Digital Commons Network^™

Predicting Enzyme Targets For Optimization Of Metabolic Networks Under Uncertainty, David Christopher Flowers

Masters Theses

Recently, ensemble modeling was applied to metabolic networks for the sake of predicting the effects of genetic manipulations on the observed phenotype of the system. The ensemble of models is generated from experimental wild-type flux data and screened using phenotypic data from gene overexpression and knockout experiments, leaving predictive models. The need for data from multiple genetic perturbation experiments is an inherent limitation to this approach. In this investigation, ensemble modeling is used alongside elementary mode analysis to attempt to predict those enzymatic perturbations that are most likely to result in an increase in a target yield and a target …

Validation Of Weak Form Thermal Analysis Algorithms Supporting Thermal Signature Generation, Elton Lewis Freeman

Masters Theses

Extremization of a weak form for the continuum energy conservation principle differential equation naturally implements fluid convection and radiation as flux Robin boundary conditions associated with unsteady heat transfer. Combining a spatial semi-discretization via finite element trial space basis functions with time-accurate integration generates a totally node-based algebraic statement for computing. Closure for gray body radiation is a newly derived node-based radiosity formulation generating piecewise discontinuous solutions, while that for natural-forced-mixed convection heat transfer is extracted from the literature. Algorithm performance, mathematically predicted by asymptotic convergence theory, is subsequently validated with data obtained in 24 hour diurnal field experiments for …

Heat Transfer Analysis Via Rate Based Sensors, Jake Erik Plewa

Masters Theses

This work presents an integrated rate-based sensor and method for resolving the surface heat flux of a fundamental inverse heat conduction problem without numerical regularization or differentiation in a semi-infinite geometry that additionally accounts for thermocouple delay due to its intrinsic time constant. The sensor uses well-designed analog filters to directly regularize raw voltage data to eliminate the need for numerical regularization methods. The sensor can also be used in a series of well-designed voltage-rate interfaces that directly measure the voltages from in-depth thermocouples, which are used in conjunction with the thermocouple calibration curve to provide higher-time derivatives of the …

On Decision Making: Bayesian And Stochastic Optimization Approaches, Yang Shen

Masters Theses

Decision analysis provides a framework for searching an optimal solution under uncertainties and potential risks. This thesis focuses on two problems arising in transportation engineering and computer sciences, respectively.

First, it is considered a centralized controller which imposes actions on a number of interacting subsystems. Employing an appropriate Markov Decision Process framework, we establish that the Pareto optimal solution of each subsystem will be optimal for the entire system. Synthetic data have been taken into account for verifying this claim.

Next, we focus on a supercomputing problem utilizing a hierarchical Bayesian model. We estimate an optimal solution in order to …

The Accidental College Student, Phyliss Dubinsky Shey

Masters Theses

This narrative study began as a retrospective of an in-depth interview study with a young woman who navigated the move from a large, suburban school system in the mid-Atlantic region before the fifth grade to a small, isolated rural school in Southern Appalachia in the 1990s. She graduated from the only high school serving the county in which she lived. Over the course of two formal interviews, hundreds of informal conversations for more than ten years, and particularly through writing this analysis (Goodall, 2000), I realized that even though there were vast differences between our ages, cultural backgrounds, and current …

Exploring Anaerobic Reductive Dechlorination At Low Ph Environments, Yi Yang

Masters Theses

Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs), such as tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE), are ubiquitously pollutants in aquifer sediments and groundwater due to their heavy usage in industry and inappropriate disposal in the last century. Among about 1300 NPL (National Priorities List) sites, PCE and TCE are the two most frequently detected hazardous contaminants.

Engineered bioremediation, including biostimulation and bioaugmentation, is a promising technology to clean those PCE and/or TCE contaminated sites. However, in many contaminated groundwater systems and hazardous waste sites, pH can be lower than 5 to 6. And release of HCl (strong acid) from anaerobic reductive dechlorination may lower …

Estimates Of Glacier Mass Loss And Contribution To Streamflow: Wind River Range (Wyoming, Usa), Jeffrey Allen Marks

Masters Theses

The Wind River Range is a continuous mountain range approximately 160 km in length in west-central Wyoming. The Wind River Range is host to roughly 680 snow and ice bodies with 63 of these considered glaciers including seven of the ten largest glaciers in the American Rocky Mountains. The presence of glaciers results in meltwater contributions to streamflow during the late summer (July, August, and September – JAS) when snowmelt is decreasing, temperatures are high, precipitation is low, and irrigation demand continues. Most studies indicate that the glaciers in the Wind River Range have been retreating since the 1850’s, the …

Co2 Injection Into A Deep Saline Aquifer: Porosity Measurements, Numerical Modeling, And Costs Associated With Uncertainty Of Petrophysical Parameters, Michael John Gragg

Masters Theses

Anthropogenic levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂) have increased rapidly over the last several decades and coincide with rising temperatures globally. One possible solution is to capture CO₂ before it is released into the atmosphere by large point sources, such as fossil fuel power plants. Once captured, the CO₂ can be condensed and transported to a storage facility. Of the available options for storage of condensed CO₂, geologic sequestration in deep saline aquifers is considered the most viable option.

Porosity measurements were obtained for nearly 100 core samples of the Knox …

Therapist Burnout And Interpersonal Problems, Shabad-Ratan Kaur Khalsa

Masters Theses

Therapist burnout has been linked to poorer therapy outcome, and may be related to leaving the profession. However, a number of questions remain about the nature of burnout among psychotherapists, and why it occurs. Interpersonal difficulties in the workplace have been examined as correlates of burnout, but thus far there is little attention to the role of non-professional interpersonal problems in general as they relate to burnout. The practice of psychology requires the therapist to engage with patients under duress. The therapist’s ability to remain poised under-fire is critical. This puts a premium on stamina, emotional balance, and a reasonably …

Role Of Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate (Hmb) In Leucine Stimulation Of Mitochondrial Biogenesis And Fatty Acid Oxidation, Renee Ashley Stancliffe

Masters Theses

Mitochondrial dysfunction and the resulting oxidative stress is widely recognized as a contributing factor to the development of numerous pathophysiologies including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sarcopenia, liver disease, dementia, amongst others. Mitochondrial dysfunction results in a reduced mitochondrial number and oxidative capacity, causing an increase in free radical production and consequently oxidative stress. As such, the characterization of compounds that can upregulate mitochondrial biogenesis and function could provide the foundation for the development of therapeutic nutraceuticals that promote mitochondrial health, and consequently reduce oxidative stress. Leucine is well recognized to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, and we have recently demonstrated that …

Evaluation Of Tagging Techniques Gamma-Decay Probabilities Using The Surrogate Method, Timothy Lee Reed

Masters Theses

A detailed analysis of the statistical and discrete [gamma]-decay tagging techniques was conducted using the absolute surrogate and surrogate ratio method (SRM) to obtain the 92Mo(n,[gamma]) cross section in an equivalent neutron energy range of 80 to 880 keV. Excited 93Mo and 95Mo nuclei were populated using (d,p) reactions on 92Mo and 94Mo targets, respectively. The absolute surrogate 92Mo(n,[gamma]) cross sections disagreed with evaluated neutron capture cross section data by as much as a factor of 4 using the statistical tagging approach, whereas the discrete [gamma]-decay tag absolute surrogate cross section disagreed with the evaluated neutron capture cross section by …

Fatigue Behavior Of High-Entropy Alloys, Michael Alexander Hemphill

Masters Theses

Research was performed on the Al₉Co_18.2Cr_18.2Cu_18.2Fe_18.2Ni_18.2 [subscripts atomic percent] and Al_7.5Cr_22.5Fe₃₅Mn₂₀Ni₁₅ high-entropy alloys (HEAs) in an attempt to study their fatigue behavior. The present investigation shows encouraging fatigue-resistance characteristics due to their high fatigue lives of various samples at relatively high stresses. The current results indicate that the fatigue behavior of HEAs compares favorably to many conventional alloys, such as steels, titanium alloys, and advanced bulk metallic glasses with a fatigue-endurance limit of the Al₉Co_18.2Cr_{18.2 …}

Geographic Variation In The Lower Temperature Tolerance In The Invasive Brown Anole, Anolis Sagrei And The Native Green Anole, Anolis Carolinensis (Sauria: Polychrotidae), Laura Carolina Maria Rubio

Masters Theses

Invasive species are considered to be the second greatest threat to native biodiversity and several factors have been identified as contributing to the success of introduced species, including their initial genetic variation and the ability of populations to adapt to a new environment. Temperature has a significant impact on reptilian ecology and distribution since they ordinarily rely on external heat sources for the maintenance of body temperatures suitable for normal activity. Body temperature affects performance in these organisms given its importance for all aspects of behavior, locomotion, courtship and rates of feeding and growth. Critical thermal tolerances can, therefore, give …

Characterizing The Concentration, Duration, And Frequency Of Turbid Events In Tennessee Streams: Potential For Macroinvertebrate Impairment, Robert Ryan Woockman

Masters Theses

The impairment of lotic systems due to siltation is one of the most common factors leading to a stream being placed on the 303d list. Once a stream reach is placed on the 303d list, a state’s environmental regulatory agency must then develop sediment total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). However, a deficiency exists in available methods for assessing biotic response to siltation, creating the inability to set TMDLs functionally related to cause of impairment. Water quality sondes can collect voluminous amounts of turbidity data and stage data at intervals that can be used to characterize concentration, duration, and frequency (CDF) …

Power Management For Cloud-Scale Data Centers, Yanwei Zhang

Masters Theses

Recent years have seen the rapid growth of large and geographically distributed data centers deployed by Internet service operators to support various services such as cloud computing. Consequently, high electricity bills, as well as negative environmental implications (e.g., CO2 emission and global warming) come along. In this thesis, we first propose a novel electricity bill capping algorithm that not only minimizes the electricity cost, but also enforces a cost budget on the monthly bill for cloud-scale data centers that impact the power markets. Our solution first explicitly models the impacts of the power demands induced by cloud-scale data centers on …

Application Of Highway Capacity Manual 2010 Level-Of-Service Methodologies For Planning Deficiency Analysis, James Oliver Ensley

Masters Theses

Influence on investment in the infrastructure is critical for decision-making by State planning departments. Judgments which are made for funding purposes and are based on limited data analysis by states can results in economic disasters for the state and nation. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) uses the Evaluation of Roadway Efficiency (EVE) database to prioritize the importance of roadway projects in the state. In addition, EVE is also used as a method to provide deficiency analysis results for roadways in the state. This study will add support to the methodology of the current decision-making process in regards to Tennessee …

The Effect Of Common Imaging And Maceration Techniques On Dna Recovery From Skeletal Remains, Emilie Margaret Frank

Masters Theses

DNA testing is an essential tool for human identification, particularly from skeletal remains. Therefore it is important to understand how different processing methods used to clean and prepare bones for research and analysis influence the recoverability of CODIS marker DNA from skeletal remains. Thirteen elements from three sets of recently skeletonized remains were macerated with hot water, scanned by computed tomography (CT), X-rayed, or exposed to a combination of the three methods. The number of CODIS marker loci, relative fluorescent units (RFU) values and DNA yields were compared to an unprocessed control group to determine if there was a significant …

Growing A Local Movement: New Social Movements, Food, And Activism, Liam Vangsnes Hysjulien

Masters Theses

Over the last decade, concerns over healthy eating, the systemic causes of hunger, and alternative ideas over food production and consumption have become more prevalent issues in mainstream American society. This has resulted in increasing literature on whether alternative food movements and local food advocates are an emerging social movement. In using Knoxville, Tennessee as a case study, this thesis explores how historical changes in food-based welfare created conditions for increased local activism around issues of hunger and food insecurity. Second, this thesis uses interviews from key local food advocates to determine how their activism is shaped by personal identity, …

Fatty Acid Synthase 1 In Candida Albicans Virulence And The In Vitro Effects Of Fluconazole, Tetracycline In Combinatorial Therapy, Marissa Mandy Rodrigues

Masters Theses

Candida albicans, the causative agent of superficial and invasive mycoses, is a significant fungal pathogen associated with high mortality rates and considerable health-related costs. The most effective class of antifungals used for the treatment of candidiasis includes polyenes, echinocandins and azoles. However with the emergence of resistant strains, new antifungals are warranted for the effective treatment of candidiasis. Genes involved in biosynthetic enzymatic pathways that regulate metabolic processes are important for the survival of pathogenic fungi and can thus be exploited for the development of better antifungals. Fatty acid synthase 1, which is involved in the de novo biosynthesis of …

Energy Balance And Carbon Dioxide Flux In Conventional And No-Till Maize Fields In Lesotho, Southern Africa, Wendy Anne Bruns

Masters Theses

The capacity of soils to sequester carbon is currently of scientific interest because soil management impacts carbon dioxide flux and can mitigate the effects of climate change. Soil carbon sequestration is also essential in areas with degraded soil where land use is primarily subsistence agriculture because of limited inputs to increase fertility and return soil nutrients removed during crop growth. Agricultural soils under no-till management can increase soil carbon levels compared to soils managed with traditional tillage practices in the long-term (decades); this is hypothesized to be caused by the short-term (i.e., seasonal) flux of carbon dioxide between the terrestrial …

Die Rolle Des Opfers In Der Fiktionalen Darstellung Der „Landshut“- Entfuehrung In Literatur & Film, Annica Esther Eisenhofer

Masters Theses

In this thesis I examine the cinematic and literary portrayal of victims during the hijacking of the Lufthansa plane, Landshut by Palestinian terrorists in October 1977. I discuss the book, Mogadischu Fensterplatz by the German author Friedrich Christian Delius and two films, the docudrama Todesspiel by the director Heinrich Breloer, and the film Mogadischu by the director Roland Suso Richter.

The study compares and contrasts alternate means of portraying the plight of the hijacking victims through different forms of media. Mogadischu Fensterplatz is a book whose text comprises a single victim’s personal narrative. The backbone of Todesspiel is a chronology …

Beat-Class Tonic Modulation As A Formal Device In Steve Reich's "The Desert Music", Liahna Rochelle Guy

Masters Theses

Beat-class analysis is a model of rhythm employed by Richard Cohn and John Roeder to analyze textural form in the compositions of Steve Reich (Roeder 2003, 275). Rhythmic attacks are regarded based on the modulus analytically assigned to a particular section (eighth note, sixteenth note, etc.). This paper will offer an in-depth analysis of beat-class modulation and transposition in Steve Reich’s The Desert Music, with a focus on the third movement. Applying this analytical technique to The Desert Music (a piece never before analyzed using beat-class analysis) proposes a fresh analytical approach to Reich’s 1984 piece. This perspective will …

Lignin Yield Maximization Of Lignocellulosic Biomass By Taguchi Robust Product Design Using Organosolv Fractionation, Anton Friedrich Astner

Masters Theses

Lignin, a byproduct of the organosolv pretreatment process using lignocellulosic biomass from switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) is currently being explored for its potential use in the production of value-added chemicals and biobased polymers. Pretreatment is one of the most expensive processing steps in cellulosic biomass conversion. Optimization of the process is one of the major goals of the biomass-toethanol conversion process. Taguchi Robust Product Design (TRPD) provides an effective engineering experimental design method for optimizing a system and designing products that are robust to process variations. Given the results of several preliminary …

"Sing To The Lord A New Song": Memory, Music, Epistemology, And The Emergence Of Gregorian Chant As Corporate Knowledge, Jordan Timothy Ray Baker

Masters Theses

Following the Christianization of the crumbling Roman Empire, a wide array of disparate Christian traditions arose. A confusion of liturgical rites and musical styles expressed the diversity of this nascent Christendom; however, it also exemplified a sometimes threatening disunity. Into this frame, the Carolingian Empire made a decisive choice. Charlemagne, with a desire to consolidate power, forged stronger bonds withRome by transporting the liturgy ofRome to the Frankish North. The outcome of this transmission was the birth of a composite form of music exhibiting the liturgical properties ofRome but also shaped by the musical sensibilities of the Franks—Gregorian chant.

This …

Families Of Young Children With Developmental Disabilities: A Model Of The Parenting Process, Rhett Maurice Billen

Masters Theses

Parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) experience a wide variety of conditions and influences that may affect the parenting process. Researchers have long recognized that child characteristics in particular influence parental behaviors and have demonstrated the reciprocal nature of the parent-child relationship. The main purpose of this study was to identify some of the primary mechanisms by which young children with DD influence their parents’ behaviors. 10 couples (10 mothers, 10 fathers) raising young (birth to five years old) children with DD (e.g., hearing loss, autism, hypothyroidism) participated in the study. Following grounded theory methods, parents were interviewed using …

On The Spherical Symmetry Of Perfect-Fluid Stellar Models In General Relativity, Joshua M Brewer

Masters Theses

It is well known in Newtonian theory that static self-gravitating perfect fluids in a vacuum are necessarily spherically symmetric. The necessity of spherical symmetry of perfect-fluid static spacetimes with constant density in general relativity is shown.

An Archaeological And Historical Investigation Of A 19th Century Leprosarium At Hassel Island, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Amanda Marie Barton

Masters Theses

Located on Hassel Island, a small island off the coast of Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, USVI, a small leprosarium, or quarantine hospital for those affected with leprosy, was in operation from 1833 to 1861 as a way to isolate those with leprosy from the general population. Surface and sub-surface excavations took place over the spring and summer of 2008 in preparation for proposed National Park Service hiking trail that would be laid parallel to the site remains.

Firstly, this thesis provides a historical background on leprosy, as well as a background on how leprosy and disease has been studied …

Factors Influencing The Choice Of Shared Bicycles And Electric Bicycles In Beijing -- A Stated Preference Approach, Andrew Archibald Campbell

Masters Theses

Public bicycle systems, also known as bikeshare systems, are growing rapidly throughout the world, but nowhere more so than in China. At the same time the country’s most rapidly growing mode of private transportation is the electric two wheeler, or e-bike. Despite the popularity of this mode and the similarity to conventional bicycles, there are currently no large scale public e-bike systems. To evaluate the adoption and use of an e-bikeshare system, this study employs a stated preference survey to investigate the factors influencing the choice to use a shared bike or e-bike system. An intercept survey queries 620 respondents …

Testing The Marshall-Lerner-Robinson Condition In Ghana Prior To 1983: Was A Devaluation Of The Cedi Justified In Improving The Trade Balance?, Judith Olivia Canipe

Masters Theses

The aim of this paper is to empirically predict the quantitative impact of a devaluation of the Ghanaian Cedi on the trade account for 1960 to 1983. The imperfect substitutes model is employed to test the Marshall-Lerner-Robinson condition. In doing so, conclusions are drawn about the World Bank's implementation of loan conditionalities requiring a devaluation in order to address the trade deficit. Similarities between the economic structure of Ghana and other less developed countries allow for an extension of this study to other countries considering depreciation policies. The effect of a currency devaluation on the cocoa industry is also discussed. …

The Influence Of Dietary Variety And Course Sequence On Fruit Intake In Preschool-Aged Children, Chelsi Celcilia Cardoso

Masters Theses

Background: Fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake in preschool-aged children remains below recommendations. As the environment can affect food consumption, this study tested the effects of two environmental factors, dietary variety and course sequence, on fruit and overall intake of a snack in preschool-aged children. Methods: Using a 2 x 2 x 2 design (between-subjects factor of order and the within-subjects factors of dietary variety and courses), 16 children (4.1 + 0.7 years of age, 56.3% female, 75.0% White, 93.8% non-Hispanic or Latino, and 0.5 + 1.3 BMI z-score) from 2 preschool classrooms (classroom 1 [n = 7] and …