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Exploring The Interaction Of Minor-Groove-Binder Netropsin With Dna Using Optical Tweezers, Irbazhusain Shaikh

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Netropsin is an antibiotic that binds in the minor grooves of DNA, which also exhibits anticancer properties. There have been many previous studies that explored the binding of this drug to DNA using traditional methods where an ensemble averaging is used. In this study we explore the interaction of Netropsin with DNA at a single molecule level using dual beam optical tweezers. We trapped and stretched a single DNA molecule using optical tweezers to measure the force experienced by the DNA as a function of extension in the absence and presence of various concentrations of Netropsin. Our results show the …

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Glitch Subtraction From Gravitational Wave Data Using Adaptive Spline Fitting, Soumya D. Mohanty, Mohammad A. T. Chowdhury

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Transient signals of instrumental and environmental origins ("glitches") in gravitational wave data elevate the false alarm rate of searches for astrophysical signals and reduce their sensitivity. Glitches that directly overlap astrophysical signals hinder their detection and worsen parameter estimation errors. As the fraction of data occupied by detectable astrophysical signals will be higher in next generation detectors, such problematic overlaps could become more frequent. These adverse effects of glitches can be mitigated by estimating and subtracting them out from the data, but their unpredictable waveforms and large morphological diversity pose a challenge. Subtraction of glitches using data from auxiliary sensors …

Flushing Time Variability In A Short, Low-Inflow Estuary, Mohsen Taherkhani, Sean Vitousek, Ryan K. Walter, Jennifer O'Leary, Amid P. Khodadoust

Physics

Flushing time, the time scale for exchange and mixing between embayed and oceanic waters in an estuary, plays an integral role in determining water quality and aquatic ecosystem health. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal variability of flushing times throughout Morro Bay, a short, low-inflow estuary (LIE) on the California coast, using a calibrated and validated hydrodynamic model (Delft3D). Morro Bay has historically supported an extensive eelgrass (Zostera marina) habitat, which declined substantially from 139 to 5.4 ha during 2007–2017. Eelgrass decline motivated the current research into the role of changing bed roughness and oceanic drivers (i.e., tide and …

The Future Is Now In Twisted Coil Polymer Actuators (Tcpa), Ryan Ronquillo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aimed to fabricate and test twisted coiled polymer actuators (TCPA) to understand the mechanical and thermal aspects of this artificial muscle fiber. The purpose of this thesis was to find a linear relationship using the LVDT sensor, fabricating TCPA fibers, and interpreting the data. The project tested whether nylon/polymer could be used as a better artificial muscle fiber.

This research accomplished three goals: (1) designing and fabricating a system capable of creating supercoiled muscle fibers consistently, (2) calibrating the Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT) and Core, and (3) analyzing/interpreting the data of the Twisted Coiled Polymer Actuators (TCPA) …

Improvements To Isru For Rocket Fuel Generation, Justin Sharp

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

The development of efficient in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies is crucial for the establishment of an extraterrestrial, self-sustaining colony. The generation of rocket fuel at potential colony locations is necessary to provide the transportation of people and cargo to and from these locations.Three processes are discussed for the improvement of ISRU methods to generate rocket fuel: electrolysis and electrochemical improvements to the process of crude fuel production, physical and chemical methods for separation of gaseous H2 and O2, and materials and cryogenics engineering for storage and transportation of liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX). Storage and transportation of cryogenics …

Electron And Other Quarks As Particles Made Of Elementary Particles Of Charge E/3 And Mass Me/6, Polievkt Perov

College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Works

We suggest that the first-generation quarks are not elementary particles, but structures made of a basic elementary particle of charge e/3 and its antiparticle, interacting via an electrostatic force. The structures are suggested for d-quark as consisting of one positive and two negative basic elementary charges, for u-quark as a structure with one negative and three positive basic charges, for an electron as a quark with one positive and four negative basic charges, and for one more quark made of one positive and one negative basic charge. All the suggested structures are in a spinning motion and are stable. The …

Transit Photometry Of Multiple Exoplanet Watch Targets, Jonah Becken

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Since 1995 exoplanet research has increase dramatically, as a result it is more important than ever to precisely know the dates and times of future transits for repeated observations of a target. NASA’s Exoplanet Watch database and accompanying light curve producing code EXOTIC have the goal of allowing small observatories across the world help find future transits. Under these objective observations of known exoplanet transits where made, using the Saint John’s University observatory, to find the transit midpoint, the ratio of the planet radius and the solar radius, and the period. Using these values, the confirmation that a transit happened …

Radon In Utah Homes, Madison Mackay

Physics Capstone Projects

Radon gas can be found nearly everywhere. It is formed by the decay of radium, which is found in rocks, soil, plants, and animals. Radon gas can become trapped in buildings and is dangerous at high levels. It is particularly known to be high in many areas of the state of Utah. It is important for the average citizen in Utah to understand more about radon and what levels they may be exposed to. An experiment was done to try an alternate, faster method of testing for radon gas. This experiment was performed in several different locations in Utah. While …

Search For B Mesogenesis At Babar, J. P. Lees, V. Poireau, E. Grauges, A. Palano, G. Eigen, D. N. Brown, Yu. G. Kolomensky, M. Fritsch, H. Koch, R. Cheaib, C. Hearty, T. S. Mattison, J. A. Mckenna, R. Y. So, V. E. Blinov, A. R. Buzykaev, V. P. Druzhinin, E. A. Kozyrev, Milind Purohit, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

A new mechanism has been proposed to simultaneously explain the presence of dark matter and the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe. This scenario predicts exotic B-meson decays into a baryon and a dark-sector antibaryon (ψD) with branching fractions accessible at B factories. We present a search for B→Λψ_D decays using data collected by the BABAR experiment at SLAC. This reaction is identified by fully reconstructing the accompanying B meson and requiring the presence of a single Λ baryon in the remaining particles. No significant signal is observed, and bounds on the B→Λψ …

Optimizing Greenhouses: A Comparative Analysis Of Csb+Sju Greenhouses, Jervon Sands

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

This research aims to determine the optimal design of modern greenhouses through a comparative analysis of three on campus greenhouses. Temperature and humidity measurements as well as physical observations for each site were compared to standard measurements and ideal greenhouse design components. The results of a comparative analysis allowed for the three on-campus greenhouses to be ranked against this section. The trends found in the data confirmed the findings of previous research. Recommendations for operating an optimal greenhouse derived from the analysis and observations along with suggestions for experimental improvements based on a previous study are also included.

Understanding Quantum Field Theory And Standard Model To Explore Beyond Standard Model Physics, Alize Sucsuzer

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Motivated by the goal of participating in astroparticle physics research in graduate school, we aimed to understand the Standard Model of particle physics and the Feynman diagrams through which particle interactions are described, so that we could learn about the properties of certain astroparticles. The axiomatic principle that governs fundamental physics is manifest covariance, implying that the mathematical forms of the physical laws are the same to all observers. Maintaining covariance requires 4-vector representation using group theoretical techniques based on symmetries, as well as a transition from single-particle quantum physics to many-particle quantum field theory (QFT). The Standard Model of …

Preparation, Characterization And Electron Yield Analysis On Highly Insulating Granular Particles, Heather Allen

Physics Capstone Projects

This study focuses on obtaining reliable electron yield measurements of highly insulating granular particles of various shape, size, and composition. Measurements of this kind have long been considered too difficult to collect on granular samples due to experimental complexities leading to a critical knowledge gap in the fundamental electrostatic behaviors of dust. A significant portion of this study was spent on preparing and characterizing granular samples before any type of measurement took place. Particles of varying sizes ranging from ~1 μm to ~100 μm, shapes including cubical, spherical, and angular, and composition including NaCl, MgO, Al₂O₃ and …

Domain Wall Saddle Point Morphology In Ferroelectric Triglycine Sulfate, C. J. Mccluskey, A. Kumar, Alexei Gruverman, I. Luk’Yanchuk, J. M. Gregg

Alexei Gruverman Publications

Ferroelectric domain walls, across which there is a divergence in polarization, usually have enhanced electrical conductivity relative to bulk. However, in lead germanate, head-to-head and tail-to-tail walls are electrically insulating. Recent studies have shown that this is because, when oppositely oriented domains meet, polar divergence is obviated by a combination of domain bifurcation and suspected local dipolar rotation. To explore the uniqueness, or otherwise, of this microstructure, we have used tomographic piezoresponse force microscopy to map three-dimensional domain morphologies in another uniaxial ferroelectric system: triglycine sulfate. This mapping reveals an abundance of domain wall saddle points, which are characteristic of …

Characterization Of 2d Quantum Materials Using Ai And Large-Scale Quantum Data Collection, Apoorva Bisht

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

2D materials like hexagonal boron nitride, graphene, and tungsten diselenide are widely utilized for studying their unique mechanical and opto-electronic properties to exploit them to make transistors and fabricating a variety of other devices. All these applications require that the 2D materials used be of specific uniform thickness. Until very recently, this process has been largely manual and tedious. However, few applications exploit the characteristic color-to-thickness correspondence of these near-transparent materials. To continue this effort, in this work we create a large-scale dataset for three different materials (hBN, graphene, and WSe$_2$) to train and test an image segmentation model along …

The Use Of Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer And Bent Dna To Study Dna And Ion Interactions, Kaitlin Bullard

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Studying DNA interactions is advantageous to developments in the medical field since DNA and its interactions affect our health greatly. In addition, it is important to understand how the bendability of DNA depends on metal ions, which are essential for various fundamental processes in cells. In this work, we investigate the use of FRET and self-assembled bent DNA molecules to quantify DNA interactions with magnesium ions. We measured that the FRET efficiency increased at higher concentrations of magnesium ions. We also ran simulations to further understand the mechanisms. These observations show that magnesium ions increase the stability and flexibility of …

Fabrication Of Black Phosphorus Terahertz Photoconductive Antennas, Nathan Tanner Sawyers

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Terahertz (THz) photoconductive antennas (PCAs) using 40nm thin-film flakes of black phosphorus (BP) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) have been shown computationally to be capable of THz emission comparable to those based on GaAs [2]. In this paper, I briefly describe the scientific and practical interest in THz emissions and explain what warrants research into black phosphorus as a photoconductive semiconductor in THz devices. Furthermore, I outline the basic principle of how these antennas work and mention alternative designs produced by other researchers in the past. Finally, I summarize the fabrication process of these antennas, as well as the measurements …

Improper Ferroelectricity In Ultrathin Hexagonal Ferrites Films, Xin Li, Yu Yun, X. S. Xu

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Faculty Publications

Suppression of ferroelectricity in ultrathin films of improper ferroelectric hexagonal ferrites or manganites has been attributed to the effect of interfacial clamping; however, the quantitative understanding and related phenomenological model are still lacking. In this work, we report on the paraelectric-to-ferroelectric phase transition of epitaxial h-ScFeO₃ films with different thicknesses through in situ reflection highenergy electron diffraction. Based on the interfacial clamping model and the Landau theory, we show that the thickness-dependence of the ferroelectric Curie temperature can be understood in terms of the characteristic length of an interfacial clamping layer and the bulk Curie temperature. Furthermore, we found …

Effects Of Factors On The Market Price Of The Shares Using Design Of Experiment, Amir Ahmad Dar, Mohammad Shahfaraz Khan, Imran Azad, Tanveer Ahmad Tarray, N. Anuradha, Qaiser Farroq Dar

Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences

When the cost of capital, dividends and the price of the share at the beginning is known, Modigliani and Miller’s model can be used to estimate the price of the share at the end of the period. A design of experiment (Taguchi’s orthogonal array) is used in order to investigate the impact of three parameters on the price of the share at the end of the period. The main aim of this research article is to find which parameter is more significant on the price of the share at the end of the period. Taguchi’s methodology of design of the …

Excitation Power Dependence Of Blinking In Copper-Indium-Sulfide Quantum Dots, Nicholas Chambers

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Under continuous excitation, quantum dots exhibit random transitions between fluorescent ON states and non-fluorescent OFF states --- a phenomenon known as blinking. A physical description of the mechanism responsible for blinking that applies broadly to many types of quantum dots remains under debate. We study the blinking behavior of the non-toxic CuInS2 quantum dot, a system that has seen little investigation at the single-particle level. In particular, the optical properties of CuInS2 quantum are often improved by adding ZnS to the nanoparticles, but this addition leads to complex structural-optical property relationships that are even less understood. To probe the relationship …

Automating The Determination Of Tight-Binding Representations For Two-Dimensional Ferroelectrics, Joseph Roll

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Two-dimensional (atomically thin) materials have been greatly explored in the last two decades since the exfoliation of graphene in 2004. Since then, many exotic material properties have been shown for these systems; these new properties often arise from certain crystal symmetries or lack thereof. One of interest is ferroelectricity in which a noncentrosymmetric crystal structure can lead to a switchable intrinsic electric dipole in our material. This can then lead to second-harmonic generation in which two photons enter a material at a given frequency and one photon exits the material at double the original frequency. The study presented here makes …

Novel Roles Of Standard And Non-Standard Null Lagrangians In Classical And Quantum Physics, Lesley Catherine Vestal

Physics Dissertations - Archive

The three known families of Lagrangians are standard, non-standard, and null Lagrangians. While Lagrangians are widely used in Physics for their ability to characterize physical systems, most of this work uses only standard Lagrangians. As such, standard Lagrangians have been studied in Physics for around three hundred years; however, non-standard Lagrangians for systems in Physics have been considered only for a few decades, and null have been ignored almost entirely. Although only some Lagrangians are null Lagrangians, all Lagrangians can be categorized as either standard or non-standard Lagrangians, meaning that there exist standard null Lagrangians and non-standard null Lagrangians. My …

Model And Observation Comparisons Of Ionospheric Current Systems, Tre'shunda James

Physics Dissertations - Archive

The interaction between the dynamically changing solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere results in several different current systems. The most relevant to space weather are the Birkeland currents, a.k.a field-aligned currents (FACs), that couple the magnetosphere to the ionosphere. These currents flow into and out of the ionosphere and are closed through the ionosphere by the horizontally flowing eastward and westward electrojets. This FAC-electrojet current system is responsible for some of the most beautiful and detrimental space weather impacts. The aurora borealis (or northern lights) in the Northern Hemisphere and aurora australis (or southern lights) in the Southern Hemisphere are displays …

Exploring Numerical Simulations Of Localized Geomagnetic Disturbances, Elizabeth Vandegriff

Physics Dissertations - Archive

One of the prominent effects of space weather is the formation of rapid geomagnetic field variations on Earth’s surface driven by the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. These Geomagnetic Disturbances (GMDs) cause Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) to run through ground-conducting systems. GMDs can often be high amplitude and small-scale (100-500 kilometers) and we classify these as Localized GMDs (LGMDs). LGMDs are both hazardous to the power grid and difficult to predict. Modeling LGMDs is therefore a critical step for risk mitigation but is complicated due to the dynamic and sometimes highly localized nature of the phenomena. At present, global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models of …

Super P-Sulfur Cathodes For Quasi-Solid-State Lithium-Sulfur-Batteries., Milinda Bharatha Kalutara Koralalage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) batteries have become a promising candidate to meet the current energy storage demand, with its natural abundance of materials, high theoretical capacity of 1672 mAhg-1, high energy density of 2600 Whkg-1, low cost and lower environmental impact. Sulfide based solid state electrolytes (SSEs) have received greater attention due to their higher ionic conductivity, compatible interface with sulfur-based cathodes, and lower grain boundary resistance. However, the interface between SSEs and cathodes has become a challenge in all solid-state Li-S batteries due to the rigidity of the participating surfaces. A hybrid electrolyte containing SSE coupled with a small amount of …

Modeling, Simulation And Control Of Microrobots For The Microfactory., Zhong Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Future assembly technologies will involve higher levels of automation in order to satisfy increased microscale or nanoscale precision requirements. Traditionally, assembly using a top-down robotic approach has been well-studied and applied to the microelectronics and MEMS industries, but less so in nanotechnology. With the boom of nanotechnology since the 1990s, newly designed products with new materials, coatings, and nanoparticles are gradually entering everyone’s lives, while the industry has grown into a billion-dollar volume worldwide. Traditionally, nanotechnology products are assembled using bottom-up methods, such as self-assembly, rather than top-down robotic assembly. This is due to considerations of volume handling of large …

First Principles Study Of 2d Polar Heterostructures., Safia Abdullah R Alharbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures have attracted extensive attention in nanomaterials science. They have been successfully fabricated and applied to nanotechnology in many fields, such as nanoelectronics, solar cells, sensors, energy stores, quantum information, etc. The most common heterostructures are 2D-lateral heterostructure (LH) and 2D-vertical heterostructure (VH) where each of them exhibits unique features depending on the direction of assembly, i.e., along in-plane or out-of-plane direction. Beyond the van der Waals-VH which possess of van der Waals (vdW) interaction, there are other types of heterostructures made of 2D polar materials that possess different types of chemical bonding nature, e.g., chemical bonds …

Computational Modeling Of Superconductivity From The Set Of Time-Dependent Ginzburg-Landau Equations For Advancements In Theory And Applications, Iris Mowgood

Computational and Data Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

A full review of the research conducted and published during my PhD studies in Computational and Data Sciences at Chapman University, under the advisement of Dr. Armen Gulian, are presented. Using the set of time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) equations with inclusion of the interference current and the non-equilibrium phonon term, we modeled the dynamics of superconductors in various theory revealing states and practical purposes. A review of the history and phenomenon of superconductivity, including modern applications, is introduced. The Josephson effect and associated Josephson junction are discussed for comparison to our analogous results with the 1-D superconducting wire. The mathematics of …

Metasurfaces For Holography, Scott Howell

Physics Capstone Projects

Holography uses the interference of light waves to store information about an object, which can then be seen from different angles to create a partial 3D view. A simple experiment can be done using a laser diode, photographic plate, and a set of dice to create a holographic image. The holographic film is thin and can only hold a single image. Reflection holography can create a 3D diffraction pattern and allows more information to be packed into a single medium. Computer generated holograms can be designed to create holograms without a real object to be used in augmented reality. High …

Engineering Lab Building Telescope Manual, Aidan L. Tueller

Physics Capstone Projects

In partnership with Dr. Jan Sojka, head of the Physics Department, a plan was created to make the telescope on top of the Engineering Lab building operational again for either staff, students, classes, or labs to use. The telescope was purchased through funds by Utah NASA Space Grant Consortium. This paper will contain basic information about how to operate the telescope and use its equipment. There is an online manual from Meade that is much longer but goes into much more detail about individual pieces and specific parts of the telescope.