Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Time Resloved Saxs Analysis Of Fusion Protein, Matthew Andorf

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The structural dynamics of the fusion protein (F protein) of parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV 5) was studied using time resolved Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). Conformational changes of the F protein, equivalent to the conformational changes the protein must undergo while infecting a host cell, are triggered by temperature jump to the protein in solution. The time and temperature dependence of the rate of the protein changing state is then determined through standard SAXS analysis. Thermodynamic transition state theory is then used to calculate the activation energy, enthalpy and entropy of the transition which is independent of any particular model. …

Towards Automated Network Configuration Management, Khalid Elmansor

College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations

Modern networks are designed to satisfy a wide variety of competing goals related to network operation requirements such as reachability, security, performance, reliability and availability. These high level goals are realized through a complex chain of low level configuration commands performed on network devices.

As networks become larger, more complex and more heterogeneous, human errors become the most significant threat to network operation and the main cause of network outage. In addition, the gap between high-level requirements and low-level configuration data is continuously increasing and difficult to close. Although many solutions have been introduced to reduce the complexity of configuration …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Unnatural Hpaa, Norcoclaurine, And Tyramine Analogues, Sean Crowe

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

There are several approaches to obtaining unnatural analogues of natural products. One of these approaches is precursor-directed biosynthesis (PDB), which is the process of using natural biosynthetic machinery to transform unnatural analogues of precursor compounds to produce an unnatural analogue of a target natural product. Berberine and galanthamine are chosen as model systems for the evaluation of PDB for the production of aromatic alkaloids in plants. Several approaches to the synthesis of unnatural 4 hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (HPAA), norcoclaurine, and tyramine analogues are explored. 3-chloro-, 3-bromo-, and 3-iodoHPAA are all synthesized in good yields via and oxidative decarboxylation of tyrosine. These analogues …

Structural Studies Of Proteins In Solution: Cytochrome-C And Mitochondrial Rho, Anthony Banks

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS) is a rapidly developing technique for determining the structures of proteins in solution. This thesis presents new solution structures of two proteins:cold denatured equine cytochrome-c,and mitochondrial rho (miro).Cytochrome-cis a modelsystem for protein folding and stability studies;this work demonstrates the interplay of thermodynamic forces in determining the global shape of unfolded proteins.Whereas denatured cytochrome-cis not able to form crystals in principle,miro is a newly purified protein of which no crystal structure is availablein any conditions.We have used our SAXS data to verify conjectures for miro's structure based solely on protein sequence analysis.

The Effect Of Grain Size And Forming Gas Reduction On The Electrical Properties Of Zinc Oxide, Rofeideh Mansourian

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Zinc oxide is an n-type transparent conducting oxide (TCO), which is used in solar cells and optoelectronics devices. ZnO has the potential to become the future choice for a wide range of TCO commercial applications replacing the current, more expensive, and toxic indium-based materials. The isothermal grain growth of ZnO nano-powders with two different initial grain sizes and the effect of forming gas reduction on their electrical properties were studied at 900 °C. The particle size was determined using synchrotron x-ray diffraction data and scanning electron micrographs. The grain size, shape, trace impurities, and synthesis methods had an effect on …

Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Investigations Of The Structure Of The Immunoglobulin G Class Of Antibody, Michael Kelliher

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Ensemble and single molecule methods were used to study model systems of 11 base pair and 16 base pair oligonucleotides. From these experiments it was possible to determine the best ensemble analysis method to use, in conjunction with single molecule experiments, to investigate the structure of lgG in solution. To study the interactions within the antigen-binding fragments (Fab), the binding sites were labeled with a FRET pair. Single molecule fluorescence measurements on the antibody indicate minimal FRET occurring between the dye pair suggesting the distance is too large to be measured using single molecule FRET. Ensemble and single molecule FRET …

Insights Into High Mass Star Formation From Methanol Maser Observations, Hontas Freeman Farmer

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

We present high angular resolution data on Class I and Class II methanol masers, together with other tracers of star formation like H₂O masers, ultracompact (UC) ionized hydrogen (H II) regions, and 4.5 µm infrared sources, taken from the literature. The aim is to study what these data tell us about the process of high mass star formation; in particular, whether disk-outflow systems are compatible with the morphology exhibited by Class I and Class II methanol masers. Stars form in the dense cores inside molecular clouds, and while the process of the formation of stars like our …

A Spectroscopic Investigation Of Excited States Of The Nucleus 73br, Brigid Esposito

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Gamma rays emitted in the de-excitation of the nucleus ⁷³Br were created in two distinct experiments. Using Gammasphere and Microball, the first experiment selected nuclei created in the reaction for an incident ⁴⁰Ca beam and a ⁴⁰Ca target that were coincident with the creation of 1 a particle, 3 protons, and 4 gamma rays. These results were analyzed using a gating procedure that allowed for the validation of published level schemes and the identification of new rotational bands in the level scheme. Using Gammasphere, the Fragment Mass Analyzer, an ionization chamber, and neutron detectors, the second experiment …

Collaborative Requirements Engineering Notation For Planning Globally Distributed Projects, Paula Laurent

College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations

Requirements engineering represents a critical phase of the software development lifecycle in which requirements describing the functional and non-functional behaviors of a system are elicited, modeled, analyzed, negotiated, agreed, and specified. In traditional software systems these tasks are typically performed in face-to-face meetings between requirements engineers and the project level stakeholders. However, in today’s global software development environment, it is becoming increasingly commonplace for stakeholders to be dispersed across multiple geographical locations and time zones. Under these circumstances, face-to-face meetings become expensive, and often impossible to facilitate, and as a result the success of the requirements process relies, at least …

Stochastic Modeling And Time-To-Event Analysis Of Voip Traffic, Imad Al Ajarmeh

College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations

Voice over IP (VoIP) systems are gaining increased popularity due to the cost effectiveness, ease of management, and enhanced features and capabilities. Both enterprises and carriers are deploying VoIP systems to replace their TDM-based legacy voice networks. However, the lack of engineering models for VoIP systems has been realized by many researchers, especially for large-scale networks. The purpose of traffic engineering is to minimize call blocking probability and maximize resource utilization. The current traffic engineering models are inherited from the legacy PSTN world, and these models fall short from capturing the characteristics of new traffic patterns. The objective of this …