Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Assessing The Effects Of The Spring Hunting Season Start Date On Wild Turkey Seasonal Productivity And Hunter Behavior, Joseph Quehl

Masters Theses

Many states throughout the Southeast have documented declines in wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) harvest and estimates of recruitment in poult-per-hen ratios. Wild turkey populations are driven by seasonal productivity, so the decline in these parameters may indicate a decline in the overall population. One hypothesis as to why we are seeing a reduction in productivity and a potential population decline is that the spring hunting season is disrupting the reproductive cycle by harvesting too many males before they have had the opportunity to breed, or by harvesting dominant males and disrupting the social hierarchy of the flock. Our …

Synthesis Of Block Copolymer Additives For Examining Phase Morphology And Improving Mechanical Properties Of Thermoplastics Elastomers., Bishal Upadhyay

Masters Theses

Polystyrene-block-poly(1,4-butaidene)-block-polystyrene (PS-PB-PS) triblock copolymers are one of the most widely studied thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) due to their ease of synthesis, non-polar nature, and commercial applicability. Like many block copolymers, incompatibility between PS and PB causes these TPEs to undergo microphase segregation. Many studies have examined the mechanical properties of blends of TPEs and PS homopolymer additives. However, there have been few studies focused on understanding the morphology and mechanical properties of blends of TPEs and copolymer additives with different architectures. Herein, I describe the synthesis of linear and graft copolymer additives based on the random copolymers poly(methyl methacrylate-random-cyclohexyl methacrylate) (PrC). …

The Influence Of Ion-Ion Correlations On Conductivity In Concentrated Ionic Systems, Md Dipu Ahmed

Masters Theses

This study delves into the fascinating realm of concentrated ionic systems, such as ionic liquids, superionic materials, organic ionic plastic crystals, and polyelectrolytes, which hold immense potential for energy storage applications. The focus is on understanding the intricate role of ionic correlations in shaping their ionic conductivity behavior. These correlations can either boost or impede conductivity, yet their underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Through extensive investigation of various materials, including ionic liquids with differing anionic masses, pure organic ionic plastic crystals, and doped systems, this research employs advanced techniques like dielectric spectroscopy and innovative momentum conservation models to quantify these correlations. …

The Impacts Of Tilled-In Biodegradable Plastic Mulch On Soil Microbial Communities, Corissa L. Martin

Masters Theses

Plastics mulch films are used in agriculture to help increase crop production by regulating soil water retention and soil temperature while also preventing weed growth. Despite these benefits, plastic mulches have led to higher levels of microplastic pollution as weathering occurs. In response to this issue, biodegradable plastic mulches (BDMs) have been introduced to help reduce plastic pollution as they are designed to be tilled into soil after each growing season to continue degradation. Degradation of these mulch films is dependent on climate and, in some areas, complete degradation can take years. Since some biodegradable plastic mulches are made of …

Redox-Active Polymerization Catalysts And Their Applications, Nicholas M. Shawver

Masters Theses

Traditional catalyst systems are reliable means to produce polymers with well-defined architectures and thermomechanical properties; however, they are often limited by a narrow monomer scope and their ability access few, if any, advanced polymer architectures. To address this limitation, a new class of catalysts have recently emerged that feature redox-active moieties that may access advanced architectures through catalyst electronic modulation that arises from redox events occurring on the ligand scaffold or at the active metal center itself. For example, researchers have explored the ability of redox-active catalysts to impart “on-off” kinetic control during ring-opening polymerizations and their ability to access …

Numerical And Experimental Constraints On Trace Element Fractionation During Lunar Magma Ocean Solidification, Dian Ji

Masters Theses

Traditional lunar magma ocean (LMO) theory suggests the anorthositic lunar crust formed by floating of buoyant plagioclase, one of the major products of LMO solidification, on the surface of LMO. To test this model, after applying experimentally determined LMO solidification sequences, we compared calculated Rare Earth Element (REE) concentrations of lunar plagioclase to plagioclase in Apollo ferroan anorthosites and lunar anorthositic meteorites. Several initial LMO compositions, and lunar-relevant mineral-melt partition coefficient predictive models were tested (where the partition coefficient is the concentration ratio of a specific element between two phases). Compared with plagioclase in the natural samples, modeled plagioclase directly …

Expression And Purification Of Polyketide Synthase Domains To Investigate Protein-Protein Interactions In Polyketide Biosynthetic Pathways, Mujeeb Adeyinka Wakeel

Masters Theses

Polyketide synthases (PKSs) are multienzyme proteins catalyzing the production of the polyketide class of natural products with vast structural diversity. Type II PKSs catalyze polyketide biosynthesis using discrete (standalone) enzymes (domains), while type I PKSs use covalently linked enzymes arranged in a module to catalyze polyketide production. It is hypothesized that type II PKSs are the precursors to type I PKSs, proposing that the genes encoding individual discrete enzymes in type II PKSs fused to give the multienzyme modules of type I PKSs. We reasoned that the intramolecular-like reactions occurring in type I PKS modules might be a driving force …

A Machine Learning Approach For Predicting Clinical Trial Patient Enrollment In Drug Development Portfolio Demand Planning, Ahmed Shoieb

Masters Theses

One of the biggest challenges the clinical research industry currently faces is the accurate forecasting of patient enrollment (namely if and when a clinical trial will achieve full enrollment), as the stochastic behavior of enrollment can significantly contribute to delays in the development of new drugs, increases in duration and costs of clinical trials, and the over- or under- estimation of clinical supply. This study proposes a Machine Learning model using a Fully Convolutional Network (FCN) that is trained on a dataset of 100,000 patient enrollment data points including patient age, patient gender, patient disease, investigational product, study phase, blinded …

Development And Study Of Small Database For The Activation Of Nitrous Oxide Towards Formation Of Iron(Iv)-Oxo Species, Tobias Barthalomew Robertson

Masters Theses

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) can undergo an oxygen atom transfer (OAT) reaction resulting in inert nitrogen gas (N₂O) while transferring an oxygen atom to a molecular complex or material. This process is of catalytic importance since this OAT reaction can be leveraged to form iron(IV)-oxo sites, which are known to be catalytic intermediates. Here, an investigation of the ligand field effects on primarily iron(II) complexes for the formation of iron(IV)-oxo sites with nitrous oxide as the oxidant is reported. An initial database of sixty-four molecular complexes with ligand environments varying in field strength and coordination geometry was …

Survey Of Input Modalities In The Western World, John Ezat Sadik

Masters Theses

Having your account compromised can lead to serious complications in your life. One
way accounts become compromised is through the security risks associated with weak
passwords and reused passwords [22,23]. In this thesis, we seek to understand how
entering passwords on non-PC devices contributes to the problems of weak and reused
passwords. To do so, we conducted a survey that was distributed to people in the
the Western World. In our survey results, we found that users commented about
how the current password model was not created with a variety of device types in
mind, which created frustrations and complexity …

Understanding The Polymerization Of Ethyl Cyanoacrylate In The Superglue Fuming Of Latent Prints To Optimize Print Retrieval, Leondra Shawntae Lawson

Masters Theses

The cyanoacrylate fuming method (CFM) is a widespread process used in forensics to make latent prints visible for detection, acquisition, and analysis. CFM is governed by the reaction of ethyl cyanoacrylate (ECA) with biological components in fingerprints, which serve as initiators for this anionic polymerization. CFM is not a well-controlled polymerization and there are different outcomes that may result from lower temperature, one of which fits the generalization of creating more ion-pair initiators. Another effect could be minimizing termination through suppressing side reactions. Alternatively, when paired with humidity, lower temperatures may cause surface condensation, decreasing the quality of the print. …

Analysis Of A Controlled Approximation For Explicit Integrations Of Stiff Thermonuclear Networks, Nicholas Brey

Masters Theses

The current standard method to solve stiff coupled differential equations relies on implicit integration methods. Explicit methods are generally avoided due to the extremely small and limiting timesteps they allow when the equations are stiff. However, implicit methods are computationally expensive because of the complex calculations that need to be done at each time step. An explicit integration method can do these calculations quicker and, if allowed to take comparable timesteps to the implicit ones, would allow the entire calculation to be done faster. Previous work by Dr. Guidry, Dr. Endeve, Dr. Hix and Dr. Billings has shown that, in …

Evaluating Bulk Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Compositions Of Acidic Hydrothermal Sediments On Earth– Implications For Mars Astrobiology, Chance Sturrup

Masters Theses

Carbon isotopes have been widely used as unique biosignatures because biologic processes commonly result in distinctive negative delta ¹³C values (-35 to -10 ‰) within organic material on Earth. However, the bulk delta ¹³C analysis in Gale crater sediments on Mars revealed a wider range of values, from -25 to +56 ‰ (Franz et al., 2020), which suggests a more complex origin. To determine if bulk isotope analysis can be successfully used to detect a microbial signature in a martian analog environment, we analyzed concentrations and isotope compositions of C within hydrothermal sediments in Iceland (Námafjall, Krýsuvík, Hveragerdi) …

Interactive Data Analysis Of Multi-Run Performance Data, Vanessa Lama

Masters Theses

Multi-dimensional performance data analysis presents challenges for programmers, and users. Developers have to choose library and compiler options for each platform, analyze raw performance data, and keep up with new technologies. Users run codes on different platforms, validate results with collaborators, and analyze performance data as applications scale up. Site operators use multiple profiling tools to optimize performance, requiring the analysis of multiple sources and data types. There is currently no comprehensive tool to support the structured analysis of unstructured data, when holistic performance data analysis can offer actionable insights and improve performance. In this work, we present thicket, a …

Mapping Past Land Use Changes And Modeling Future Urbanization Patterns In A Mid-Sized American City, Duncan P. Mccurry

Masters Theses

On a global scale, humans have been moving from rural to urban areas at an increasingly fast rate in a process called urbanization. It is crucial to understand and predict the impacts of urbanization because city expansion encroaches on farmland and woodland, reducing regional ecosystem services. Therefore, urbanization must be well planned in a forecasting manner. The objective of this study is to map the land use change in Knox County, Tennessee, from 2001-2019 to identify the urbanization trends and understand the dynamic geospatial relationships between the urban and rural areas. The geospatial mapping was done using USGS land use …

Impact Of Cover Crop Species Diversity On Soil Nutrient Availability And Crop Productivity, Amanda Kramer

Masters Theses

Cover crops provide multiple environmental benefits that improve both soil and water quality; however, farmers only utilize them on approximately 5% of harvested U.S. cropland. Low adoption rates are attributed to yield impact concerns, seed and planting costs, and lack of advocacy. This study, which began in October 2019, assessed the effects of nitrogen rate and cover crop diversity on weed biomass, soil coverage, in-situ residue decomposition, soil nitrogen and phosphorus availability, and cash crop yield to better understand the costs and benefits of cover crop adoption at two locations in Tennessee (Milan and Spring Hill). Treatments were replicated 4 …

Microplastic Accumulation In Terrestrial Gastropods And Soils, Gregory B. Bonilla

Masters Theses

Microplastics (MPs) have become an emerging threat to ecosystems across the world. Transport, impacts, and fates are grossly understudied, especially in terrestrial environments. Current research on MP bioaccumulation has focused mainly on aquatic organisms with little study of terrestrial organisms, including snails where data are nearly nonexistent. To address this, we collected and examined land snails and their surrounding soil for MP content in shell and tissue. From September 11, 2020, to October 25, 2021, cover boards were placed (n=30) along relatively undisturbed sites in hardwood, forested areas, and tall grasses in a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Oak Ridge …

Synthesis And Characterization Of 2,6-Diisopropylphenoxy Tetrapyrazinoporphyrazines As Potential Molecular Qubits, Benjamin Marx

Masters Theses

This thesis reports the synthesis of metal-free and metal-containing phthalocyanine derivatives using methods typical for that class of functional dyes. A mixture of the target compounds prepared here, one paramagnetic and one diamagnetic tetrapyrazinoporphyrazine, will be tested for their potential use in spintronics – the application of spin-active species in molecular electronics. Phthalocyanines and their derivatives are well-known for their ease of preparation and tunability; they have been utilized as sensitizers for photodynamic therapy of cancer and solar cells, as well as in catalysis and chemical sensing. Tetrapyrazinoporphyrazine complexes are compared with the parent phthalocyanine as their chemistry is similar …

Analysis Of Turbulent Flow Behavior In Helicopter Rotor Hub Wakes, Forrest Mobley

Masters Theses

The rotor hub is one of the most important features of all helicopters, as it provides the pilot a means for controlling the vehicle by changing the characteristics of the main and tail rotors. The hub also provides a structural foundation for the rotors and allows for the rotor blades to respond to aerodynamic forces while maintaining controllability and stability. Due to the inherent geometry and high rate of rotation, the rotor hub in its current form acts a large bluff body and is the primary source of parasite drag on the helicopter, despite its relatively small size. The rotor …

Comparative Geochemical Analysis Of Recent Volcanic Flows On Barva Volcano, Costa Rica, Julie Coulombe

Masters Theses

ABSTRACT

Barva Volcano is a dormant stratovolcano in the Cordillera Central region of Costa Rica, rising above the capital city of San Jose with a population of 347,000. Barva’s recent inactivity and extensive forestation have resulted in fewer investigations of its composition, petrogenesis, and eruptive history. The objective of this research is to analyze the geochemical data from several of the most recent lava flows, evaluate variability between eruptive units, and ascertain physical conditions within the Barva magma storage region. The data collected in this study helps constrain the geochemistry of units seen in the quarry and provides information regarding …

Elegance Or Alchemy? An International Cross-Case Analysis Of Faculty And Graduate Student Perceptions Of Mathematical Proofs, Brooke Nicole Denney

Masters Theses

Artist Marcel Duchamp once said, ``The painter is a medium who doesn’t realize what he is doing. No translation can express the mystery of sensibility, a word, still unreliable, which is nonetheless the basis of painting or poetry, like a kind of alchemy" (Moffitt, 2012). Just as there is a puzzling aspect of creating art or writing poetry, the aesthetic quality of mathematical proofs is a mysterious and ill-defined concept. Like many other subjective terms, it can be difficult to reach a consensus on what elegance means in a mathematical context. In this thesis, I try to better understand faculty …

Manganese Geochemistry And Plant Availability In Response To Agricultural Practices, Ashleigh R. Montgomery

Masters Theses

Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient for all organisms. In soils, Mn forms determine availability to plants. Most Mn research has been conducted in forest ecosystems and Mn cycling in agricultural systems is understudied. Therefore, the objective of the experiment is to understand the effect of different agricultural management strategies on Mn cycling and plant availability. First, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the effect of different application rates of two Mn fertilizers (MnSO₄ and MnEDTA) on soil geochemical properties and growth of corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max). The fertilizers were applied to …

The Characterization Of Dynamic Soil Properties And Their Relation To Soil Organic Carbon In East Tennessee Soils, Shannon Marissa Newell

Masters Theses

Quantifying how dynamic soil properties (DSPs) are affected by different management regimes is essential for understanding how these vital resources can be better managed. The Dewey soil series is a critical soil series in East Tennessee. For this study, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) worked alongside the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) in an effort to better understand the dynamics of the Dewey soil series through a wide range of DSP data. To accomplish this, Dewey soil was collected from five sites which are considered representative of five management regimes: well-managed cropland (WMC), poorly-managed cropland (PMC), well-managed pasture (WMP), …

Kinematic And Vorticity Analysis Of The Slide Lake And Homestake Shear Zones, Central Colorado, Carsen T. Adams

Masters Theses

Kinematic and quantitative vorticity analysis of the Homestake shear zone (HSZ) and the Slide Lake shear zone (SLSZ) in central Colorado provide further insight into crustal processes that controlled deformation within the Colorado Mineral Belt (CMB) shear zone system throughout the Proterozoic. Evaluating vorticity, that is, the relative contributions of pure to simple shear in sheared rocks, is crucial to understanding lithospheric tectonic evolution and allows for kinematic modeling of shear zone development at a variety of scales. Moreover, novel vorticity analyses involve determining the orientation of the vorticity vector and vorticity normal surface which can give insight into shear …

Challenges In Approaching The Detection Limits For Hillslope Erosion Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning, Gene Nathan Bailey Iii

Masters Theses

Accurately quantifying soil loss due to water erosion is a critical step in managing soils. Terrestrial LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) presents a potential alternative to traditional soil loss measurement by estimating soil erosion and deposition through detecting surface changes. Terrestrial LiDAR can also provide spatial distribution information without disturbing the observed surface. While erosion estimation through terrestrial LiDAR detects large magnitude erosion well, the finer temporal/spatial scale erosion experienced on the hillslope in sheet and rill erosion has remained a challenge to detect. This research addresses two of the challenges in using terrestrial LiDAR on fine scales in two …

Evaluation Of Microbiometer As A Tool To Estimate Soil Health In A West Tennessee Cotton Crop, Daniel T. Sain

Masters Theses

Healthy soils are critical for optimized yields and sustainability in agriculture. Soil health testing can provide valuable information on how management practices are affecting soil health. In west Tennessee, existing soil health tests were unable to discern between significant differences in management practices. A new soil health test called microBIOMETER® has been developed by Prolific Earth Sciences® (Montgomery, NY). MicroBIOMETER® utilizes a new methodology for estimating microbial biomass and uses that estimate as a soil health score. This test has not been validated for use in west Tennessee. This research was focused on the validation of microBIOMETER® in a continuous …

Public Perceptions Of Salamanders In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Savannah Blackman

Masters Theses

Amphibians receive little attention when it comes to public appreciation or support for their conservation. Despite their ecological importance, salamanders are often little known and overlooked by the general public. To better conserve their rapidly declining populations, it is important to understand and consider public knowledge and attitudes toward salamanders and certain behaviors that negatively affect them—like rock stacking in streams and rivers. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is referred to as the “Salamander Capital of the World!” as it is home to more than 30 different species of salamander. One issue facing salamander populations within the park is …

Transverse Energy Analysis In Small Collision Systems, Alexander L. Aukerman

Masters Theses

Heavy Ion Collisions performed in the LHC at Cern are capable of generating a new phase of nuclear matter known as the Quark Gluon Plasma. In addition to running heavy ion collisions, the detectors dedicated to studying the QGP perform collisions utilizing smaller collision systems for the sake of comparing key measurements associated with the creation of a QGP. The transverse energy of the particles generated from the collision is one such key measurement. For the sake of comparison an analysis is performed on the transverse energy measurements taken from proton-proton collisions.

Assessment Of Soil Health Under Native Warm-Season Grasses And Different Grazing Management, Kara Leigh Grosso

Masters Theses

This research uses analysis of soil quality indicators (SQIs) to compare vegetation species and grazing management over the 2021 grazing season. The soil health effect of the native warm-season grasses (NWSG) big bluestem (BB) (Andropogon gerardii) mixed with indian grass (IG) (Sorghastrum nutans) (BBIG), and switchgrass (SG) (Panicum virgatum), inter-seeded with a 12 species biodiversity mix was investigated in a 5 pressure grazing system (no graze (NG), no rest (NR), early, middle, and late rest (ER, MR, LR)). Additionally, there is a need for inexpensive tools for land owners to assess soil quality, and a validation study …

Path Planning And Flight Control Of Drones For Autonomous Pollination, Chapel R. Rice

Masters Theses

The decline of natural pollinators necessitates the development of novel pollination technologies. In this thesis, a drone-enabled autonomous pollination system (APS) that consists of five primary modules: environment sensing, flower perception, path planning, flight control, and pollination mechanisms is proposed. These modules are highly dependent upon each other, with each module relying on inputs from the other modules. This thesis focuses on approaches to the path planning and flight control modules. Flower perception is briefly demonstrated developing a map of flowers using results from previous work. With that map of flowers, APS path planning is defined as a variant of …