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Equipment Qualification Of Ion Mobility Spectrometry And Method Development And Validation For Pharmaceutical Equipment Cleaning Validation, Amy Lee Heiser

Masters Theses

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) instrumentation has been identified as a suitable technology for the detection and reporting of drug product and detergent residues from pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment. Ion mobility is not a new technology, but is entering the field of cleaning validation because of tightened requirements from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The purpose of this thesis is to outline a practical implementation of the analytical technique, Ion Mobility Spectrometry in a cleaning validation program. Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) is fast and specific for the analysis of small organic molecules and has been gaining popularity in the pharmaceutical …

Faunal Distribution And Relative Abundance In A Silurian (Wenlock) Pinnacle Reef Complex - Ray Reef, Macomb County, Michigan, Jennifer L. Trout

Masters Theses

Niagaran (Silurian) reefs are important sources of hydrocarbons in the Michigan Basin. In addition, some of these reservoirs have been used for gas storage and may be potential CO2 sequestration sites.

Despite extensive research on Niagaran reefs, most studies concerning faunal abundance and distribution have been qualitative studies conducted by paleontologists with an emphasis on taxonomy, paleoecology, and evolution.

This study is the first quantitative study of relative abundance and general distribution of fauna throughout a single Wenlock reef located in the southern trend of the Michigan Basin. This study will build on previous work done by WMU students and …

Privacy And Security Issues In Iot Healthcare Applications For The Disabled Users A Survey, Wassnaa Al-Mawee

Masters Theses

Aging of the population resulted in new challenges for the society and healthcare systems. Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) that depends on Internet of Things (IoT) provides assistance to the disabled people and supports their vital daily life activities. Affordability of and accessibility to AAL and the usage of IoT starts revolutionizing healthcare services. This Thesis is a survey of the privacy and security issues in IoT healthcare applications for the disabled users. Introduction includes definitions of privacy and security terms, and discusses their relationship. Then, it presents an overview of the IoT, including its architecture and components. Next, the Thesis …

Stratigraphic Framework For Deposits Of The Saginaw Lobe, Barry And Calhoun Counties, Michigan, Usa, Stephanie K. Ewald

Masters Theses

Between 2006 and 2012, twelve rotasonic borings were drilled in Barry and Calhoun Counties, south central Michigan, as part of several Great Lakes Geological Mapping Coalition projects. Natural gamma ray logs were collected at every location and a detailed description and textural analysis was completed for seven of these cores. Five of the seven analyzed cores reached bedrock. Six of the seven borings were drilled north of the Kalamazoo Moraine of the Saginaw Lobe, which was constructed during retreat of the lobe after the Late Glacial Maximum. Five borings, drilled in tunnel valleys, indicate an increase in depth of tunnel …

Characterizing The Internal Architecture Of Upper Bone Spring Limestone Turbidites And Mass-Transport Deposits (Mtds) Utilizing High-Resolution Image Log Technology, Jason J. Asmus

Masters Theses

Characterization of reservoir scale (less than 1 meter thick) turbidites and mass-transport deposits (MTDs) using conventional subsurface data is complex, due to millimeter-centimeter scale architectural heterogeneity exhibited by these deposits.

Limited studies of the Bone Spring carbonate turbidites and MTDs within the Delaware Basin subsurface emphasized the use of conventional wire-line log and seismic data to evaluate reservoir potential of such strata. As a result, limited resolution offered by these data sets do not allow for accurate characterization of reservoir, and sub-reservoir scale, architectural and compositional variations.

The present investigation integrates high-resolution (centimeter scale) electrical borehole image logs with conventional …

The Effects Of Replacing Dispersed Trash And Recycling Bins With Integrated Waste Receptacles On The Accuracy Of Waste Sorting In An Academic Building, Katherine J. Binder

Masters Theses

Numerous researchers and theorists have attempted to explain the existence of the gap between the possession of environmental knowledge and awareness and the display of pro-environmental behavior (Glasser, 2007; Kollmuss & Agyeman, 2002). Behavior analysis is uniquely aligned to contribute to this discussion through its emphasis on the role of controlling variables in behavior change. A growing number of behavioral research studies address the challenges of group-contingencies in an effort to solve real-world gaps (Lehman & Geller, 2004). This study was designed as a continuation of the line of behavioral research designed to increase recycling rates and also as an …

Physics Faculty Use Of Example Solutions In Teaching Introductory Physics, William O. Mamudi

Masters Theses

This study investigates how physics faculty perceive and use features of example problem solutions. Thirty physics instructors from diverse institutions participated in semi-structured interviews. In addition to open-ended questions, three example problem solution artifacts were used to focus on specific solution features. Data were analyzed to identify instructors’ goals for the use of example solutions and whether their goals were consistent with the solution features that they valued and used. The study concludes that many faculty have three major goals: keeping students cognitively involved, helping students become better problem solvers, and supporting students in learning physics. The study also found …

Integrated Approach For Hydrogeologic Investigations In Africa: Inferences From Space-Borne And Land-Based Gravity, Aeromagnetic, Gis, And Remote Sensing Data, Mohamed El Sayed Ahmed Ahmed

Dissertations

An integrated (space-borne and land-based gravity, aeromagnetic, GIS, and remote sensing) approach was developed, tested, and applied to investigate the following on regional scales (Africa) or local scales (El Qaa Plain, Sinai): (1) assess the capability of GRACE data (04/2002 to 08/2011) for monitoring elements of hydrologic systems on the sub-basin level (Task 1); (2) address the nature and the controlling factors (e.g., climatic and/or human pressure-related) affecting the inter-annual GRACE-derived Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) trends over a large suite of hydrologic systems and domains in (Africa) (Task 2); and (3) identify the structural, geologic and hydrologic settings as well …

Radiative Double Electron Capture In Collisions Of Fully-Stripped Fluorine Ions With Thin Carbon Foils, Tamer Mohammad Samy Elkafrawy

Dissertations

Radiative double electron capture (RDEC) is a one-step process in ion-atom collisions occurring when two target electrons are captured to a bound state of the projectile simultaneously with the emission of a single photon. The emitted photon has approximately double the energy of the photon emitted due to radiative electron capture (REC), which occurs when a target electron is captured to a projectile bound state with simultaneous emission of a photon. REC and RDEC can be treated as timereversed photoionization (PI) and double photoionization (DPI), respectively, if loosely-bound target electrons are captured. This concept can be formulated with the principle …

Direct Analysis Of Hops By Leaf Spray And Paper Spray Mass Spectrometry, Kari Blain

Masters Theses

The objective of this research is to develop a new and innovative method of hops analysis, which is much faster than standard testing methods, as well as reduce the amount of consumables and solvent used. A detailed discussion on the development of an ambient ionization mass spectrometry method called paper spray (PS-MS) and leaf spray (LS-MS) mass spectrometry will be presented. This research investigates the use of PS-MS and LS-MS techniques to determine the α- and β- acids present in hops. PS-MS and LS-MS provide a fast way to analyze hops samples by delivering data as rapidly as a UV-Vis …

Rule-Based Precise Localization Services In Mobile Environments, Mohammed Elbes

Dissertations

In recent years there has been great interest in the positioning of people and assets in indoor and outdoor environments. Many systems were constructed to accomplish this. The application of these systems depends on the environment and the precision required for localization. The Global Positioning System (GPS) cannot be used for a precise indoor localization due to the attenuation and scattering of the signals. For indoor environments, other technologies like Wireless LAN, laser, camera images and motion sensors are used in precise localization. GPS can be used in outdoor environments but if localization accuracy is a critical requirement, other technologies …

Boolean And Profinite Loops, Benjamin Andrew Phillips

Dissertations

A Quasigroup G consists of a set G together with a binary operation ∗ : G × G → G such that, for any elements a, b ∈ G there are unique solutions to the equations a ∗ x = b and y ∗ a = b within G. A loop is a quasigroup which also contains a 2-sided identity element. More heuristically, loops are essentially non-associative groups. However, without an associative binary operation, some of the familiar properties found in groups, such as 2-sided inverse, need not be present in loops.

The study of quasigroups and loops emerges …

The Dissemination And Effective Use Of Physics Education Research In Undergraduate Instruction, Trevor Stefanick

Masters Theses

Based on the results of a national survey of physics faculty, a set of interviews was conducted of 70 physics faculty from a diverse set of institutions. The interviews included questions about the dissemination and effective use of curricula and instructional strategies based on Physics Education Research (PER), focused to obtain recommendations to the PER community that might help to spread the use of these PER-based materials. Approximately half of the interviews (those with faculty who indicated knowledge about or use of Peer Instruction) have been previously analyzed. This project is the analysis of the 38 interviews that were conducted …

Synthesis Of 1,1-Dialkyhydrazines And Their Hydroxyl Radical Degradation In Aqueous Environments, Benjamin F. Strong

Masters Theses

Determination of hydroxyl radical rate constants are essential to ensure adequate degradation of contaminants in wastewater. Hydrazines are an important class of organic contaminants and are the focus of this research. Ten 1,1-dialkylhydrazines are synthesized by the zinc reduction of the corresponding N-nitrosamines. Their hydroxyl radical rate constants are determined using the linear accelerator at the Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory at pH 4, 7, and 10.

Their rate constants are found to depend on the protonation state of the molecule. At pH 4 the molecules are fully protonated and hydrogen atom abstraction is favored from the alkyl chains. At …

Characterizing And Supporting Change In Algebra Students' Representational Fluency In A Cas/Paper-And-Pencil Environment, Nicole L. Fonger

Dissertations

Representational fluency (RF) includes an ability to interpret, create, move within and among, and connect tool-based representations of mathematical objects. Taken as an indicator of conceptual understanding, there is a need to better support school algebra students’ RF in learning environments that utilize both computer algebra systems (CAS) and paper-and-pencil. The purpose of this research was to: (a) characterize change in ninth-grade algebra students’ RF in solving problems involving linear equations, and (b) determine conditions of a CAS and paper-and-pencil learning environment in which those students changed their RF.

Change in RF was measured by comparing results from initial to …

Reservoir Characterization And Enhanced Oil Recovery Potential In Middle Devonian Dundee Limestone Reservoirs, Michigan Basin, Usa, Abrahim Abduslam

Masters Theses

Middle Devonian Rogers City and subjacent Dundee Limestone formations have combined oil production in excess of 375 MMBO. In general, hydrocarbon production occurs in two distinct reservoir types: 1) bottom water drive, fractured dolomite reservoirs in the Rogers City and 2) gas expansion drive, depositional facies controlled limestone reservoirs of the Dundee.

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) potential in Dundee Limestone reservoirs on the basis of detailed geological reservoir characterization in several fields in the Michigan Basin. Seven main depositional facies were identified from core studies in six fields. Three of …

Investigating The Biochemical Activity Of Some Flavonoids, Coumarins And Modified Gold-Nanoparticles As Anti-Breast-Cancer Agents, Amr Ezzat Mohamed Mahmoud

Dissertations

Polyphenols compounds are abundant natural products found in many plants as secondary metabolites. These compounds display many interesting pharmacological activities, which have motivated chemists over the years to explore them, and their synthetic derivatives, as potential drugs, especially anticancer drugs. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women globally, and in the United States of America the estimated worldwide new breast cancer cases and the number of deaths are 1.38 million and 458 thousand, respectively. Currently in the USA there are 2.6 million women who have been treated for breast cancer, and the estimated number of deaths are 39,520 …

Modeling Transmission Of Photonic Crystal Waveguide Modes Enhanced By Kerr Nonlinearity, Buddhi M. Rai

Dissertations

Nonlinear modes of electromagnetic fields propagating in photonic crystal systems have been studied by implementing various computer simulation techniques using electromagnetic theory. The fundamentals of simulation of photonic crystals are analyzed using general purpose methodologies such as the FDTD or PWE methods. Information derived from the underlying physical insights into the systems could be utilized to describe the control mechanisms over the propagation of the modes around impurities in the photonic crystal lattice. The impurities trap the resonantly localized electromagnetic modes having a frequency in a stop band of the photonic crystal, suggesting novel optical controls in the photonic crystal …

Geophysical And Remote Sensing Applications For A Better Understanding Of The Structural Controls On Groundwater Flow In The Lucerne Valley, California, Dale R. Dailey

Masters Theses

An integrated study was conducted in the Mojave Basin to investigate the potential role of faults and basement uplifts for groundwater flow in the Mojave Desert. Observations made include: 1) Very Low Frequency (VLF) measurements across mapped (using LIDAR and Geoeye-1 imagery) fault traces showed significant radio field dip angles indicative of presence of shallow sub-vertical, sheet-like conductors; many of the VLF tilt peaks coincided with changes in the magnetic profiles; 2) Vertical Electric Soundings indicate shallow basement west of, and parallel to, the Helendale Fault and deep saturated zones east of the fault/basement outcrop (F/B); and 3) isotopic analyses …

A Localized Investigation Of High Resolution Groundwater Flow Properties Of The Saginaw Aquifer Mason, Michigan, Amanda Hayden

Masters Theses

High resolution groundwater models can aid in better management of groundwater resources through more accurate characterization and quantification of aquifer systems. Detailed assessments of flow properties in the context of sedimentary facies can provide high quality data input for more accurate groundwater models.

The Pennsylvanian Grand River and Saginaw bedrock formations comprise the Saginaw Aquifer located in the Lansing, Michigan Tri-County region. The Saginaw Aquifer consists of a predominately shale and sandstone successions. These sandstone facies range up to 40 meters thick, and supply a significant amount water resources to the Lansing Tri-County area. Data used in this study was …

Integrating Depositional Facies And Stratigraphy In Characterizing Hydrothermal Dolomite Reservoirs: Trenton Group Of The Albion-Scipio Trend, Michigan, Marcel R. Robinson

Masters Theses

Reservoir characterization of carbonate rocks requires understanding the role of depositional and diagenetic parameters in reservoir distribution. This is especially true for the diagenetically-altered and structurally-influenced Trenton-Black River reservoirs of the Michigan Basin. Evaluating the depositional evolution and reservoir characteristics of component depositional facies through modeling and stratigraphic reconstruction would aid in exploration and characterization through providing a prediction tool for reservoir distribution, both within and outside of the Michigan Basin.

Results indicate that reservoir development is controlled by primary rock fabric related to depositional facies. Depositional and stratigraphic reconstructions show facies distribution trends occur consistently and therefore predictably away …

Rank-Based Estimation And Prediction For Mixed Effects Models In Nested Designs, Yusuf K. Bilgic

Dissertations

Hierarchical designs frequently occur in many research areas. The experimental design of interest is expressed in terms of fixed effects but, for these designs, nested factors are a natural part of the experiment. These nested effects are generally considered random and must be taken into account in the statistical analysis. Traditional analyses are quite sensitive to outliers and lose considerable power to detect the fixed effects of interest.

This work proposes three rank-based fitting methods for handling random, fixed and scale effects in k-level nested designs for estimation and inference. An algorithm, which iteratively obtains robust prediction for both scale …

Study Of The Structure Of 9C Via Single Neutron Transfer, Scott T. Marley

Dissertations

This thesis describes a study of the nucleus ⁹C, produced in the single-neutron transfer reaction d(¹⁰C, t) ⁹C using a radioactive ¹⁰C beam. The structure of the neutron-deficient nucleus ⁹C is poorly known. Only a few excited states have been observed and no information exists of their single-particle characteristics. The measured ground-state magnetic dipole moment of ⁹C is anomalously small and could imply large contributions from sd-shell orbitals in the ground-state wave function. The positions of the ⁹C excited states and their single-particle properties are vital to furthering the …

Paleoclimatic Regimes Of The African Sahara Desert During Pleistocene And The Origin Of Groundwater In The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System, Abdou A. Abouelmagd

Dissertations

This study involves an integrated three-fold approach to better understand the paleoclimatic regimes over the North African Sahara Desert with emphasis on the origin of groundwater in the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System. Specifically, the nature and origin of the paleo-wind regimes that produced the precipitation that recharged the fossil aquifers in North Africa in the previous wet climatic periods are deciphered using inferences from stable isotope data, noble gases, remote sensing and GIS.

In the first phase, the progressive depletion trend of stable isotopic composition in the fossil groundwaters under influence of paleowesterlies across North African Sahara Desert is simulated …

Adaptive Security-Aware Scheduling For Packet Switched Networks Using Real-Time Multi-Agent Systems, Ma'en Saleh Saleh

Dissertations

Conventional real-time scheduling algorithms are in care of timing constraints; they don’t pay any attention to enhance or optimize the real-time packet’s security performance. In this work, we propose an adaptive security-aware scheduling with congestion control mechanism for packet switching networks using real-time agentbased systems. The proposed system combines the functionality of real-time scheduling with the security service enhancement, where the real-time scheduling unit uses the differentiated-earliest-deadline-first (Diff-EDF) scheduler, while the security service enhancement scheme adopts a congestion control mechanism based on a resource estimation methodology.

The security service enhancement unit was designed based on two models: singlelayer and weighted …

Variations On A Graph Coloring Theme, Bryan Phinezy

Dissertations

Historically, the subject of graph colorings has been the most popular research area in graph theory. There are many problems in mathematics and in real life that can be represented by a graph and whose solution involves finding a specific coloring of this graph. Our research consists of two parts: (1) combinatorial problems and vertex colorings and (2) distance-defined colorings. In this research, we show that certain combinatorial puzzles and problems can be placed in a graph coloring setting and graph colorings can be defined in terms of distance in graphs that are useful in applications.

Two vertices u and …

Investigation Of Saccharide Release Through Acidification, Sonication, Thermal, And Microwave Treatments, William K. Storck

Honors Theses

With diminishing fossil fuels, renewable sources are becoming much higher in demand. Algae are becoming an increasingly important source of biofuels. Production of biofuels from algae exceeds yields from every other source, most notably corn, per acre. It also provides a highly viable method of reusing carbon dioxide and does not compete with other crops for growth. The production of ethanol through fermentation requires the release of saccharides produced by the algae. The more saccharides extracted, the more ethanol can be produced. This project investigates for a more effective method of maximum saccharide release.

The purpose of this project is …

Interaction Of Pharmaceutical Compounds With Dissolved Organic Matter, Carlen Nigl Smith

Honors Theses

Highly prescribed pharmaceutical compounds and their metabolites used to treat conditions ranging from infections to depression are of environmental concern as these excreted compounds are increasingly appearing in wastewater influent. As pharmaceuticals enter treatment plants they also can interact with dissolved organic matter (DOM) present. This potential interaction between pharmaceutical compounds and DOM may inhibit the advanced oxidation process (AOP) based removal of drugs during water treatment. The focus of this research was to utilize multinuclear magnetic resonance and hydroxyl radical kinetics to assess whether an interaction between influent pharmaceuticals and DOM does occur, the extent of the interaction, and …

The Variation Of Hydrogen Concentration In Ni/Mgh Thin Film With Temperature, Rex Nyadaufe Taibu

Masters Theses

The thermal stability of Ni/MgH thin film deposited on Si substrate by Unbalanced Magnetron Physical Vapor Deposition has been investigated using Ion Beam analysis (DBA) techniques. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and Non-Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (NRBS) have been used to find the composition of Magnesium, Nickel and Oxygen. Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA) has been used to determine the concentration of hydrogen at each level of heating. Heating was done in the Ultra High Vacuum (UHV) environment using a non gassy button heater. Ni/MgH sample had lost most of its hydrogen after being heated to a temperature of about 125°C in …

Adaptive Radial Basis Function Neural Networks-Based Real Time Harmonics Estimation And Pwm Control For Active Power Filters, Eyad Kh Almaita

Dissertations

With the proliferation of nonlinear loads in the power system, harmonic pollution becomes a serious problem that affects the power quality in both transmission and distribution systems. Active power filters (APF) have been proven to be one of the most successful methods for mitigating harmonics problems. So far, different techniques have been used in harmonics extraction and control of APF to satisfy the fast response and the accuracy required by the APF. Neural networks techniques have been used successfully in different real-time and complex situations. This dissertation demonstrates four main tasks; (i) a novel adaptive radial basis function neural networks …