Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Development Of A Laminated Copolyester Electric Guitar, Addison S. Karnes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an investigation of the fabrication and assembly methodologies employed in the development of a proof-of-principle prototype electric guitar composed of laminated copolyester. The objective of the project was to develop the processes and procedures to create an optimized physical and visual bond between layers to minimize vibratory dissipation, thus maximizing sustain. A high speed CNC router, abrasive waterjet, laser engraver-cutter, as well as various manual fabrication and assembly methods were investigated in the construction of the guitar prototypes. The lamination processes explored include low-temperature, heat-assisted pressure bonding, solvent and chemical welding, and contact adhesives. The project concluded …

Oxidative Damage To Dna 2´-Deoxyribose By Carbonate Radicals: Reaction Mechanisms And Products, Terence J. Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The carbonate radical anion (CO₃^•-, CR) is an important reactive oxygen species produced in vivo by one-electron oxidation of CO₂ or bicarbonate, constituents of the major physiological buffer. It was demonstrated for the first time by using an HPLC-based analysis of low-molecular products of DNA damage that CRs react with DNA 2΄-deoxyribose by the hydrogen abstraction mechanism. CRs exhibit a ~ 800-fold preference for one-electron oxidation of guanine over hydrogen abstraction from DNA sugar, in sharp contrast with •OH. CRs also have, as compared to •OH, an increased preference for the H1΄ abstraction, which is the …

Ranking Methods For Global Optimization Of Molecular Structures, John Norman Mcmeen Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work presents heuristics for searching large sets of molecular structures for low-energy, stable systems. The goal is to find the globally optimal structures in less time or by consuming less computational resources. The strategies intermittently evaluate and rank structures during molecular dynamics optimizations, culling possible weaker solutions from evaluations earlier, leaving better solutions to receive more simulation time. Although some imprecision was introduced from not allowing all structures to fully optimize before ranking, the strategies identify metrics that can be used to make these searches more efficient when computational resources are limited.

Mathematical Modeling Of Immune Responses To Hepatitis C Virus Infection, Ivan Ramirez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An existing mathematical model of ordinary differential equations was studied to better understand the interactions between hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the immune system cells in the human body. Three possible qualitative scenarios were explored: dominant CTL response, dominant antibody response, and coexistence. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to rank model parameters for each of these scenarios. Therapy was addressed as an optimal control problem. Numerical solutions of optimal controls were computed using a forward-backward sweep scheme for each scenario. Model parameters were estimated using ordinary least squares fitting from longitudinal data (serum HCV RNA measurements) given in …

Assessing The Social And Ecological Factors That Influence Childhood Overweight And Obesity, Katie Callahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in the United States. Currently more than 1 in 3 children aged 2-19 are overweight or obese. This is of major concern because childhood overweight and obesity leads to chronic conditions such as type II diabetes and tracks into adulthood, where more severe adverse health outcomes arise. In this study I used the premise of the social ecological model (SEM) to analyze the common levels that a child is exposed to daily; the intrapersonal level, the interpersonal level, the school level, and the community level to better …

Client/Server Data Synchronization In Ios Development, Dmitry Tumanov

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Electronic gadgets such as touchpads and smartphones are becoming more popular in business and everyday life. The main advantage of mobile devices over personal computers is their portability. Cellular data plans allow Internet access without having permanent access point. There is a number of web-based applications available for gadgets. The primary goal of these apps is to provide their services through constant Internet access. However, it may affect the operation of both devices and applications. The objective of this thesis is to find a better way of client/server data synchronization in iOS development that can reduce the negative consequences of …

Properties Of Small Ordered Graphs Whose Vertices Are Weighted By Their Degree, Constance M. Blalock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Graphs can effectively model biomolecules, computer systems, and other applications. A weighted graph is a graph in which values or labels are assigned to the edges of the graph. However, in this thesis, we assign values to the vertices of the graph rather than the edges and we modify several standard graphical measures to incorporate these vertex weights. In particular, we designate the degree of each vertex as its weight. Previous research has not investigated weighting vertices by degree. We find the vertex weighted domination number in connected graphs, beginning with trees, and we define how weighted vertices can affect …

Synthesis And Characterization Of [Vo(O2)H2edta] And Investigation Of The Reaction Between [Vohedta]-1 And Hydrogen Peroxide As A Model Catalyst For Haloperoxidases, Tinga C. O. Fon Mr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vanadium haloperoxidases (VHPOs) are enzymes that catalyse the oxidation of halide ions to hypohalous acids by hydrogen peroxide. There are many unanswered questions on the mechanism by which the oxidation reaction occurs. In this work, is reported the synthesis of [VO(O₂)H₂EDTA], studies of the effect of acid concentration on the decomposition of [VO(O₂)HEDTA]^-2, and mechanistic studies of the rate law. The decomposition reaction was found to be first order with respect to acid concentration and also [VO(O₂)HEDTA]^-2 concentration. The reaction of [VOHEDTA]^-1 and hydrogen peroxide progressed via a …

Analyses Of 2002-2013 China’S Stock Market Using The Shared Frailty Model, Chao Tang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis adopts a survival model to analyze China’s stock market. The data used are the capitalization-weighted stock market index (CSI 300) and the 300 stocks for creating the index. We define the recurrent events using the daily return of the selected stocks and the index. A shared frailty model which incorporates the random effects is then used for analyses since the survival times of individual stocks are correlated. Maximization of penalized likelihood is presented to estimate the parameters in the model. The covariates are selected using the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and the variance inflation factor (VIF) to avoid …

Bipartitions Based On Degree Constraints, Pamela I. Delgado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For a graph G = (V,E), we consider a bipartition {V₁,V₂} of the vertex set V by placing constraints on the vertices as follows. For every vertex v in V_i, we place a constraint on the number of neighbors v has in V_i and a constraint on the number of neighbors it has in V_3-i. Using three values, namely 0 (no neighbors are allowed), 1 (at least one neighbor is required), and X (any number of neighbors are allowed) for each of the four constraints, results in 27 distinct types of …

Isotropic Oscillator Under A Magnetic And Spatially Varying Electric Field, David L. Frost Mr., Frank Hagelberg

Undergraduate Honors Theses

We investigate the energy levels of a particle confined in the isotropic oscillator potential with a magnetic and spatially varying electric field. Here we are able to exactly solve the Schrodinger equation, using matrix methods, for the first excited states. To this end we find that the spatial gradient of the electric field acts as a magnetic field in certain circumstances. Here we present the changes in the energy levels as functions of the electric field, and other parameters.

Non-Anguimorph Lizards Of The Late Oligocene And Early Miocene Of Florida And Implications For The Reorganization Of The North American Herpetofauna, Kevin Chovanec

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Paleokarst deposits from the Oligo-Miocene of northern Florida preserve undescribed herpetofaunal remains that fill important temporal and geographic gaps in our understanding of Cenozoic lizard evolution. Here I describe and discuss the non-anguimorph lizard diversity of the Brooksville 2 (Ar2) and Miller (He1) local faunas to test for patterns of regional and latitudinal provincialism in the contemporary North American record. Collectively, the sites are significant for documenting 1) extralimital occurrences of the tropical clades Anolis and Corytophaninae, 2) a substantial temporal range extension of the modern southeastern endemic Rhineuridae, 3) the earliest record of eublepharid gekkotans from North America, and …

Late Pleistocene And Holocene Bison Of Grand Canyon And Colorado Plateau: Implications From The Use Of Paleobiology For Natural Resource Management Policy, Jeffrey M. Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bison spp. (bison) fossils are scarce on the Colorado Plateau, especially within the greater Grand Canyon region. Because of the poor fossil record for bison on the plateau and in Grand Canyon National Park, various resource managers have surreptitiously designated bison a nonnative and human-introduced species. The lack of evidence for bison seems to be the result of collection bias rather than a true lack of bison remains. Today, Grand Canyon National Park has a neighboring herd of 350 bison that have meandered unwantedly onto National Park lands from neighboring Forest Service and State of Arizona lands. This study spatiotemporally …

Permutation Groups And Puzzle Tile Configurations Of Instant Insanity Ii, Amanda N. Justus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The manufacturer claims that there is only one solution to the puzzle Instant Insanity II. However, a recent paper shows that there are two solutions. Our goal is to find ways in which we only have one solution. We examine the permutation groups of the puzzle and use modern algebra to attempt to fix the puzzle. First, we find the permutation group for the case when there is only one empty slot at the top. We then examine the scenario when we add an extra column or an extra row to make the game a 4 × 5 puzzle or …

Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Model For Ertapenem, Whitney Forbes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ertapenem is a carbapenem used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections. What sets ertapenem apart from other carbapenems is its longer half-life which implies it need only be administered once daily. We developed a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model for the distribution of ertapenem within the body. In the model, parameters such as human body weight and height, age, organ volumes, blood flow rates, and partition coefficients of particular tissues are used to examine the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of ertapenem. The total and free blood concentrations found were then compared to experimental data. We then examined the sensitivity …

Inter-And Intra-Population Variability Across The Transcriptome Of Lake Baikal’S Endemic Copepod With Ramifications For Adapting To Climate Change, Larry L. Bowman Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The future of Lake Baikal’s biodiversity is uncertain in response to climate change. Unlike its diverse benthos, Lake Baikal’s zooplankton is species poor, with up to 96% of its biomass being composed of a single Calanoid copepod species, Epischura baikalensis. This study characterizes the genetic differentiation and differential gene expression of E. baikalensis. Using partial-transcriptome sequences obtained by 454 Rosche and Illumina sequencing technologies, the genetic differentiation at inferred single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites and differential gene expression in populations sampled from various parts of the lake were analyzed. The functional genomics of genes showed significant differential …

Time Series Decomposition Using Singular Spectrum Analysis, Cheng Deng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) is a method for decomposing and forecasting time series that recently has had major developments but it is not yet routinely included in introductory time series courses. An international conference on the topic was held in Beijing in 2012. The basic SSA method decomposes a time series into trend, seasonal component and noise. However there are other more advanced extensions and applications of the method such as change-point detection or the treatment of multivariate time series. The purpose of this work is to understand the basic SSA method through its application to the monthly average sea …

Are Highly Dispersed Variables More Extreme? The Case Of Distributions With Compact Support, Benedict E. Adjogah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We consider discrete and continuous symmetric random variables X taking values in [0; 1], and thus having expected value 1/2. The main thrust of this investigation is to study the correlation between the variance, Var(X) of X and the value of the expected maximum E(Mn) = E(X1,...,Xn) of n independent and identically distributed random variables X1,X2,...,Xn, each distributed as X. Many special cases are studied, some leading to very interesting alternating sums, and some progress is made towards a general theory.

The Number Of Zeros Of A Polynomial In A Disk As A Consequence Of Restrictions On The Coefficients, Brett A. Shields Mr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we put restrictions on the coefficients of polynomials and give bounds concerning the number of zeros in a specific region. Our results generalize a number of previously known theorems, as well as implying many new corollaries with hypotheses concerning monotonicity of the modulus, real, as well as real and imaginary parts of the coefficients separately. We worked with Enestr\"{o}m-Kakeya type hypotheses, yet we were only concerned with the number of zeros of the polynomial. We considered putting the same type of restrictions on the coefficients of three different types of polynomials: polynomials with a monotonicity``flip" at some …

Capturing And Analyzing Network Traffic From Common Mobile Devices For Security And Privacy, Billy Overton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones are becoming more common, and they are holding more information. This includes private information such as contacts, financial data, and passwords. At the same time these devices have network capability with access to the Internet being a prime feature. Little research has been done in observing the network traffic produced by these mobile devices. To determine if private information was being transmitted without user knowledge, the mobile capture lab and a set of procedures have been created to observe, capture and analyze the network traffic produced by mobile devices. The effectiveness of the …

Development Of Etsu Student Life Android Application, Tyler L. Cox

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this thesis, the author gives a description his journey creating and developing a Student Life Application for East Tennessee State University. This thesis will document his process with development as well as reflect on the struggles and victories in creation of this application.

Comparison Of Different Methods For Estimating Log-Normal Means, Qi Tang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The log-normal distribution is a popular model in many areas, especially in biostatistics and survival analysis where the data tend to be right skewed. In our research, a total of ten different estimators of log-normal means are compared theoretically. Simulations are done using different values of parameters and sample size. As a result of comparison, ``A degree of freedom adjusted" maximum likelihood estimator and Bayesian estimator under quadratic loss are the best when using the mean square error (MSE) as a criterion. The ten estimators are applied to a real dataset, an environmental study from Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC), …

Continuous Tracking Of Lava Effusion Rate In A Lava Tube At Kilauea Volcano Using Very Low Frequency (Vlf) Monitoring, Richard A. Freeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Measurement of lava effusion rates is a key objective for monitoring basaltic eruptions because it helps constrain geophysical models of magma dynamics, conduit geometry, and both deep and shallow volcano processes. During these eruptions, lava frequently travels through a single "master" lava tube. A new method and instrument for continuously monitoring the crosssectional area of lava streams in tubes and estimating the instantaneous effusion rate (IER) is described. The method uses 2 stationary very low frequency (VLF) radio receivers to measure an unperturbed VLF signal and the influence of highly conductive molten lava on that signal. The difference between these …

Functionalization Of Silica Surface Using Chan-Lam Coupling, George Appiah Kubi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The reaction of base-free Chan-Lam coupling was successfully used for functionalization of surface of mesoporous silica gel. Various aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic compounds were immobilized by a copper-catalyzed reaction of corresponding boronic acids with surface amino groups at mild conditions. Obtained functionalized materials were mesoporous although their surface area decreased after immobilization. The reactivity of some surface functional groups was tested in their characteristic reactions.

The Impact Of World Bank’S Conditionality-Ownership Hybrid On Forest Management In Cameroon: Policy Hybridity In International Dependence Development, Asongayi Venard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many developing countries depend on the World Bank for development assistance, which the Bank often provides with policy reform conditions. Resistance to World Bank’s conditionality caused the Bank to posit “ownership” as a country’s real assent to its development policies. The combination of ownership and conditionality invalidates the neocolonial, false-paradigm and dualism theses in explaining the international dependence development model. This study explains this model by investigating how the relationship between conditionality and ownership in the context of this model impacts forest management in Cameroon.

Integrating theoretical and methodological insights mainly from political science, economics, geosciences, and sociology, the study …

Kinetics Of Formation And Oxidation Of 8-Oxo-7,8-Dihydroguanine (8oxog), Derrick Ampadu Boateng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8oxoG) is one of the most important base lesions formed during oxidative damage of DNA. The aim of the present research was to investigate the effects of DNA concentration, G content, and the nature of oxidizing species on the kinetics of 8oxoG in model DNA solutions by using HPLC. The experimentally obtained yields of 8oxoG were typically in the range of 2-2.5% of total concentration of guanine. The ratios of the rate constant of hole diffusion in DNA to the rate constant of conversion of the hole into 8oxoG (k_d/k_r) were calculated from the experimental …

Synthesis Of A 4-(Trifluoromethyl)-2-Diazonium Perfluoroalkyl Benzenesuflonylimide (Pfsi) Zwitterionic Monomer For Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, Chimaroke Nworie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to achieve a more stable and highly proton conducting membrane that is also cost effective, the perfluoroalkyl benzenesulfonylimides (PFSI) polymers are proposed as electrolyte for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. 4-(trifluoromethyl)-2-diazonium perfluoro-3, 6-dioxa-4-methyl-7-octene benzenesulfonyl imide (I) is synthesized from Nafion monomer via a 5-step schematic reaction at optimal reaction conditions. This diazonium PFSI zwitterionic monomer can be further subjected to polymerization. The loss of the diazonium N₂⁺ functional group in the monomer is believed to form the covalent bond between the PFSI polymer electrolyte and carbon electrodes support. All the intermediates and final products …

Very Cost Effective Domination In Graphs, Tony K. Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A set S of vertices in a graph G=(V,E) is a dominating set if every vertex in V\S is adjacent to at least one vertex in S, and the minimum cardinality of a dominating set of G is the domination number of G. A vertex v in a dominating set S is said to be very cost effective if it is adjacent to more vertices in V\S than to vertices in S. A dominating set S is very cost effective if every vertex in S is very cost effective. The minimum cardinality of a very cost effective dominating set of …

Syntheses And Characterizations Of 4-Cyano-3-Tolylpyrazole And Its Metal Complexes, Molly M. Ketron

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Research on substituted polypyrazolylborate ligands could potentially lead to the development of useful compounds in the material sciences such as catalysis and metal ion extraction. A wide variety of substituents can be introduced to the pyrazole rings that modify the properties and reactivity of the complexes. Synthesis of 4-cyano-3-tolylpyrazole followed by the formation of a corresponding thallium(I) complex could allow one to examine the Tl-N bond length. When compared with other related complexes such as TlBp^{t-Bu, 4CN} and TlBp^{Ph, 4CN}, the Tl-N bond length in the synthesized complex will help determine the effect of the new …

A Numerical Model For Nonadiabatic Transitions In Molecules, Devanshu Agrawal

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In molecules, electronic state transitions can occur via quantum coupling of the states. If the coupling is due to the kinetic energy of the molecular nuclei, then electronic transitions are best represented in the adiabatic frame. If the coupling is instead facilitated through the potential energy of the nuclei, then electronic transitions are better represented in the diabatic frame. In our study, we modeled these latter transitions, called ``nonadiabatic transitions.'' For one nuclear degree of freedom, we modeled the de-excitation of a diatomic molecule. For two nuclear degrees of freedom, we modeled the de-excitation of an ethane-like molecule undergoing cis-trans …