Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of Gamma-Modified Atp Analogs To Study Kinase-Catalyzed Phosphorylations, Ahmed Eid Fouda

Wayne State University Dissertations

Kinase-catalyzed protein phosphorylation is one of the most important post-translational modifications that controls cascades of biochemical reactions. Irregularities in phosphorylation result in many diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, Parkinsons, and cancer. The development of new methods to monitor kinase-catalyzed phosphorylation is needed to decipher details of normal and diseased cell signaling. The Pflum lab recently developed several -modified ATP analogs to study kinase catalyzed phosphorylation reactions. The -modified ATP analogs have different tags, such as biotin for substrate labeling or aryl-azide for kinase substrates identification. Unfortunately, use of -modified ATP analogs was limited to in vitro studies due to the …

Some New Combinatorial Formulas For Cluster Monomials Of Type A Quivers, Ba Nguyen

Wayne State University Dissertations

Lots of research focuses on the combinatorics behind various bases of cluster

algebras. This thesis studies the natural basis of a type A cluster algebra, which consists of all cluster monomials. We introduce a new kind of combinatorial formulas for the cluster monomials in terms of globally compatible collections and broken lines. We give bijective proofs of these formulas by comparing with the well-known combinatorial models of the T-paths and of the perfect matchings in a snake diagram.

Ergodicity Of Stochastic Switching Diffusions And Stochastic Delay Systems, Hongwei Mei

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation contains two main parts. The first part focuses on numerical algorithms for approximating the ergodic means of suitable functions of solutions to stochastic differential equations with Markov regime switching. Our main effort is devoted to obtaining the convergence and rates of convergence of the approximation algorithms. The study is carried out by obtaining laws of large numbers and laws of iterated logarithms for numerical approximation to long-run averages of suitable functions of solutions to switching diffusions.

The second part is devoted to stochastic functional differential equations (SFDEs) with infinite delay. This part consists of two main themes. First, …

Math Coaching In Metropolitan Detroit, Monica G. Mcleod

Wayne State University Dissertations

On-going professional development for in-service teachers is critical to efforts to reform schools and increase student achievement. Coaching has been advocated as an approach to meet the conditions of quality professional development, and it has demonstrated a positive impact on student mathematics achievement scores when implemented over multiple years. Ambiguity of title, definition, and role surround coaching, presenting challenges to its execution in schools.

This study proposed a definition of Enacted Math Coaching to help address this ambiguity. As schools throughout Metropolitan Detroit adopt coaching as a component of school reform initiatives, the purpose of this study was to document …

Synthesis Of Apramycin And Paromomycin Derivatives As Potential Next Generation Aminoglycoside Antibiotics And Chemistry Of Isothiocyanato Sialyl Donors, Appi Reddy Mandhapati

Wayne State University Dissertations

AGAs are clinically important antibacterials for human therapy and have long been used as highly potent antibiotics for treating several bacterial infections. The fidelity of protein synthesis is affected by AGAs in the course of binding to specific sites of the bacterial rRNA. The clinical use of AGAs and their applications as therapeutics is restricted by toxicity (irreversible ototoxicity and reversible nephrotoxicity) and by the resistance of pathogens. The objective of this research was the development of proficient AGAs that are less toxic (i.e., more selective) and that evade resistance. The first three chapters of this thesis are aimed towards …

Nano-Structured Electrocatalysts For High Performance Lithium Sulfur Batteries, Negar Mosavati

Wayne State University Dissertations

Ni nanoparticles has been investigated as a carbon-free cathode material for dissolved polysulfide Li-S battery. A series of Ni nanoparticles with nominal particle size of 20, 40, and 100 nm have been used as electrocatalysts, and the effect of particle size on Li-S battery performance has been investigated. In addition, graphene has been chosen as a support to anchor the Ni nanoparticles, and the synergetic effect of carbon material and Ni nanoparticles on Li-S battery electrochemical performance has been studied. The results indicated there is a strong particle size effect. Ni/graphene electrode exhibits a capacity of 753 mAh g-1 sulfur …

Fe3o4 Nanoparticles For Magnetic Hyperthermia And Drug Delivery: Synthesis, Characterization And Cellular Studies, Maheshika Palihawadana Arachchige

Wayne State University Dissertations

In recent years, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), especially superparamagnetic Fe3O4nanoparticles, have attracted a great deal of attention because of their potential applications in biomedicine. Among the other applications, Magnetic hyperthermia (MHT), where localized heating is generated by means of relaxation processes in MNPs when subjected to a radio frequency magnetic field, has a great potential as a non-invasive cancer therapy treatment. Specific absorption rate (SAR), which measures the efficiency of heat generation, depends on magnetic properties of the particles such as saturation magnetization (Ms), magnetic anisotropy (K), particle size distribution, magnetic dipolar interactions, and the rheological properties of the target medium.We …

How Geometric Distortions Scatter Electronic Excitations In Conjugated Macromolecules: Towards Photoinduced Relaxation And Energy Transfer, Tian Shi

Wayne State University Dissertations

The exciton scattering (ES) approach has been developed to study electronic excitations in large branched conjugated molecules. It attributes excited states to standing waves in the quasi-one-dimensional system by assuming a quasi-particle picture of optical excitations. Tight binding models extend capability of the ES approach to investigate the exciton-phonon coupling.

The topological counting method plays a substantial role in constructing tight binding models. It depicts the ES equations as a topological intersection problem. Then, by applying the index theorem, we can get the total number of excited states, which is equal to the number of repeat units plus topological charges …

Electronic Transport In Two-Dimensional Systems In The Quantum Hall Regime, Vinicio Tarquini

Wayne State University Dissertations

The integer and the fractional quantum Hall effects are essential to the exploration of quantum matters characterized by topological phases. A quantum Hall system hosts one-dimensional (1D) chiral edge channels that manifest zero magnetoresistance, dissipationless due to the broken time reversal symmetry, and quantized Hall resistance v h e^2 with v being the topological invariant (or Chern number). The 1-1 correspondence between the conducting gapless edge channels to the gapped incompressible bulk states is a defining character of a topological insulator (TI). Understanding this correspondence in real systems, especially the origin of its robustness (in terms of the limit of …

Novel Approaches For Assessment Of Copper Toxicity: Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry And Optical Bioassays, Annette R. Tremonti

Wayne State University Dissertations

Anthropogenic activities negatively impact fresh water ecosystems through toxic contaminants that are released into the environment. Copper (Cu) is a water contaminant that is fundamentally persistent once introduced into the environment that has the potential for bioaccumulation. Although Cu toxicity has been studied for decades, there is still a continuing problem with new sources and pathways. New approaches are needed to understand distribution and transport of Cu and its potential for complex biological impacts beyond the simple assessment of lethality. Several novel approaches were used in this research project to advance our understanding of Cu toxicity, including fast scan cyclic …

Novel Design And Synthesis Of Structured Iron Oxides For Battery Applications, Jian Zhu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are currently the dominant powder source for personal computers and portable electronics. LIBs also play important roles in larger-scale applications, including electric drive vehicles (EVs, HEVs) and grid-energy storage. To meet the increasing demand for energy storage, it is very urgent and crucial to develop next-generation LIBs using alternative electrode materials. For example, carbon is still exclusively used as anode materials in current LIBs. However, the theoretical capacity of graphite (372 mA h g–1 based on LiC6) has almost been achieved, and it becomes one of the bottlenecks to further increase the energy density of LIBs based …

A Novel, Ultra-Fast Electrochemical Tool To Study Speciation Of Trace Metals In Aqueous Solution, Pavithra Pathirathna

Wayne State University Dissertations

Trace metals play important roles in biological and ecological systems. In biology, trace metals act as catalytic or structural cofactors and regulate biochemical processes. In the environment, natural and anthropogenic sources of trace metals mobilized into natural waters where they can create harmful and persistent pollution. Trace metal chemistry in physiological and environmental systems can fluctuate rapidly which makes it difficult to clearly define trace metals’ roles in these systems with traditional analytical methods. Furthermore, these systems are often chemically harsh and physically delicate (e.g. the brain), factors that add to the challenge of analysis in real systems. Fast scan …

Force Field Development With Gomc A Fast New Monte Carlo Molecular Simulation Code, Jason Richard Mick

Wayne State University Dissertations

In this work GOMC (GPU Optimized Monte Carlo) a new fast, flexible, and free molecular Monte Carlo code for the simulation atomistic chemical systems is presented. The results of a large Lennard-Jonesium simulation in the Gibbs ensemble is presented. Force fields developed using the code are also presented. To fit the models a quantitative fitting process is outlined using a scoring function and heat maps. The presented n-6 force fields include force fields for noble gases and branched alkanes. These force fields are shown to be the most accurate LJ or n-6 force fields to date for these compounds, capable …

Reimaginando A Bolívar En La Cultura Latinoamericana, Eglee Teresa Rodriguez-Bravo

Wayne State University Dissertations

Since the nineteenth century, the phenomenon of nation-building in Venezuelan society has focused on finding a figure such as Simón Bolívar, who could represent the birth of the nation and the liberal values that the Creole society–Creole refers to people of European stock born in the Spanish colonies–embraced after succeeding in the Emancipation movements. Simón Bolívar plays a central role in the construction of Venezuelan national identity, as well as that of Colombia and other Andean nations. Venezuelan society–the masses and the elite–is devoted to Bolívar’s cult. However, in the 1960s historical practice evolved from “great men” stories to what …

Graphs With The Strong Havel-Hakimi Property, Michael D. Barrus, Grant Molnar

Mathematics Faculty Publications

The Havel–Hakimi algorithm iteratively reduces the degree sequence of a graph to a list of zeroes. As shown by Favaron, Mahéo, and Saclé, the number of zeroes produced, known as the residue, is a lower bound on the independence number of the graph. We say that a graph has the strong Havel–Hakimi property if in each of its induced subgraphs, deleting any vertex of maximum degree reduces the degree sequence in the same way that the Havel–Hakimi algorithm does. We characterize graphs having this property (which include all threshold and matrogenic graphs) in terms of minimal forbidden induced subgraphs. We …

Lazy Cops And Robbers Played On Random Graphs And Graphs On Surfaces, Deepak Bal, Anthony Bonato, William B. Kinnersley, Paweł Prałat

Mathematics Faculty Publications

We consider a variant of the game of Cops and Robbers, called Lazy Cops and Robbers, where at most one cop can move in any round. The lazy cop number is the analogue of the usual cop number for this game. Lazy Cops and Robbers was recently introduced by Offner and Ojakian, who provided asymptotic upper and lower bounds on the analogue of the cop number of the hypercube. By investigating expansion properties, we provide asymptotically almost sure bounds on the lazy cop number of binomial random graphs G(n, p) for a wide range of p …

Domination Game: A Proof Of The 3/5-Conjecture For Graphs With Minimum Degree At Least Two, Michael A. Henning, William B. Kinnersley

Mathematics Faculty Publications

In the domination game on the graph G, the players Dominator and Staller alternately select vertices of G. Each vertex chosen must strictly increase the number of vertices dominated. This process eventually produces a dominating set of G; Dominator aims to minimize the size of this set, while Staller aims to maximize it. The size of the dominating set produced under optimal play is the game domination number of G, denoted by γg(G).

In this paper, we prove that γg(G) ≤ 2n/3 for every n-vertex isolate-free graph G. When G has …

To Catch A Falling Robber, William B. Kinnersley, Paweł Prałat, Douglas B. West

Mathematics Faculty Publications

We consider a Cops-and-Robber game played on the subsets of an n-set. The robber starts at the full set; the cops start at the empty set. In each round, each cop moves up one level by gaining an element, and the robber moves down one level by discarding an element. The question is how many cops are needed to ensure catching the robber when the robber reaches the middle level. Alan Hill posed the problem and provided a lower bound of 2^n/2 for even n and (ⁿ_[n/2])2^-[n/2] (which is …

The Game Saturation Number Of A Graph, James M. Carraher, William B. Kinnersley, Benjamin Reiniger, Douglas B. West

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Given a family F and a host graph H, a graph G ⊆ H is F-saturated relative to H if no subgraph of G lies in F but adding any edge from E(H) - E(G) to G creates such a subgraph. In the F-saturation game on H, players Max and Min alternately add edges of H to G, avoiding subgraphs in F, until G becomes F-saturated relative to H. They aim to maximize or minimize the length of the game, respectively; sat_g(F;H …

A Mechanical Investigation Of Second Order Homogeneous Dynamic Equations On A Time Scale, Jacob E. Fischer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This thesis covers the basic aspects of time scale calculus, a branch of mathematics combining the theories of differential equations and difference equations. Using the properties of time scale calculus we analyze a second order homogeneous dynamic equation with constant coefficients, in particular, y ∆∆ − 1 6 y ∆ + 1 8 y = 0. Following the analysis, this problem will be graphically evaluated using Marshall University’s Differential Analyzer, affectionately named Art. A differential analyzer is a machine that mechanically integrates by way of related rates of rotating rods. The process for making the jump between intervals on a …

Identification Of The Metabolic Enzyme Involved Morusin Metabolism And Characterization Of Its Metabolites By Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatogaphy Quadrupole Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (Uplc/Q-Tof-Ms/Ms), Xianbao Shi, Brianna Mackie, Gang Zhang, Shuman Yang, Yonggui Song, Dan Su, Yali Liu, Lina Shan

Pharmacology and Toxicology Publications

Morusin, the important active component of a traditional Chinese medicine, Morus alba L., has been shown to exhibit many vital pharmacological activities. In this study, six recombinant CYP450 supersomes and liver microsomes were used to perform metabolic studies. Chemical inhibition studies and screening assays with recombinant human cytochrome P450s were also used to characterize the CYP450 isoforms involved in morusin metabolism. The morusin metabolites identified varied greatly among different species. Eight metabolites of morusin were detected in the liver microsomes from pigs (PLMs), rats (RLMs), and monkeys (MLMs) by LC-MS/MS and six metabolites were detected in the liver microsomes from …

Ashton, Bekins, And Necessity: Why Chapter 9 Is Constitutional, But Not The Only Way For Municipalities To Adjust Their Debts, Aaron Michael Dmiszewicki

University of Miami Business Law Review

The 1930s saw the nation in crisis, steeped in the worst of the Great Depression. In 1936, over 2,000 municipalities, counties, and other governmental units, in 41 of the 48 states, were known to be in default. In response to this crisis, Congress amended the Bankruptcy Act in 1934 and passed the first municipal bankruptcy statute. Shortly thereafter, the Supreme Court struck it down. Undeterred, Congress passed another municipal bankruptcy statute in 1937, which was almost identical to the previously invalidated law. In 1938, the Supreme Court, now stocked with Roosevelt-appointed New Deal sympathizers, upheld the law.

However, the latter …

Etec 214.50: Energy Storage And Distribution Systems, Bradley E. Layton

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Ling 270s.01: Introduction To Linguistics, Mizuki Miyashita

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Open Polar Server (Ops)—An Open Source Infrastructure For The Cryosphere Community, Weibo Liu, Kyle Purdon, Trey Stafford, John Paden, Xingong Li

Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies: Publications

The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas has collected approximately 1000 terabytes (TB) of radar depth sounding data over the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets since 1993 in an effort to map the thickness of the ice sheets and ultimately understand the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. In addition to data collection, the storage, management, and public distribution of the dataset are also primary roles of the CReSIS. The Open Polar Server (OPS) project developed a free and open source infrastructure to store, manage, analyze, and distribute the data collected …

1-65-S-Algal Blooms: Algal Blooms Threatening Lake Chapala, R. Corban Harwood

Faculty Publications - Department of Mathematics

This modeling scenario investigates the massive algal blooms that struck Lake Chapala, Mexico, starting in 1994. After reading a summary of articles written on the incidents, students are guided through the process of creating a first order differential equation from a verbal model of the factors and analyze the nonautonomous ODE using direction field, parameter evaluation, and exact solution computation to fully describe the population behavior. Students are expected to be familiar with the separable method and direction fields. Students will learn building and improving a model from qualitative descriptions, nondimensionalization, evaluating parameters, and how to use DFIELD software to …

Oscillation-Free Method For Semilinear Diffusion Equations Under Noisy Initial Conditions, R. Corban Harwood, Likun Zhang, V. S. Manoranjan

Faculty Publications - Department of Mathematics

Noise in initial conditions from measurement errors can create unwanted oscillations which propagate in numerical solutions. We present a technique of prohibiting such oscillation errors when solving initial-boundary-value problems of semilinear diffusion equations. Symmetric Strang splitting is applied to the equation for solving the linear diffusion and nonlinear remainder separately. An oscillation-free scheme is developed for overcoming any oscillatory behavior when numerically solving the linear diffusion portion. To demonstrate the ills of stable oscillations, we compare our method using a weighted implicit Euler scheme to the Crank-Nicolson method. The oscillation-free feature and stability of our method are analyzed through a …

Logistics Of Mathematical Modeling-Focused Projects, R. Corban Harwood

Faculty Publications - Department of Mathematics

Projects provide tangible connections to course content and can motivate students to learn at a deeper level. This article focuses on the implementation of projects in both lower and upper division math courses which develop and analyze mathematical models of a problem based upon known data and real-life situations. Logistical pitfalls and insights are highlighted as well as several key implementation resources. Student feedback demonstrate a positive correlation between the use of projects and an enhanced understanding of the course topics when the impact of logistics is reduced. Best practices learned over the years are given along with example project …

Blastocystis Sp. Infection Mimicking Clostridium Difficile Colitis, Gaby S. Gil, Shobhana A. Chaudhari, Ahmed Shady, Ana Caballes, Joe Hong

NYMC Faculty Publications

We report an unusual case of severe diarrhea related to Blastocystis sp. infection in a patient with end stage renal disease on hemodialysis. The patient was admitted due to profuse diarrhea associated with fever and leukocytosis. Pertinent stool work-up such as leukocytes in stool, stool culture, clostridium difficile toxin B PCR, and serology for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C and cytomegalovirus screening were all negative. Ova and parasite stool examination revealed Blastocystis sp. The patient was given intravenous metronidazole with clinical improvement by day three and total resolution of symptoms by day ten.

Effect Of Hypoxic Conditions On Skeletal Myoblasts, Abdo Boumitri, Shuai Zhao

Undergraduate Research Posters 2016

Ischemic injury in skeletal muscle caused by hypoxic (low oxygen) conditions occurs in response to vascular and musculoskeletal traumas, diseases and following reconstructive surgeries. Thus, a thorough understanding of the effect of hypoxia on skeletal myoblasts is warranted to identify potential therapeutic targets. We have determined that treatment with cobalt chloride (to mimic hypoxic conditions) leads to decreased numbers of viable (attached) skeletal myoblast over time and an increase in the percentage of detached myoblasts. To determine the contribution of apoptosis (cell death) to this increase in detached myoblasts, we assessed PARP cleavage, a well- accepted marker for apoptosis. Consistent …