Digital Commons Network^™

A Functional Trait Approach To Understanding Natural Regeneration And Restoration Of Neotropical Forests, Vanessa K. S. Boukili

Doctoral Dissertations

Over half of the Neotropical forests have been damaged by human activity, often converted to pasture or agriculture. Under the right conditions, second-growth forests can naturally regenerate once these lands are abandoned, providing a means of recuperating biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, the mechanisms of community assembly during the process of natural regeneration are not fully understood. Here I assess the relative influences of environmental filtering and stochasticity in the regeneration of pre-montane moist forest and lowland wet forests in Costa Rica. I quantify the ecological characteristics of trees and palms with leaf and stem functional traits, which are species-specific …

Toughening Of Poly(L-Lactic Acid) With Cu3Btc2 Metal Organic Framework Crystals, Ajay Kathuria, Mohamad G. Abiad, Rafael Auras

Industrial Technology and Packaging

Poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) and metal organic framework (MOF) composites were prepared by melt extrusion of PLLA with 5, 10 and 20% w/w of activated Cu₃(BTC)₂ MOF. The morphology and stability of injection-molded samples were evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), gel permeation chromatography, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The composites showed improved toughness during the tensile tests as compared to the neat PLLA matrix. Toughness mechanism of the composites was studied using SEM and rheological studies. SEM images indicated that cavitation induced by debonding at the interface of PLLA and MOF particles during …

Search For Long-Lived Gravitational-Wave Transients Coincident With Long Gamma-Ray Bursts, J. Aasi, J. Abadie, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, T. Accadia, F. Acernese, C. Adams, T. Adams, R. X. Adhikari, C. Affeldt, M. Agathos, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, P. Ajith, B. Allen, A. Allocca, E. Amador Ceron, D. Amariutei, R. A. Anderson, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, C. Arceneaux, J. Areeda, S. Ast, S. M. Aston, P. Astone, P. Aufmuth, C. Aulbert, L. Austin

Faculty Publications

Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been linked to extreme core-collapse supernovae from massive stars. Gravitational waves (GW) offer a probe of the physics behind long GRBs. We investigate models of long-lived (∼10-1000 s) GW emission associated with the accretion disk of a collapsed star or with its protoneutron star remnant. Using data from LIGO's fifth science run, and GRB triggers from the Swift experiment, we perform a search for unmodeled long-lived GW transients. Finding no evidence of GW emission, we place 90% confidence-level upper limits on the GW fluence at Earth from long GRBs for three waveforms inspired by a …

Innovative Thinking

News Releases

No abstract provided.

2013 Fall Commencement Program: Winona State University, Winona State University

WSU Commencement Programs

This is the Winona State University Fall 2013 commencement program. Commencement was on Friday, December 13, 2013.

[2013-12-13] Meeting Of The Finance, Investment And Property Committee, Virginia Commonwealth University. Board Of Visitors

VCU Board of Visitors Minutes

Official minutes of the VCU Board of Visitors and its Executive Committee.

Board Of Trustees Minutes, December 13, 2013, Coastal Carolina University

Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

Optical Conductivity Of Nodal Metals, C. C. Homes, J. J. Tu, J. Li, G. D. Gu, A. Akrap

Publications and Research

Fermi liquid theory is remarkably successful in describing the transport and optical properties of metals; at frequencies higher than the scattering rate, the optical conductivity adopts the well-known power law behavior σ1(ω) ∝ ω−2. We have observed an unusual non-Fermi liquid response σ1(ω) ∝ ω−1±0.2 in the ground states of several cuprate and iron-based materials which undergo electronic or magnetic phase transitions resulting in dramatically reduced or nodal Fermi surfaces. The identification of an inverse (or fractional) power-law behavior in the residual optical conductivity now permits the removal of this contribution, revealing the direct transitions across the gap and allowing …

Executive Committee, December 13, 2013, Coastal Carolina University

Board of Trustees Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Full-Annular Pressure Pulses On Axial Turbine Performance, Mark H. Fernelius

Theses and Dissertations

Pulse detonation engines show potential to increase the efficiency of conventional gas turbine engines if used in place of the steady combustor. However, since the interaction of pressure pulses with the turbine is not yet well understood, a rig was built to compare steady flow with pulsing flow. Compressed air is used in place of combustion gases and pressure pulses are created by rotating a ball valve with a motor. This work accomplishes two main objectives that are different from previous research in this area. First, steady flow through an axial turbine is compared with full annular pulsed flow closely …

An Experimental Analysis Of The Weighted Sum Of Spatial Gradients Minimization Quantity In Active Structural Acoustic Control Of Vibrating Plates, Daniel R. Hendricks

Theses and Dissertations

Active Structural Acoustic Control (ASAC) is a subcategory of the more widely known field of Active Noise control (ANC). ASAC is different from traditional ANC methods because it seeks to attenuate noise by altering the noise producing structure instead of altering the acoustic waves traveling through the air. The greatest challenge currently facing ASAC researchers is that a suitable parameter has not yet been discovered which can be easily implemented as the minimization quantity in the control algorithms. Many parameters have been tried but none effectively attenuate the sound radiation in a way that can be easily implemented. A new …

Fall Commencement Ceremonies, University Of North Florida

Commencement Printed Materials

Program for the Fall Commencement ceremonies.

Isn't It Grand?

News Releases

No abstract provided.

Social Marketing And California High-Speed Rail: A Framework For Behavioral Change Towards Sustainability, Spenser Dill

Master's Projects and Capstones

In this analytical paper, I advocate for the use of social marketing techniques in a campaign targeted towards Central Valley communities with the primary objective of reducing this population’s opposition to the state’s High-Speed Rail project. A secondary objective is to use this strategy to promote positive attitudes towards sustainable practices in general. The goal is to stimulate a change in regional culture, which will support the behavioral changes needed to protect California’s natural resources and reduce our state’s contribution to climate change. I argue: 1) creating a sustainable transit infrastructure with high-speed rail as its centerpiece will reduce harmful …

Savage, Andrew Curran

Theses

"Savage" is a stop-motion, animated graduate thesis film. It was originally conceived as a story about the perils of socially constructed reality. The film follows a feral boy and his dog as they go hunting to close to civilization. One day the two come upon a farm and it is their undoing.

This film was made using traditional stop motion techniques, with the assistance of Dragon Stop Motion Software. The post work, mainly rig removal was done in After Effects and Photoshop.

The following is an attempt to outline my process from concept to completion.

Export Controls: A Contemporary History, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Provides highlights of my recently published book Export Controls: A Contemporary History. Describes the roles played by multiple U.S. Government agencies and congressional oversight committees in this policymaking arena including the Commerce, Defense, State, and Treasury Departments. It also reviews the roles played by international government organizations such as the Missile Technology Control Regime, export oriented businesses, and research intensive universities.

Coordinating Job Release Dates With Workdays: A Job Shop Application To Utilities Field Service Scheduling, Ryan Lawrence Pelkey

Dissertations and Theses

A local utility company processes a variety of jobs each day including meter reading, service shut-offs, emergency response, and customer service work. For the Company, a specific workflow begins with automated meter-reading (AMR) and ends with collections/service shut-offs (CSOs) for accounts with excessively late payments (AMR-CSO workflow). There are considerable and systemic sources of variability in both the workload and resource demands of the AMR-CSO workflow including order arrival, order release schedules, order batch-sizing and maintenance scheduling.

This project draws on theory from the job-shop problem to explore possible means to mitigate this variability. We hypothesized that controlling various forms …

State V. Guardiola Respondent's Brief 1 Dckt. 40780

Not Reported

No abstract provided.

Lines, Sines, And Wallabies: The Dynamic Landscape Of A Regional Centromere, Laura E. Hall

Doctoral Dissertations

Archival abstract submitted

Engineering Analysis Of Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair, Thuy Pham

Doctoral Dissertations

Surgical treatment for severe functional MR often involves mitral annuloplasty to improve leaflet apposition and ultimately downsize the dilated mitral valve. However, the high rate of operative mortalities of up to 6 ~12% have limited the more expanded use of this procedure. Recently, minimally invasive percutaneous transvenous mitral annuloplasty (PTMA) approaches using entirely catheter-based methods have been developed to reduce procedural morbidity and mortality. One of the approaches is to utilize the proximal location of the coronary sinus (CS) to the mitral annulus (MA) to percutaneously deploy a PTMA device within CS vessel. When the device contracts, it indirectly reshapes …

Interactions Of Peptide Triazole Thiols With Env Gp120 Induce Irreversible Breakdown And Inactivation Of Hiv-1 Virions, Arangassery Bastian, Mark Contarino, Lauren D. Bailey, Rachna Aneja, Diogo Rodrigo Magalhaes Moreira, Kevin Freedman, Karyn Mcfadden, Caitlin Duffy, Ali Emileh

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: We examined the underlying mechanism of action of the peptide triazole thiol, KR13 that has been shown previously to specifically bind gp120, block cell receptor site interactions and potently inhibit HIV-1 infectivity.

Results: KR13, the sulfhydryl blocked KR13b and its parent non-sulfhydryl peptide triazole, HNG156, induced gp120 shedding but only KR13 induced p24 capsid protein release. The resulting virion post virolysis had an altered morphology, contained no gp120, but retained gp41 that bound to neutralizing gp41 antibodies. Remarkably, HIV-1 p24 release by KR13 was inhibited by enfuvirtide, which blocks formation of the gp41 6-helix bundle during membrane fusion, while …

Mechanistic Studies Of Bimolecular Electron Transfer Self-Exchange Rates Of Ruthenium Ammine Pyridyl Complexes Measured By Nmr Line Broadening Techniques, Yishun Qin

Master's Theses

The electron transfer (ET) self-exchange rates on a series of complexes of (NH₃)₅Ru^II/III L^2+/3+ in D₂O (where L is a substituted pyridyl ligand) were investigated by dynamic NMR measurements. Significant rate enhancement was observed for the cases of L = 3-phenylpyridine and 4-phenylpridine due to possible π-π stacking between Phpy ligands. These observations matche well with recent stopped-flow work by Mehmood on a similar set of related pseudo-self exchange reactions. Kinetics of the (NH₃)₅Ru^II/III (3-trifluoromethylpyridine)^2+/3+ self-exchange reactions with addition of various simple/complex salts and hexacyano salts …

Land Grabs And Implications On Food Sovereignty And Social Justice In Senegal, Joanna Lafrancesca

Master's Theses

This thesis focuses on the case study of Senegal to examine the implications of large- scale land acquisitions on the livelihoods of small-scale farmers. I investigate the diverse perspectives of market enthusiasts, human rights organizations, peasants, the state, and international financial organizations on large-scale land acquisitions. Based on primary research, I argue that the state of Senegal plays an active role in permitting “land grabs” and that they pose a threat to food sovereignty among Senegalese host communities. Lastly, I argue there needs to be a broader understanding of long-term consequences and risks to insure social justice in areas affected …

Significance Of The D-Serine-Deaminase And D-Serine Metabolism Of Staphylococcus Saprophyticus For Virulence, Miriam Korte-Berwanger, Turkan Sakinc, Kimberly Kline, Hailyn V. Nielsen, Scott Hultgren, Soren G. Gatermann

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Groundwater Age At The Shiprock, Nm Umtrca Site, Bryan Lawlis

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

The Shiprock Disposal Site is located in Shiprock, NM and was the site of the former Navajo Mill, a uranium and vanadium ore processing facility. The site occupies approximately 230 acres on a terrace overlooking the San Juan River and its adjacent flood plain. Uranium and Vanadium were extracted from ores mined from various locations from 1954 through 1968. The contaminants of this leaching process percolated into the groundwater on the terrace and the floodplain. The remediation of the Navajo mill site was recommended by the EPA in 1974. The Department of Energy (DOE) completed the Shiprock Uranium Mill Tailings …

Molecular Evolution Of Protein-Rna Mimicry As A Mechanism For Translational Control, Assaf Katz, Lindsey Solden, S. Betty Zou, William Wiley Navarre, Michael Ibba

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Elongation factor P (EF-P) is a conserved ribosome-binding protein that structurally mimics tRNA to enable the synthesis of peptides containing motifs that otherwise would induce translational stalling, including polyproline. In many bacteria, EF-P function requires post-translational modification with (R)-β-lysine by the lysyl-tRNA synthetase paralog PoxA. To investigate how recognition of EF-P by PoxA evolved from tRNA recognition by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, we compared the roles of EF-P/PoxA polar contacts with analogous interactions in a closely related tRNA/synthetase complex. PoxA was found to recognize EF-P solely via identity elements in the acceptor loop, the domain of the protein that interacts with the …

Algorithms For Multisample Reads Binning, Gabriel S.I. Ilie

Master's Theses

Metatranscriptomics is the study of gene expression levels in uncultured microbial communities sampled directly from their environment. In cultured microbes, the sequencing data comes from a single clone, making assembly and annotation tractable. However, in metatranscriptomics, the data comes from communities with diverse microbial compositions, possibly containing thousands of species. The assembly of transcripts from these complex samples represents a serious computational challenge. The development of genome-independent methods is essential because of the lack of trusted reference genomes that can be used to guide the assembly process. The predominant assembly formalism used for short-read datasets is the de Bruijn graph. …

December Agenda, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Meeting agenda.

Meeting Minutes, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Meeting minutes.

Mapping Eastern Europe: Cartography And Art History, Katarzyna Murawska-Muthesius

Artl@s Bulletin

This paper compares maps of Eastern Europe, beginning from the map of Slavic lands by Josef Pavol Šafárik of 1842, and it claims that cartographic imagery has played a significant role in the legitimisation of the region’s collective identity. It argues that the adoption the map as a tool of art history, in order to spatialise and quantify the understanding of art, cannot bypass the postmodern critique of the map. It reflects on the overlap between the approaches and methods of critical cartography and critical art history, as well as on the mutual benefits of the visual turn in cartography …