Digital Commons Network^™

Computational-Communicative Actions Of Informational Processing, Florentin Smarandache, Stefan Vladutescu

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This study is circumscribed to the Information Science. The zetetic aim of research is double: a) to define the concept of action of informational processing and b) to design a taxonomy of actions of informational processing. First, the investigation trays to demonstrate that the computational actions of informational processing or the informational actions are computational-investigative configurations for structuring information: clusters of highly-aggregated operations which are carried out in a unitary manner operate convergently and behave like a unique computational device. From a methodological point of view, they are comprised within the category of analytical instruments for the informational processing of …

2014 Annual Operating Plan, U.S. Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation

Law of the Rio Chama

No abstract provided.

An Ubuntu Virtual Machine For Reproducibility Of Peptidebuilder 2014 Peerj Publication., Steven J. Koch

University Libraries Datasets

A virtual machine definition and virtual disk image is provided to facilitate reproduction of the work presented in the publication “PeptideBuilder: A simple Python library to generate model peptides” [1]. The virtual machine is built from a 32-bit Ubuntu 12.04 LTS operating system and added packages, biopython, pymol, and git, as well as the published code for PeptideBuilder. The virtual machine is intended to capture the state of the PeptideBuilder code and dependencies close to the time of the original publication, and thus enable reproduction of the work of Tien et al. To run the virtual machine, a VirtualBox platform …

Adobe Medicus 2014 2 March-April, Health Sciences Library And Informatics Center

adobe medicus

No abstract provided.

Belize’S Booming Tourism Industry Strains Country’S Precarious Wastewater-Management Facilities, Louisa Reynolds

NotiCen

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Antistripping Agents On Adhesion Of Damaged Asphalt By Neural Network, Sanjida Ahsan

Civil Engineering ETDs

In this study, Neural Network (NN) model is developed to quantify nano-level adhesion force of moisture damaged asphalt binder using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) test data. AFM data contains five point force-distance values determined for some specific asphalt chemical functional groups. Asphalt binder samples contain different types and percentages of polymer modifiers and antistripping agents (ASA). Due to complex and nonlinear interaction between the asphalt properties and adhesion force of asphalt, it is difficult to assess the effects of asphalt binder properties on the adhesion forces using laboratory AFM testing. NN has the ability to recognize and trace the complex …

Counselor Educators' Teaching Practices In A Multicultural Society: A Multicase Study, Don Trahan Jr

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Counselor education programs aim to provide students with curricula that will enable them as clinicians to effectively engage culturally diverse populations. In contemporary society, it is almost certain that counselors will encounter clients whose cultural background differs from that of their own (Remley & Herlihy, 2010). According to the ACA Code of Ethics (2005) section F.11, counselor educators are expected to actively infuse multicultural and/or diversity competencies into their training and supervision practices. While the ACA Code of Ethics (2005) provides counselor educators with ethical guidelines that are expected to assist its members in constructing a professional course of action, …

Can High School Assessments Predict Developmental Education Enrollment In New Mexico?, Tyler Weldon

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Thousands of Americans enter postsecondary institutions every year and many are under-prepared for college-level work. Subsequently, students enroll in or are placed in developmental courses in preparation for the rigor of college-level classes. Numerous studies have looked at the impact of developmental course work on student outcomes, but few focus on predictors that could identify students who are likely to need developmental education. The potential for early prediction (and therefore possible intervention) is less understood. This study addresses this gap by examining the connection between high school assessments and subsequent developmental courses enrollment in college. Using longitudinal data from New …

Effect Of An External Visual Cue On Delivery Of Enteral Nutrition In A University Trauma/Surgical/Burn Intensive Care Unit, Paula West

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Background: Enteral nutrition in the critically ill patient is interrupted for myriad reasons some of which include withholding for operations, diagnostic tests, high residuals, feeding tube displacements and routine care. We sought to determine if use of an external visual cue by nursing increases delivery of goal enteral nutrition (EN) from baseline during the first 7 days of ICU admission. Methods: After achieving IRB approval we retrospectively evaluated all trauma/surgical/burn intensive care unit (TSBICU) records from May 2012 through March 2013 for patients with more than 7 days in the TSBICU who received EN as their primary means of nutrition …

Spectroscopic Studies Of Conformation And Packing In Polythiophenes, Edwards T. Niles

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

This thesis employs variants of spectroscopic techniques to evaluate intermolecular interactions between P3HT chains in solution and in the solid state. Emphasis was put on understanding not only how intermolecular interactions within P3HT chains affect electronic properties, but also to assess changes due to the addition of weak and strong electron acceptors. To this end, optical and magnetic spectroscopies were focused on to correlate observed changes in electronic properties to physical changes in the polymer structure. To assess changes in intermolecular interactions, self-assembly was used to form P3HT nanofibers and were studied using resonance Raman, and transient absorption, and temperature- …

Simulations Of Chemical Catalysis, Gregory K. Smith

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

This dissertation contains simulations of chemical catalysis in both biological and heterogeneous contexts. A mixture of classical, quantum, and hybrid techniques are applied to explore the energy profiles and compare possible chemical mechanisms both within the context of human and bacterial enzymes, as well as exploring surface reactions on a metal catalyst. A brief summary of each project follows.

Project 1 — Bacterial Enzyme SpvC

The newly discovered SpvC effector protein from Salmonella typhimurium interferes with the host immune response by dephosphorylating mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) with a β-elimination mechanism. The dynamics of the enzyme substrate complex of the SpvC …

Determining The Function Of Hotdog-Fold Thioesterases, Yajun Wu

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

The enzymes that hydrolyze thioesters to the free acids and free thiols are called thioesterases. Based on the different folding strategy, most thioesterases are classified into two superfamiles: the hotdog-fold enzyme superfamily or alpha/beta-fold hydrolase enzyme superfamily. Hotdog-fold thioesterases share high degree similarity in structure which resembles a hotdog'. YigI is one of the last two uncharacterized hotdog-fold thioesterases from E.coli. To study the function of YigI, substrate specificity profile was determined by thioesterase activity assay. YigI possesses a preference for long chain acyl-CoA over shorter chain acyl-CoA. The highest activity was found in catalysis of myristoyl-CoA. By alignment with …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Electrochemical Evaluation Of Novel, Highly Active Catalysts For The Oxygen Reduction Reaction In Alkaline Media, Danae Jacquelyne Davis

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are needed for fuel cells and next generation metal-air batteries, as the overall efficiency of these systems is currently limited by cathode kinetics. While Pt and Pt-based alloys demonstrate excellent electrocatalytic activities, their prohibitive cost and rarity ultimately prevents their widespread utilization. Catalyst materials that are highly active, stable, and cost effective are needed. Manganese oxide (α-MnO₂) catalysts doped with varying amounts of Cu or Ni were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for their performance as catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline electrolyte. Cu-α-MnO₂ nanowire catalysts consistently attained …

Imaging Interferometric Microscopy To The Limits Of Available Frequency Space, Alexander Neumann

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

Imaging interferometric microscopy (IIM) is a synthetic aperture approach offering the potential of optical resolution to the linear systems limit of optics (~lambda/4n). IIM allows one to resolve structures not accessible in a conventional illumination setup, while using a low NA microscope objective and thus keeping the large working distance, depth of focus and field of view associated with the lower NA. The goal of this dissertation is to reach ultimate resolution limits of non-fluorescent microscopy by using IIM in new optical configurations realizing a solid immersion technique with immersion materials employed in advanced regimes unsuitable in other systems. The …

The Study Of Photo-Thermal Lensing System And Its Applications, Xuerong Zhang

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

The high quality optical films in coatings with low absorption and good environmental stability are required for the development of high power lasers, because even slightest absorbing defects could lead to material's breakdown. Thus, a non-destructive absorption measurement is required to measure the absorption of defects. Reflection-transmission method is the simplest measurement to measure the absorption of optical films. This indirect method is good for absorption values down to ~0.1%. However, typical high quality optical coatings have absorption values measured in parts per million (ppm). In this thesis, the photo-thermal lens setup provides another way to measure the change in …

Unsettling Accounts: Life, Debt, And Development In The Middle Rio Grande, Samuel Karrigan Robison Markwell

American Studies ETDs

This thesis reexamines the history of the formation of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) during the first half of the twentieth century. Previous histories have either uncritically celebrated the MRGCD, or have been critical of its formation because of the way it negatively affected Mexicano/Hispano farming communities. This thesis extends the critical literature by situating the MRGCD as a formation of settler colonialism and attending to the ways it affected Pueblo Indian Nations. I argue that the MRGCD, ostensibly designed to "protect life and property" in the valley, was actually concerned with securing forms of life and property …

(Re)Making Mestizaje: The Role Of Race And Gender Norms In Latina College Students Discourse, Sarah Leah Santillanes

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This ideological critique project focused on the race and gender discourse of 20 self-identified Latina community college students between the ages of 18-30. Participants were purposively sampled and recruited from a large community college within the state of New Mexico. Over a period of eight months, two or more semi-structured interviews were conducted with each research participant. These interviews highlighted the participants race and gender experiences and their perceived expectations about these norms inside and outside of school. A critical hermeneutic methodological framework was employed in the interpretation of the participants' interviews. Discourse transcriptions were coded first for general themes …

Simulations Of Space Radiation Interactions With Materials, With Application To Dose Estimates For Lunar Shelter And Aboard The International Space Station, Tai Pham

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

This research performed simulations using the state-of-art three dimensional computer codes to investigate the interactions of space radiation with materials and quantify the biological dose onboard the International Space Station (ISS) and in a lunar shelter for future manned missions. High-energy space radiation of Trapped Protons, Solar Particle Events, and GCRs particles interactions are simulated using MCNPX and PHITS probabilistic codes. The energy loss and energy deposition within the shielding materials and in a phantom are calculated. The contributions of secondary particles produced by spallation reactions are identified. Recent experimental measurements of absorbed dose in a phantom aboard the International …

Model Systems For The Study Of Active Phase Evolution In Complex Bimetallic Catalysts (Pdzn), Jonathan Paiz

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

This study used PdZn as a model system to investigate phase transformations and its influence on reactivity. Aerosol synthesis was used to study the oxide precursors of the PdZn system, spin coating was used to synthesize model PdZn nanoparticles for phase transformations studies and preliminary work with CO oxidation coupled with methanol steam reforming (MSR) was used to gain insight into in-situ surface reactivity of PdZn for MSR. Multiple characterization techniques including XRD, Raman Spectroscopy, XPS, EDX along with TEM and STEM were used to gain valuable insight into the nature of the samples used in these studies. Investigations into …

High Temperature Polymer Dielectrics For Electric Vehicle Capacitor Applications, Kylen Johns

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Currently there is a push for low cost, high energy materials with high operating temperatures that can simultaneously reduce cost, weight, and volume in the automotive industry. Economically feasible high performance capacitors are critical to the Department of Energys goal to advance technologies that will ensure energy security and reduce the use of petroleum while reducing cost and environmental impacts. [1] Recent studies have been done to improve the inverter systems in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). HEVs require inverters to convert direct current to alternating current which prevents damage to the battery and powers the electric motor. Current thin film …

Facile Synthesis Of High Surface Area Molybdenum Carbide And Nitride: An Application In Support Materials For Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Aaron Roy

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

A method to synthesize high surface area α-MoC(1-x) without the temperature programmed reduction (TPR) of MoO3 is described. This method was then used, in conjunction with a novel in situ method to obtain highly dispersed PtMoz supported on α- MoC(1-x), to explore the suitability of such materials as catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Mg2(Mo3O8) and Zn2(Mo3O8), alternative tetravalent Mo intermediates to MoO2, were obtained through the thermal decomposition of Mg(MoO4) and Zn(MoO4) in mixtures of CO and H2. A novel sacrificial support method was developed where MgO and ZnO were investigated …

Exploration Of Tm-Nx Orr Electrocatalysts From First Principle Calculations, Sadia Afrin Kabir

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Fuel Cells are promising candidates for the energy conversion technologies in particular for non-stationary applications. However, current fuel cells rely on rare and expensive Platinum catalysts and the power generation is limited by the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode. An interesting alternative material set which continues to attract significant attention are TM-Nx (TM = Fe, Co, x = 2 - 4) based non-PGM electrocatalysts where the defect motifs are embedded in a carbon matrix during pyrolysis. By studying the material properties of individual defects we can determine how the chemistry and morphology of these TM-Nx motifs are …

Factors Contributing To Weight Gain In Children Who Take Atypical Antipsychotics, Martha Faulkner

Nursing ETDs

Children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED) who take atypical antipsychotics (AAs) gain significant amounts of weight. The purpose of this retrospective chart review study was to determine if type of AA, diagnosis, ethnicity/race, age, gender or months in treatment contribute to BMI z change score (weight gain). The sample was 110 children with SED who took AAs for 1-36 months, M age=10.5 years (SD=3.4, range 5-17), 67% male, 53% Hispanic or Latino. The average weight gain in the study was 22 pounds (0.33 BMI z change score). The percent of children classifed as overwieght or obese increased from …

Functional Interactions Between The Cannabinoid System And Memory Consolidation In The Hippocampus: A Synthesis Of Findings From Behavior, Morphology, Physiology, And Synaptic Signaling In The Rat, Felicha Candelaria-Cook

Psychology ETDs

The hippocampus is essential for long-term memory storage and consolidation. The dentate gyrus acts as a gateway into the hippocampal formation, specifically with reference to medial and lateral perforant path projections from the entorhinal cortex. The dentate gyrus and the hippocampus contain a high density of cannabinoid receptors and may be a key location in which cannabinoids exert influence to disrupt memory. Administration of a cannabinoid agonist often leads to short-term and long-term memory deficits in a variety of tasks. Cannabinoids can impair memory acquisition, task performance, along with memory consolidation and retrieval mechanisms. Endogenous cannabinoids are retrograde messengers involved …

Application Of Multiple Kernel Learning On Brain Imaging For Mental Illness Characterization, Eduardo Jose Castro Witting

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Mental disorders are diagnosed on the basis of reported symptoms and externally observed clinical signs. Nonetheless, these cannot be evaluated by means of clinical tests. This is the case for schizophrenia, a complex disease characterized by perturbations in language, perception, thinking, social relationships and will that affects about 1% of the U.S. population. Besides the absence of an objective assessment of symptoms to diagnose schizophrenia, not even a set of symptoms that uniquely characterize this disorder have been found. Given the absence of a biologically-based diagnosis of schizophrenia, several studies have used different brain imaging techniques in an attempt to …

Parallel Independent Component Analysis With Reference For Imaging Genetics: A Semi-Blind Multivariate Approach, Jiayu Chen

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Imaging genetics is an emerging field dedicated to the study of genetic underpinnings of brain structure and function. Over the last decade, brain imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been increasingly applied to measure morphometry, task-based function and connectivity in living brains. Meanwhile, high-throughput genotyping employing genome-wide techniques has made it feasible to sample the entire genome of a substantial number of individuals. While there is growing interest in image-wide and genome-wide approaches which allow unbiased searches over a large range of variants, one of the most challenging problems is the correction for the huge number of …

The Early Time Course Of Autophagy In Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Following Endurance Exercise, Kathryn Lanphere

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Exercise disrupts homeostasis and leads to the induction of an important catabolic system called autophagy. Autophagy is a beneficial cell survival process that is induced in periods of starvation. The purposes of this study are to (1) determine the time course of autophagy activation following endurance exercise at 70% of VO2max in a warm environment and (2) to determine if exercising at 50% of VO2max induces autophagy in a warm environment. Methods. Eight endurance trained subjects (2 females) participated in this study and completed a moderate intensity exercise (MIE) trial for 1h (50% of VO2max ), and a high intensity …

Microelectrode Array For Capacitive Transduction Of Retinal Responses, Brittany Branch

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Neural degenerative diseases and traumatic injuries to the eye affect millions of people worldwide, motivating the development of neural prosthetic interfaces to restore sensory or motor function in affected individuals. Advances in neural sensing and stimulation interface technology will allow a more comprehensive understanding of neural function while leading to the development of hybrid biological-electronic sensor devices for robust, functioning neural prosthetic systems. Current techniques of neural activity sensing employ multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) that typically incorporate metal electrodes and measure currents via an electrochemical junction, leading to corrosion and charge transfer across the electrode-tissue interface. High-density neural interface technology will …

The Columbus Myth: Power And Ideology In Picturebooks About Christopher Columbus, Christina M. Desai

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

In 1992, the 500th anniversary of Columbuss landing in the Bahamas was simultaneously celebrated and denounced in the US. Damaging facts about Columbus and the impact of his voyages were aired along with demands for truth and change. This study analyzes the power relationships and political ideology of picturebooks about Columbus published in the US in the 20 years since that anniversary to determine what messages and attitudes young readers are likely to absorb from them and whether the picturebook image of Columbus has evolved. It draws on the ideas of progressive educator Herbert Kohl, who demonstrates how the analysis …

Development Of Synthetic Polymers For Bone Tissue Engineering: Engineering The Degradation Rate, Kirsten Cicotte

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

In this work the development, synthesis, and characterization of biodegradable synthetic polymers, poly (butylene fumarate) (PBF) and the copolymer poly (butylene fumarate)-co-(butylene maleate) (PBFcBM) is described. The unsaturated linear polyesters were synthesized via two synthetic routes, including an acid catalyzed transesterification reaction of (Z)-4-((4-hydroxybutan-2-yl)oxy)-4-oxobut-2-enoic acid which was formed via a ring opening reaction of maleic anhydride with 1,3-butylene glycol (BG) and reacting the acid chlorides, maleoyl chloride (MCl) and fumaryl chloride (FCl) with BG. Both methods introduce the cis (maleate) functionality into the polymer backbone, however a controlled fumarate to maleate ratio was only obtained via the acid chloride starting …