Digital Commons Network^™

Equilibrium Electrophoresis: Results From The Second Prototype, David Barton Hayes

Doctoral Dissertations

Equilibrium electrophoresis is a new method that determines the apparent charge on macroions. The theory of equilibrium electrophoresis is summarized. The second generation device is described. Apparent charges, at various ionic strengths, measured by equilibrium electrophoresis are reported for pd(A)$\sb{20},$ pd(T)$\sb{20},$ pd(A)$\sb{20}$ $\cdot$ pd(T)$\sb{20},$ cytochrome c from horse heart, TA lysozyme mutant, TA(119/135) charge mutated lysozyme, and EDTA. The apparent charge of plasmid pBR322 from electrophoretic mobility and sedimentation velocity is reported. The results are compared to those expected according to the Record-Manning counterion condensation theory and the Debye-Huckel shielding theory. The apparent charges of the two ss DNA samples …

Studies Of Rotationally Inelastic Collisions In Argon + Hydrogen Fluoride, James J C Barrett

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation we examine rotationally inelastic collisions involving an atom plus a diatom. We concentrate specifically on the Ar + HF system. In these investigations we employ a number of theoretical methods, including classical trajectories, quantum close-coupled calculations and semiclassical methods, to examine the differential cross sections in Ar + HF. We also investigate the effects of various "sudden" approximations on the scattering dynamics and the limitations of these approximations.

Through this work we were able to identify a new quantum feature in rotationally inelastic scattering. By studying the time evolution of transition amplitudes (rather than probabilities) we are …

Self-Diffusion Studies In Polymer-Solvent Systems By Pulsed-Gradient Spin-Echo Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, R. Allen Waggoner

Doctoral Dissertations

"Pulsed gradient NMR techniques have been used to study self-diffusion in polymer solutions. The systems studied include toluene, cyclohexane, ethylbenzene, chloroform, t-butyl acetate, and methyl ethyl ketone in polystyrene; methyl methacrylate in poly(methyl methacrylate); poly(ethylene oxide) in water; and water in biological tissue. The polymer diffusion data are evaluated in terms of scaling theory as they relate to the scaling of the polymer diffusion coefficient with molecular weight. The solvent diffusion data are evaluated with kinetic and free-volume theories. In addition a relatively simple dependence of diffusion coefficient on polymer volume fraction is derived from free-volume theory. The solvent diffusion …

Genetic Algorithms With 3-Parent Crossover, L. Vincent Edmondson

Doctoral Dissertations

"A new genetic algorithm which uses a 3-parent uniform crossover operator is developed and analyzed. Uniform crossover operators are shown to be based on the premise that all bit-level genetic information should be passed from parents to children. The 3-parent uniform crossover operator is shown to adhere to this premise. The 3-parent uniform crossover operator is shown to be better than the 2-parent uniform crossover operator on the De Jong test functions.

Two new genetic algorithms which use 3-parent traditional crossover operators are developed and analyzed. The first uses a strategy of randomly selecting 3 of the 6 children resulting …

Galvanic Stripping Of Fe⁺³ And Pb⁺² Ions And Dissolution Of Metallic Fe, Zn, Pb And Cd Using Di(2-Ethylhexyl)Phosphoric Acid, Luis Miguel Chia Aquije

Doctoral Dissertations

"Two systems were evaluated using the principles of the galvanic stripping process. One of them, the removal of Pb⁺² ions from di-2(ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) was performed using metallic zinc. The other, the removal of Fe⁺³ ions from D2EHPA used metallic iron as reductant and was performed simultaneously with the organic phase using a slightly acidic aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid. In addition, the dissolution of metallic zinc, iron, lead, and cadmium in D2EHPA was studied in order to better understand the anodic step in the mechanism of the galvanic stripping process.

Increased temperature was found to dramatically …

Crime And Punishment In New Hampshire, 1812-1914 (Volumes I And Ii), Timothy Dodge

Doctoral Dissertations

Changing definitions of crime accompanied the economic transformation of seacoast New Hampshire from a predominently agricultural, and rural society in 1812 to one that was mainly industrial, commercial, and urban by 1914. This dissertation analyzes a sample of 820 felony incarcerations (19.5%) of the total 4154 incarcerations recorded at the New Hampshire State Prison for the period 1812-1914. Court bills and indictments of Rockingham and Strafford County, New Hampshire are used to analyze felony convictions. Quantitative analysis involving 17 variables reveals that property crime was the most common conviction. Felony conviction rates per 100,000 population nearly doubled between 1812 and …

Beliefs, Autonomy, And Mathematical Knowledge, Judy Ann Rector

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the apparent effects of students' beliefs about mathematics and autonomy on their learning of mathematics. The study utilized a multiple-case study design with analysis by and across cases. The cases represented six high school students enrolled in either Algebra II or Algebra II/Trigonometry. Data was collected in three phases: (a) classroom observations and assessment of the teacher's perception of her role in the learning process, (b) an assessment of students' beliefs about mathematics and autonomy, and (c) an assessment of students' newly formed mathematical constructs on functions.

The beliefs' assessment included observing …

Resonance Absorption Of Mhd Surface Waves With Applications To The Solar Atmosphere, Guang Yang

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis studies the physics of resonance absorption of MHD surface waves and examines the effects of velocity shear on the rate of resonance absorption. Theoretical analyses and numerical calculations demonstrate that resonance absorption of MHD surface waves is a viable mechanism for heating of the solar corona.

It is shown that resonance absorption has a very simple physical interpretation in terms of driven harmonic oscillators. This insight greatly simplifies the mathematics and allows a thorough discussion of the solar coronal heating. It is found that resonance absorption of MHD surface waves can occur rapidly enough to heat the solar …

Finite Groups As A Generalization Of Vector Spaces Through The Use Of Splitting Systems, Joseph Kirtland

Doctoral Dissertations

The structure of a finite group is investigated through a geometry induced by the splitting systems of the group. The method is based on the one used to induce a geometry on a finite dimensional vector space over a finite field and as a result, concepts related to the special and projective linear group are extended to arbitrary groups. One major by-product is the classification of solvable multiprimitive groups of arbitrary derived length. This leads to a necessary and sufficient condition for a solvable nC-group to be multiprimitive.

A Neural Network-Based Trajectory Planner For Redundant Systems Using Direct Inverse Modeling, Franklin J. Rudolph

Doctoral Dissertations

Redundant (i.e., under-determined) systems can not be trained effectively using direct inverse modeling with supervised learning, for reasons well out-lined by Michael Jordan at MIT. There is a "loop-hole", however, in Jordan's preconditions, which seems to allow just such an architecture. A robot path planner implementing a cerebellar inspired "habituation" paradigm with such an architecture will be introduced. The system, called ARTFORMS, for "Adaptive Redundant Trajectory Formation System" uses on-line training of multiple CMACS. CMACs are locally generalizing networks, and have an a priori deterministic geometric input space mapping. These properties together with on-line learning and rapid convergence satisfy the …

Transition From Laminar To Turbulent Flow Around An Airfoil, Chang-Ren Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

"A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code has been developed for two-dimensional incompressible turbulent flows and employed to solve the Navier Stokes equations around an airfoil of arbitrary shape. A low-Reynolds-number k — e turbulence model including curvature effect was used to consider the gain and loss of turbulent kinetic energy. To include laminar sublayer into the computational domain, a multi-layer grid and a cubic-slpine grid were introduced through a conservative form of coordinate transformation. The flow structure varies with the Reynolds numbers. For an airfoil at low Reynolds numbers (below ten thousand), distinct vortex shedding patterns can be found in …

Atomic Collision Processes Of Interest In Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion Research, Victor Dewitt Irby

Doctoral Dissertations

"This thesis examines several atomic collisional processes involved in controlled thermonuclear fusion. Specifically, experimental studies have been made on the state- selective single capture reaction

³He²⁺ + He —> ³He⁺(n) + He⁺(n'), (1)

on the double capture reaction

³He²⁺ + H e—> ³He + He²⁺ , (2)

and on the single ionization of atomic targets X

A^q+ + X —> A^q+ + X⁺ + e^- (3)

by charged projectiles A^q+. Reactions (1) and (2) have an importance in plasma energy balance and in …

Constrained Completion: Theory, Implementation, And Results, Daniel Patrick Murphy

Doctoral Dissertations

"The Knuth-Bendix completion procedure produces complete sets of reductions but can not handle certain rewrite rules such as commutativity. In order to handle such theories, completion procedure were created to find complete sets of reductions modulo an equational theory. The major problem with this method is that it requires a specialized unification algorithm for the equational theory. Although this method works well when such an algorithm exists, these algorithms are not always available and thus alternative methods are needed to attack problems. A way of doing this is to use a completion procedure which finds complete sets of constrained reductions. …

An Improved Multi-Dimensional Cmac Neural Network: Receptive Field Function And Placement, Pak-Cheung Edgar An

Doctoral Dissertations

The standard CMAC has been shown to have fast learning computation as a result of modular receptive field placement, rectangular receptive field shape and a simple weight adaptation algorithm. The standard CMAC, however, suffers from slow convergence at some critical frequency due to the rectangular receptive field shape. A linearly-tapered field, which requires a uniform placement, was used in this research. The receptive field placement of the standard CMAC becomes less uniform locally for a larger receptive field width. This dissertation suggests a new field placement which is more uniform without extra computation. Results show that the slow convergence at …

Interactive, User-Directed, Computer-Assisted Hplc Methods Development, Fang-Fang Qi

Doctoral Dissertations

An interactive, computer-assisted approach for determining multi-segment gradient elution profiles for High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is presented. The approach is based on determining the gradient segment necessary to elute each solute at a user specified retention time. There are five main functions of this approach: (1) To inform the user of the possible retention time ranges for the solute that is going to be eluted for each elution step under both isocratic and gradient elution conditions; (2) To determine the required elution conditions, based on the user's desired retention times and the gradient elution shape; (3) To provide the …

New Bio-Analytical Separations Utilizing Chiral Mobile Phase Additives In Thin Layer Chromatography And Chiral Stationary Phases In High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Jo Dee Duncan

Doctoral Dissertations

"The problem addressed by this dissertation is the separation of optical isomers in commercial as well as biological samples. The chromatographic separation of enantiomers is an important and rapidly developing field of study. Chiral separations of pharmaceutical compounds and important organic intermediates in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and thin layer chromatography (TLC) were achieved. Two methods were employed for the direct liquid chromatographic resolution of chiral analytes: chiral stationary phases (CSPs) and chiral mobile phase additives (CMAs). Native and derivatized ß-cyclodextrins (ß-CD) were used as chiral stationary phases in reverse phase and normal phase HPLC, respectively. This study marked …

Breaking The Rules: Teaching And Learning Writing In The High School, Ann Bruthwell Vibert

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the development of student- and process-centered writing classrooms within the context of a traditionally structured, curriculum-centered high school. The focus of the study is on how teachers and students experience and address contradictions between assumptions implicit in writing process pedagogy and assumptions implicit in the structure and organization of the high school.

An eight-month ethnography of two high school English classrooms, the study is a descriptive narrative of the classroom and school events punctuated by the reflective comments of teachers and students in intensive and extensive interviews. The classrooms are "placed" within the school, the teachers within …

Stimulus Configuration And The Perceived Rigidity Of Eight-Vertex Polyhedra, John Edward Sparrow

Doctoral Dissertations

In a series of four experiments, subjects examined the perceived rigidity of rotating eight-vertex polyhedra. Four different categories of polyhedra were observed under parallel projection: (1) line drawings where the initial orientation appeared to be a cube (LN), though the depth components of the eight vertices were randomly positioned (upon rotation, it could be seen that the stimuli were not cubes); (2) line drawings where the vertices were randomly placed (LR); (3) vertex-only drawings where the initial orientation appeared to be a cube (VN), though the depth components of the eight vertices were randomly positioned; and (4) vertex-only drawings with …

Metaphors In The Construction Of Theory: Ramus, Peirce And The American Mind, Laurel Warren Trufant

Doctoral Dissertations

This study argues for the mutual impenetration of logical, legal and scientific metaphors and attempts to determine the role played by them in the construction of theory. Specifically it attempts to discover the impact which the metaphors of topical logic may have had on the construction of American ideology.

Chapter 1 offers a brief discussion of logical metaphors and their relation to the social and intellectual settings which generate them. Chapter 2 extends that discussion to principles of positive law and political order as they developed in the unstable atmosphere of 16th Century Europe. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 attempt …

British Romanticism And Composition Theory: The Traditions And Value Of Romantic Rhetoric, Sherrie L. Gradin

Doctoral Dissertations

My study examines, through the philosophies and writings of the British Romantic poets, particularly those of Wordsworth and Coleridge, their beliefs about education, their theories on composing, and their interaction with the political and social climate as they relate to current expressivist rhetorical theories and pedagogies. I explore the ways in which Romantic assumptions surface in subsequent philosophers, educators, and rhetoricians such as Matthew Arnold, John Stuart Mill, and John Dewey, and more recently, Ann Berthoff, Donald Murray, and Peter Elbow. I argue that like the Romantics, current expressivists are interested in cultivating an imaginative intellect in their writing students. …

Distance Function Constructions In Topological Spaces, Laurie Jean Sawyer

Doctoral Dissertations

This work investigates the use of distance function constructions in the study of semimetrizable spaces, especially as this relates to developable, K-semimetrizable and 1-continuously semimetrizable spaces.

A distance function for X is a nonnegative, symmetric, real-valued function d: X x X $\to$ $\IR$ such that d(p,q) = 0 iff p = q. A distance function d is developable iff, when d(x$\sb{\rm n}$,p) $\to$ 0 and d(y$\sb{\rm n}$,p) $\to$ 0, then d(x$\sb{\rm n}$,y$\sb{\rm n}$) $\to$ 0; and d is a K-distance function iff whenever d(x$\sb{\rm n}$,p) $\to$ 0, d(y$\sb{\rm n}$,q) $\to$ 0 and d(x$\sb{\rm n}$,y$\sb{\rm n}$) $\to$ 0, then p = …

The Influence Of Fly Ash On Obtaining Quality Plastic And Hardened Properties Of Portland Cement Concrete, Ashaari Bin Mohamad

Doctoral Dissertations

Coal fly ash produced at the Merrimack Power Station, Bow, New Hampshire was tested for chemical and physical properties. Concretes made with these fly ashes were tested for their plastic and hardened properties and compared to ordinary portland cement concrete.

An experimental test burn substituting coal with Refuse-Derived-Fuel(RDF) consisting mainly of waste paper and plastic with heating value of 6000 to 8000 BTU/lb. was done by Public Service of New Hampshire at the Merrimack Power Station. Five percent and ten percent RDF was substituted, on a BTU basis, for coal in the test burns. Twelve (12) test burn days were …

The Effect Of Reagent Rotation On Gas Phase Reactions, Judith Agnes Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the effect of reagent rotation in elementary gas phase reactions. Historically, the effect of rotational excitation of the reagents of a chemical reaction on the reactive cross section has been poorly understood. One of the major reasons for this was the lack of a simple model in which the dynamics could be visualized. In this work, such a model is developed and utilized in order to elucidate trends in reactivity observed upon rotational excitation. Within the context of this model, exact quantum mechanical scattering calculations are performed for a simple atom-diatom system. These exact quantum mechanical probabilities …

A Conceptual Design Of A Propulsion System For An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Gerald Sedor

Doctoral Dissertations

The need for developing propulsion systems to support missions of increased endurance for autonomous underwater vehicles is investigated and a conceptual system is proposed, based on currently available technology and desired system characteristics.

The investigation evaluates and ranks alternative energy sources and proposes the use of a closed Brayton cycle gas turbine power plant using a chemical energy heat source with a metallic fuel. A thruster system using electric propulsion motors and screw propellers is selected. Evaluation factors include reliability, depth independent operation, weight, endurance, quietness and efficiency. Reliability of the proposed system is analyzed and the design modified to …

The Effect Of A Readiness Year On Children's School Achievement, Self-Concept, And Teacher Expectations, Maria White Mckenna

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of a readiness year on children's later school performance and self-concept. An examination of teachers' attitudes towards readiness and expectations for students' performance was also included.

School records of fourth graders in two New Hampshire school districts were examined. Classroom grades, standardized test scores, Gesell School Readiness Test results, age, and sex were recorded for each participating student. A self-perception scale was administered to the students near the end of the third grade.

Teachers in the two districts completed a questionnaire composed of a series of vignettes. Five variables …

Time Characteristics Of Small Watersheds In Response To The Probable Maximum Precipitation, Brian Jay Swenty

Doctoral Dissertations

"The EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was used to perform single event simulations of Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) level rainfall events on the Loss Lake watershed in southcentral Missouri. Overland flow was simulated using kinematic wave routing and channel flow was simulated using dynamic wave routing.

Lag time was defined as the time between the centroid of the excess rainfall hyetograph and the centroid of the direct runoff hydrograph.

Rainfall depth, rainfall duration, and the distribution of rainfall intensity were found to be significant predictor variables for lag time. Defined as hydrologic parameters for this study, channel flow roughness, …

Graph Coloring Algorithms On Random Graphs, Shi-Jen Lin

Doctoral Dissertations

"The graph coloring problem, which is to color the vertices of a simple undirected graph with the minimum number of colors such that no adjacent vertices are assigned the same color, arises in a variety of scheduling problems. This dissertation focuses attention on vertex sequential coloring. Two basic approaches, backtracking and branch-and-bound, serve as a foundation for the developed algorithms. The various algorithms have been programmed and applied to random graphs. This dissertation will present several variations of the Korman algorithm, Korw2, Pactual, and Pactmaxw2, which produce exact colorings quicker than the Korman algorithm in the average for some classes …

The Directed Steiner Problem On Graphs: A Simulated Annealing Approach, Lawrence Joseph Osborne

Doctoral Dissertations

"The well-known Steiner Problem on Graphs is an NP-complete problem for which there are many heuristic and exact algorithms that are deterministic. In this dissertation a new approach to the directed version of this problem is made by applying the ideas of statistical mechanics through the use of the method of simulated annealing. A version of annealing is developed for the Directed Steiner Problem and compared with one of the best general annealing schemes. Then a comparison is made between simulated annealing and the traditional branch and bound technique. The dual ascent algorithm of Richard T. Wong is used to …

Ab Initio Molecular Orbital Investigations Of Molecular Structures For Lithiated Hydrocarbons, Shu-Jun Su

Doctoral Dissertations

Organolithium compounds are important reagents of widespread use in synthetic organic chemistry. Structures of organolithium hydrocarbons do not follow classical rules; replacement of a hydrogen by lithium in their molecules almost always results in a major change in geometry, electronic state, or both. The structures of many of these compounds still remain unknown and a subject of controversy.

This study investigated the geometries and electronic states of the ground states of dilithioacetylene and dilithiomethane molecules by using ab initio molecular orbital calculations. The geometries of both the molecules have been fully optimized at both the single determinant Hartree-Fock self consistent …

Effects Of Experimental Conditions On The Sorption Of Organic Compounds To Soils And Sediments, Kathy Booth Britton

Doctoral Dissertations

Sorption is the basis for a number of techniques used to characterize solid particles. Because a number of techniques are based on sorptive interactions which are not fully understood, they are often plagued by experimental inconsistencies that are difficult to explain and frequently ignored. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine two techniques that are complicated by experimental inconsistencies--surface area measurements and the determination of distribution coefficients.

The apparent surface area of illite was measured by adsorption of a cationin fluorescent dye, Pyronin-y, from aqueous solutions in which pH and ionic strength were systematically varied. Estimates were highly dependent …