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Synthesis Of Mixed Metal Trinuclear Cluster Of Molybdenum And Tungsten And Their Electrochemistry In Ionic Liquids, Jessica Ann Davis

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Research is being done to find a material to improve the efficiency of the ethanol fuel cell by using a platinum free catalyst. Mo2WO2(O2CCH3)6 cluster was synthesized using Mo2(O2CCH3)4 dimer and Na2WO4. One ionic liquid, EMImBF4, was synthesized using methylimidazolim and chloroethane in the first step, and EMImCl and NaBF4 in the second step. The electrochemical properties of the ionic liquid and the metal cluster were studied. A potential window for the EMImBF4 was found to be 3.2 V. The ionic liquid has a wider potential window, and allowed for the observation of the redox properties of Mo2WO2(O2CCH3)6. The electrochemistry …

Cloudvista: A Framework For Interactive Visual Cluster Exploration Of Big Data In The Cloud, Zhen Li

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With the development and deployment of ubiquitous information sensing, mobile devices,wireless sensor networks, RFID readers, simulation, and computer generated software logs, big data have become precious resources for scientific study, business intelligence, and national security. As one of the most intuitive and effective analysis methods,visual cluster analysis remains as a significant challenge for big datasets. First, existing visualization models need to be updated to process big data in parallel. Second, processing big data inevitably bring large latency, which conflicts the requirement of interactivity. In this thesis, we develop the CloudVista framework to address the common problems with data reduction methods …

The Construction Of A Plasmid For Detecting The Pathway Of Arginine Metabolism In Human Macrophages: A Real-Time Assessment Of Macrophage Polarity, Benjamin A. Holmes

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Macrophages are "first responders", innate immune system cells which quickly arrive to a site of infection and injury, consuming cell debris and foreign matter and recruiting other immune system cells to the area. While historically they have been thought to react uniformly to all challenges, the discovery of toll-like receptors has shown that macrophages actually work closely with the adaptive immune system in fine-tuning the immune response. Furthermore, it has recently been discovered that macrophages can become polarized to one of two subtypes-M1 or M2.

M1 macrophages are efficient producers of reactive oxygen species, nitrogen intermediates, and inflammatory cytokines. They …

Influence Of Daily Electrical Stimulation Of Periaqueductal Grey On Vocalization And Depressive-Like Behavior During Separation In Guinea Pigs, Jennifer Dazey

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Maternal separation has been shown to promote the onset of depression. This early life stressor produces a biphasic response marked by an active "protest" phase followed by a passive "despair" phase in humans as well as several other species. In infant guinea pigs, active phase behaviors include increased locomotion and species-typical distress vocalizations, whereas the passive phase is marked by depressive-like behaviors including a crouched stance, eye-closure and extensive piloerection. The mechanism underlying the transition from one phase to the next is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine if daily stimulation of the neural pathway initiating …

An Evaluation Of Discharge Policies At A Generic Acute Care Hospital, Elizabeth A. Crawford

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One of the main issues faced within the U.S. healthcare continuum is ineffective care transition. Ineffective transitions from one area of care to the next can lead to a reduction in quality of care, an increased risk of readmission, and an increase in healthcare costs. According to the National Transitions of Care Coalition (NTOCC), as many as 42% of the hospitals surveyed reported that care transitions during coordinated care delivery do not go as planned. One of the primary reasons for ineffective care transition is poor discharge planning. The purpose of this research is to analyze the effect of various …

Adaptive Noise Reduction Techniques For Airborne Acoustic Sensors, Ryan Michael Fuller

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Ground and marine based acoustic arrays are currently employed in a variety of military and civilian applications for the purpose of locating and identifying sources of interest. An airborne acoustic array could perform an identical role, while providing the ability to cover a larger area and pursue a target. In order to implement such a system, steps must be taken to attenuate environmental noise that interferes with the signal of interest. In this thesis, we discuss the noise sources present in an airborne environment, present currently available methods for mitigation of these sources, and propose the use of adaptive noise …

Among-Locus Heterogeneity In Genetic Diversity And Divergence In Two Pairs Of Duck Species (Genus: Anas), Kirandeep K. Dhami

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Genetic diversity and divergence at a locus are the result of interactions among the fundamental evolutionary forces of mutation, genetic drift, gene flow and natural selection. Variation in the strength of these forces can cause high heterogeneity in diversity and divergence across the genome. The overall objective of this thesis was to examine the role of population history vs. selection in generating heterogeneity in genetic diversity and differentiation. In Chapter 1, I examine the role of dispersal behavior in causing genetic differentiation and population structure within and between two morphologically distinct Australian duck species that differ in ecology and life …

Statistical Methods For Image Change Detection With Uncertainty, Andrew James Lingg

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Sensors capable of collecting wide area motion imagery (WAMI), video synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and other high frame rate sensor modalities provide massive amounts of high-resolution data. Such data allows for the use of multiple images in exploitation tasks which may have traditionally used single images or single pairs of images. One such task is change detection. This dissertation presents new statistical methods for change detection that provide for the exploitation of multiple images per pass. Uncertainty in image registration can degrade change detection performance. Registration accuracy is analyzed, and the impact of registration uncertainty is propagated to the registered …

Knowledge Acquisition In A System, Christopher J. Thomas

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I present a method for growing the amount of knowledge available on the Web using a hermeneutic method that involves background knowledge, Information Extraction techniques and validation through discourse and use of the extracted information.

I present the metaphor of the "Circle of Knowledge on the Web". In this context, knowledge acquisition on the web is seen as analogous to the way scientific disciplines gradually increase the knowledge available in their field.

Here, formal models of interest domains are created automatically or manually and then validated by implicit and explicit validation methods before the statements in the created models can …

Assessing The Drivers Of Adaptive Radiation In A Complex Of Gall Midges: A Multitrophic Perspective On Ecological Speciation, Jeremy J. Heath

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Natural enemies as selective forces maintaining and shaping morphological, physiological, and behavioral divergence in adaptive radiations have received very little attention. Until recently, the focus has been on primary resource competition as a major driver of trait divergence in adaptive radiations. Here I consider the role of natural enemies specifically in driving trait divergence in a complex of gall midges in the nominal species Asteromyia carbonifera (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), which appears to be in the throes of an incipient adaptive radiation on its host plant, goldenrod (Solidago). This galler uses a symbiotic fungus (Botryosphaeria dothidae) as a …

Abstraction Driven Application And Data Portability In Cloud Computing, Ajith Harshana Ranabahu

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Cloud computing has changed the way organizations create, manage, and evolve their applications. While many organizations are eager to use the cloud, tempted by substantial cost savings and convenience, the implications of using clouds are still not well understood. One of the major concerns in cloud adoption is the vendor lock-in of applications, caused by the heterogeneity of the numerous cloud service offerings. Vendor locked applications are difficult, if not impossible to port from one cloud system to another, forcing cloud service consumers to use undesired or suboptimal solutions. This dissertation investigates a complete and comprehensive solution to address the …

Trading Resistance For Vigor: A Potential Mechanism For Invasion By The Asian Grass Microstegium Vimineum, Matthew Dickinson

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The Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability (EICA) hypothesis predicts that subsequent to introduction, non-native plants escape enemies and selection favors genotypes that invest more in growth and reproduction and less in resistance. Here, I evaluated if the invasive Asian grass Microstegium vimineum has developed decreased resistance in its introduced range of the eastern US, as predicted by the EICA hypothesis. Asian and US genotypes were evaluated for differences in enemy damage, leaf toughness, specific leaf area (SLA), and flowering in a common garden experiment. Leaf damage, SLA, and flower production were greater and leaf toughness lower in US plants. These …

Regulation Of Mitosis By Nuclear Speckle Proteins, Keshia Nicole Torres-Munoz

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Mitosis is an intricate process that is monitored by multiple cell cycle regulator proteins. Errors in mitotic regulation have been linked to many types of cancer. Recently, evidence suggests an indirect regulation of mitosis by nuclear speckle proteins. Nuclear speckles are one of the multiple compartments found in the mammalian cell nucleus. They serve as assembly compartments for premRNA processing factors. Mass spectrometry analysis of purified nuclear speckles revealed 33 novel proteins including Son and TRAP150. The aim of my study was to determine how Son and TRAP150 can directly or indirectly impact mitosis. We and others recently reported that …

A Sers And Sem-Edx Study Of The Antiviral Mechanism Of Creighton Silver Nanoparticles Against Vaccinia Virus, Catherine Binns Anders

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Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are well-recognized as antiviral agents but little is known about their mechanism of action. In this study, it was hypothesized that unfunctionalized, Creighton AgNPs of an average diameter of 11 nm will form covalent bonds with vaccinia virus (VV) mainly through the external, entry fusion complex (EFC) proteins. The EFC is housed on the external membrane of VV and contains 9-12 proteins having numerous cysteine groups, intramolecular disulfide bonds, aromatic moieties and myristic acids bound to the N-terminus of glycine residues. VV (1012 PFUs) was incubated at 37oC for one hour with Creighton AgNPs that were size …

Application Of Auto-Tracking To The Study Of Insect Body Kinematics In Maneuver Flight, Shreyas Vathul Subramanian

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There is a need to explain the complex phenomena that underlies the seemingly effortless flight modes of the dragonfly (Infra -order Anisoptera). However, measuring the body kinematics during flight is labor intensive. Thus a robust system was developed that automatically tracks and quantifies the body kinematics of a dragonfly during voluntary and escape take-offs, as well as maneuvers. Ultimately, the tool, which was developed using a custom code in C++ using the open source library OpenCV (Open Computer Vision), would be used to analyze bulk samples of high speed videos providing raw images at the rate of approximately 1000 frames …

On The Quantization Problem In Curved Space, Benjamin Bernard

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The nonrelativistic quantum mechanics of particles constrained to curved surfaces is studied. There is open debate as to which of several approaches is the correct one. After a review of existing literature and the required mathematics, three approaches are studied and applied to a sphere, spheroid, and triaxial ellipsoid.

The first approach uses differential geometry to reduce the problem from a three dimensional problem to a two-dimensional problem. The second approach uses three dimensions and holds one of the separated wavefunctions and its associated coordinate constant. A third approach constrains the particle in a three-dimensional space between two parallel surfaces …

Extension Of Polar Format Scene Size Limits To Squinted Geometries, Matthew Steven Horvath

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The Polar Format Algorithm (PFA) is an often used algorithm to image synthetic aperture radar (SAR) phase history data. The algorithm relies on a far-field approximation wherein the curved wavefront of the transmitted pulses is approximated as a planar wavefront, introducing spatially variant phase errors in the phase history. While allowing for faster image formation compared to more exact imaging algorithms such as convolution backprojection, these phase errors lead to the distortion and defocus of point targets, degrading the quality of the resulting imaged scene.

Historically, a Taylor expansion has been used to approximate the phase errors leading to distortion …

A Mechanism-Based Model To Describe Gabaa Receptor Trafficking And Benzodiazepine Pharmacoresistance During Status Epilepticus, Elaine Alice Merrill

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Status epilepticus (SE) is a perplexing pathology involving a sudden and long disruption of the brain's normal electrical activity. The study of relevant cellular processes has been useful in identifying therapeutic targets. As a result, many novel drugs are being studied which target receptor systems involved in neuronal membrane excitability. Yet, the standard treatment for SE remains benzodiazepines (BZs), a class of GABAA agonist drugs. Unfortunately, the targeted receptors undergo a desensitization mechanism via enhanced endocytosis (receptor trafficking), leading to rapidly reduced BZ efficacy (pharmacoresistance) within minutes of seizure onset. A comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between the anticonvulsant's …

Winding Resistance And Winding Power Loss Of High-Frequency Power Inductors, Rafal P. Wojda

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The scope of this research is concentrated on analytical winding size optimization (thickness or diameter) of high-frequency power inductors wound with foil, solid-round wire, multi-strand wire, and litz-wire conductors.

The first part of this research concerns analytical optimization of the winding size (thickness or diameter) for the inductors conducting a sinusoidal current. Estimation of winding resistance in individual inductor layers made of foil, taking into account the skin and proximity effects is performed. Approximated equations for the winding power loss in each layer are given and the optimal values of foil thickness for each layer are derived.

A low- and …

Dielectric Constant Measurements Using Atomic Force Microscopy System, Hembathanthirige Yasas Dhanapala

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A new technique to obtain local dielectric constant of thin films was developed using atomic force microscopy system. This technique, in addition to other characterization methods such as AFM imaging and X-Ray diffraction, was used to study, as an example, dielectric constant of thin films of 0.3BiScO3 - 0.7BaTiO3. The thin films were fabricated by using pulsed laser deposition technique under following temperature of the substrate: 6500C, 7000C and 7500C. At each temperature, two different oxygen pressures were used in deposition chamber: 50 mTorr and 100 mTorr. Our goal was to find optimal growth conditions with the highest dielectric constant …

Quantification Of Multiple Types Of Uncertainty In Physics-Based Simulation, Inseok Park

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In general, more than one simulation model can be created to analyze and design engineering systems. Uncertainty is inevitably involved in selecting a single best approximating model from among a set of simulation models. Uncertainty in model selection (called model-form uncertainty in the present research) cannot be ignored, especially when the differences between the predictions by plausible models are significant. Also, each simulation model involves uncertainty in its input parameters and unknown errors in its predictions of system responses. A methodology is developed to quantify model-form uncertainty using the differences between experimental data measured from an engineering system and model …

Change In Shoreline Position For Two Consecutive Years Using Lidar Along The Outer Banks, North Carolina, Rachel Marie Taylor

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The signal of shoreline change for the Outer Banks, North Carolina is non-stationary. A baseline, west of the first line of dunes, is created for each 5 km section and shore-perpendicular profiles constructed every 20 meters in the alongshore direction. The profiles are obtained from two light detection and ranging (LIDAR) surveys performed in June 22, 2006 and July 7 and 8, 2007.

For five selected sections of coast, Fourier analysis of the shoreline change signal indicates the signal is self-affine i.e. the mean is not stationary, but changes with position along the signal (Malumud and Turcotte, 1999) with a …

Inventory Systems With Transshipments And Quantity Discounts, Gregory Daniel Noble

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This research advances knowledge in the area of inventory systems and the relationship between competing retailers and suppliers of goods. This dissertation studies retailers that face uncertainty in the demand for goods and who purchase the goods from a single supplier. A game theoretic methodology is developed to analyze supplier pricing decisions and retailer quantity decisions and interactions in a competitive transshipment system where quantity discounts are offered. The system studied differs from previous work in the subject by introducing quantity discounts from supplier to retailer into a system of competitive retailers that transship stock. Analysis of these systems focuses …

Uhf-Sar And Lidar Complementary Sensor Fusion For Unexploded Buried Munitions Detection, Randy S. Depoy Jr.

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Given the UHF bands properties of foliage and round penetration, a UHF-SAR image contains both above- and below-surface scatterers. The problem of detecting sub-surface objects is problematic due to the presence of above-surface scatterers in the detection images. In case of a single-pass anomaly image or a two-pass change image, the resulting anomalies or changes are due to scatterers above and below the surface, where the above surface anomalies/changes act as confusers. LIDAR digital elevation models (DEM) provide georegistered information about the above-surface objects present in the UHF-SAR scene. Detection of the above-surface objects in the LIDAR domain is used …

Cathodic Deposition Of Triangular Tungsten Clusters From Ionic Liquids: An Explorative Study, Linda N. Ubadigbo

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In the present work, the triangular tungsten clusters {[W3O2(O2CCH3)6](H2O)3}(CF3SO3)2 and {[W3O2(O2CCH2CH3)6](H2O)3}(BF4)2. 5.5H2O were dissolved in both hydrophobic and hydrophilic ionic liquids (ILs) and subjected to a cathodic potential of roughly 2V. It was proposed that successful deposition of these metal clusters on a platinum electrode would yield Pt-supported anodic catalysts which could be used in ethanol fuel cells (EFCs). Visual examination of the electrode surfaces indicated that a film had been deposited, however, the surface with W3(CF3SO3)2 quickly oxidized when removed from the IL. Therefore, SEM imaging and EDX analysis of the W3(BF4)2 surface were performed. The data indicated that …

Degradation Of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons In Groundwater Passing Through The Treatment Wetland At Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: Analysis Of Results Collected During 2001-'06, Annamarie F. Therrien

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Constructed wetlands are an efficient and cost effective means for chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon remediation, and will therefore continue to gain momentum as an accepted treatment by the US EPA (U.S. EPA, 1995; Amarante, 2000; Lien, 2001; WETPOL, 2009). The treatment options for chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs), including wetlands, capitalize on aerobic/anaerobic interfaces in which bacterially mediated reduction-oxidation reactions degrade pollutants (Li, 1997; Bradley, 1998; Lorah and Voytek, 2004; Amon, 2007; Imfeld, 2008). In August 2000, researchers at Wright State University (WSU) combined efforts with the United States Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) to construct a pilot-scale upward-flow treatment wetland …

Optimization Of Spectrum Allocation In Cognitive Radio And Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks, Tao Zhang

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Spectrum has become a treasured commodity. However, many licensed frequency bands exclusively assigned to the primary license holders (also called primary users) remain relatively unused or under-utilized for most of the time. Allowing other users (also called secondary users) without a license to operate in these bands with no interference becomes a promising way to satisfy the fast growing needs for frequency spectrum resources. A cognitive radio adapts to the environment it operates in by sensing the spectrum and quickly decides on appropriate frequency bands and transmission parameters to use in order to achieve certain performance goals. One of the …

Factors Controlling Nickel Bioavailability And Effects On Benthic Invertebrates In Hardwater Freshwater Streams, Kevin Wayne Custer

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Sediments in aquatic ecosystems function ecologically as habitat, food, and refugia that aid in reproduction processes, and chemically as sources and sinks for contaminants. Sediment contamination from metals and organics has been linked to numerous health and ecological effects, extending from fish consumption advisories to endangered species listings. This dissertation research examines Ni bioavailability (simultaneously extracted metal (SEM)/acid volatile sulfide (AVS) models) and toxicity in five separate studies using Ni-spiked sediments in a variety of designs, and mainly with two different sediment types (low AVS, total organic carbon (TOC), and high AVS, TOC).

Two separate streamside mesocosm Ni experiments indicated …

Normal Fault Trace-Length Scaling In A Tectonic Transition Zone In Southern Sedna Planitia, Venus, Andrew W. Lyda

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In this study, fault trace-lengths of normal faults are measured in southern Sedna Planitia, Venus between 27° to 32° latitude and 336° to 343° longitude where smooth, lowland plains transition into highland regions which are broken by basin and range style tectonics. The fault trace-lengths are plotted on a cumulative number verses length plot (CNL) and fit with a power function, exponential function, and logarithmic function to determine which function best describes the trace-length distribution. A power function is the best fit with a scaling exponent of 1.73. This result is compared to previous studies of fault trace-lengths on Venus, …

Entropy Optimal Orthogonal Matrices, Akhilesh Pathak

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The entropy of an orthogonal matrix is defined by the Gadiyar, Maini, Padma and Sharatchandra who have re-defined Hadamard matrices as the orthogonal matrices that saturate the bound for entropy. They also presented numerical results for maximal entropy for dimension n = 3; 5. We prove the results analytically for n 0(mod 4); n = 3 and construct local extremums for n = 5; 6; 10; 2p; 3p, where p is prime. We also provide cojectures on necessary conditions for optimality and optimal matrices based on the prime factorization of the order.