Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Preliminary Assessment Of Water Partitioning And Ecohydrological Coupling In Northern Headwaters Using Stable Isotopes And Conceptual Runoff Models, James P. Mcnamara

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We combined a conceptual rainfall-runoff model and input–output relationships of stable isotopes to understand ecohydrological influences on hydrological partitioning in snow-influenced northern catchments. Six sites in Sweden (Krycklan), Canada (Wolf Creek; Baker Creek; Dorset), Scotland (Girnock) and the USA (Dry Creek) span moisture and energy gradients found at high latitudes. A meta-analysis was carried out using the Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning (HBV) model to estimate the main storage changes characterizing annual water balances. Annual snowpack storage importance was ranked as Wolf Creek > Krycklan > Dorset > Baker Creek > Dry Creek > Girnock. The subsequent rate and longevity of melt were reflected in calibrated parameters …

Augmenting The Immersed Boundary Method With Radial Basis Functions (Rbfs) For The Modeling Of Platelets In Hemodynamic Flows, Varun Shankar, Grady B. Wright, Robert M. Kirby, Aaron L. Fogelson

Mathematics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present a new computational method by extending the Immersed Boundary (IB) method with a geometric model based on parametric Radial Basis Function (RBF) interpolation of the Lagrangian structures. Our specific motivation is the modeling of platelets in hemodynamic flows, though we anticipate that our method will be useful in other applications involving surface elasticity. The efficacy of our new RBF-IB method is shown through a series of numerical experiments. Specifically, we test the convergence of our method and compare our method with the traditional IB method in terms of computational cost, maximum stable time-step size and volume loss. We …

Infrasound From Volcanic Rockfalls, Jeffrey B. Johnson, Timothy J. Ronan

CGISS Publications and Presentations

Proximal infrasound arrays can robustly track rapidly moving gravity-driven mass wasting, which occurs commonly at erupting volcanoes. This study reports on detection, localization, and quantification of frequent small rockfalls and infrequent pyroclastic density currents descending the southeast flanks of Santiaguito’s active Caliente Dome in January of 2014. Such activities are identified as moving sources, which descend several hundred meters at bulk flow speeds of up to ~10 m/s, which is considerably slower than the descent velocity of individual blocks. Infrasound rockfall signal character is readily distinguishable from explosion infrasound, which is manifested by a relatively fixed location source with lower …

Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations, Their Solutions, And Properties, Prasanna Bandara

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Although valuable understanding of real-world phenomena can be gained experimentally, it is often the case that experimental investigations can be found to be limited by financial, ethical or other constraints making such an approach impractical or, in some cases, even impossible. To nevertheless understand and make predictions of the natural world around us, countless processes encountered in the physical and biological sciences, engineering, economics and medicine can be efficiently described by means of mathematical models written in terms of ordinary or/and partial differential equations or their systems. Fundamental questions that arise in the modeling process need care that relies on …

Modification Of Cellular Dna By Synthetic Aziridinomitosenes, Chris M. Mallory, Ryan P. Carfi, Sangphil Moon, Kenneth A. Cornell, Don L. Warner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Two synthetic aziridinomitosenes (AZMs), Me-AZM and H-AZM, structurally related to mitomycin C (MC) were evaluated for their anticancer activity against six cancer cell lines (HeLa, Jurkat, T47D, HepG2, HL-60, and HuT-78) and tested for their DNA-modifying abilities in Jurkat cells. Cytotoxicity assays showed that Me-AZM is up to 72-fold and 520-fold more potent than MC and H-AZM, respectively. Me-AZM also demonstrated increased DNA modification over MC and H-AZM in alkaline COMET and Hoechst fluorescence assays that measured crosslinks in cellular DNA. Me-AZM and H-AZM treatment of Jurkat cells was found to sponsor significant DNA-protein crosslinks using …

The Classical Theory Of Rearrangements, Monica Josue Agana

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

One type of conditionally convergent series that has long been considered by mathematicians is the Alternating Harmonic Series and its sum under various types of rearrangements. The purpose of this thesis is to introduce results from the classical theory of rearrangements dating back to the 19th and early 20th century. We will look at results by mathematicians such as Ohm, Riemann, Schlömilch, Pringsheim, and Sierpiński. In addition, we show examples of each classical result by applying the Alternating Harmonic Series under the different types of rearrangements, and also introducing theorems by Lévy and Steinitz, and Wilczyński which are modern extensions …

Natural Degradation Of Earthworks, Trenches, Walls And Moats, Northern Thailand, Spencer H. Wood, Layle R. Wood, Alan D. Ziegler

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

“………..structures of this kind are hidden away securely under the thick overgrowth: thus does nature preserve what man would surely destroy” (from Sumet Jumsai, 1970)

We investigate the geometry, age, and history of several enigmatic northern Thailand earthwork entrenchments that are mostly located on hills and could not have held water to form moats. The earthworks are either oval or rectangular in map view; and they typically encircle 0.3-to-1-km² areas that do not have potsherd debris indicative of former towns. Most trenches are 3-5 m deep with inner walls 4.5-8 m high. Some encircling earthworks are concentric double trenches …

Lower Bound For Ranks Of Invariant Forms, Harm Derksen, Zach Teitler

Mathematics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We give a lower bound for the Waring rank and cactus rank of forms that are invariant under an action of a connected algebraic group. We use this to improve the Ranestad-Schreyer-Shafiei lower bounds for the Waring ranks and cactus ranks of determinants of generic matrices, Pfaffians of generic skew-symmetric matrices, and determinants of generic symmetric matrices.

Homogeneous Cosmology With Aggressively Expanding Civilizations, S. Jay Olson

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the context of a homogeneous Universe, we note that the appearance of aggressively expanding advanced life is geometrically similar to the process of nucleation and bubble growth in a first-order cosmological phase transition. We exploit this similarity to describe the dynamics of life saturating the Universe on a cosmic scale, adapting the phase transition model to incorporate probability distributions of expansion and resource consumption strategies. Through a series of numerical solutions spanning several orders of magnitude in the input assumption parameters, the resulting cosmological model is used to address basic questions related to the intergalactic spreading of life, dealing …

Streambed And Water Profile Response To In-Channel Restoration Structures In A Laboratory Meandering Stream, Bangshuai Han, Hong-Hanh Chu, Theodore A. Endreny

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

In-channel structures are often installed in alluvial rivers during restoration to steer currents, but they also modify the streambed morphology and water surface profile, and alter hydraulic gradients driving ecologically important hyporheic exchange. Although river features before and after restoration need to be compared, few studies have collected detailed observations to facilitate this comparison. We created a laboratory mobile-bed alluvial meandering river and collected detailed measurements in the highly sinuous meander before and after installation of in-channel structures, which included one cross vane and six J-hooks situated along 1 bar unit. Measurements of streambed and water surface elevation with sub-millimeter …

A Critical Proton Mr Spectroscopy Marker Of Alzheimer Early Neurodegenerative Change: Low Hippocampal Naa/Cr Ratio Impacts Apoe 4 Mexico City Children And Their Parents., Partha S. Mukherjee

Mathematics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Severe air pollution exposures produce systemic, respiratory, myocardial, and brain inflammation and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) hallmarks in clinically healthy children. We tested whether hippocampal metabolite ratios are associated with contrasting levels of air pollution, APOE and BMI in paired healthy children and one parent sharing the same APOE alleles. We used (1) H-MRS to interrogate bilateral hippocampal single-voxel in 57 children (12.45± 3.4 years) and their 48 parents (37.5± 6.78 years) low pollution city v Mexico City (MC). NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, and mI/Cr metabolite ratios were analysed. The right hippocampus N-acetylaspartate/creatine (NAA/Cr) was significantly different between cohorts (p=0.007). The NAA/Cr ratio …

Seasonal And Diurnal Cycles Of Liquid Water In Snow—Measurements And Modeling, A. Heilig, C. Mitterer, L. Schmid, N. Wever, J. Schweizer, H.-P. Marshall, O. Eisen

CGISS Publications and Presentations

Evaluating and improving snow models and outflow predictions for hydrological applications is hindered by the lack of continuous data on bulk volumetric liquid water content (��_w) and storage capacity of the melting snowpack. The combination of upward looking ground-penetrating radar and conventional snow height sensors enable continuous, nondestructive determinations of ��_w in natural snow covers from first surficial wetting until shortly before melt out. We analyze diurnal and seasonal cycles of ��_w for 4 years in a flat study site and for three melt seasons on slopes and evaluate model simulations for two different water …

Building An Islamic Financial Information System Based On Policy Managements, Izzat Alsmadi, Mohammad Zarour

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

For many banks and customers in the Middle East and Islamic world, the availability and the ability to apply Islamic Shariah rules on financial activities is very important. In some cases, business and technical barriers can limit the ability to apply and offer financial services that are implemented according to Shariah rules.

In this paper, we discuss enforcing Shariah rules from information technology viewpoint and show how such rules can be implemented and enforced in a financial establishment. Security authorization standard XACML is extended to consider Shariah rules. In this research XACML architecture, that is used and applied in many …

Landslides And Megathrust Splay Faults Captured By The Late Holocene Sediment Record Of Eastern Prince William Sound, Alaska, Shaun P. Finn, Lee M. Liberty, Peter J. Haeussler, Thomas L. Pratt

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present new marine seismic‐reflection profiles and bathymetric maps to characterize Holocene depositional patterns, submarine landslides, and active faults beneath eastern and central Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska, which is the eastern rupture patch of the 1964 M_w 9.2 earthquake. We show evidence that submarine landslides, many of which are likely earthquake triggered, repeatedly released along the southern margin of Orca Bay in eastern PWS. We document motion on reverse faults during the 1964 Great Alaska earthquake and estimate late Holocene slip rates for these growth faults, which splay from the subduction zone megathrust. Regional bathymetric lineations help define …

Enhanced Li Capacity In Functionalized Graphene: A First Principle Study With Van Der Waals Correction, Rajiv K. Chouhan, Pushpa Raghani

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We have investigated the adsorption of Li on graphene oxide using density functional theory. We show a novel and simple approach to achieve a positive lithiation potential on epoxy and hydroxyl functionalized graphene, compared to the negative lithiation potential that has been found on prestine graphene. We included the van der Waals correction into the calculation so as to get a better picture of weak interactions. A positive lithiation potential suggests a favorable adsorption of Li on graphene oxide sheets that can lead to an increase in the specific capacity, which in turn can be used as an anode material …

Emergence Of Room-Temperature Ferroelectricity At Reduced Dimensions, D. A. Tenne

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The enhancement of the functional properties of materials at reduced dimensions is crucial for continuous advancements in nanoelectronic applications. Here, we report that the scale reduction leads to the emergence of an important functional property – ferroelectricity, challenging the long-standing notion that ferroelectricity is inevitably suppressed at the scale of a few nanometers. A combination of theoretical calculations, electrical measurements, and structural analyses provides evidence of room-temperature ferroelectricity in strain-free epitaxial nanometer-thick films of otherwise non-ferroelectric SrTiO₃. We show that electrically-induced alignment of naturally existing polar nanoregions is responsible for the appearance of a stable net ferroelectric polarization …

Source Mechanism Of Small Long-Period Events At Mount St. Helens In July 2005 Using Template Matching, Phase-Weighted Stacking, And Full-Waveform Inversion, Robin S. Matoza, Bernard A. Chouet, Phillip B. Dawson, Peter M. Shearer, Matthew M. Haney, Gregory P. Waite, Seth C. Moran, T. Dylan Mikesell

CGISS Publications and Presentations

Long-period (LP, 0.5-5 Hz) seismicity, observed at volcanoes worldwide, is a recognized signature of unrest and eruption. Cyclic LP “drumbeating” was the characteristic seismicity accompanying the sustained dome-building phase of the 2004–2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens (MSH), WA. However, together with the LP drumbeating was a near-continuous, randomly occurring series of tiny LP seismic events (LP “subevents”), which may hold important additional information on the mechanism of seismogenesis at restless volcanoes. We employ template matching, phase-weighted stacking, and full-waveform inversion to image the source mechanism of one multiplet of these LP subevents at MSH in July 2005. The signal-to-noise …

Hydrological Partitioning In The Critical Zone: Recent Advances And Opportunities For Developing Transferable Understanding Of Water Cycle Dynamics, Paul D. Brooks, Jon Chorover, Ying Fan, Sarah E. Godsey, Reed M. Maxwell, James P. Mcnamara, Christina Tague

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Hydrology is an integrative discipline linking the broad array of water-related research with physical, ecological, and social sciences. The increasing breadth of hydrological research, often where subdisciplines of hydrology partner with related sciences, reflects the central importance of water to environmental science, while highlighting the fractured nature of the discipline itself. This lack of coordination among hydrologic subdisciplines has hindered the development of hydrologic theory and integrated models capable of predicting hydrologic partitioning across time and space. The recent development of the concept of the critical zone (CZ), an open system extending from the top of the canopy to the …

Lahar Infrasound Associated With Volcán Villarrica's 3 March 2015 Eruption, Jeffrey B. Johnson, Jose L. Palma

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The paroxysmal 2015 eruption of Volcán Villarrica (Chile) produced a 2.5 h long lahar, which descended more than 20 km within the Rio Correntoso/Turbio drainage and destroyed two small bridges. A three-element infrasound array 10 km from the summit, and 4 km from the lahar’s closest approach, was used to study the flow’s progression. Array processing using cross-correlation lag times and semblance places constraints on the lahar’s dynamics, including detection of an initial flow pulse that traveled from 2 to 12 km at an average speed of 38m/s. Subsequently, the lahar signal evolved to a relatively stationary infrasonic tremor located …

Total Synthesis And Derivation Of Humulones And Lupulones As Possible Biologically Active Agents, Lucas R. Sass, Kristopher V. Waynant (Mentor)

Idaho Conference on Undergraduate Research

Humulones and lupulones have affirmed themselves as key ingredients in the multi-billion dollar brewing industry. Originally exploited for their bacteriostatic properties, these compounds also exhibit high levels of biological activity against a variety of diseases. Although quantifiable, the isolation and separation of specific humulones and lupulones has proven difficult, thus establishing efficient synthetic routes will be of value to those desiring exact bittering qualities and to the pharmaceutical community. Our investigations are towards developing a synthetic route to a library of humulones, lupulones, and their derivatives as possible biologically active agents against myriad diseases. The key step in our efficient …

Generalizations And Algebraic Structures Of The Grøstl-Based Primitives, Dmitriy Khripkov, Nicholas Lacasse, Bai Lin, Michelle Mastrianni, Liljana Babinkostova (Mentor)

Idaho Conference on Undergraduate Research

With the large scale proliferation of networked devices ranging from medical implants like pacemakers and insulin pumps, to corporate information assets, secure authentication, data integrity and confidentiality have become some of the central goals for cybersecurity. Cryptographic hash functions have many applications in information security and are commonly used to verify data authenticity. Our research focuses on the study of the properties that dictate the security of a cryptographic hash functions that use Even-Mansour type of ciphers in their underlying structure. In particular, we investigate the algebraic design requirements of the Grøstl hash function and its generalizations. Grøstl is an …

Nanostructured Polymer Lithography For Photovoltaic Applications, Allison J. Christy, Nicholas L. Mckibben, Jerry D. Harris (Mentor), David Estrada (Mentor)

Idaho Conference on Undergraduate Research

The self-assembly of diblock copolymers into ordered domains holds great potential to furthering the efficiency of photovoltaic devices. Solutions containing polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were applied to silicon wafers from toluene solutions. Hexagonally ordered domains, with pore sizes ranging from 10-30 nm, were obtained by annealing films in solvent vapor, with the best results produced from a humidified benzene environment. Exposing the films to UV light cross-linked the polystyrene matrix and degraded the PMMA. Removal of the PMMA and PEO produced an ordered polystyrene template, which can be used for nanolithography for the …

Temporal And Spatial Nutrient Trends Of The Lower Boise River, Southwest Idaho, Brian M. Yelen

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Elevated nutrients, orthophosphate and nitrate, in the Lower Boise River (LBR) in southwest Idaho may be attributed to contamination from agriculture runoff draining into tributaries and/or waste water treatment plants (WWTP). To better understand the sources and associated spatial and temporal dynamics of nutrient loading to the LBR, a series of high resolution synoptic sampling events were conducted. Six separate synoptic sampling events were conducted along approximately 65 miles, from upstream near the city of Boise to the confluence with the Snake River, seasonally from July 2012 to October 2013 with a sampling increment of approximately 0.5 miles. The samples …

Tracking And Characterization Of Moving Acoustic Sources Using An Infrasound Array At Volcán Santiaguito, Guatemala, Brian R. Terbush

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Active volcanic processes produce large amounts of acoustic energy within the infrasound band (0-20 Hz). Infrasound-sensitive microphones are often installed in addition to other forms of volcano monitoring equipment to increase the ability to remotely detect volcanic activity. In this study, an array of microphones was deployed without any additional sensor types for 36 hours at Santiaguito, Guatemala, to test the detection capabilities of a standalone microphone array. Array processing was applied to the recorded data, through frequency-domain beamforming and calculating a Fisher statistic (F). A changing F-threshold value was applied to differentiate between desired detections, or …

Defining Antecedent Topography At Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Kane County, Utah: The Influence Of Structural Controls On Dune-Field Boundary Conditions And Holocene Landscape Evolution, Elizabeth Janna Rozar

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Dune fields are transient features that record climate signatures through changes in mobility, morphology, and patterning. Aeolian geomorphologists are increasingly recognizing the important role that pre-existing, antecedent topography plays in controlling boundary conditions that affect changes in dune patterning. However, the dynamic relationship between antecedent topography and climate-sensitive boundary conditions is relatively unexplored. Here, I define antecedent topography for the Coral Pink Sand Dunes in southern Utah and show that structural controls play an important role in shaping antecedent geomorphic conditions of this dune field. I use ground-based terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to produce a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM), …

Multi-Component Active Source Rayleigh Wave Analysis, Gabriel Gribler

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Determining how a building site will respond to earthquake ground shaking plays a critical role in proper construction practices. One critical constraint on how a site responds is the near surface shear wave seismic velocity distribution. One commonly used method for indirectly estimating shear wave velocities is Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW), which utilizes a spread of vertical geophones to measure Rayleigh wave dispersion. With this approach, phase velocity vs. frequency dispersion curve picks can be used to estimate shear wave velocities with depth. I investigate the use of two (vertical and horizontal inline) component seismic signals to record …

Stable Isotopes Reveal A Disconnect Between Biotic And Abiotic Hydrological Processes In A Seasonally-Dry, Semi-Arid Watershed, Ryan James Mccutcheon

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Until recently, it had been thought that humid catchment woody plants transpired primarily mobile soil water that would otherwise flow to streams or recharge groundwater. However, several recent studies have suggested that trees in seasonally-dry humid catchments use primarily tightly-bound, immobile soil water that does not fully mix with new precipitation or participate in translatory flow. McDonnell (2014) called this existence of two, hydrologically-distinct, water pools “the two water worlds hypothesis.” This ecohydrological behavior has important implications for understanding a wide range of catchment processes, including the spatial and temporal variability of evapotranspiration and nutrient cycling, and our abilities to …

Impacts Of Changing Snowmelt Timing On Non-Irrigated Crop Yield, Erin Murray

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

As climate changes, the final date of spring snowmelt is projected to occur earlier in the year within the western United States. This earlier snowmelt timing may impact crop yield in snow-dominated watersheds by changing the timing of water delivery to agricultural fields. There is considerable uncertainty about how agricultural impacts of snowmelt timing may vary by region, crop type, and practices like irrigation vs. dryland farming. We utilize parametric regression techniques to isolate the magnitude of impact snowmelt timing has had on historical crop yield independently of climate and physiographic variables that also impact yield. To do this, we …

Life’S Lessons In The Lab: A Summer Of Learning From Undergraduate Research Experiences, Louis S. Nadelson, Don Warner, Eric Brown

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research experiences for undergraduates (REUs) seek to increase the participating students’ knowledge and perceptions of scientific research through engagement in laboratory research and related activities. Various REU outcomes have been investigated, including influence on participants’ content knowledge, career plans, and general perceptions of their domains of research. The complexity of REUs and dynamic nature of student development provide opportunity for exploring how REUs influence student growth. Our research focused on first and second-year college students who participated in a residential REU program that took place in a chemistry department in a metropolitan university in the western United States. We assessed …

Automatic Detection And Denoising Of Signals In Large Geophysical Datasets, Gabriel O. Trisca

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

To fully understand the complex interactions of various phenomena in the natural world, scientific disciplines such as geology and seismology increasingly rely upon analyzing large amounts of observations. However, data collection is growing at a faster rate than what is currently possible to analyze through traditional approaches. These datasets, supplied by the increasing use of sensors and remote sensing, require specialized computer programs to effectively analyze complex and expansive volumes of data.

Elaborating on existing geophysical data processing approaches for infrasound data collected from an avalanche-prone area, this project proposes new techniques for processing large geophysical datasets. These improved techniques …