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Computational Approaches To The Design And Analysis Of Stability Of Polypeptide Multilayer Thin Films, Bin Zheng

Doctoral Dissertations

The focus of this research is the development of computational approaches to understanding the physical basis of layer-by-layer assembly (LBL), a key methodology of nanomanufacturing. The results provided detailed information on structure which cannot be obtained directly by experiments.

The model systems chosen for study are polypeptide chains. Reasons for this are that polypeptides are no less polyelectrolytes than the more usual polyions, and one can control the primary structure of a polypeptide on a residue-by-residue basis using modern synthetic methods. Moreover, as peptides constitute one of the four major classes of biological macromolecules, research in this direction is expected …

Decidability In Algebraic Geometry, John James Iskra

Doctoral Dissertations

The central theme of our investigation is the concept of Decidability in Algebra/Algebraic Geometry. To the best of our knowledge this seems to be novel in the sense that there is no work known to isolate or to focus on the concept of Decidability in the context of Commutative Algebra. Decidability is more restrictive than Grothendieck's concept of formally unramified, but weaker than the concept of étale. In this article we study these relationships by characterizing Decidability for ring-extensions of essentially finite type. In the absence of essential finiteness we can only show, at present, that a separable algebraic …

Fibrator Properties Of Pl Manifolds, Violeta Vasilevska

Doctoral Dissertations

In the early 90s, R.Daverman defined the concept of the PL fibrator ([12]). PL fibrators, by definition, provide detection of PL approximate fibrations. Daver- man defines a closed, connected, orientable PL n-manifold to be a codimension-k PL orientable fibrator if for all closed, connected, orientable PL (n + k)-manifolds M and PL maps p : M → B, where B is a polyhedron, such that each fiber collapses to an n-complex homotopy equivalent to Nⁿ, p is always an approximate fibration.

If N is a codimension-k PL orientable fibrator for all k > 0, …

A High -Order Finite Difference Method For Solving Bioheat Transfer Equations In Three-Dimensional Triple -Layered Skin Structure, Haofeng Yu

Doctoral Dissertations

Investigations on instantaneous skin burns are useful for an accurate assessment of burn-evaluation and for establishing thermal protections for various purposes. Meanwhile, hyperthermia with radiation is important in the treatment of cancer, and it is essential for developers and users of hyperthermia systems to predict, and interpret correctly the biomass thermal and vascular response to heating. In this dissertation, we employ the well-known Pennes' bioheat transfer equation to predict the degree of skin burn and the temperature distribution in hyperthermia cancer treatment.

A fourth-order compact finite difference scheme is developed to solve Pennes' bioheat transfer equation in a three-dimensional single …

Mathematical And Empirical Modeling Of Chemical Reactions In A Microreactor, Jing Hu

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is concerned with mathematical and empirical modeling to simulate three important chemical reactions (cyclohexene hydrogenation and dehydrogenation, preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide, and the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis in a microreaction system.

Empirical modeling and optimization techniques based on experimental design (Central Composite Design (CCD)) and response surface methodology were applied to these three chemical reactions. Regression models were built, and the operating conditions (such as temperature, the ratio of the reactants, and total flow rate) which maximize reactant conversion and product selectivity were determined for each reaction.

A probability model for predicting the probability that a certain species …