Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Systems And Methods For Emergency Situation Communications, Sriram Chellappan, Srinivas Thandu, Patrick Sullivan, Levi Malott

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

A system for enabling communications during an emergency situation is described. A system may be configured to generate graphical user interfaces including a map displaying a location and a status of the one or more users located at the scene of an emergency situation. The graphical user interfaces may be displayed on a user's portable computing device. The graphical user interfaces may be displayed at a computing device located at a dispatcher site.

Structural Characterization Of A Newly Identified Component Of Α-Carboxysomes: The Aaa+ Domain Protein Csocbbq, Markus Sutter, Evan W. Roberts, Raul C. Gonzalez, Cassandra Bates, Salma Dawoud, Kimberly Landry, Gordon C. Cannon, Sabine Heinhorst, Cheryl A. Kerfeld

Faculty Publications

Carboxysomes are bacterial microcompartments that enhance carbon fixation by concentrating ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) and its substrate CO₂ within a proteinaceous shell. They are found in all cyanobacteria, some purple photoautotrophs and many chemoautotrophic bacteria. Carboxysomes consist of a protein shell that encapsulates several hundred molecules of RuBisCO and contain carbonic anhydrase and other accessory proteins. Genes coding for carboxysome shell components and the encapsulated proteins are typically found together in an operon. The α-carboxysome operon is embedded in a cluster of additional, conserved genes that are presumably related to its function. In many chemoautotrophs, products of the expanded carboxysome …

Ensemble Learning Method On Machine Maintenance Data, Xiaochuang Zhao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the industry, a lot of companies are facing the explosion of big data. With this much information stored, companies want to make sense of the data and use it to help them for better decision making, especially for future prediction. A lot of money can be saved and huge revenue can be generated with the power of big data. When building statistical learning models for prediction, companies in the industry are aiming to build models with efficiency and high accuracy. After the learning models have been developed for production, new data will be generated. With the updated data, the …

Linkages Among Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter, Dissolved Amino Acids And Lignin-Derived Phenols In A River-Influenced Ocean Margin, Youhei Yamashita, Cedric G. Fichot, Yuan Shen, Rudolf Jaffe, Ronald Benner

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) is commonly used to investigate the dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM). However, a lack of direct comparisons with known biomolecules makes it difficult to substantiate the molecular composition of specific fluorescent components. Here, coincident surface-water measurements of EEMs, dissolved lignin, and total dissolved amino acids (TDAA) acquired in the northern Gulf of Mexico were used to investigate the relationships between specific fluorescent components and DOM biomolecules. Two terrestrial humic-like components identified by EEM-PARAFAC using samples obtained from river to offshore waters were strongly linearly correlated with dissolved …

Synthesis, Characterization And Ferroelectric Properties Of Ln-Type Znsno3 Nanostructures, Corisa Kons

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With increasing focus on the ill health and environmental effects of lead there is a greater push to develop Pb-free devices and materials. To this extent, ecofriendly and earth abundant LiNbO₃-type ZnSnO₃, a derivative of the ABO₃ perovskite structure, has a high theoretically predicted polarization making it an excellent choice as a suitable alternative to lead based material such as PZT. In this work we present a novel synthesis procedure for the growth of various ZnSnO₃ nanostructures by combined physical/chemical processes. Various ZnSnO₃ nanostructures of different dimensions were grown from a ZnO:Al template …

Qubit Measurement Error From Coupling With A Detuned Neighbor In Circuit Qed, Mostafa Khezri, Justin Dressel, Alexander N. Korotkov

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In modern circuit QED architectures, superconducting transmon qubits are measured via the state-dependent phase and amplitude shift of a microwave field leaking from a coupled resonator. Determining this shift requires integrating the field quadratures for a nonzero duration, which can permit unwanted concurrent evolution. Here we investigate such dynamical degradation of the measurement fidelity caused by a detuned neighboring qubit. We find that in realistic parameter regimes, where the qubit ensemble-dephasing rate is slower than the qubit-qubit detuning, the joint qubit-qubit eigenstates are better discriminated by measurement than the bare states. Furthermore, we show that when the resonator leaks much …

The Development Of A Fluorescence-Based Reverse Flow Injection Analysis (Rfia) Method For Quantifying Ammonium At Nanomolar Concentrations In Oligotrophic Seawater, William Abbott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis was to adopt a reverse flow injection analysis (rFIA) technique to the fluorometric analysis of the reaction o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) with ammonium, allowing accurate measurements of ammonium concentrations lower than the detection limit of the widely used indophenol blue (IPB) colorimetric method while accounting for the background fluorescence of seawater. Ammonium is considered an essential nutrient for primary productivity, especially in the nutrient depleted surface ocean where as the most reduced form of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, it is readily assimilated via metabolic pathways. Challenges in the quantification of ammonium require more sensitive analytical techniques for …

Influence Of Water Column Stratification And Nutrient Gradients On The Migratory Behavior Of The Red Tide Dinoflagellate, Karenia Brevis, Matthew Garrett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diel vertical migration (DVM) can offer motile phytoplankton a competitive advantage over other phytoplankton species. DVM has been well documented in the harmful dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis; however, the extent to which changes in nutrient regimes and density stratification modify migration patterns has not been thoroughly investigated. A 2 m experimental column was constructed with sensors and sampling ports at four depths to obtain fluorescence and temperature measurements and discrete water samples. The environmental parameters of the experimental column represented temperature and nutrient conditions found on the West Florida Shelf (WFS), where Karenia blooms frequently occur. Results demonstrated a clear …

Is Nubia Plate Rigid? A Geodetic Study Of The Relative Motion Of Different Cratonic Areas Within Africa., Mary Wambui Njoroge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Nubia plate is normally considered to be a rigid plate and as such used in the realization of terrestrial reference frame. Gondwana breakup plate reconstruction, the Cameroon volcanic line, seismicity, and the morphology of the Okavango rift zone (ORZ) suggest the presence of internal deformation within the Nubia plate. To test this hypothesis, six different reference frames were developed from the velocity field of three individual regions (West, Central and South), and of different combinations of them (West+Central, South+Central, and Nubia as a whole). The residual velocities with respect to these references frame help us understand the presence of …

Geophysical Evidence For Mid-Crustal Magma Reservoirs In The Lassen Volcanic Region, California, Samantha Catherine Tavarez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Regional-scale complete Bouguer gravity anomalies underlying the Lassen and Shasta -Medicine Lake regions in northern California and southern Oregon are associated with subduction of the Gorda plate beneath North America. These generally negative anomalies reflect where underplating has deepened to form the mantle wedge, and where subduction has given rise to a series of Quaternary volcanoes comprising the southernmost end of the Cascade range. Multiple conductive bodies were identified by Park and Ostos (2013) in their magnetotelluric (MT) study of the broader Lassen volcanic region. Their broadband and long period measurements were conducted along a 250 km profile spanning from …

Linkages Among Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter, Dissolved Amino Acids And Lignin-Derived Phenols In River-Influenced Ocean Margins, Youhei Yamashita, Cédric G. Fichot, Yuan Shen, Rudolf Jaffé, Ronald Benner

Faculty Publications

Excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) is commonly used to investigate the dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM). However, a lack of direct comparisons with known biomolecules makes it difficult to substantiate the molecular composition of specific fluorescent components. Here, coincident surface-water measurements of EEMs, dissolved lignin, and total dissolved amino acids (TDAA) acquired in the northern Gulf of Mexico were used to investigate the relationships between specific fluorescent components and DOM biomolecules. Two terrestrial humic-like components identified by EEM-PARAFAC using samples obtained from river to offshore waters were strongly linearly correlated with dissolved …

Rapture Of The Geeks, Derek Schuurman

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"If we are more than machines, what is it that defines our humanity? Is it our intelligence, creativity, or emotion?"

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the distinction between humans and artificial creatures from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/the-rapture-of-the-geeks/

A Novel Method For Assessing Co-Monotonicity: An Interplay Between Mathematics And Statistics With Applications, Danang T. Qoyyimi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Numerous problems in econometrics, insurance, reliability engineering, and statistics rely on the assumption that certain functions are monotonic, which may or may not be true in real life scenarios. To satisfy this requirement, from the theoretical point of view, researchers frequently model the underlying phenomena using parametric and semi-parametric families of functions, thus effectively specifying the required shapes of the functions. To tackle these problems in a non-parametric way, when the shape cannot be specified explicitly but only estimated approximately, we suggest indices for measuring the lack of monotonicity in functions. We investigate properties of these indices and offer convenient …

Acidity Fractions In Acid Sulfate Soils And Sediments: Contributions Of Schwertmannite And Jarosite, Chamindra Vithana, Leigh Sullivan, Richard Bush, Edward Burton

Chamindra Vithana

In Australia, the assessment of acidity hazard in acid sulfate soils requires the estimation of operationally defined acidity fractions such as actual acidity, potential sulfidic acidity, and retained acidity. Acid–base accounting approaches in Australia use these acidity fractions to estimate the net acidity of acid sulfate soils materials. Retained acidity is the acidity stored in the secondary Fe/Al hydroxy sulfate minerals, such as jarosite, natrojarosite, schwertmannite, and basaluminite. Retained acidity is usually measured as either net acid-soluble sulfur (S_NAS) or residual acid soluble sulfur (S_RAS). In the present study, contributions of schwertmannite and jarosite to the …

Liberation Of Acidity And Arsenic From Schwertmannite: Effect Of Fulvic Acid, Chamindra Vithana, Leigh Sullivan, Edward Burton, Richard Bush

Chamindra Vithana

Schwertmannite is one of the major components that produces acidity in acid mine drainage (AMD) and acid sulfate soils (ASS) and is also known to be an effective scavenger of Arsenic (As) in such environments. Fulvic acid (FA) is an active component of natural organic matter (NOM) and is known to interact strongly with both schwertmannite and As. Two main environmental hazards related to schwertmannite are acidity liberation and potential re-mobilization of adsorbed or co-precipitated As upon hydrolysis. This study focused on understanding the behaviour of As-substituted schwertmannite with regard to the potential of acidity liberation, the effect of FA …

Jarosite Quantification In Soils: An Enhanced Sequential Extraction Procedure, Chamindra Vithana, Leigh Sullivan, Richard Bush, Edward Burton

Chamindra Vithana

A two-step sequential extraction procedure established for the quantification of acidity producing ferric and ferrous sulfate minerals such as melanterite and jarosite in acid mine wastes was evaluated for quantification of jarosite spiked in soils. The procedure involves in sequence anoxic water extraction, roasting the solid residue after anoxic water extraction at 550 °C for 1 h, and 4 M HCl extraction of the roasted solid. Soil and quartz samples were spiked with known amounts of synthetic and natural jarosite and their recovery was measured using the suggested two-step sequential extraction procedure. The recoveries of synthetic and natural jarosite were …

Evaluation Of Acidified Ammonium Oxalate Technique For The Identification Of Schwertmannite In Soil Materials, Chamindra Vithana, Leigh A. Sullivan, Richard T. Bush, Edward D. Burton

Chamindra Vithana

No abstract provided.

Readily Available Acidity In Schwertmannite, Chamindra Vithana, Leigh Sullivan, Richard Bush, Edward Burton

Chamindra Vithana

Schwertmannite and jarosite are considered as less soluble ironhydroxy sulfate minerals which are present in highly acidic environments (pH < 3). These minerals release acidity in the long run as they weather by hydrolysis [1]. However, 1M KCl extraction of soil samples (Clarence and Quartz) spiked with those two minerals showed that schwertmannite has some acidity that may be readily available.

Effect Of Fulvic Acid On Liberation Of Acidity And Arsenic Form Arsenic Substituted Schwertmannite, Chamindra Vithana, Leigh Sullivan, Richard Bush, Edward Burton

Chamindra Vithana

INTRODUCTION

Schwertmannite is one of the main secondary iron hydroxy sulfate minerals contributing to acidity in acid sulfate soils (ASS). While it is an important source of acidity in ASS, schwertmannite is also known to be a potential sink for trace metals such as arsenic (As) and chromium (Cr) (Fukushi et al. 2003; Regenspurg and Peiffer. 2005).Trace metal adsorption/substitution is known to stabilize schwertmannite which in turn retards its transformation to goethite which is one of the main processes of acidity generation in ASS. Fulvic Acid (FA) is a subclass of natural organic materials that are ubiquitous in aquatic environments …

A Critical Evaluation Of Retained Acidity (Ar) Estimating Methods In Acid Base Account (Aba) Approach For Acid Sulfate Soils (Ass), Chamindra Vithana, Leigh Sullivan, Richard Bush, Edward Burton

Chamindra Vithana

No abstract provided.

Underestimation Of Retained Acidity Measured Using Chromium Suite In Acid Sulfate Soils Containing Schwermannite And Jarosite, Chamindra Vithana, Leigh Sullivan, Richard Bush, Edward Burton

Chamindra Vithana

No abstract provided.

Assessment And Behaviour Of Secondary Iron(Iii) Minerals In Acid Sulphate Soil Materials, Chamindra Vithana

Chamindra Vithana

This study examined two aspects of acidity generating secondary Fe(III) minerals (i.e. schwertmannite and jarosite) in acid sulfate soils (ASS) environments: i) accurate identification and quantification, and ii) improving our understanding of their behaviour in ASS.The study showed that current assessment methods have a number of limitations and are not reliable for accurate estimation of both minerals in ASS environments. The study also showed that in natural environments, these minerals can behave in a manner different to current conceptual understanding. The broad implication of this study was identification of the need for development of improved management techniques for ASS.

Schwertmannite In Soil Materials: Limits Of Detection Of Acidified Ammonium Oxalate Method And Differential X-Ray Diffraction, Chamindra Vithana, Leigh Sullivan, Richard Bush, Edward Burton

Chamindra Vithana

Schwertmannite is a secondary iron mineral, found in acid mine drainage (AMD) and acid sulfate soils (ASS), that generates acidity when it transforms to stable mineral phases. Acidity liberated during schwertmannite transformation can seriously diminish water quality and soil health. Acidified ammonium oxalate (AAO) extraction in the dark coupled with differential X-ray diffraction (DXRD) analysis is routinely used to identify and to quantify poorly crystalline iron oxide phases such as schwertmannite in AMD environments. However, management of ASS environments is largely impacted due to lack of reliable methods to identify/quantify schwertmannite in soil materials. Our study aimed to evaluate the …

Stability Of Schwertmannite And Jarosite In An Acidic Landscape: Prolonged Field Incubation, Chamindra Vithana, Leigh Sullivan, Edward Burton, Richard Bush

Chamindra Vithana

Schwertmannite and jarosite are two of the main secondary iron(III) minerals commonly found in acidic, iron and sulfate-rich environments such as acid mine drainage and coastal acid sulfate soils (CASS). Both minerals exert major influence on the water and soil quality in these environments.While there are many studies conducted on the stability of these two minerals under controlled laboratory conditions, the behaviour of schwertmannite and jarosite under field conditions and the factors influencing their behaviour have not been investigated directly. In the present study, we examined the net transformation of introduced schwertmannite and jarosite samples incubated in a typical acidic …

Understanding The Behaviour Of Schwertmannite And Jarosite In Acid Sulfate Soils, Chamindra Vithana, Leigh Sullivan, Richard Bush, Edward Burton

Chamindra Vithana

No abstract provided.

Molecular Network Control Through Boolean Canalization, David Murrugarra, Elena S. Dimitrova

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Boolean networks are an important class of computational models for molecular interaction networks. Boolean canalization, a type of hierarchical clustering of the inputs of a Boolean function, has been extensively studied in the context of network modeling where each layer of canalization adds a degree of stability in the dynamics of the network. Recently, dynamic network control approaches have been used for the design of new therapeutic interventions and for other applications such as stem cell reprogramming. This work studies the role of canalization in the control of Boolean molecular networks. It provides a method for identifying the potential edges …

Understanding Acceptable Level Of Risk: Incorporating The Economic Cost Of Under-Managing Invasive Species, Alisha D. Davidson, Chad L. Hewitt, Donna R. Kashian

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Management of nonindigenous species includes prevention, early detection and rapid response and control. Early detection and rapid response depend on prioritizing and monitoring sites at risk for arrival or secondary spread of nonindigenous species. Such monitoring efforts require sufficient biosecurity budgets to be effective and meet management or policy directives for reduced risk of introduction. Such consideration of risk reduction is rarely considered, however. Here, we review the concepts of acceptable level of risk (ALOR) and associated costs with respect to nonindigenous species and present a framework for aligning risk reduction priorities with available biosecurity resources. We conclude that available …

Shopminer: Mining Customer Shopping Behavior In Physical Clothing Stores With Passive Rfids, Longfei Shangguan, Zimu Zhou, Xiaolong Zheng, Lei Yang, Yunhao Liu, Jinsong Han

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Shopping behavior data are of great importance to understand the effectiveness of marketing and merchandising efforts. Online clothing stores are capable capturing customer shopping behavior by analyzing the click stream and customer shopping carts. Retailers with physical clothing stores, however, still lack effective methods to identify comprehensive shopping behaviors. In this paper, we show that backscatter signals of passive RFID tags can be exploited to detect and record how customers browse stores, which items of clothes they pay attention to, and which items of clothes they usually match with. The intuition is that the phase readings of tags attached on …

Operation And Monitoring Of Parabolic Trough Concentrated Solar Power Plant, Harsha Vardhan Amba

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The majority of the power generated today is produced using fossil fuels,emitting carbon dioxide and other pollutants every second. Also, fossil fuels will eventually run out. For the increasing worldwide energy demand, the use f reliable and environmentally beneficial natural energy sources is one of the biggest challenges. Alongside wind and water, the solar energy which is clean, CO2-neutral and limitless, is our most valuable resource.

Concentrated solar power (CSP) is becoming one of the excellent alternative sources for the power industry. The successful implementation of this technology requires the efficient design of tracking and operation system of the CSP …

Optical Studies Of 13 Hard X-Ray Selected Cataclysmic Binaries From The Swift-Bat Survey, Jules P. Halpern, John R. Thorstensen

Dartmouth Scholarship

From a set of 13 cataclysmic binaries that were discovered in the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) survey, we conducted time-resolved optical spectroscopy and/or time-series photometry of 11, with the goal of measuring their orbital periods and searching for spin periods. Seven of the objects in this study are new optical identifications. Orbital periods are found for seven targets, ranging from 81 minutes to 20.4 hr. PBC J0706.7+0327 is an AM Herculis star (polar) based on its emission-line variations and large amplitude photometric modulation on the same period. Swift J2341.0+7645 may be a polar, although the evidence here is less …