Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Health Care Informatics Support Of A Simulated Study, Zeinab Salari Far

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this project is to assess the value of REDCap (Harris, 2009) by conducting a simulated breast cancer clinical trial and demonstration. REDCap is a free, secure, web-based application designed to support data capture for research studies. To assess REDCap's value, we conducted a simulation of a clinical trial study designed to compare the use of two new technologies for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment with current best practice breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. We call the trial, "Real-Time Operating Room BC Diagnostic Treatment (RORBCDT)". The RORBCDT clinical trial is designed to assess the value of a new …

Modeling Energy Production Of Solar Thermal Systems And Wind Turbines For Installation At Corn Ethanol Plants, Elizabeth Ehrke

Theses and Dissertations

Nearly every aspect of human existence relies on energy in some way. Most of this energy is currently derived from fossil fuel resources. Increasing energy demands coupled with environmental and national security concerns have facilitated the move towards renewable energy sources. Biofuels like corn ethanol are one of the ways the U.S. has significantly reduced petroleum consumption. However, the large energy requirement of corn ethanol limits the net benefit of the fuel. Using renewable energy sources to produce ethanol can greatly improve its economic and environmental benefits. The main purpose of this study was to model the useful energy received …

Part 1. Design And Synthesis Of Cysteine/Cystine Prodrugs And Bioisosteres Including Symmetrical And Unsymmetrical Disulfides Designed To Increase Cystine Levels In The Cns In Order To Drive The Cystine/Glutamate Antiporter: A Novel Treatment For Schizophrenia And Drug Addiction. Part 2. Design And Synthesis Of Subtype Selective Ester Bioisosteres Of Bzr Ligands For Gabaa/Benzodiazepine Receptors To Enhance Metabolic Stability, Edward Merle Johnson Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Part 1. Schizophrenia is a debilitating disorder that affects almost 1% of the world's population; pharmacotherapy expenditures for this disorder exceed $10 billion dollars even though existing medications exhibit a poor safety/efficacy profile. It is estimated that 75% of patients discontinue drug treatment, in part due to poor safety/efficacy. The current data set demonstrates that cysteine prodrug NAC reverse the behavioral and neurochemical effects of PCP used to model schizophrenia.

As a result cysteine prodrugs represent a highly novel approach to treating schizophrenia; indeed, these compounds may ultimately be more effective than existing medications because these drugs target the pathology …

The Class Equation Of Gl2(Fq), Lindsey Mathewson

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we discuss the conjugacy classes of the general linear group of 2 x 2 matrices over a prime field. We find the number of conjugacy classes and the class equation for GL_2 (F_q) for general prime q. We then look at some applications of the class equation, which includes finding the number of orbits when GL_2 (F_q) acts on (GL_2 (F_q))^s by conjugation. Included in this thesis is the Maple Code for generating the class equation for any prime.

Interpreting The Paleoenvironmental Context Of Marine Shales Deposited During The Cambrian Radiation: Global Insights From Sedimentology, Paleoecology, And Geochemistry, Tristan Kloss

Theses and Dissertations

Many Cambrian marine shales are traditionally thought to have been deposited under dysoxic or anoxic conditions based upon interpretations of sedimentological and ichnological fabrics. Recently a number of geochemical studies have suggested the opposite, that some Cambrian marine shales were deposited under slightly oxic to well-oxygenated conditions. Despite the significant implications redox conditions have for the paleoenvironment, paleoecology, and taphonomy of Cambrian shales, rarely are these disparate sedimentological and geochemical approaches combined for direct comparisons in a singular study of Cambrian shales. A multidisciplinary approach is used here, combining sedimentological, paleoecological, and geochemical approaches, for re-interpreting the paleoenvironmental conditions of …

Mitochondrial Targeting In Photodynamic Therapy. Metabolic And Drug Structure Requirements For Specific Mitochondrial Localization. A Pilot Investigation, Melissa Rhea Pergande

Theses and Dissertations

Photodynamic therapy (PTD) has shown promise in the treatment of certain types of cancer (Davis et al. 1985, Chen 1988). One appealing strategy under consideration to selectively target tumor cells in PDT is that of mitochondrial targeting (Chen 1988, Chen 1989). The concept of mitochondrial targeting has its origin in the pioneering observation by Chen and colleagues that an enhanced mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨmito) is a prevalent tumor cell phenotype (Davis et al. 1985, Chen 1988). Because the plasma transmembrane potential is negative on the inner side of the cell, and the mitochondrial transmembrane potential is negative on the matrix …

Pricing Of American Lookback Options Using Linear Programming, Michael Alexander Wagner

Theses and Dissertations

We will introduce the American lookback option in the Black-Scholes model. Afterwards

we will examine the process it inherits and derive and formulate the linear

program needed to price it.

As an approximation, we will apply a time-discretization and a truncation of the

innite space. The requirements for a solution are weakened and the optimization

problem is reduced to base functions,being linear functions.

In the end we study the numerical results following from the above computations.

The Measure And Instruction Of Scale In Introductory Chemistry, Karrie Linn Gerlach

Theses and Dissertations

As a student, it is fundamental to comprehend how small an atom or molecule is in order to truly understand how the world works. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has determined that scale is a critical theme that pervades through all areas of science and is critical to a deep understanding. This project determined that students, which are more proficient with scale and moving between the macroscopic and particle worlds, were better performers in chemistry classes. Interviews were used to determine what the students understood and what common misconceptions were present. These lead to the development …

Complexity And Uncertainty In Human And Ecological Risk Assessment, Matthew Jordan Dellinger

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple interacting stressors in the environment present increasingly complex risks to human health. Too often, however, the data required for traditional risk assessment are either lacking or unavailable at the necessary spatial or temporal scale. In addition, assessment practices and management policies need to move away from single factor approaches in order to accommodate the reality of complex chemical mixtures and environmental stressors. Recent literature suggests that a paradigm shift is under way. This points to a need for the development of new techniques both for rapid data collection and flexible risk assessment strategies that can adapt to make use …

Part I. The First Enantiospecific, Stereospecific Total Synthesis Of The Indole Alkaloid Ervincidine. Part Ii. The Synthesis Of Alpha 5 Subtype Selective Ligands For Gaba(A) /Benzodiazepine Receptors, Sundari K. Rallapalli

Theses and Dissertations

Part I. The first enantiospecific, stereospecific total synthesis of ervincidine 89 has been accomplished from commercially available D-(+)-tryptophan 37 which has served both as the chiral auxiliary and the starting material. Moreover, this is the first synthesis which unequivocally sets the stereochemistry of the hydroxyl group at C-6 in sterospecific fashion, as well as the C-16 hydroxy methyl group. The stereospecific conversion of D-(+)-tryptophan 37 into the key template (−)-Na-H, Nb-benzyl tetracyclic ketone 49 via the asymmetric Pictet-Spengler reaction (600 gram scale) and Dieckmann cyclization on multi-hundred gram scale was reduced to only two reaction vessels. The optically active tetracyclic …

Rapid Knowledge Assessment (Rka): Assessing Students Content Knowledge Through Rapid, In Class Assessment Of Expertise, Erin Margaret O'Connell

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how students go about problem solving in chemistry lends many possible advantages for interventions in teaching strategies for the college classroom. The work presented here is the development of an in-classroom, real-time, formative instrument to assess student expertise in chemistry with the purpose of developing classroom interventions. The development of appropriate interventions requires the understanding of how students go about starting to solve tasks presented to them, what their mental effort (load on working memory) is, and whether or not their performance was accurate. To measure this, the Rapid Knowledge Assessment (RKA) instrument uses clickers (handheld electronic instruments for …

Investigation Of Heat Transfer And Flow Using Ribs Within Gas Turbine Blade Cooling Passage: Experimental And Hybrid Les/Rans Modeling, Sourabh Kumar

Theses and Dissertations

Gas turbines are extensively used for aircraft propulsion, land based power generation and various industrial applications. Developments in innovative gas turbine cooling technology enhance the efficiency and power output, with an increase in turbine rotor inlet temperatures. These advancements of turbine cooling have allowed engine design to exceed normal material temperature limits. For internal cooling design, techniques for heat extraction from the surfaces exposed to hot stream are based on the increase of heat transfer areas and on promotion of turbulence of the cooling flow. In this study, it is obtained by casting repeated continuous V and broken V shaped …

Freshwater Phytoplankton Populations Detected Using High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (Hplc) Of Taxon-Specific Pigments, Lauren Jeanne Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

Phytoplankton are key primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, and the principle food source for primary consumers. Individual phytoplankton species respond to different physical, chemical and biological parameters, so monitoring taxonomic composition of the phytoplankton community is a means to monitor changes in environmental conditions. Phytoplankton community changes have frequently been monitored by estimating biomass (using chlorophyll a, measured fluorometrically), and taxonomic data obtained from cell counts. While such methods are useful, they are time-consuming. I hypothesized that high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods, which have been frequently used in marine systems, would allow separation and identification of key pigments. …

Structure And Chemistry Of Model Catalysts In Ultrahigh Vacuum, Joshua D. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

The study of catalysis is a key area of focus not only in the industrial sector but also in the nature and biological systems. The market for catalysis is a multi-billion dollar industry. Many of the materials and products we use on a daily basis are formed through a catalytic process. The quest to understanding and improving catalytic mechanisms is ongoing. Many model catalysts use transition metals as a support for chemical reactions to take place due to their selectivity and activity. Palladium, gold, and copper metals are studied in this work and show the ability to be catalytically reactive. …

Fundamental And Applied Studies Of Metal Ion Extraction By Crown Ethers Into Imidazolium-Based Room Temperature Ionic Liquids, Cory Hawkins

Theses and Dissertations

Growing recognition of the extraordinary physicochemical properties and unique solvation environment afforded by ionic liquids (ILs) has drawn increasing attention to these solvents as media for chemical separations. Until recently, little was known about how ionic liquids behave as solvents in this application, particularly in the extraction of ionic solutes such as metal ions. In contrast to the single pathway observed using molecular diluents (i.e., neutral complex extraction), metal ion extraction in these systems has been shown to proceed through as many as three competing pathways over a wide range of conditions. Despite this added complexity, the favorable physicochemical characteristics …

Investigation Of The Quaternary Structure Of An Abc Transporter In Living Cells Using Spectrally Resolved Resonance Energy Transfer, Deo R. Singh

Theses and Dissertations

Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) has become an important tool to study proteins inside living cells. It has been used to explore membrane protein folding and dynamics, determine stoichiometry and geometry of protein complexes, and measure the distance between two molecules. In this dissertation, we use a method based on FRET and optical micro-spectroscopy (OptiMiS) technology, developed in our lab, to probe the structure of dynamic (as opposed to static) protein complexes in living cells. We use this method to determine the association stoichiometry and quaternary structure of an ABC transporter in living cells. Specifically, the transporter we investigate originates …

Optical Cryoimaging Of Celular Redox In Kidneys From Diabetic Mice, Sepideh Maleki

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is the major single cause of end stage renal diseases (ESRD) in the United States. Diabetes is the third leading fatal disorder after cancer and heart disease. It is affecting 8.3% of the residents of the United States, with a total healthcare cost of $174 billion/yr by 2010.

There currently exists a need for a sensitive and specific diagnosis for temporal detection of oxidative stress (OS) in cellular metabolic levels, which plays an early role in the development of DN. The objective of this research is to use a fluorescence optical imaging technique in order to delineate …

An Efficient Methodology For Learning Bayesian Networks, Emmanuel Owusu Asante-Asamani

Theses and Dissertations

Statistics from the National Cancer Institute indicate that 1 in 8 women will develop Breast cancer in their lifetime. Researchers have developed numerous statistical models to predict breast cancer risk however physicians are hesitant to use these models because of disparities in the predictions they produce. In an effort to reduce these disparities, we use Bayesian networks to capture the joint distribution of risk factors, and simulate artificial patient populations (clinical avatars) for interrogating the existing risk prediction models. The challenge in this effort has been to produce a Bayesian network whose dependencies agree with literature and are good estimates …

The Neutron-Star Equation Of State And Gravitational Waves From Compact Binaries, Benjamin David Lackey

Theses and Dissertations

The equation of state (EOS) of matter above nuclear density is currently uncertain by almost an order of magnitude. Fortunately, neutron stars (NS) provide an ideal laboratory for studying high density matter. In order to systematize the study of the EOS from NS observations, we introduce a parametrized high-density EOS that accurately fits theoretical candidate EOSs. We then determine the ability of several recent and near-future electromagnetic observations to constrain the parameter space of our EOS. Recent observations include measurements of masses, gravitational redshift, and spin period, and we find that high mass observations are the most useful at constraining …

Question Classification In The Cancer Domain, Adam Kurmally

Theses and Dissertations

We are investigating question classification for restricted domains with the broader goal of supporting mixed-initiative interaction on mobile phones. In this thesis, we present the development of a new domain-specific corpus of cancer-related questions, a new taxonomy of Expected Answer types, and our efforts toward training a classifier.

This work is the first of its kind in the cancer domain using a corpus consisting of real user questions gathered from cQA websites, and a taxonomy built from that corpus. Our goal is to create software to engage newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients in question-answering dialogs related to their treatment options. …

Decadal Changes And Future Projections Of Precipitation In The Metropolitan Area Of Milwaukee, Anke Petra Maria Keuser

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated decadal changes and future projections of precipitation in the Metro Milwaukee and surrounding area, the largest urban area in Wisconsin. Spatial and temporal precipitation patterns derived for the Metro Milwaukee from the high-resolution gridded historical climatic dataset for Wisconsin were analyzed for 1950-2006. In addition, precipitation scenarios were generated via statistical downscaling of the Third Generation Coupled Global Climate Model (CGCM3) outputs. The delta method was chosen for the statistical downscaling of the CGCM3 output for the two future time periods, 2041-2070 (2050s) and 2071-2100 (2080s). The Mann-Kendall test and the Sen's slope test were applied to …

A Configuration Management System For Software Product Lines, Cheng Thao

Theses and Dissertations

Software product line engineering (SPLE) is a methodology for developing a family of software products in a particular domain by systematic reuse of shared code in order to improve product quality and reduce development time and cost. Currently, there are no software configuration management (SCM) tools that support software product line evolution. Conventional SCM tools are designed to support single product development.

The use of conventional SCM tools forces developers to treat a software product line as a single software project by introducing new programming language constructs or using conditional compilation. We propose a research conguration management prototype called Molhado …

Integrating "Code Smells" Detection With Refactoring Tool Support, Kwankamol Nongpong

Theses and Dissertations

Refactoring is a form of program transformation which preserves the semantics of the program. Refactoring frameworks for object-oriented programs were first introduced in 1992 by William Opdyke. Few people apply refactoring in mainstream software development because it is time consuming and error-prone if done by hand. Since then, many refactoring tools have been developed but most of them do not have the capability of analyzing the program code and suggesting which and where refactorings should be applied. Previous work discusses many ways to detect refactoring candidates but such approaches are applied to a separate module. This work proposes an approach …