Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Triangle-Free Uniquely 3-Edge Colorable Cubic Graphs, Sarah-Marie Belcastro, Ruth Haas

Mathematics Sciences: Faculty Publications

This paper presents infinitely many new examples of triangle-free uniquely 3-edge colorable cubic graphs. The only such graph previously known was given by Tutte in 1976.

Aerosol Optical Properties Over Mount Song, A Rural Site In Central China, Lunche Wang, Wei Gong, Ramesh P. Singh, Xiangao Xia, Huizheng Che, Ming Zhang, Hong Lin

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Seasonal variations of aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångström exponent (α), single scattering albedo (SSA), water vapor content (WVC), aerosol size distribution and refractive index at Mount Song, a rural site in Central China are analyzed using ground-based sunphotometer data for the period April 2012 to May 2014 for the first time. The results show that the area is highly polluted even the major anthropogenic emission sources are far away. Seasonal mean AOD is high (0.72 ± 0.52) during summer (June–August) season and low (0.51 ± 0.38) during autumn (September–November) season. The monthly mean α is very low (0.81 ± 0.30) …

History, Current Conditions, And Wetland Restoration At Killin Wetlands Natural Area, Washington County, Oregon, John A. Christy

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

In September 2014, the Metro Natural Area Program engaged The Wetland Conservancy to develop a scientific assessment of Metro’s 590-acre Killin Wetlands Natural Area. Metro acquired the lands comprising the KWNA between 2000 and 2012 with funds from two voterapproved open space bond measures. Since 2000, Metro has sought to advance natural area restoration at the site, focusing on the suppression of non-native pasture weeds and planting of native trees and shrubs in higher parts of the floodplain and its edges. Most uplands in Metro ownership have been maintained in agriculture through leased partnerships with local farmers.

Metro and its …

Phys 231: Electric And Electronic Circuits—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Xiaoshan Xu

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

In this portfolio, I employed a backward design teaching approach on the course PHY231 (Electric and Electronic circuit). I first decide the course objectives and choose the teaching strategies and activities emphasizing student engagement and feedbacks. The effectiveness of the teaching strategies and activities are assessed throughout the course; the adjustments are made accordingly. The results are analyzed at the end of the semester. The assessments indicate that the course objectives are fundamentally achieved and the teaching strategies are effective.

The objectives of the course are:

1. Students will reinforce their understanding in electricity and magnetism.
2. Students will learn theory of …

Teac 451p: Learning And Teaching Principles And Practices (Secondary Mathematics)—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Lorraine Males

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The goal of my peer review portfolio was to better understand how to improve students' learning of how to teach secondary mathematics in reform-oriented ways. Most students that pursue admission into the Secondary Mathematics Teacher Education Program have little to no experience learning mathematics in reform-oriented ways. These preservice teachers (PSTs) were “successful” in mathematics courses in middle and high school, most of them taking honors or accelerated courses. However, many of these PSTs did not have opportunities to engage as active participants in their own learning and develop complex cognitive skills and processes, the focus of reform-oriented instruction. This …

Transition Metal Catalysis And The Synthesis Of Biologically Interesting Heterocycles: A Study Of Gold-Catalyzed Intermolecular Cyclization And Palladium-Catalyzed Suzuki Cross-Coupling, Alexandria E. Weber

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Two methods of transition metal catalysis were investigated as a means to synthesize biologically interesting heterocyclic molecules. The gold-catalyzed intermolecular cyclization of allenes and 1,3-dipoles was first explored. An allene, ethyl-3-hexyl-3,4-pentadienoate was subjected to a combination of one of five 1,3-dipoles ((Z)-N-benzylidenemethanamine oxide, 1-benzylidene-3-oxopyrazolidin-1-ium-2-ide, (Z)-N-benzylidenebenzenamine oxide, (E)-N-benzylidenebenylamine, and (E)-N-Benzylidene-4-methoxybenzenamine) and one of three gold catalysts (1,3-bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)imidazole-2-ylidenegold(I)chloride, chlorotriphenyl-phosphinegold(I), and gold(III) chloride). No heterocyclic product resulted from these catalytic reactions. The palladium-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction of a 1,3,4-oxadiazole (3-(5-(4-(bromo)phenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)pyrazine-2-amine) with phenyl boronic pinacol ester was then explored, varying whether the 1,3,4-oxadiazole was unprotected or …

Investigating The Synthesis Of Heterocycles Via Gold Catalyzed Cyclizations And Cyclo-Dehydrating Reactions, Katherine L. Childers

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

The goal of this project was to study novel synthetic procedures for heterocycles. This was achieved through a two-part investigation. In the first part, a variety of conditions for the gold catalyzed cyclization of allenes were studied. This work was focused on the lesser studied intermolecular reactions of allenes. A variety of allenes were synthesized, and then reacted with 1,3-dipoles and a gold catalyst. These reactions were determined to be unsuccessful through the analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy data. In the second part of this study, the synthesis of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles was investigated. Several cited procedures were examined to determine …

Healthy Outside-Healthy Inside: The Human Health & Well-Being Benefits Of Alberta's Protected Areas - Towards A Benefits-Based Management Agenda, Christopher J. Lemieux, Sean T. Doherty, Paul F.J. Eagles, Joyce Gould, Glen T. Hvenegaard, Elizabeth (Lisa) Nisbet, Mark W. Groulx

Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

This report details the results of an empirical study that examined perceived health and well-being motives and benefits among visitors to a sample of Alberta’s parks and protected areas. The study revealed several major findings with important policy and management implications. First, the human health and well-being benefits that the visitors expected to receive from visits were perceived to be a major personal motivation in the choice to visit Alberta protected areas. The most important motivation factors identified by respondents were psychological and emotional well-being (89.1% of visitors ranked this important), social well-being (88.3%), physical well-being (80.3%), and environmental well-being …

Modeling Human Gaming Playing Behavior And Reward/Penalty Mechanism Using Discrete Event Simulation (Des), Christina M. Frederick, Michael Fitzgerald, Dahai Liu, Yolanda Ortiz, Christopher Via, Shawn Doherty, Jason P. Kring

Publications

Humans are remarkably complex and unpredictable; however, while predicting human behavior can be problematic, there are methods such as modeling and simulation that can be used to predict probable futures of human decisions. The present study analyzes the possibility of replacing human subjects with data resulting from pure models. Decisions made by college students in a multi-level mystery-solving game under 3 different gaming conditions are compared with the data collected from a predictive sequential Markov-Decision Process model. In addition, differences in participants’ data influenced by the three different conditions (additive, subtractive, control) were analyzed. The test results strongly suggest that …

Some Problems In The Representation Theory Of Simple Modular Lie Algebras, Georgia Benkart, Jorg Feldvoss

University Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Wastelands Of The Mind: The Identity Crisis Of India’S Savanna Grasslands, Abi Tamim Vanak

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The idea that wastelands are unproductive continues to be pervasive and is used by various agencies to gain control over marginal landscapes and remake them for productive purposes with dire results.

Lambda Lambda Correlation Function In Au + Au Collisions At Sqrt(S_Nn) = 200 Gev, Adam Gibson-Even, Shirvel Stanislaus, Donald Koetke, Star Collaboration

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Interdisciplinary Connections Between Science & Theatre, Jessica N. Dotson

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SCIENCE & THEATRE

Jessica Nicole Dotson

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015.

Major Director: Dr. Noreen C. Barnes, Director of Graduate Studies, Associate Professor of Theatre

In the 1990s, astronomer Peter Usher was searching for new ways to teach his introductory astronomy class at Pennsylvania State University. He began to engage his students by searching for astronomical connections from other disciplines. His focus was turned to the arts, especially the works of William Shakespeare. Usher found, while …

Analytical Method Development For The Detection And Analysis Of Protein Carbonyls, Chelsea M. Coffey

Theses and Dissertations

Oxidative stress can result in changes to many biomolecules and also affect their activities. We are interested in protein carbonylation, a type of unnatural oxidation which has been associated with numerous degenerative disease states and is also a consequence of the natural aging process. Protein carbonyls are stable species, but countless analytical barriers exist in terms of their identification. Thus, the main goal of this work was to develop and optimize analytical methods that could be used to help us better understand which, where, and how proteins are being carbonylated.

Initial studies involved method validation for carbonylating, tagging, and enriching …

Enhanced Nanopore Detection Via Diffusion Gradients And Optical Tweezers, Kyle T. Brady

Theses and Dissertations

Nanopore-based resistive pulse sensing represents an important class of single-molecule measurements. It provides information about many molecules of interest (i.e. DNA, proteins, peptides, clusters, polymers, etc.) without the need for labeling. Two experiments that are especially well suited for studying with nanopore sensors are DNA sequencing and DNA-protein force measurements. This thesis will describe progress that has been made in both areas.

DNA sequencing has become an active area of research for stochastic single-molecule sensing, with many researchers striving for the ultimate goal of single-molecule de novo DNA sequencing. One intriguing method towards that goal involves the use of a …

Development Of Non-Traditional Platinum Anticancer Agents: Trans-Platinum Planar Amine Compounds And Polynuclear Platinum Compounds, Daniel E. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Development of Non-Traditional Platinum Anticancer Agents: trans-Platinum Planar Amine Compounds and Polynuclear Platinum Compounds

By Daniel E. Lee, Ph.D.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015

Major Director: Nicholas P Farrell, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Chemistry

Platinum anticancer compounds with cis geometry, similar to cisplatin, have been explored to circumvent the cisplatin resistance; however, they were not considered broadly active in cisplatin cells due to exhibiting similar or same cell death mechanism as cisplatin. Platinum compounds with trans geometry were less studied …

On The Embeddings Of The Semi-Strong Product Graph, Eric B. Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

Over the years, a lot has been written about the three more common graph products (Cartesian product, Direct product and the Strong product), as all three of these are commutative products. This thesis investigates a non-commutative product graph, H, G, we call the Semi-Strong graph product, also referred in the literature as the Augmented Tensor and/or the Strong Tensor. We will start by discussing its basic properties and then focus on embeddings where the second factor, G, is a regular graph. We will use permutation voltage graphs and their graph coverings to compute the minimum genus for several families of …

Diazaborole Linked Porous Polymers: Design, Synthesis, And Application To Gas Storage And Separation, Zafer Kahveci

Theses and Dissertations

The synthesis of highly porous organic polymers with predefined porosity has attracted considerable attention due to their potential in a wide range of applications. Porous organic polymers (POPs) offer novel properties such as permanent porosity, adjustable chemical nature, and noteworthy thermal and chemical stability. These remarkable properties of the POPs make them promising candidates for use in gas separation and storage. The emission of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from fossil fuel combustion is a major cause of global warming. Finding an efficient separation and/or storage material is essential for creating a cleaner environment. Therefore, the importance of the POPs …

Colloidal Synthesis And Optical Characterizations Of Semiconductor Nanocrystals From Nontoxic Elements, Minh Q. Ho

Theses and Dissertations

To date, the search efforts have shifted from the toxic II-VI, III-V and IV-VI semiconductors to more environmentally friendly materials. Among Group II-V semiconductors, Zn₃P₂ has shown to be a more benign option, similar to Group IV (Ge, Si) materials, for future applications in photovoltaics and optoelectronics. This work is dedicated to the development of wet-chemical synthetic routes of (1) Zn₃P₂ and (2) Group IV (Ge, Si, Si_1-xGe_x) nanocrystals with precise control over composition, crystal structure, size and dispersity by adjusting different reaction parameters such as temperature, time and solvent …

High-Throughput Data Analysis: Application To Micronuclei Frequency And T-Cell Receptor Sequencing, Mateusz Makowski

Theses and Dissertations

The advent of high-throughput sequencing has brought about the creation of an unprecedented amount of research data. Analytical methodology has not been able to keep pace with the plethora of data being produced. Two assays, ImmunoSEQ and the cytokinesisblock micronucleus (CBMN), that both produce count data and have few methods available to analyze them are considered.

ImmunoSEQ is a sequencing assay that measures the beta T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. The ImmunoSEQ assay was used to describe the TCR repertoires of patients that have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Several different methods for spectratype analysis were extended to the TCR …

A Comparison Of Obesity Interventions Using Energy Balance Models, Marcella Torres

Theses and Dissertations

An energy balance model of human metabolism developed by Hall et al. is extended to compare body composition outcomes among standard and proposed obesity interventions. Standard interventions include a drastic diet or a drastic diet with endurance training. Outcomes for these interventions are typically poor in clinical studies. Proposed interventions include a gradual diet and the addition of resistance training to preserve lean mass and metabolic rate. We see that resistance training, regardless of dietary strategy, achieves these goals. Finally, we observe that the optimal obesity intervention for continued maintenance of a healthy body composition following a diet includes a …

Comparing Welch's Anova, A Kruskal-Wallis Test And Traditional Anova In Case Of Heterogeneity Of Variance, Hangcheng Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is a robust test against the normality assumption, but it may be inappropriate when the assumption of homogeneity of variance has been violated. Welch ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test (a non-parametric method) can be applicable for this case. In this study we compare the three methods in empirical type I error rate and power, when heterogeneity of variance occurs and find out which method is the most suitable with which cases including balanced/unbalanced, small/large sample size, and/or with normal/non-normal distributions.

Channel Morphology At A Meander Bend Chute Cutoff Partially Obstructed By Woody Debris, Drew Sobczak

Masters Theses

Field and flume experiments have examined the conceptual model for a meander bend in depth. Large woody debris piles are often associated with the development of a chute cutoff due to local aggradation and deflection of flow. This paper examines the bed morphology of a meander bend chute cutoff that is partially obstructed by woody debris. The bed morphology of the channel around the woody debris pile as well as the head of the cutoff are mapped. The pile is shielding the point bar immediately behind it and causing a narrow, deep channel on either side of the pile. The …

Synthesis, Surface Functionalization, And Biological Testing Of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles For Development As A Cancer Therapeutic, Stanley E. Gilliland Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Iron oxide nanoparticles are highly researched for their use in biomedical applications such as drug delivery, diagnosis, and therapy. The inherent biodegradable and biocompatible nanoparticle properties make them highly advantageous in nanomedicine. The magnetic properties of iron oxide nanoparticles make them promising candidates for magnetic fluid hyperthermia applications. Designing an efficient iron oxide nanoparticle for hyperthermia requires synthetic, surface functionalization, stability, and biological investigations. This research focused on the following three areas: optimizing synthesis conditions for maximum radiofrequency induced magnetic hyperthermia, designing a simple and modifiable surface functionalization method for specific or broad biological stability, and in vitro and in …

Silicon Nanostructures For High Capacity Anodes In Lithium Ion Batteries, Tyler M. Selden

Theses and Dissertations

In this study we looked at several different silicon nanostructures grown for the purpose of optimizing anodes for lithium ion batteries. We primarily focused on two distinct types of structures, nanospirals, and Rugate structures. The samples were designed to have the mechanical robustness to endure the massive expansion caused by lithiation of silicon. All of the samples were grown using an electron beam evaporator. Scanning electron microscope images show that we have achieved the desired structural growth. The spirals were shown to have an average diameter of 343 nm on polished copper, and 366 nm on unpolished copper. The Rugate …

Heteroatom-Doped Nanoporous Carbons: Synthesis, Characterization And Application To Gas Storage And Separation, Babak Ashourirad

Theses and Dissertations

Activated carbons as emerging classes of porous materials have gained tremendous attention because of their versatile applications such as gas storage/separations sorbents, oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts and supercapacitor electrodes. This diversity originates from fascinating features such as low-cost, lightweight, thermal, chemical and physical stability as well as adjustable textural properties. More interestingly, sole heteroatom or combinations of various elements can be doped into their framework to modify the surface chemistry. Among all dopants, nitrogen as the most frequently used element, induces basicity and charge delocalization into the carbon network and enhances selective adsorption of CO₂. Transformation of …

An Applied Mathematics Approach To Modeling Inflammation: Hematopoietic Bone Marrow Stem Cells, Systemic Estrogen And Wound Healing And Gas Exchange In The Lungs And Body, Racheal L. Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

Mathematical models apply to a multitude physiological processes and are used to make predictions and analyze outcomes of these processes. Specifically, in the medical field, a mathematical model uses a set of initial conditions that represents a physiological state as input and a set of parameter values are used to describe the interaction between variables being modeled. These models are used to analyze possible outcomes, and assist physicians in choosing the most appropriate treatment options for a particular situation. We aim to use mathematical modeling to analyze the dynamics of processes involved in the inflammatory process.

First, we create a …

Multi-State Models For Interval Censored Data With Competing Risk, Shaoceng Wei

Theses and Dissertations--Statistics

Multi-state models are often used to evaluate the effect of death as a competing event to the development of dementia in a longitudinal study of the cognitive status of elderly subjects. In this dissertation, both multi-state Markov model and semi-Markov model are used to characterize the flow of subjects from intact cognition to dementia with mild cognitive impairment and global impairment as intervening transient, cognitive states and death as a competing risk.

Firstly, a multi-state Markov model with three transient states: intact cognition, mild cognitive impairment (M.C.I.) and global impairment (G.I.) and one absorbing state: dementia is used to model …

Statistics In The Billera-Holmes-Vogtmann Treespace, Grady S. Weyenberg

Theses and Dissertations--Statistics

This dissertation is an effort to adapt two classical non-parametric statistical techniques, kernel density estimation (KDE) and principal components analysis (PCA), to the Billera-Holmes-Vogtmann (BHV) metric space for phylogenetic trees. This adaption gives a more general framework for developing and testing various hypotheses about apparent differences or similarities between sets of phylogenetic trees than currently exists.

For example, while the majority of gene histories found in a clade of organisms are expected to be generated by a common evolutionary process, numerous other coexisting processes (e.g. horizontal gene transfers, gene duplication and subsequent neofunctionalization) will cause some genes to exhibit a …

Evaluating Threats To The Rare Butterfly, Pieris Virginiensis, Samantha Lynn Davis

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Humans have caused drastic changes in ecosystems and communities through their modification of the natural landscape. Rare species, often highly specialized, are more impacted by these changes. Pieris virginiensis is a rare butterfly native to eastern North America that is a species of concern due to negative influences from habitat loss and plant invasion. This thesis discusses several threats to P. virginiensis, including habitat loss, climate change, competition, and the cascading effects of a novel European invasive plant, Alliaria petiolata, that attracts oviposition but does not allow for larval survival.

First, I examined a local extinction event and …