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Two-Dimensional Transient Spectroscopy Measuring Heterogeneity In Electronic And Rotational Dynamics, Haorui Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple population-period transient spectroscopy (MUPPETS) is a picosecond, time resolved experiment that uses a sequence of six laser pulses. It was previously known that MUPPETS could measure heterogeneity in electronic-state decay. This dissertation presents two projects that extend MUPPETS to new processes. One process is the extension from 2-level system into 3-level system, another new process extends the kinetics from electronic decay to rotational decay. In addition, a third, ongoing project on rotational dynamics in ionic liquids will also be discussed briefly. The first project consisted of two main parts. The first part focused on the biexciton decay in semiconductor …

A Multiphysics Modeling Of Solid Oxide Metal-Air Redox Battery, Md Ahsan Uddin

Theses and Dissertations

Cost-effective and large scale energy storage is essential for the growth of the future’s ‘‘green energy’’ infrastructure. Among the energy storage technologies currently being used, rechargeable batteries represent a class of advanced electrical energy storage (EES) mechanisms that can be valuable for the future renewable integration and smart grid. Rechargeable batteries have innumerous advantages over the conventional pumped hydro and compressed-air energy storage system. Now days, There are various types of rechargeable batteries available to work as an energy storage device in a smart grid but it still needs many breakthroughs to become commercially viable for stationary energy storage. First …

Investigating Construct Validity Of The Cyber--Peer Experiences Questionnaire, Kendall Moore

Theses and Dissertations

With electronic technology becoming increasingly important in all aspects of modern life, traditional forms of relating with others have crossed into the cyber realm. Within that context, both positive and negative aspects of relational behavior have advanced in ways still largely underexplored in the research literature. One such area, termed “cyberaggression,” has recently gained momentum as a research focus. Given the numerous mental health sequelae from being involved in cyberaggression, such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation, there is a clear and compelling need for more research in this area. To date, however, there remains little consensus on the conceptualization …

Exploring Listwise Deletion And Multilevel Multiple Imputation In Linear Two-Level Organizational Models, Whitney Flemming Smiley

Theses and Dissertations

Problems of missing data are pervasive in social science research. Because of this, researchers have begun to use techniques after data collection to deal with missing data, including traditional methods (i.e. listwise deletion, pairwise deletion, and single imputation procedures) and modern procedures (i.e. multiple imputation and full information maximum likelihood). In the past, several organizations and researchers have warned that traditional missing data techniques (MDTs) can introduce bias into parameter estimates, and can result in a loss of statistical power (e.g., Becker & Powers, 2001; Wilkinson & the APA Task Force on Statistical Inference, 1999). However, previous research has shown …

Applications Of Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy For Forensic Analysis, Zhenyu Lu

Theses and Dissertations

Blood stains, which are among the traces encountered most frequently at crime scenes, are important for potential extraction and amplification of DNA for suspect identification, as well for spatter pattern analysis to reveal a sequence of events. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was used in detection of blood stains and age estimation because of signature absorbances in the mid-infrared region at 3300 cm-1 (Amide A), 2800-3000 cm-1 (Amide B), ~1650 cm-1 (Amide I), ~1540 cm-1 (Amide II) ,and 1200-1350 cm-1 (Amide III). Position and intensity shifts for amide peaks were observed due to aging changes occurring as …

Approaching Aromatic Interactions With Small Molecule Model Systems: Assessing N-Heteroarene In ∏ -Stacking And Ch-∏ Interactions, Crystal Engineering Of Atropisomeric Rotors, And Developing Responsive Organic Charge-Transfer Complex, Ping Li

Theses and Dissertations

Non-covalent interactions involving aromatic species are important in many areas in chemistry, biochemistry, and materials sciences. During the past two decades, small molecule model systems have emerged as a powerful tool to advance our knowledge of the stability trends for aromatic interactions in the condensed phase. Among these, the Cshape N-arylimide molecular balances developed by our laboratory have proven to be one most successful and versatile model systems that can be readily adapted to investigate various types of aromatic interactions. These molecular balances are particularly apt at isolating and accurately measuring the targeted weak aromatic interaction energies for different geometries. …

Sustainable Polymeric Materials Derived From Novel Soybean Based Monomers And Polymers: From Synthesis To Applications, Nathan Trenor

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, monomers and polymers derived from high oleic soybean oil are investigated. The properties of these monomers and polymeric materials are characterized and discussed. Chapter 1 describes an overall background of bio-based resources, monomers, polymers, and their potential impact on society. Polymerization techniques are introduced, and the overall objective of my research is described. Chapter 2 outlines the large scale preparation of a soybean based monomer and the use of this monomer in thermoset elastomers. The synthetic procedures and characterizations of the monomers and polymers are discussed. A model study using oleic acid is described and proved to …

Novel Block Copolymer Architectures For Lithography-Relevant Self-Assembly, Jeffery Hakim Hayat

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is focused on the synthesis, characterization, self-assembly, and materials processing of various functionalized block copolymer systems. A variety of monomers were prepared and polymerized through various polymerization techniques including atom transfer radical polymerization, reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization, and ring-opening metathesis polymerization. Self-assembly of the functionalized block copolymers led to well-defined nanostructures in bulk and thin films. These materials have the capability to be utilized in various applications including ordered catalysts and templates for nanolithography. In Chapter 1, the overall background of diblock and triblock copolymers and their preparation methods is in this dissertation. Major research objectives of …

Frank Martin's Arranged Works For Flute: Sonata Da Chiesa And Deuxieme Ballade, Jessica Dixon Leeth

Theses and Dissertations

The Swiss composer Frank Martin (1890-1974) wrote three major works for flute—Ballade for flute and piano, Sonata da Chiesa for flute and organ, and Deuxième Ballade for flute and piano. Of these, both the Sonata da Chiesa and Deuxième Ballade were arrangements of two of his previously written works, Sonata da Chiesa for viola d’amore and organ and Ballade for saxophone and piano (or string orchestra, piano, and percussion), respectively. Martin wrote both works in their original versions in 1938, a time in his career when he realized his true individual style, embracing the chromaticism of twelve-tone serialism while maintaining …

Supramolecular Coordination Networks Of S- And F-Block Metals Featuring The 1,8-Naphthalimide Tecton, Andrew Paul Leitner

Theses and Dissertations

The reactions of (S)-2-(1,8-naphthalimido)propanoic acid (HLala), and (S)-2-(1,8- naphthalimido)-3-hydroxypropanoic acid (HLser), protonated forms of ligands that contain a carboxylate donor group, an enantiopure chiral center and a 1,8-naphthalimide π...π stacking supramolecular tecton and in the case of HLser an alcohol functional group, with the appropriate alkali metal hydroxide followed by a variety of crystallization methods leads to the formation of crystalline K(Lala)(MeOH) (1), K(Lala)(H2O) (2), Na(Lala)(H2O) (3), KLser (4), CsLser (5) and CsLala (6). Each of these new complexes has a solid state structure based on six-coordinate metals linked into homochiral helical rod SBU central cores. In addition to the …

Fast Methods For Variable-Coefficient Peridynamic And Non-Local Diffusion Models, Che Wang

Theses and Dissertations

In previous studies, scientists developed the classical solid mechanic theory. The model has been widely used in scientific research and practical production. The main assumption of the classical theory of solid mechanics is that all internal forces act through zero distance. Because of this assumption, the mathematical model always leads to partial differential equations, which meet with problems when describing the spontaneous formation of discontinuities and other singularities. A peridynamic model was proposed as a reformation of solid mechanics [40, 41, 43, 44, 45], which leads to a non-local framework that does not explicitly involve the notion of deformation gradients, …

The Relationship Between The Faculty's Perception Of The Principal's Instructional Leadership Behavior And Principal Personality Characteristic, W. Burke Royster Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Significant research has been conducted into the relationship of the school principal to the success of the school program. This success is often measured by metrics that assess the academic accomplishments of the school’s students. The value of quality leadership is effectively summarized by an observation made more than 30 years ago from High School: A Report on Secondary Education in America. The author of that report, Ernest Boyer, concluded that in schools where achievement is high and there exists a feeling of community, it is found without exception that the principal made the difference (Boyer, 1983).

There is a …

Empirical Connections Between The Construct Of Value, The Quality Of Stability, And The Construct Of Regret, William Samuel Morris Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The term value is a psychological construct frequently used in the social sciences. This research addresses the issue of stability of ratings of perceived value of participants for monetary, tangible, and intangible items that cross contexts. Also elucidated is the relationship of value to regret. Hypothesis one stated that value would be stable across time and different rating conditions. Forty-four participants rated the value of 72 stimulus items at two time points and in different contexts. Paired samples t-tests indicated 28 participants had no statistical difference in scores. Twenty-eight scores out of 44, when applied to a binomial test, indicates …

Guided Wave Based Integrated Structural Health Monitoring And Nondestructive Evaluation, Zhenhua Tian

Theses and Dissertations

Damage detection and health monitoring are critical for ensuring the structural safety in various fields, such as aerospace, civil and nuclear engineering. Structural health monitoring (SHM) performs online nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and can predict the structural remaining life through appropriate diagnosis and prognosis technologies. Among various SHM/NDE technologies, guided ultrasonic waves have shown great potential for fast and large area SHM/NDE, due to their sensitivity to small defects and capability to propagate long distances. Recent advances in guided wave based SHM/NDE technologies have demonstrated the feasibility of detecting damage in simple structures such as metallic plates and pipes. However, there …

Comparing The Geography Of Environmental Justice Guidelines, Fish Consumption Waterbodies, And Land Use/Land Cover In South Carolina, Matthew James Neet

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental justice (EJ) grew out of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, as well as grass roots organizations during the 1980s and early 1990s. However, it was not until President William J. Clinton signed Executive Order (EO) 12898 in 1994 that EJ became an official governmental policy. With this directive, federal agencies made EJ part of their daily operations. EO 12898 had two overriding goals, the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all populations. As part of these goals, minority, low-income, and native populations would be analyzed for any disproportionate and adverse impacts on human or environmental health. Despite …

Modeling, Simulation, And Applications Of Fractional Partial Differential Equations, Wilson Cheung

Theses and Dissertations

The Black-Scholes model is commonly used to track the price of European options with respect to maturity in many financial markets. This model degenerates into a partial differential equation that relates the European-style option price to the underlying price and time of expiry. Black-Scholes assumes that underlying prices satisfy a geometric Brownian motion.

After the U.S. stock market crash of 1987, this assumption becomes inaccurate as it fails to represent the behavior of S&P 500 European vanilla option prices. Specifically, under the measure of moneyness, the volatility smirk does not flatten out and the resulting conditional return distribution does not …

The Performance Of Random Prototypes In Hierarchical Models Of Vision, Kendall Lee Stewart

Dissertations and Theses

I investigate properties of HMAX, a computational model of hierarchical processing in the primate visual cortex. High-level cortical neurons have been shown to respond highly to particular natural shapes, such as faces. HMAX models this property with a dictionary of natural shapes, called prototypes, that respond to the presence of those shapes. The resulting set of similarity measurements is an effective descriptor for classifying images. Curiously, prior work has shown that replacing the dictionary of natural shapes with entirely random prototypes has little impact on classification performance. This work explores that phenomenon by studying the performance of random prototypes on …

A Statistical Approach For Optimizing Parameters For Electrodeposition Of Indium (Iii) Sulfide Films, Potential Low-Hazard Buffer Layers For Photovoltaic Applications, Maqsood Ali Mughal

Student Theses and Dissertations

Clean and environmentally friendly technologies are centralizing industry focus towards obtaining long term solutions to many large-scale problems such as energy demand, pollution, and environmental safety. Thin film solar cell (TFSC) technology has emerged as an impressive photovoltaic (PV) technology to create clean energy from fast production lines with capabilities to reduce material usage and energy required to manufacture large area panels, hence, lowering the costs. Today, cost ($/kWh) and toxicity are the primary challenges for all PV technologies. In that respect, electrodeposited indium sulfide (In2S3) films are proposed as an alternate to hazardous cadmium sulfide (CdS) films, commonly used …

Elliott Carter’S March: An Applicable Analysis, Troy W. Palmer

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis, in summation, can be divided into two parts. The first half focuses on the story of Eight Pieces for Four Timpani, composed by Elliott Carter and published in 1968. Both its compositional and performance history are addressed. The compositional history starts with the writing of the first version of Carter’s music, Six Pieces for Kettledrums, written in 1950; next, the revision process is addressed, including the actual revisions seen in March. The performance history consists of a study done to determine which piece from the Eight Pieces is the most performed piece; to the author’s …

Spectroscopy And Chemometrics For Cultural Heritage And Forensics: Conservation Of Magnetic Tape By Identifying Degraded Polymer Signatures; And Characterizing The Chemiluminescent Reaction Of Luminol With Blood, Brianna Marie Cassidy

Theses and Dissertations

The first half of this manuscript focuses on the identification of degraded magnetic tape using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and multivariate statistics. For several decades before the digital era, magnetic tape was the dominant audio and visual recording medium. A majority of magnetic tapes contain polyester urethane (PEU) binders, which are known to degrade via hydrolysis, making the retrieval of recorded data difficult and at times impossible. Degraded tapes are currently identified through visual inspection followed by playback on vintage equipment. However, if degraded tapes are played, they are likely to stick and shed onto player …

Wavelet Analysis Of Periodic Error In Heterodyne Interferometry, Chao Lu

Theses and Dissertations

Heterodyne displacement measuring interferometry provides important metrology for applications requiring high resolution and accuracy. Heterodyne Michelson interferometers use a two-frequency laser source and separate the two optical frequencies into one fixed length and one variable length path via polarization. Ideally these two beams are linearly polarized and orthogonal so that only one frequency is directed toward each path. An interference signal is obtained by recombining the light from the two paths; this results in a measurement signal at the heterodyne (split) frequency of the laser source. This measurement signal is compared to the optical reference signal. Motion in the measurement …

Defining The Effects Of Gdf-2 On TgfB Signaling In Tumorigenic Epithelial Cells, Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer cells can be viewed as such cells, which have disrupted/aberrant signaling pathways for maintaining cellular homoeostasis. Identifying such altered signaling mechanisms can help us target these pathways in a better way. GDF-2 (Growth and differentiation factor – 2) or BMP9 (Bone morphogenetic protein – 9), a multifunctional cytokine, is a member of the Bone Morphogenetic Protein subfamily, under TGFβ superfamily, with roles distinct from BMP2/4/7. While GDF-2 is known to be one of the most potent ectopic inducers of bone and cartilage formation, it rose to significance with the identification of its receptor ALK1 in endothelial cells. TGFβ’s role …

Numerical And Experimental Investigations Of Dam And Levee Failure, Ezzat Youssef Elhassan Mohamed Elalfy

Theses and Dissertations

Both numerical and experimental investigations are conducted to study the failure of earthen dams and levees. Boussinesq equations describing one-dimensional unsteady flow including non-hydrostatic pressure distribution are solved numerically along with Exner equation for the sediment mass conservation to include the effects of the streamline curvature on the failure of non-cohesive earthen embankments. In addition, the effects of the steep bottom slope on the flow variables during the failure are studied by solving the Saint- Venant equations modified for steep bed slope along with the Exner equation to simulate non-cohesive earthen embankment failure due to overtopping. The Boussinesq equations are …

Effect Of Electrical Stimulation On Muscle Recruitment As It Relates To Maximal Voluntary Contraction, Kelly Stratton

Master's Theses

Regeneration of complex muscle tissue, particularly at the interface between distinct tissue types such as muscle and tendon, remains an intricate and challenging issue. One approach recommended for regeneration is electrical stimulation (ES), which involves delivering an electrical pulse into the body to induce muscle contraction. Despite its well-documented effectiveness in both clinical rehabilitation and tissue engineering, little is known in terms of monitoring direct muscle response to stimulation. The recruitment mechanism for muscular contraction with stimulation is unclear, and to understand the muscle capabilities, it is necessary to filter out the electrical stimulation pulses from electromyographic (EMG) muscle activity, …

Identity, Critical Agency, And Engineering Majors: An Affective Model For Predicting Engineering As A Career Choice., Allison Godwin, Geoff Potvin, Zahra Hazari, Robynne Lock

School of Engineering Education Faculty Publications

Prior to college, many students do not have experience with engineering, but some ultimately choose an engineering career. Additionally, women choose engineering at lower rates than men, which results in women’s underrepresentation. The framework of critical engineering agency (CEA) is utilized to understand student attitudes and beliefs for choosing engineering. We investigate the relationships among students’ math and physics identities in high school that predict choice of engineering careers; how students’ beliefs about science and technology predict a choice of engineering careers; whether these beliefs are different by gender; and how well CEA explains students’ engineering choice. The data were …

Nmr Studies Of Solvent-Free Ceramic Composite Polymer Electrolytes—A Brief Review, Marc B. Berman, Steven Greenbaum

Publications and Research

Polyether-based polymer electrolytes containing ceramic inorganic oxide fillers often exhibit improved mechanical and ion transport properties compared to their filler-free counterparts. The nature of local scale interactions that give rise to these enhanced properties is explored by nuclear magnetic resonance measurements.

Molecules And Metals In The Distant Universe: Sub-Mm And Optical Spectroscopy Of Quasar Absorbers, Sean Stephen Morrison

Theses and Dissertations

In order to gain a complete understanding of galaxy formation and evolution, knowledge of the atomic and molecular gas in the interstellar medium (ISM) is required. Absorption-line spectroscopy of quasars offers a powerful and luminosity independent probe of gas in distant galaxies. The Damped Lyman- systems (DLAs; 20.3 . log NHI ), are the highest neutral hydrogen column density quasar absorbers and contain a substantial fraction of the neutral gas available for star formation in the high-redshift Universe. This thesis presents a study of the metal content in some DLAs, based on optical spectroscopy, and a search for molecules based …

Hydroxy Polybenzimidazoles For High Temperature Fuel Cells And The Solution Polymerization Of Polybenzimidazole, Kayley Fishel

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, two different hompolymers of polybenzimidazole (PBI) containing hydroxyl functional units were synthesized via the PPA Process to produce gel membranes. These polymers and their phosphoric acid doped membranes were characterized to further explore structure-property relationships in functionalized PBI's. Fuel cell performance of the doped membranes was evaluated and compared to previously reported PBI membrane chemistries. Copolymers of p-OH PBI and para-PBI were prepared at five different copolymer compositions to examine the effects of hydroxy content on membrane properties and compared to the respective homopolymers. The reactivity of the hydroxy groups and the formation of phosphate bridges were …

Optical Spectroscopy And Chemometrics For Discrimination Of Dyed Textile Fibers And Magnetic Audio Tapes, Nathan C. Fuenffinger

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the application of both novel and standard chemometric approaches toward societal problems of interest in the areas of forensic science and cultural heritage preservation. Microspectrophotometry (MSP), a technique enabling measurements of absorption of electromagnetic radiation by microscopic materials in the ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) region, is widely used by forensic examiners for comparisons of metameric textile fibers. These comparisons are often hindered, however, by the raw or normalized spectra showing little detail or having few points of comparison. Derivative preprocessing can enhance structure in some instances. We have demonstrated through the use of multivariate statistics that derivatives are …

Optical Second Harmonic Generation In The Batio3 Phase On Magnetically Aligned Multiferroic Nanofibers, Katia Gasperi

Theses and Dissertations

Multiferroic materials enable the exploration of electrical control of magnetic properties and vice versa. Their increasing interest is especially due to their potential applications in the industry of information storage. Thanks to recent progress in nanotechnology, they have also been found to have many other applications such as transducers and sensors, and they already occupy a unique place in the biomedical field. The objective of this project is to study multiferroic nanofibers made of cobalt ferrite CoFe2O4 (CFO) and barium titanate BaTiO3 (BTO) with a specific focus in the characterization of the ferroelectric phase. We researched the state of knowledge …