Digital Commons Network^™

Some Generalizations Of Classical Integer Sequences Arising In Combinatorial Representation Theory, Sasha Verona Malone

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

There exists a natural correspondence between the bases for a given finite-dimensional representation of a complex semisimple Lie algebra and a certain collection of finite edge-colored ranked posets, laid out by Donnelly, et al. in, for instance, [Don03]. In this correspondence, the Serre relations on the Chevalley generators of the given Lie algebra are realized as conditions on coefficients assigned to poset edges. These conditions are the so-called diamond, crossing, and structure relations (hereinafter DCS relations.) New representation constructions of Lie algebras may thus be obtained by utilizing edge-colored ranked posets. Of particular combinatorial interest are those representations whose corresponding …

Application Of Excitation-Emission Matrices To Fluorescent Dye Tracing Of Groundwater Flow, Cayla M. Baughn

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Fluorescent dye tracing of groundwater is a technique employed particularly in carbonate rock karst regions to examine karst hydrology by mapping underground flow paths. It is important to understand the hydrology of karst environments because solutionally-enlarged conduits may allow the rapid influx of contaminants into the groundwater system. Fluorescent dye tracing involves the injection of a fluorescent dye into an appropriate injection site (sinking streams, sinkholes, or even through soil flushed with water) and is followed by sampling at sites where the dye may be recovered (typically springs). Various methods exist by which sampling may occur, but all methods ultimately …

Developing Novel Tale-Based Rapid Detection Of Pathogenic Dna Utilizing 2d Graphene Oxide Nanosheets And Quantum Dots, Narayan Neupane

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A faster method of quantitative detection of specific dsDNA of pathogenic bacteria such as the Shiga toxin 2 gene (stx2) present in E. coli O157:H7 is of great importance. There is a need for a simple and facile method for sensitive detection of pathogenic gene which is crucial for the prevention and earlier treatment of any infectious diseases. A Transcriptional Activator-Like Effector (TALE) is a novel class of DNA-binding proteins with the unique modularity, flexibility and easy programmability compared to previously discovered DNA- binding proteins. TALEs can bind to any DNA sequences through its unique variable di- residues …

A Monte Carlo Analysis Of Ordinary Least Squares Versus Equal Weights, James Brewer Ayres

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Equal weights are an alternative weighting procedure to the optimal weights offered by ordinary least squares regression analysis. Also called units weights, equal weights are formed by standardizing scores on the predictor variables and averaging these standardized scores to create a composite score. Research is limited regarding the conditions under which equal weights result in cross-validated 𝑅𝑅2 values that meet or exceed optimal weights. In this study, I explored the effect of various predictor-criterion correlations, predictor intercorrelations, and sample sizes to determine the relative performance of equal and optimal weighting schemes upon cross-validation. Results indicated that optimally weighted predictors explained …

Video Game Genre Classification Based On Deep Learning, Yuhang Jiang

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Video games have played a more and more important role in our life. While the genre classification is a deeply explored research subject by leveraging the strength of deep learning, the automatic video game genre classification has drawn little attention in academia. In this study, we compiled a large dataset of 50,000 video games, consisting of the video game covers, game descriptions and the genre information. We explored three approaches for genre classification using deep learning techniques. First, we developed five image-based models utilizing pre-trained computer vision models such as MobileNet, ResNet50 and Inception, based on the game covers. Second, …

Impacts Of Forest Management And Timber Harvest Practices On Karst Critical Zone Processes In Tongass National Forest, Alaska, Anna Gwendolyn Harris

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study characterizes the throughfall, hydrogeochemistry, dissolution rates, and carbon sources of two proximate temperate rainforest cave systems within the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska (Tongass). Study sites include: an old-growth forest, characterized by having never been logged (containing Walkabout Cave system); and a previously logged – within thirty years, second-growth forest (containing Zina Cave system). Precipitation data were recorded over a five-month period at 10-minute intervals, to understand the effects of throughfall between the altering old and second-growth canopies. At each major spring for the two cave systems, high-resolution data were collected from June 29 through November 21, …

The Language Of Breathing, Brian Wallace Baker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Language of Breathing is an eclectic collection of 18 creative nonfiction essays that capture moments from the author’s life and attempt to give them meaning through narrative and metaphor. They deal with relationships, nature, faith, and often rely on background research to pair art, mythology, current events, and science with personal experience.

Improved Antimicrobial Properties Of Silver Nanoparticles With Methylene Blue, Ermek Belekov

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Photosensitizing agents are the cornerstone of photodynamic therapy (PDT) that play essential role in deactivation process of multidrug resistant pathogens and tumor treatments. In this work we studied a photosensitizing agent made from mixture of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and methylene blue (MB) which possess improved important characteristics like high photostability and high singlet oxygen yield. Ag NPs were synthesized by pulsed laser ablation technique in different aqueous solutions like Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), citrate and Deionized (DI) water. The synthesized Ag NPs were characterized in depth using with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UVVisible (UV-Vis), and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. Ag NPs were …

Hydrogeochemical Characterization And Speleogenesis Of Sistema Huautla In Oaxaca, Mexico, Fernando Hernandez

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sierra Mazateca, Mexico is home to Sistema Huautla, the deepest cave in the Western hemisphere with 1,560 meters of depth and 90 kilometers of passage, including 26 entrances distributed in a high-relief, karstified terrain, within the Sistema Huautla Karst Groundwater Basin. Exploration of the cave has generated research questions about its evolution and geomorphology given the different vadose and phreatic zones impacted by tectonic and incision processes. Dye traces during this study of Cueva de La Peña Colorada confirmed it is a fossil resurgence of the cave system. An additional cave, Cueva Elysium, was connected hydrologically in 2019, expanding the …

Solvent-Free Synthesis Of Metal Coordination Compounds Using Ball Mills, Jenna Cantway

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Mechanochemistry utilizes mechanical energy to promote chemical reactions to completion. Samples ground with a ball mill are placed under consistent pressure and temperature, which allows for increased surface area, shorter reaction times and overall better control of reaction conditions compared to the use of a mortar and pestle. Many synthetic techniques to prepare metal coordination compounds use a solvent. The solvent promotes the reactions by providing a route for reagents to interact. While solvents facilitate reactions, there is interest in reducing or eliminating solvents altogether during the synthesis process due to potential instability of a solvent under certain experimental conditions …

Synthesis Of Cds/Zns Core/Shell Semiconductor Nanoparticles, Austin Skyler Antle

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Core/shell semiconductor nanoparticles are of great interest as photocatalysts due to their large surface area per volume and tunable band gaps. The synthesis of core/shell semiconductor nanoparticles has traditionally involved the use of binding ligands to ensure the particles do not aggregate. These binding ligands lower the surface area of the nanoparticles though, reducing their overall efficiency. Ionic liquids have been found to be capable of acting as both solvents and stabilizing agents for synthesis of catalysts with highly active surfaces. Our experiments focus on the synthesis of CdS/ZnS core/shell nanoparticles with the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium methyl sulfate, [BMIM][MeSO4], acting …

Mercury And Other Trace Metal Analysis In Bat Guano, Amanda Lee Houchens

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Heavy metal pollution in the environment pose risks to ecosystems and the populations that reside in them. Mercury, lead, and cadmium negatively impact humans by way of neurological disorders, various cancers, and damage the reproductive organs, kidneys, and lungs. Bats have been studied as a bioindicator species to identify possibly elevated levels of these metals in the environment. Previous studies have identified correlation between metal concentrations within bat tissues and fur. Many bat species are endangered or at risk due to white-nose syndrome so collection of tissues and fur for analysis can impose stress on bat colonies. This study investigates …

Book Genre Classification By Its Cover Using A Multi-View Learning Approach, Chandra Shakhar Kundu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

An interesting topic in the visual analysis is to determine the genre of a book by its cover. The book cover is the very first communication to the reader which shapes the reader’s expectation about the type of the book. Each book cover is carefully designed by the cover designers and typographers to convey the visual representation of its content. In this study, we explore several different deep learning approaches for predicting the genre from the cover image alone, such as MobileNet V1, MobileNet V2, ResNet50, Inception V2. Moreover, we add an extra modality by extracting text from the cover …

Interdependence Across Foreign Exchange Rate Markets- A Mixed Copula Approach, Richard Adjei-Boateng

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to study the dependence structure of exchange rate pairs using a mixture of copula as opposed to a single copula approach. Mixed copula models have the ability to generate dependence structures that do not belong to existing copula families. The flexibility in choosing component copulas in this mixture model aids the construction of a system that is simultaneously parsimonious and flexible enough to generate most dependence patterns in exchange rate data. Furthermore, the method of mixture copulas facilitates the separation of both the structure and degree of dependence, concepts that are respectively embodied in …

Synthesis And Molecular Mechanics Study Of Platinum Triamine Complex With N-Acetyl-L-Methionine And Guanosine 5’Monophosphate, Nitin Tanajirao Katare

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Cisplatin and its analogues have been used and tested over decades for cancer treatment, but because of the serious side effects, it is important to find ways to overcome those side effect by synthesizing a novel platinum molecule. We have synthesized triamine complex and conducted its reaction with biomolecules such as 5’GMP and Methionine in the lab as well as conducted molecular mechanics (MM). MM methods are used for predicting and designing new structures and properties, and to model geometries of small molecules. MM and dynamics calculations have been used to study the 9 Ethylguanine and N-Ac-Lmethionine complexes with platinum …

A Monte Carlo Analysis Of Standard Error-Based Methods For Computing Confidence Intervals, Elayna Wichert

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The objective of this study is to empirically test existing techniques to calculate the likely range of values for a Classical Test Theory true score given an observed score. The traditional method for forming these confidence intervals has used the standard error of measurement (SEM) as the basis for this confidence interval. An alternate equation, the standard error of estimate (SEE), has been recommended in place of the SEM for this purpose, yet it remains overlooked in the field of psychometrics. It is important that the correct equation be used in various applications in personnel psychology. Monte Carlo analyses were …

Quantifying Tekeze River Canyon Incision On The Ethiopian Plateau From Low-Temperature Apatite Thermochronology, Jacob Thomas Grigsby

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Ethiopian Plateau in East Africa features dynamic topography, deep river incision (~1.5 km), active tectonics, continental rifting, volcanic terrain and ~2 km of plateau uplift. Situated on the northwestern part of the Ethiopian Plateau, the Tekeze River is one of the two major rivers associated with incising and documenting the recent geologic history of the uplifted plateau landscape. The consequential Tekeze River incision into the uplifted Ethiopian Plateau is associated with the arrival and impingement of the Afar mantle plume as evidenced by the presence of thick sheets of Cenozoic flood basalts (~30 Ma). However, the Cenozoic to present-day …

H-Discrete Fractional Model Of Tumor Growth And Anticancer Effects Of Mono And Combination Therapies, Kamala Dadashova

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this thesis, we focus on h–discrete and h–discrete fractional representation of a pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics (PK-PD) model which describes tumor growth considering time on hNa, where h>0. First, we introduce some definitions, lemmas and theorems on both h–discrete and h–discrete fractional calculus in the preliminary section. In Chapter 3, we work on the PD model with delay by exam ining nabla h–discrete equations and nabla h–discrete fractional equations as well as variation of constants formulas, accordingly. We introduce our model and solve it using theorems we proved in the last section of the indicated chapter. When we do simulation for …

The Enhancement Of Climate Change Science Communication And Understanding Through Glacier Tourism, Natalie Jean Kincheloe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The natural environment provides the opportunity for educators to teach the general public about scientific topics that are misunderstood. Arctic tourism has increased as accessibility to these regions has improved. Informal learning is a valuable yet extremely understudied phenomenon within the tourism industry. Iceland is a country that lies in the North Atlantic and has experienced a significant increase in foreign visitors over the past decade. Of the natural features in Iceland, glaciers have become a top attraction for visitors. Since thousands of visitors participate in guided glacier tours annually in Iceland, an opportunity to couple glacier tourism with informal …

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Diagnosis Using Metagenomic Classification, Michael Riggle

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a set of disorders that involve chronic inflammation of digestive tracts, e.g., Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Millions of people around the world have inflammatory bowel disease. However, it is still difficult to treat IBD due to its unknown cause. In fact, accurately diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be very challenging too since some of IBD symptoms can mimic those of other conditions. In this work, we apply classification methods to help improve the success rate of diagnosis. We study four formulations of IBD classification: i) IBD and non-IBD (binary classification), ii) …

Morphology And Structure Of Pb Thin Films Grown On Si (111) By Pulsed Laser Deposition, Bektur Abdisatarov

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a versatile thin film deposition technique in which high powered laser beam interacts with a target material inside an ultrahigh vacuum chamber. Highly energetic particles such as electrons, atoms, protons, and ions generate a plasma plume that directed towards a substrate material where recondenses form a thin film. PLD is an effective and reliable method to create varieties of thin films such as metal, polymer, and ceramic for many technologically essential applications.

In this study, thin Pb films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on Si (111) at various laser fluences, pulse wavelengths, deposition times, …

Monitoring And Identifying The Rhodamine 6g-Hydroxide Ion Reaction Using In-Situ, Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, Ryan Lamb

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

An effective method for monitoring chemical reactions is necessary to better understand their mechanisms and kinetics. Effective reaction monitoring requires a spectroscopy technique with fast data acquisition, high sensitivity, structure-to-spectrum correlation, and low solvent interference. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) provides these features, which makes it a valuable tool for monitoring reactions. To obtain the Raman enhancement, metallic nanostructures typically made of silver or gold are aggregated using a salt. The nanoparticles aggregates must then be stabilized using a surfactant to use this method in situ due to eventual nanoparticle precipitation. In this study, gold nanoparticles stabilized with sodium dodecyl sulfate …