports (i.e., reports referring to the same problem) from three open-source …

Molecular Modeling And Mutational Mapping Of The Gpr119 Binding Site, Shane M. Askar

Theses and Dissertations

GPR119 receptor’s biological role in regulating glucose homeostasis has been studied extensively. Results in the scientific literature indicate that, when activated, GPR119 releases insulin in a glucose dependent manner. Currently the 3D structure of GPR119 has not been resolved.

The goal of this research is to use a combination of homology modeling and ligand docking studies to predict the binding mode of GPR119 ligands. Amino acids implicated to have direct interactions with docked ligands will further be assessed experimentally for their roll in binding and activation of GPR119. Our results indicate that residues W2656.48 and R813.28 are likely to be …

Facile Sol-Gel Molten Salt Synthesis Of Double Perovskite La 2nimno6 As An Electrocatalyst For Oxygen Evolution Reactions, Padmini Kukkapalli

Theses and Dissertations

Double perovskites have attracted a great attention recently for its high intrinsic activity in oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems in alkaline media. In this study, we are the first to report the new approach of La2NiMnO6 double perovskite which was synthesized via Sol-gel molten-Salt synthesis method. However their stability and specific activity remain challenging that need to be addressed to meet the reqiurement for OER activities. Here in this study we synthesized three different samples with varying concentrations by taking molten salts NaNO 3 and KNO3 in (1:1) ratio such as 30:30, 60:60, 90:90. …

3d Reconstruction Of Close Range Objects Using Free And Open Source Software And Raspberry Pi Technologies, Juan Lorenzo Monrreal

Theses and Dissertations

Existing 3D rendering open source software along with Raspberry Pi technology can be used to create an affordable method and workflow for time efficient, accurate and quality scans for 3D printing. The emergence of technology spurs a technological community working to progress in a collaborative effort. This brings a potential to the possibility of efficient and economical solutions to emerging problems, in this case, the ability to render three dimensional scans using free and open source software as well as Raspberry Pi technology. The focus of this paper will be divided into three different aspects including the background needed to …

The Bourbaki-Jacobson Correspondence, Jose R. Vera

Theses and Dissertations

A general ring theoretic correspondence between subrings of the endomorphism ring of the additive group of a commutative field will be established. This correspondence (called Bourbaki-Jacobson Correspondence) provides the ordinary Galois correspondence when applied to specific group rings. Throughout this thesis, we will work with finite dimensional field extensions.

Virtual Humans And Photorealism: The Effect Of Photorealism Of Interactive Virtual Humans In Clinical Virtual Environment On Affective Responses, Himanshu Chaturvedi

All Theses

The ability of realistic vs stylized representations of virtual characters to elicit emotions in users has been an open question for researchers and artists alike. We designed and performed a between subjects experiment using a medical virtual reality simulation to study the differences in the emotions aroused in participants while interacting with realistic and stylized virtual characters. The experiment included three conditions each of which presented a different representation of the virtual character namely; photo-realistic, non-photorealistic cartoon-shaded and non-photorealistic charcoal-sketch. The simulation used for the experiment, called the Rapid Response Training System was developed to train nurses to identify symptoms …

Modeling Of Gas Production From Shale Reservoirs Considering Multiple Transport Mechanisms, Chaohua Guo, Mingzhen Wei, Hong Liu

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Gas transport in unconventional shale strata is a multi-mechanism-coupling process that is different from the process observed in conventional reservoirs. In micro fractures which are inborn or induced by hydraulic stimulation, viscous flow dominates. And gas surface diffusion and gas desorption should be further considered in organic nano pores. Also, the Klinkenberg effect should be considered when dealing with the gas transport problem. In addition, following two factors can play significant roles under certain circumstances but have not received enough attention in previous models. During pressure depletion, gas viscosity will change with Knudsen number; and pore radius will increase when …

Identities And Motives Of Naturalist Development Program Attendees And Their Relation To Professional Careers, Jennifer A. Mraz

Dissertations

In recent years, there has been much concern over the decline of biologists who actually identify themselves to be naturalists, which negatively impacts the field of conservation and the study of biology as a whole. This could result in a decrease in individuals who participate in naturalist-like activities, such as informal environmental education and environmental volunteerism. The purpose of my study was to determine what discourse identities were held by naturalist development program participants, how these discourse identities related to their volunteer motives in environmental settings, and how discourse identity related to professional careers. I defined identity through the lens …

Hydrogen Bond-Mediated Structural Order In Hydroxylated Bis-Mpa Dendritic Polymers: Experimental And Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study, Maliha N. Syed

Dissertations

Dendritic architectures are echoed throughout nature. While the significance of these pervasive patterns is not entirely clear, connections between their structures and physical properties are fascinating to contemplate. Particular interest has been paid to a family of synthetically manufactured and commercially available dendritic polymers based on 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl) propionic acid (bis-MPA) as a monomer. Composed of two hydroxyls and a carboxyl group, bis-MPA based structures hydrogen bond (H-bond) profusely. Given the high concentration and unique spatial orientation of end-groups, as well as the multitude of carbonyl, ester, and ether interior H-bond acceptors, a set of distinct H-bond organizations may be observed …

Economic Feasibility Of Aquaponics In Arkansas, Leah Ashley English

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Concerns regarding population growth and resource scarcity have led to a recent renaissance of food production research. Over the past few decades, scientists have discovered new and innovative methods for growing food that, cumulatively, may hold the key to efficiently and sustainably feeding an ever-increasing world population. One method, known as aquaponics, has shown promise as being a sustainable solution for producing food locally in all parts of the world. Although many studies have shown aquaponic food production to be technically feasible, there are relatively few studies concerning the economic feasibility of aquaponics in various regions. To determine whether aquaponics …

Photochemistry Of A Series Of Weakly Coupled Dinuclear Ruthenium(Ii) Complexes, Latisha Michelle Puckett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An improved synthetic method was developed for symmetric ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes with the form L2Ru(diphen)RuL2. The scope of the reaction was investigated in regards to the ligands, bridging ligands, and starting materials. Several ligands were successful in the synthesis, including 2,2’-bipyridine (bpy), 4,4’-dimethyl-2,2’-dipyridyl (dmb), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (dpphen), and 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (tmphen). Ligands that did not react to form symmetric dimeric complexes were 2,2’-bipyrazine, bpz, and 2,2’-bipyrimidine, bpm.

Dpp, 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)-pyrazine, effectively replaced diphen as the bridging ligand to produce (phen)2Ru(dpp)Ru(phen)24+. However, replacing the [Ru(CO)2Cl2]n with Ru(DMSO)4Cl2 did not prove successful. The newly developed synthesis was also applied to the synthesis of …

Defining The Potassium Nutritional Requirements And Distribution Among Plant Parts Of Representative Soybean Cultivars From Different Maturity Groups, Md. Rasel Parvej

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The potassium (K) requirement of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] was investigated to determine whether cultivar sensitivity to K deficiency was affected by growth habit (determinate or indeterminate) and how cultivars from each growth habit accumulate and distribute K among plant structures. We also diagnosed K deficiency across reproductive growth stages (R2-6) using trifoliolate leaf- and petiole-K concentrations and at harvest (R8) using seed-K concentration. Soybean responded similarly to K deficiency in terms of yield, selected yield components, and seed-K concentration, regardless of growth habit. The yield loss from K deficiency was greatest on the middle to upper nodes of …

Influence Of Shelling Temperature And Time On The Optical And Structural Properties Of Cuins2/Zns Quantum Dots, Colette Robinson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

CIS/ZnS core/shell QDs are an important class of nanomaterials for optoelectronic, photovoltaic and photoluminescence applications. They consist of lower toxicity materials than the prototypical II-VI Cd-based QDs and show long fluorescence lifetimes, which generates prospective in biological imaging applications. It is vital to develop reproducible synthetic methods for this new class of nanomaterials in order to maintain small sizes with high QYs. CIS core QDs have been shelled with ZnS at various temperatures from 90-210°C for reaction times ranging from 20-140 minutes to examine the role of thermodynamics and kinetics on the shell growth. Using HR-TEM and ICP-MS, it was …

Calorimetry And Body Composition Research In Broilers And Broiler Breeders, Justina Victoria Caldas Cueva

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Indirect calorimetry to study heat production (HP) and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) for body composition (BC) are powerful techniques to study the dynamics of energy and protein utilization in poultry. The first two chapters present the BC (dry matter, lean, protein, and fat, bone mineral, calcium and phosphorus) of modern broilers from 1 – 60 d of age analyzed by chemical analysis and DEXA. DEXA has been validated for precision, standardized for position, and equations and validations developed for chickens under two different feeding levels. These equations are unique to the machine and software in use. Research in broilers …

Swat Model Simulation Of Bioenergy Crop Impacts On Water Quality In Cache River Watershed, Eeshan Kumar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Energy security through increased biofuel production is one of the components of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) 2007. As per EISA 2007 mandate, appropriate independent research institutes are required to assess concerns to natural biodiversity due to biofuel production and report it to the Congress through the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). Planners, researchers, and agencies concerned with environmental regulations, ideally, would like to have location-specific information about the impacts for developing appropriate management interventions. This study examines long-term impacts on water quality in response to targeted (i.e. marginal lands) production of biofuel crops by setting up two SWAT …

The Structural Analysis Of Enola And Greenbrier, Arkansas Earthquake Swarms: Cause And Effect?, Minella Majenu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Almost 20 years after the remarkable earthquake swarm of 1982, near the town of Enola, Arkansas, with more than 40,000 micro-earthquakes, another event revisited the same North-Central Arkansas region in 2001. Nine years later, in 2010, a huge swarm event shook the northern part of Faulkner County, around the city of Guy. The following year, this seismic swarm event apparently migrated southward towards the city of Greenbrier, with an increase in the number of yearly recorded events. A 13km previously unrecognized, NE trending Guy-Greenbrier basement fault was revealed as a result of these swarm events.

Within the vicinity of the …

Validation Of Soil-Test-Based Phosphorus And Potassium Fertilizer Recommendations For Rice And Soybean, Matthew Scott Fryer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The science of soil-testing for nutrient management and fertilizer recommendations is widely accepted among scientists and agronomists. Although this science is unsurpassed in predicting soil nutrient availability, soil-test interpretations are seldom validated. Major research objectives for irrigated soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and direct-seeded, delayed-flood rice (Oryza sativa L.) were to: i) validate the accuracy of Mehlich-3 soil-test P (STP) and K (STK) interpretations and ii) published critical tissue-P and -K interpretations in predicting the yield response to fertilizer at different significance levels (p≤0.05 to 0.25), iii) examine how seed nutrient concentrations are influenced by fertilization and crop response to …