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Old Dominion University

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2010

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Articles 1 - 30 of 61

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Pulsed Laser Deposition Of Graphite Counter Electrodes For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Krishna P. Acharya, Himal Khatri, Sylvain Marsillac, Bruno Ullrich, Pavel Anzenbacher, Mikhail Zamkov Nov 2010

Pulsed Laser Deposition Of Graphite Counter Electrodes For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Krishna P. Acharya, Himal Khatri, Sylvain Marsillac, Bruno Ullrich, Pavel Anzenbacher, Mikhail Zamkov

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We report on pulsed laser deposition of graphite onto flexible plastic and conductive glass substrates for use as a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells. The efficiency of as-prepared graphite electrodes was tested using CdS-sensitized solar cell architecture resulting in external quantum efficiency comparable to that of conventional platinum counter electrodes. This work highlights the possibility of using pulsed laser deposited graphite as a low-cost alternative to platinum, which could be fabricated both on flexible and rigid substrates.


Tensor Correlations Measured In 3he(E,E' Pp)N, H. Baghdasaryan, L. B. Weinstein, J. M. Laget, K. P. Adhikarii, M. Aghasyan, M. Amarian, M. Anghinolfi, H. Avakian, J. Ball, M. Battaglieri, R. P. Bennett, S. Bültmann, G. E. Dodge, C. E. Hyde, A. Klein, S. E. Kuhn, M. Mayer, C. Nepali, F. Sabatié, H. Seraydaryan, Z. W. Zhao Nov 2010

Tensor Correlations Measured In 3he(E,E' Pp)N, H. Baghdasaryan, L. B. Weinstein, J. M. Laget, K. P. Adhikarii, M. Aghasyan, M. Amarian, M. Anghinolfi, H. Avakian, J. Ball, M. Battaglieri, R. P. Bennett, S. Bültmann, G. E. Dodge, C. E. Hyde, A. Klein, S. E. Kuhn, M. Mayer, C. Nepali, F. Sabatié, H. Seraydaryan, Z. W. Zhao

Physics Faculty Publications

We have measured the 3He(e,e' pp)n reaction at an incident energy of 4.7 GeV over a wide kinematic range. We identified spectator correlated pp and pn nucleon pairs by using kinematic cuts and measured their relative and total momentum distributions. This is the first measurement of the ratio of pp to pn pairs as a function of pair total momentum ptot. For pair relative momenta between 0.3 and 0.5 GeV/c, the ratio is very small at low ptot and rises to approximately 0.5 at large ptot. This shows the dominance of tensor over …


"Beyond Bio2010: Celebration And Opportunities" At The Intersection Of Mathematics And Biology, John R. Jungck, Holly D. Gaff, Adam P. Fagen, Jay B. Labov Oct 2010

"Beyond Bio2010: Celebration And Opportunities" At The Intersection Of Mathematics And Biology, John R. Jungck, Holly D. Gaff, Adam P. Fagen, Jay B. Labov

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

With this special edition of CBE-LSE, which focuses on connections between and integration of the biological and mathematical sciences, it is especially fitting that we report on an important symposium, Beyond BIO2010: Celebration and Opportunities,1 which was held at the National Acad- emy of Sciences (NAS) in Washington, D.C. on May 21–22, 2010. This symposium was organized to assess what progress has been made in addressing the challenges and recommendations in the National Research Council’s (NRC) report: BIO2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education for Future Research Biologists (NRC, 2003a). Most of the presen- tations and posters at this event emphasized the increasing …


Mathematical Manipulative Models: In Defense Of "Beanbag Biology", John R. Jungck, Holly Gaff, Anton E. Weisstein Oct 2010

Mathematical Manipulative Models: In Defense Of "Beanbag Biology", John R. Jungck, Holly Gaff, Anton E. Weisstein

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mathematical manipulative models have had a long history of influence in biological research and in secondary school education, but they are frequently neglected in undergraduate biology education. By linking mathematical manipulative models in a four-step process-1) use of physical manipulatives, 2) interactive exploration of computer simulations, 3) derivation of mathematical relationships from core principles, and 4) analysis of real data sets-we demonstrate a process that we have shared in biological faculty development workshops led by staff from the BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium over the past 24 yr. We built this approach based upon a broad survey of literature in mathematical educational …


Negative Dielectrophoretic Capture Of Bacterial Spores In Food Matrices, Mehti Koklu, Seungkyung Park, Suresh D. Pillai, Ali Beskok Sep 2010

Negative Dielectrophoretic Capture Of Bacterial Spores In Food Matrices, Mehti Koklu, Seungkyung Park, Suresh D. Pillai, Ali Beskok

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

A microfluidic device with planar square electrodes is developed for capturing particles from high conductivity media using negative dielectrophoresis (n-DEP). Specifically, Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium sporogenes spores, and polystyrene particles are tested in NaCl solution (0.05 and 0.225 S/m), apple juice (0.225 S/m), and milk (0.525 S/m). Depending on the conductivity of the medium, the Joule heating produces electrothermal flow (ETF), which continuously circulates and transports the particles to the DEP capture sites. Combination of the ETF and n-DEP results in different particle capture efficiencies as a function of the conductivity. Utilizing 20 μm height DEP chambers, “almost complete” and …


Clay Mineral Cycles Identified By Diffuse Spectral Reflectance In Quaternary Sediments From The Northwind Ridge: Implications For Glacial-Interglacial Sedimentation Patterns In The Arctic Ocean, Lyanne N. Yurco, Joseph D. Ortiz, Leonid Polyak, Dennis A. Darby, Kevin A. Crawford Aug 2010

Clay Mineral Cycles Identified By Diffuse Spectral Reflectance In Quaternary Sediments From The Northwind Ridge: Implications For Glacial-Interglacial Sedimentation Patterns In The Arctic Ocean, Lyanne N. Yurco, Joseph D. Ortiz, Leonid Polyak, Dennis A. Darby, Kevin A. Crawford

OES Faculty Publications

A Quaternary record of fine-grained sediment composition is used to investigate Arctic Ocean climate variability on glacial-interglacial time scales. Diffuse spectral reflectance data from sediment core P1-92AR-P25 from the Northwind Ridge, north of Alaska, demonstrates cyclic variations in mineralogy. Varimax-rotated R-mode factor analysis of down-core data revealed three major mineralogical assemblages, which were then compared with the content of manganese, a proxy for basin ventilation, and thus glacial-interglacial cycles. Results indicate that factor 1, a smectite + chlorite clay assemblage, was delivered to the core site during interglacials, either by fluvial discharge or sea-ice drift from Siberian rivers or inflow …


Virginia Offshore Wind Studies, July 2007 To March 2010: Final Report, Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium, Patrick G. Hatcher, Johathan J. Miles, Kenneth F. Newbold, George M. Hagerman Jr. Apr 2010

Virginia Offshore Wind Studies, July 2007 To March 2010: Final Report, Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium, Patrick G. Hatcher, Johathan J. Miles, Kenneth F. Newbold, George M. Hagerman Jr.

Offshore Wind Research

No abstract provided.


The Role Of The Alaskan Stream In Modulating The Bering Sea Climate, Tal Ezer, Lie-Yauw Oey Apr 2010

The Role Of The Alaskan Stream In Modulating The Bering Sea Climate, Tal Ezer, Lie-Yauw Oey

CCPO Publications

A numerical ocean circulation model with realistic topography, but with an idealized forcing that includes only lateral transports is used to study the role of the Alaskan Stream (AS) in modulating the Bering Sea (BS) variability. Sensitivity experiments, each one with a different strength of the AS transport reveal a nonlinear BS response. An increase of AS transport from 10 to 25 Sv causes warming (similar to 0.25 degrees C mean, similar to 0.5 degrees C maximum) and sea level rise in the BS shelf due to increased transports of warmer Pacific waters through the eastern passages of the Aleutian …


High-Energy Amplitudes In N= 4 Sym In The Next-To-Leading Order, Ian Balitsky, Giovanni A. Chirilli Mar 2010

High-Energy Amplitudes In N= 4 Sym In The Next-To-Leading Order, Ian Balitsky, Giovanni A. Chirilli

Physics Faculty Publications

The high-energy behavior of the N = 4 SYM amplitudes in the Regge limit can be calculated order by order in perturbation theory using the high-energy operator expansion in Wilson lines. At large Nc , a typical four-point amplitude is determined by a single BFKL pomeron. The conformal structure of the four-point amplitude is fixed in terms of two functions: pomeron intercept and the coefficient function in front of the pomeron (the product of two residues). The pomeron intercept is universal while the coefficient function depends on the correlator in question. The intercept is known in the first two orders …


Liquid Filled Microstructured Optical Fiber For X-Ray Detection, S. L. Dehaven, S. Albin, W. C. Kelliher Feb 2010

Liquid Filled Microstructured Optical Fiber For X-Ray Detection, S. L. Dehaven, S. Albin, W. C. Kelliher

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A liquid filled microstructured optical fiber (MOF) is used to detect x-rays. Numerical analysis and experimental observation leads to geometric fiber optics theory for MOF photon transmission. A model using this theory relates the quantity and energy of absorbed x-ray photons to transmitted MOF generated photons. Experimental measurements of MOF photon quantities compared with calculated values show good qualitative agreement. The difference between the calculated and measured values is discussed. 2010 Optical Society of America


On The Nature Of Winter Cooling And The Recent Temperature Shift On The Northern Gulf Of Alaska Shelf, Markus A. Janout, Thomas J. Weingartner, Thomas C. Royer, Seth L. Danielson Jan 2010

On The Nature Of Winter Cooling And The Recent Temperature Shift On The Northern Gulf Of Alaska Shelf, Markus A. Janout, Thomas J. Weingartner, Thomas C. Royer, Seth L. Danielson

CCPO Publications

[1] In spring 2006 and 2007, northern Gulf of Alaska (GOA) shelf waters were ∼1.5°C below average throughout the similar to ∼250 m deep shelf and the salinity-dependent winter stratification was anomalously weak due to above (below) average surface (bottom) salinities. Spring 2007 and 2008 temperatures were also similar to ∼-1.5°C below average, but the anomalies were confined to the upper 100 m due to moderate salt stratification. Shelf temperatures in these 2 years were among the lowest observed since the early 1970s, thus interrupting an approximately 30-year warming trend. We examined winter cooling processes using historical conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) profiles …


Effects Of Multitemperature Nonequilibrium On Compressible Homogeneous Turbulence, Wei Liao, Yan Peng, Li-Shi Luo Jan 2010

Effects Of Multitemperature Nonequilibrium On Compressible Homogeneous Turbulence, Wei Liao, Yan Peng, Li-Shi Luo

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

We study the effects of the rotational-translational energy exchange on the compressible decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence (DHIT) in three dimensions through direct numerical simulations. We use the gas-kinetic scheme coupled with multitemperature nonequilibrium based on the Jeans-Landau-Teller model. We investigate the effects of the relaxation time of rotational temperature, ZR, and the initial ratio of the rotational and translational temperatures, TR0 / TL0, on the dynamics of various turbulence statistics including the kinetic energy K (t), the dissipation rate ε (t), the energy spectrum E (k,t), the root mean square of the velocity divergence θ′ …


Probability Models For Blackjack Poker, Charlie H. Cooke Jan 2010

Probability Models For Blackjack Poker, Charlie H. Cooke

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

For simplicity in calculation, previous analyses of blackjack poker have employed models which employ sampling with replacement. in order to assess what degree of error this may induce, the purpose here is to calculate results for a typical hand where sampling without replacement is employed. It is seen that significant error can result when long runs are required to complete the hand. The hand examined is itself of particular interest, as regards both its outstanding expectations of high yield and certain implications for pair splitting of two nines against the dealer's seven. Theoretical and experimental methods are used in order …


Micro-Environment And Plant Assemblage Structure On Virginia's Barrier Island "Pimple" Dunes, Brett A. Mcmillan, Frank P. Day Jan 2010

Micro-Environment And Plant Assemblage Structure On Virginia's Barrier Island "Pimple" Dunes, Brett A. Mcmillan, Frank P. Day

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

“Pimple” dunes are small, rounded coastal dunes that form along major dune ridges of the barrier islands along the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Although most pimple dunes are small structures ranging between 10 and 20 m in diameter, they have distinct plant assemblages that replicate the upland ecotones of their barrier islands. We examined the relationship between microenvironment, edaphic factors, and plant assemblage structure on pimple dunes. Water availability was an obvious major ecological driver, but we also tested other environmental factors that may correlate with plant assemblage structure. We found distinct assemblage types that segregated themselves by habitat type: …


Exchange Across The Shelf Break At High Southern Latitudes, J. M. Klinck, M. S. Dinniman Jan 2010

Exchange Across The Shelf Break At High Southern Latitudes, J. M. Klinck, M. S. Dinniman

CCPO Publications

Exchange of water across the Antarctic shelf break has considerable scientific and societal importance due to its effects on circulation and biology of the region, conversion of water masses as part of the global overturning circulation and basal melt of glacial ice and the consequent effect on sea level rise. The focus in this paper is the onshore transport of warm, oceanic Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW); export of dense water from these shelves is equally important, but has been the focus of other recent papers and will not be considered here. A variety of physical mechanisms are described which could …


A Seasonal Study Of Dissolved Cobalt In The Ross Sea, Antarctica: Micronutrient Behavior, Absence Of Scavenging, And Relationships With Zd, Cd, And P., M. A. Saito, T. J. Goepfert, A. E. Noble, E. M. Bertrand, Peter N. Sedwick, Giacomo R. Ditullio Jan 2010

A Seasonal Study Of Dissolved Cobalt In The Ross Sea, Antarctica: Micronutrient Behavior, Absence Of Scavenging, And Relationships With Zd, Cd, And P., M. A. Saito, T. J. Goepfert, A. E. Noble, E. M. Bertrand, Peter N. Sedwick, Giacomo R. Ditullio

OES Faculty Publications

We report the distribution of cobalt (Co) in the Ross Sea polynya during austral summer 2005-2006 and the following austral spring 2006. The vertical distribution of total dissolved Co (dCo) was similar to soluble reactive phosphate (PO(4)(3-)), with dCo and PO(4)(3-) showing a significant correlation throughout the water column (r(2) = 0.87, 164 samples). A strong seasonal signal for dCo was observed, with most spring samples having concentrations ranging from similar to ~ 45-85 pM, whereas summer dCo values were depleted below these levels by biological activity. Surface transect data from the summer cruise revealed concentrations at the low range …


Effect Of The Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis Marina And The Copepod Acartia Tonsa On Vertical Carbon Flux In And Around Thin Layers Of The Phytoflagellate Isochrysis Galbana, A. B. Bochdansky, S. M. Bollens, G. C. Rollwagen-Bollens, A. H. Gibson Jan 2010

Effect Of The Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis Marina And The Copepod Acartia Tonsa On Vertical Carbon Flux In And Around Thin Layers Of The Phytoflagellate Isochrysis Galbana, A. B. Bochdansky, S. M. Bollens, G. C. Rollwagen-Bollens, A. H. Gibson

OES Faculty Publications

Dynamics of material and energy flow through food webs differ when resources are allocated in patches in comparison to situations in which the same resources are distributed evenly throughout the water column. Thin layers of plankton are special cases of such resource patches. While previous studies have predominantly focused on the response of organisms to these layers, we investigated how 2 types of grazers in turn affect thin layers. In an experimental study with tightly controlled environmental conditions, we monitored the redistribution of particulate organic (POC), dissolved organic (DOC) and inorganic (DIC) carbon from thin layers of Isochrysis galbana. …


Operation And Application Of A Regional High-Frequency Radar Network In The Mid-Atlantic Bight, Hugh Roarty, Scott Glenn, Josh Kohut, Donglai Gong, Ethan Handel, Erick Rivera, Teresa Garner, Larry Atkinson, Wendell Brown, Chris Jakubiak, Mike Muglia, Sara Haines, Harvey Seim Jan 2010

Operation And Application Of A Regional High-Frequency Radar Network In The Mid-Atlantic Bight, Hugh Roarty, Scott Glenn, Josh Kohut, Donglai Gong, Ethan Handel, Erick Rivera, Teresa Garner, Larry Atkinson, Wendell Brown, Chris Jakubiak, Mike Muglia, Sara Haines, Harvey Seim

CCPO Publications

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System (MARCOOS) High- Frequency Radar Network, which comprises 13 long-range sites, 2 medium-range sites, and 12 standard-range sites, is operated as part of the Integrated Ocean Observing System. This regional implementation of the network has been operational for 2 years and has matured to the point where the radars provide consistent coverage from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras. A concerted effort was made in the MARCOOS project to increase the resiliency of the radar stations from the elements, power issues, and other issues that can disable the hardware of the system. The quality control …


Mixing By Shear Instability At High Reynolds Number, W. R. Geyer, A. C. Lavery, M. E. Scully, J. H. Trowbridge Jan 2010

Mixing By Shear Instability At High Reynolds Number, W. R. Geyer, A. C. Lavery, M. E. Scully, J. H. Trowbridge

CCPO Publications

Shear instability is the dominant mechanism for converting fluid motion to mixing in the stratified ocean and atmosphere. The transition to turbulence has been well characterized in laboratory settings and numerical simulations at moderate Reynolds number-it involves "rolling up", i.e., overturning of the density structure within the cores of the instabilities. In contrast, measurements in an energetic estuarine shear zone reveal that the mixing induced by shear instability at high Reynolds number does not primarily occur by overturning in the cores; rather it results from secondary shear instabilities within the zones of intensified shear separating the cores. This regime is …


Plasma Treatment Of Bulk Niobium Surface For Superconducting Rf Cavities: Optimization Of The Experimental Conditions On Flat Samples, M. Rašković, J. Upadhyay, L. Vuskovic, S. Popovic, A.-M. Valente-Feliciano, L. Phillips Jan 2010

Plasma Treatment Of Bulk Niobium Surface For Superconducting Rf Cavities: Optimization Of The Experimental Conditions On Flat Samples, M. Rašković, J. Upadhyay, L. Vuskovic, S. Popovic, A.-M. Valente-Feliciano, L. Phillips

Physics Faculty Publications

Accelerator performance, in particular the average accelerating field and the cavity quality factor, depends on the physical and chemical characteristics of the superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavity surface. Plasma based surface modification provides an excellent opportunity to eliminate nonsuperconductive pollutants in the penetration depth region and to remove the mechanically damaged surface layer, which improves the surface roughness. Here we show that the plasma treatment of bulk niobium (Nb) presents an alternative surface preparation method to the commonly used buffered chemical polishing and electropolishing methods. We have optimized the experimental conditions in the microwave glow discharge system and their influence on …


Benthic Ecology From Space: Optics And Net Primary Production In Seagrass And Benthic Algae Across The Great Bahama Bank, Heidi M. Dierssen, Richard C. Zimmerman, Lisa A. Drake, David J. Burdige Jan 2010

Benthic Ecology From Space: Optics And Net Primary Production In Seagrass And Benthic Algae Across The Great Bahama Bank, Heidi M. Dierssen, Richard C. Zimmerman, Lisa A. Drake, David J. Burdige

OES Faculty Publications

Development of repeatable and quantitative tools are necessary for determining the abundance and distribution of different types of benthic habitats, detecting changes to these ecosystems, and determining their role in the global carbon cycle. Here we used ocean color remote sensing techniques to map different major groups of primary producers and estimate net primary productivity (NPP) across Great Bahama Bank (GBB). Field investigations on the northern portion of the GBB in 2004 revealed 3 dominant types of benthic primary producers: seagrass, benthic macroalgae, and microalgae attached to sediment. Laboratory measurements of NPP ranged from barely net autotrophic for grapestone sediment …


M&S Body Of Knowledge: Progress Report And Look Ahead, Andreas Tolk Jan 2010

M&S Body Of Knowledge: Progress Report And Look Ahead, Andreas Tolk

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Temporal Controls On Dissolved Organic Matter And Lignin Biogeochemistry In A Pristine Tropical River, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Robert G. M. Spencer, Peter J. Hernes, Rosmarie Ruf, Andy Baker, Rachael Y. Dyda, Aron Stubbins, Johan Six Jan 2010

Temporal Controls On Dissolved Organic Matter And Lignin Biogeochemistry In A Pristine Tropical River, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Robert G. M. Spencer, Peter J. Hernes, Rosmarie Ruf, Andy Baker, Rachael Y. Dyda, Aron Stubbins, Johan Six

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), lignin biomarkers, and the optical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) were measured in the Epulu River (northeast Democratic Republic of Congo) with the aim of investigating temporal controls on the quantity and chemical composition of DOM in a tropical rainforest river. Three different periods defined by stages of the hydrologic regime of the region, (1) post dry flushing period, (2) intermediary period, and (3) start of the dry period/post flush, were sampled. Temporal variability in DOM quantity and quality was observed with highest DOC, lignin concentration (Σ8) and carbon‐normalized (Λ8) values …


Variations In Synechococcus Cell Quotas Of Phosphorus, Sulfur, Manganese, Iron, Nickel, And Zinc Within Mesoscale Eddies In The Sargasso Sea, Benjamin S. Twining, Daliangelis Nunez-Milland, Stefan Vogt, Rodney S. Johnson, Peter N. Sedwick Jan 2010

Variations In Synechococcus Cell Quotas Of Phosphorus, Sulfur, Manganese, Iron, Nickel, And Zinc Within Mesoscale Eddies In The Sargasso Sea, Benjamin S. Twining, Daliangelis Nunez-Milland, Stefan Vogt, Rodney S. Johnson, Peter N. Sedwick

OES Faculty Publications

The quotas of P, S, Mn, Fe, Ni, and Zn in individual Synechococcus cells collected from the surface and deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) layer of three mesoscale eddies in the Sargasso Sea were measured using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy. Cells in a mode-water eddy had significantly higher P (57 +/- 10 amol) and Mn (28 +/- 7 zmol) cell quotas than cells collected from a cyclone (22 +/- 2 amol and 10 +/- 1 zmol, respectively) or anticyclone (25 +/- 3 amol and 18 +/- 3 zmol, respectively). Conversely, Ni and Zn quotas were significantly higher in the cells from …


Determination Of Total Dissolved Cobalt In Uv-Irradiated Seawater Using Flow Injection With Chemiluminescence Detection, Rachel U. Shelley, Bernhard Zachhuber, Peter N. Sedwick, Paul J. Worsfold, Maeve C. Lohan Jan 2010

Determination Of Total Dissolved Cobalt In Uv-Irradiated Seawater Using Flow Injection With Chemiluminescence Detection, Rachel U. Shelley, Bernhard Zachhuber, Peter N. Sedwick, Paul J. Worsfold, Maeve C. Lohan

OES Faculty Publications

A sensitive flow-injection method with chemiluminescence detection (FI-CL) for the determination of dissolved cobalt in open ocean samples, suitable for shipboard use has been developed. To date, FI methods for dissolved cobalt have been used only in coastal and estuarine waters. Therefore, significant modifications to existing methods were required, including (1) the use of a commercially available iminodiacetate (IDA) resin (Toyopearl AF-chelate 650M) in place of resin immobilized 8-hydroxyquinoline for online preconcentration and matrix removal, (2) the introduction of acidified ammonium acetate (pH 4) as a column-conditioning step before sample loading and rinse steps, and most importantly, (3) UV irradiation …


Sequence And Structural Analysis Of The Chitinase Insertion Domain Reveals Two Conserved Motifs Involved In Chitin Binding, Hai Li, Lesley H. Greene Jan 2010

Sequence And Structural Analysis Of The Chitinase Insertion Domain Reveals Two Conserved Motifs Involved In Chitin Binding, Hai Li, Lesley H. Greene

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Background: Chitinases are prevalent in life and are found in species including archaea, bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. They break down chitin, which is the second most abundant carbohydrate in nature after cellulose. Hence, they are important for maintaining a balance between carbon and nitrogen trapped as insoluble chitin in biomass. Chitinases are classified into two families, 18 and 19 glycoside hydrolases. In addition to a catalytic domain, which is a triosephosphate isomerase barrel, many family 18 chitinases contain another module, i.e., chitinase insertion domain. While numerous studies focus on the biological role of the catalytic domain in chitinase activity, …


Breathing Like A Fish, Petros J. Katsioloudis Jan 2010

Breathing Like A Fish, Petros J. Katsioloudis

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article offers information on industrial oxygen rebreathers, an underwater breathing equipment used by divers. It states that rebreather is an electromechanical device that supply breathing gas through infusion of oxygen and reprocessing of carbon dioxide by using a chemical scrubber. It mentions that most rebreathers comprise of breathing loop, breathing lungs, and a canister where the scrubber is placed with the partial pressure (pO2) sensors and interface devices like heads-up display (HUD) to show pO2 levels. It also discusses types of rebreathers such as the oxygen rebreather, the oldest rebreather mainly used by navy diver, and …


On The Fractional Solubillity Of Copper In Marine Aerosols: Toxicity Of Aeolian Copper Revisited, Edward R. Sholkovitz, Peter N. Sedwick, Thomas M. Church Jan 2010

On The Fractional Solubillity Of Copper In Marine Aerosols: Toxicity Of Aeolian Copper Revisited, Edward R. Sholkovitz, Peter N. Sedwick, Thomas M. Church

OES Faculty Publications

Paytan et al. (2009) argue that the atmospheric deposition of aerosols lead to copper concentrations that are potentially toxic to marine phytoplankton in a large area of tropical and subtropical North Atlantic Ocean. A key assumption in their model is that all marine aerosols (mineral dust and anthropogenic particles) have a high (40%) fractional solubility of copper. Our data show that the fractional solubility of copper for Saharan dust over the Sargasso Sea and Bermuda is significantly lower (1-7%). In contrast, anthropogenic aerosols with non-Saharan sources have significantly higher values (10-100%). Hence, the potential Cu toxicity in the tropical and …


Turbulent Mixing In A Strongly Forced Salt Wedge Estuary, David K. Ralston, W. Rockwell Geyer, James A. Lerczak, Malcolm Scully Jan 2010

Turbulent Mixing In A Strongly Forced Salt Wedge Estuary, David K. Ralston, W. Rockwell Geyer, James A. Lerczak, Malcolm Scully

OES Faculty Publications

Turbulent mixing of salt is examined in a shallow salt wedge estuary with strong fluvial and tidal forcing. A numerical model of the Merrimack River estuary is used to quantify turbulent stress, shear production, and buoyancy flux. Little mixing occurs during flood tides despite strong velocities because bottom boundary layer turbulence is dislocated from stratification elevated in the water column. During ebbs, bottom salinity fronts form at a series of bathymetric transitions. At the fronts, near-bottom velocity and shear stress are low, but shear, stress, and buoyancy flux are elevated at the pycnocline. Internal shear layers provide the dominant source …


Role Of Macroscopic Particles In Deep-Sea Oxygen Consumption, Alexander B. Bochdansky, Hendrik M. Van Aken, Gerhard J. Herndl Jan 2010

Role Of Macroscopic Particles In Deep-Sea Oxygen Consumption, Alexander B. Bochdansky, Hendrik M. Van Aken, Gerhard J. Herndl

OES Faculty Publications

Macroscopic particles (> 500 µg), including marine snow, large migrating zooplankton, and their fast-sinking fecal pellets, represent primary vehicles of organic carbon flux from the surface to the deep sea. In contrast, freely suspended microscopic particles such as bacteria and protists do not sink, and they contribute the largest portion of metabolism in the upper ocean. In bathy- and abyssopelagic layers of the ocean (2,000-6,000 m), however, microscopic particles may not dominate oxygen consumption. In a section across the tropical Atlantic, we show that macroscopic particle peaks occurred frequently in the deep sea, whereas microscopic particles were barely detectable. In …