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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Radical Environmentalism And Religion, Evelyn Louise Bush Jan 1996

Radical Environmentalism And Religion, Evelyn Louise Bush

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Variational Inverse Methods For Transport Problems, Zhaoqing Yang Jan 1996

Variational Inverse Methods For Transport Problems, Zhaoqing Yang

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Variational inverse data assimilation schemes are developed for three types of parameter identification problems in transport models: (1) the tracer inverse for the Lagrangian mean transport velocity in a long-term advection-diffusion transport model; (2) determination of inflow salinity open boundary condition in an intra-tidal salinity transport model; and (3) determination of settling velocity and resuspension rate for a cohesive sediment transport model. The gradient of the cost function with respect to the control variables is obtained by the adjoint model. A series of twin experiments are conducted to test the inverse models for the three types of problems. Results show …


Effects Of Periodic Environmental Hypoxia On Predator Utilization Of Macrobenthic Infauna, Janet A. Nestlerode Jan 1996

Effects Of Periodic Environmental Hypoxia On Predator Utilization Of Macrobenthic Infauna, Janet A. Nestlerode

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Hypoxia and anoxia have significant deleterious ecological effects on living resources throughout many estuarine and marine ecosystems worldwide. Brief periods of low oxygen facilitate transfer of benthic production to higher trophic levels as many benthic infaunal species have shallower sediment depth distributions during hypoxic events. A baited time-lapse camera equipped with a water quality datalogger was used to document in situ exploitation of oxygen-stressed benthic invertebrate prey organisms by mobile fish and crustacean predators during alternating normoxia-hypoxia cycles in the York River. Based on photographic and diver observations, this hypoxiainduced benthic-pelagic transfer of production is more likely to occur when …


Age, Growth, And Reproductive Biology Of Blackcheek Tonguefish, Symphurus Plagiusa (Cynoglossidae: Pleuronectiformes), In Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, Mark Richard Terwilliger Jan 1996

Age, Growth, And Reproductive Biology Of Blackcheek Tonguefish, Symphurus Plagiusa (Cynoglossidae: Pleuronectiformes), In Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, Mark Richard Terwilliger

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Habitat Complexity As A Determinant Of Juvenile Blue Crab Survival, Jessica L. Schulman Jan 1996

Habitat Complexity As A Determinant Of Juvenile Blue Crab Survival, Jessica L. Schulman

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


The Development Of Affinity Maturation In Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus Mykiss, Ing Wei Khor Jan 1996

The Development Of Affinity Maturation In Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus Mykiss, Ing Wei Khor

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


A Comparison Of Natural And Laboratory Diets For The Culture Of Marine Invertebrate Larvae American Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, Queen Conch, Strombus Gigas, And Milk Conch, Strombus Costatus, Sandra Dawn Brooke Jan 1996

A Comparison Of Natural And Laboratory Diets For The Culture Of Marine Invertebrate Larvae American Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, Queen Conch, Strombus Gigas, And Milk Conch, Strombus Costatus, Sandra Dawn Brooke

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Relative Risk Assessment For Cape Hatteras National Seashore, John Cary Buie Jan 1996

Relative Risk Assessment For Cape Hatteras National Seashore, John Cary Buie

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Autoecology Of Paraprionospio Pinnata (Polychaeta: Spionide) Along An Estuarine Gradient, Elizabeth K. Hinchey Jan 1996

Autoecology Of Paraprionospio Pinnata (Polychaeta: Spionide) Along An Estuarine Gradient, Elizabeth K. Hinchey

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


The Effects Of A Regulatory Gear Restriction On The Harvest Of The Recruiting Year Class In The Offshore Sea Scallop, Placopecten Magellanicus, Fishery, Jeffrey C. Brust Jan 1996

The Effects Of A Regulatory Gear Restriction On The Harvest Of The Recruiting Year Class In The Offshore Sea Scallop, Placopecten Magellanicus, Fishery, Jeffrey C. Brust

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Perkinsus Marinus Extracellular Proteases: Modulation Of Production By Environmental Factors And Effects On The Host Defense Parameters Of The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica, Kathleen A. Garreis Jan 1996

Perkinsus Marinus Extracellular Proteases: Modulation Of Production By Environmental Factors And Effects On The Host Defense Parameters Of The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica, Kathleen A. Garreis

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Growth Dynamics Of A York River Estuary Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Grazing Katodinium Rotundatum, Angela Denise Smith Jan 1996

Growth Dynamics Of A York River Estuary Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Grazing Katodinium Rotundatum, Angela Denise Smith

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Potential For Population Regulation Of The Zebra Mussel, Dreissena Polymorpha, In The Hudson River, Larry C. Boles Jan 1996

Potential For Population Regulation Of The Zebra Mussel, Dreissena Polymorpha, In The Hudson River, Larry C. Boles

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


An Analysis Of The Effects Of Sea Level Rise On The Salt Marshes Of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina, Christopher Robert Perle Jan 1996

An Analysis Of The Effects Of Sea Level Rise On The Salt Marshes Of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina, Christopher Robert Perle

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


A Bipartite Model Of Distributed Systems: Possibilities And Implications, Anna Karin Brunstrom Jan 1996

A Bipartite Model Of Distributed Systems: Possibilities And Implications, Anna Karin Brunstrom

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Networking software is generally designed in layers. User processes exist at the application layer. They rely on the transport layer to provide them with end-to-end communication. In the distributed systems literature communication is traditionally viewed from the application layer. at the application layer we have no knowledge of the whereabouts of a message once a send operation is completed. at the transport layer, on the other hand, information about the delivery of a message to the transport layer in the receiving host is often available. We believe transport layer information can be better utilized in distributed systems design. This dissertation …


Synthesis And Characterization Of Boron-Containing Polymeric Materials For Neutron Shielding Applications, Michael B. Glasgow Jan 1996

Synthesis And Characterization Of Boron-Containing Polymeric Materials For Neutron Shielding Applications, Michael B. Glasgow

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The development of boron-containing polymeric materials for neutron shielding applications was undertaken. Three types of materials were characterized for physical and thermal properties: boron powder-filled epoxy composites, carborane polyamides having boron chemically bonded into the polymer, and boron-loaded polyimide thin films. Addition of amorphous submicron boron powder did not affect significantly the thermal performance of the epoxy. The 17% boron loading produced a 26% increase in compressive failure strength and a 68% increase in the compressive modulus. 0.125 inch thick specimens containing 17% boron absorbed 92% of incident neutrons from a 5-Curie Pu/Be source compared with {dollar}<{dollar}1% for the neat epoxy. Dispersion of the boron in the epoxy was improved with the addition of larger size crystalline boron powders. Carborane polyamides containing up to 35% boron were thermally stable up to 400{dollar}\sp\circ{dollar}C in air. The polymers had hydrogen/boron ratios from 2.0 to 3.8 and were soluble in several organic solvents. Polymer solutions were processed into clear, colored thin films. Boron-filled polyamic acid solutions of a PMDA-ODA polyimide containing up to 10% boron were processed into thin films. Neutron absorption of the opaque films measured in a 5-Curie Pu/Be neutron source was linear with boron concentration and film thickness. The fraction of neutrons absorbed varied linearly with boron concentration and film thickness. The applicability of boron-containing materials to the aerospace, nuclear power and accelerator industries was investigated.


Structured Eigenvectors, Interlacing, And Matrix Completions, Brenda K. Kroschel Jan 1996

Structured Eigenvectors, Interlacing, And Matrix Completions, Brenda K. Kroschel

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This dissertation presents results from three areas of applicable matrix analysis: structured eigenvectors, interlacing, and matrix completion problems. Although these are distinct topics, the structured eigenvector results provide connections.;It is a straightforward matrix calculation that if {dollar}\lambda{dollar} is an eigenvalue of A, x an associated structured eigenvector and {dollar}\alpha{dollar} the set of positions in which x has nonzero entries, then {dollar}\lambda{dollar} is also an eigenvalue of the submatrix of A that lies in the rows and columns indexed by {dollar}\alpha{dollar}. We present a converse to this statement and apply the results to interlacing and to matrix completion problems. Several corollaries …


Analysis Of (Iso)Surface Reconstructions: Quantitative Metrics And Methods, Tracey Allen Beauchat Jan 1996

Analysis Of (Iso)Surface Reconstructions: Quantitative Metrics And Methods, Tracey Allen Beauchat

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Due to sampling processes volumetric data is inherently discrete and most often knowledge of the underlying continuous model is not available. Surface rendering techniques attempt to reconstruct the continuous model, using isosurfaces, from the discrete data. Therefore, it natural to ask how accurate the reconstructed isosurfaces are with respect to the underlying continuous model. A reconstructed isosurface may look impressive when rendered ("photorealism"), but how well does it reflect reality ("physical realism")?;The users of volume visualization packages must be aware of the short-comings of the algorithms used to produce the images so that they may properly interpret, and interact with, …


The Projector Basis Method For Electronic Band Structure Calculations, Christopher Haas Jan 1996

The Projector Basis Method For Electronic Band Structure Calculations, Christopher Haas

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Over the last several decades, two methods have emerged as the standard tools for the calculation of electronic band structures. These methods, the Car-Parinello plane wave method and the linear augmented plane wave method (LAPW), each have strengths and weaknesses in different regimes of physical problems. The Car-Parinello algorithm is ideal for calculations with soft pseudopotentials and large numbers of atoms. The LAPW method, on the other hand, easily handles all-electron and hard-core pseudopotential calculations with a small number of atoms. The projector basis method, presented here, is a hybrid mixed basis method which allows the calculation of moderately large …


The Strong Force: Two Calculations Of Strong Interaction Phenomena, Richard L. Kahler Jan 1996

The Strong Force: Two Calculations Of Strong Interaction Phenomena, Richard L. Kahler

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Because the theory of strong interactions is mathematically intractable, it is necessary to make approximations which preserve phenomenological features of the theory in order to get answers to practical questions. This thesis explores two such techniques: (1) the chiral bag model is used to investigate the nucleon-nucleon potential and (2) perturbative QCD is used to investigate the pion form factor. An extensive introduction is presented to make the thesis more understandable to a wider audience of people otherwise unfamiliar with particle physics.


Surface Reflection Hyperthermal Neutral Stream Source, Christopher A. Nichols Jan 1996

Surface Reflection Hyperthermal Neutral Stream Source, Christopher A. Nichols

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

A novel source of hyperthermal (1-30 eV) reactive neutrals based on the surface-reflection-neutralization technique is described. This source is potentially capable of minimizing the charge-induced damage associated with plasma based semiconductor processing steps. The goal of this thesis is to investigate the issues involved in scale-up of this technology for processing of 8{dollar}\sp{lcub}\prime\prime{rcub}{dollar} diameter wafers used today in the semiconductor industry. This includes modeling the plasma ion source and trajectory simulations of the reflected neutral flux. A prototype source was constructed for experimental verification of the plasma model.;An inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source is used to provide a source of …


Selective Inversion In Solid-State Deuteron Nmr, Marco J. Brown Jan 1996

Selective Inversion In Solid-State Deuteron Nmr, Marco J. Brown

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Deuteron NMR selective inversion (SI) is developed to study slow molecular motions in solids. Theoretical and practical aspects of selective inversion of spin-1 nuclei in solids are presented. Differences between powdered solids and liquids are considered. Double sideband modulated (DSBM) shaped pulses are shown to improve the performance of SI pulses. DSBM and DANTE selective pulses are compared for off-resonance SI applications. Common spin-{dollar}{lcub}1{rcub}\over{lcub}2{rcub}{dollar} shaped pulses are tested for suitability to solid state deuteron NMR. Simple, short pulses are shown to be most effective due to fast spin-spin relaxation and large underlying homogeneous linewidths in solids.;The power and utility of …


Expression Of The Xenobiotic Transporter P-Glycoprotein In The Mummichog (Fundulus Heteroclitus), Peter S. Cooper Jan 1996

Expression Of The Xenobiotic Transporter P-Glycoprotein In The Mummichog (Fundulus Heteroclitus), Peter S. Cooper

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The mammalian mdr1 P-glycoprotein (Pgp) has been implicated in xenobiotic resistance of drug-resistant cell lines and tumors, and may function in excretion or exclusion of toxic xenobiotics at several sites within the body. Pgp gene family members are expressed in excretory epithelia of several aquatic taxa and may contribute to the survival of pollution-tolerant aquatic animals in contaminated environments. For this reason the expression of Pgp family members was investigated in the livers and liver tumors of creosote-resistant mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) inhabiting a creosote-contaminated site (Atlantic Wood) in the Elizabeth River, Virginia. Expression of members of the Pgp gene family …


Contributions To The Life History Of Juvenile Blueback Herring (Alosa Aestivalis): Phototactic Behavior And Population Dynamics, Douglas A. Dixon Jan 1996

Contributions To The Life History Of Juvenile Blueback Herring (Alosa Aestivalis): Phototactic Behavior And Population Dynamics, Douglas A. Dixon

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This research investigated the relationship between juvenile abundance indexes (JAIs) for anadromous blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) and abiotic factors (river flow and temperature) during the spawning and nursery period in the tidal freshwater areas of James, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, and Rappahannock Rivers in Virginia. Accomplishing this objective required the evaluation of the JAI methodology, specifically the effect of phototactic behavior on diel changes in the surface availability to the pushnet sampling gear, and obtaining population dynamics information (hatch dates, growth, natural mortality) during early life history from otolith microstructure of samples collected in 1991 and 1992. Mean catch-per-unit effort (CPUE) at …


Temporal Variablity Of The Pycnocline In The Mid-Chesapeake Bay, Linda Jane Frizzell-Makowski Jan 1996

Temporal Variablity Of The Pycnocline In The Mid-Chesapeake Bay, Linda Jane Frizzell-Makowski

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Mixing and dispersion in a partially mixed estuary are driven by, among other processes, the gravitational circulation, wind-events and tides. These processes are important in the vertical and horizontal distribution and exchange of salinity, oxygen, nutrients, and organisms. The objective of this research was to examine the temporal variability of the pycnocline in the mid-Chesapeake Bay in response to forcing at subtidal and higher frequencies as observed in the spring of 1993. The largest change in the pycnocline was associated with meteorological forcing. Up-Bay wind stress and subsequent abatement of the wind stress produced a 5 meter displacement of the …


Gaseous Flux And Distribution Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Across The Air-Water Interface Of Southern Chesapeake Bay, Kurt E. Gustafson Jan 1996

Gaseous Flux And Distribution Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Across The Air-Water Interface Of Southern Chesapeake Bay, Kurt E. Gustafson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Gaseous fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) across the air-water interface of Southern Chesapeake Bay were calculated for the period January 1994 through May 1995 using a modified two-film model. Additionally, the distributions of PAHs between the vapor and aerosol phase in the atmosphere, and between the freely dissolved and suspended particulate phase in the water column were investigated. Net instantaneous gaseous fluxes of PAHs were determined to vary in direction and magnitude both spatially and temporally across the air-water interface of Southern Chesapeake Bay at four sites ranging from remote to urban and highly industrialized. The magnitude of gas …


Modeling Storm-Induced Sediment Transport On The Inner Shelf: Effects Of Bed Microstratigraphy, Baeck Oon Kim Jan 1996

Modeling Storm-Induced Sediment Transport On The Inner Shelf: Effects Of Bed Microstratigraphy, Baeck Oon Kim

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Sediment transport during a storm event on the inner continental shelf was detailed through the development of models based on field experiments conducted at Duck, North Carolina in October 1994. A vertical one-dimensional model (1DV model) was developed by coupling the Grant and Madsen (1986) model with bed stratigraphy to consider real seabeds. Sediment was divided into seven size classes and fractional transport was estimated. Mixing depth and total depth from a simplified sediment conservation equation provided the basis for changing bottom sediment, sediment availability for transport, and armoring processes. These processes involve a feedback between hydrodynamics and bed stratigraphy. …


Demersal Predator Exposure To Toxic Organic Contaminants: Direct Effects Of Macrofauna In Trophic Transfer, Patrick Winfield Lay Jan 1996

Demersal Predator Exposure To Toxic Organic Contaminants: Direct Effects Of Macrofauna In Trophic Transfer, Patrick Winfield Lay

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The bioaccumulation and metabolism of organic contaminants (PAH, PCB) by three estuarine polychaetes, Nereis succinea (Frey and Leuckart 1847), Paraprionospio pinnata (Ehlers 1901) and Polydora ligni (Webster 1879), and by the fish predator, spot (Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepede 1802), were examined in laboratory experiments. Variations in trophic transfer of these contaminants resulting from differences in prey and contaminant type were also investigated. Toxicokinetic modeling reveals that metabolism of organic contaminants by invertebrate species result in variations in uptake, metabolism and elimination rate constants. Incorporation of prey metabolism potential in kinetic models increases the latter's predictability of biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs), or …


The Meteorological Effects Of The Kuwait Oil Fires, Patrick Kevin Dowling Jan 1996

The Meteorological Effects Of The Kuwait Oil Fires, Patrick Kevin Dowling

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


Spectroscopic Characterization Of Hg(Ii) Coordination Complexes, Sharon Rosemary Fitzhenry Jan 1996

Spectroscopic Characterization Of Hg(Ii) Coordination Complexes, Sharon Rosemary Fitzhenry

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.