Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Low-Shield Volcanism: A Comparison Of Volcanoes On Syria Planum, Mars And Snake River Plain, Idaho, Amanda Olivia Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

Volcanoes are key indicators of a planet's internal structure, mechanics, and evolutionary history. Consequently, understanding the types and ages of volcanoes on a planet's surface is an important endeavor. In an attempt to better understand the relationship between morphometry and volcanic processes, we compared low-shield volcanoes on Syria Planum, Mars, with basaltic shields of the eastern Snake River Plain. We used 133 volcanoes on Syria Planum that are covered by Mars Orbiting Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) elevation data and 246 eSRP shields covered by the National Elevation Dataset (NED) for this comparison. Shields on Syria …

Mechanisms And Timing Of Pluton Emplacement In Taranaki Basin, New Zealand Using Three-Dimensional Seismic Analysis, Phillip C. Cammans

Theses and Dissertations

Several off-shore volcano-plutonic complexes are imaged in detail in the Parihaka 3D seismic survey in the Taranaki Basin of New Zealand. Three intrusions were analyzed for this study. Part of the Mohakatino Volcanic Centre (15 to 1.6 Ma), these intrusions have steep sides, no resolvable base reflectors, no internal stratification or structure, and they exhibit doming and faulting in the sedimentary strata above the intrusions. Deformation along the sides is dominated by highly attenuated, dipping strata with dips of 45° or higher that decrease rapidly away from the intrusions. Doming extends several hundred meters from the margins and produced many …

Information Behaviors Of Nuclear Scientists At Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Youngchoon Chun, Jiho Yi, Jung-Ran Park, Sangki Choi

Journal of East Asian Libraries

The goal of the study was to analyze the information use behaviors of researchers in the science and technology domain. A survey and interviews were conducted targeting nuclear scientists at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. Study results indicate that the nuclear scientists mainly use the Institute library/information center and Internet portal/search engines during information acquisition. Easy access to information, accuracy, currency and cost are the most critical factors in selecting and obtaining information. The most frequently used database for executing research is the Institute’s electronic library (NUCLIS21) followed by the Citation Index SCOPUS. The results of the study indicate …

Mass Spectrometry Based Proteomics And Lipidomics Studies, Huan Kang

Theses and Dissertations

Mass spectrometry has emerged as having a vital role in various applications to biochemical fields. In this thesis, we have utilized a variety of mass spectrometry techniques for both bacteriophage proteomics and colostrum and milk lipidomics studies. Our first study was the proteome characterization of Great Salt Lake bacteriophage NS01 with SDS-PAGE GEL to separate the viral proteins and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with an LTQ Orbitrap to identify the proteins after in-gel digestion. In this project, we have successfully identified 11 proteins with high confidence, p-values < 0.01, including coat protein gp88 with a coverage of 91% and tail protein gp86 with a coverage of 40.96%, which facilitated the classification of NS01 as a T7-like phage. Our second study was the discovery of colostrum and milk biomarkers that can be used to predict the likelihood of development of production-related metabolic diseases (PRMDs) in dairy cows through a lipidomics approach. In this study, an electrospray ionization, time-of-flight mass spectrometer was applied to lipid profiling, quantification and significant biomolecule selection. A Q-Star quadrupole, orthogonal time-of-flight mass spectrometer and an Agilent 6530 accurate-mass quadrupole/time-of flight mass spectrometer were both used for lipid biomarker fragmentation and identification. According to linear discriminative statistical modeling, three panels of biomarkers were defined. A combination of 2 milk lipid predictors, including DG18:0/18:0 and TG 18:0/18:0/18:1, provided PRMD predictions with 75.0% sensitivity at 90.0% specificity. A combination of 3 colostrum lipid predictors, including TG16:0/18:1/18:3, DG16:0/16:0 and C₄₀H₆₀NO, provided PRMD prediction with 90.0% sensitivity at …

Image-Charge Detection €“ Novel Instrumentation And Applications, Brandon Lee Barney

Theses and Dissertations

Image-charge detection is an analytical technique in which a highly-charged particle is detected by the magnitude of the image current that it generates in a detecting electrode. This current is represented as a voltage between the charged particle and the sensing electrode. It is a single particle detection method, ideal for the analysis of large, variable mass particles such as biological cells. Some of the physical properties of Bacillus subtilis spores were explored using different applications of image-charge detection. B. subtilis is a gram-negative spore-forming bacteria that has been shown to exhibit extremophile behavior. The particular extremophile behavior that was …

Fast Inference For Interactive Models Of Text, Jeffrey A. Lund

Theses and Dissertations

Probabilistic models of text are a useful tool for enabling the analysis of large collections of digital text. For example, Latent Dirichlet Allocation can quickly produce topical summaries of large collections of text documents. Many important uses cases of such models include human interaction during the inference process for these models of text. For example, the Interactive Topic Model extends Latent Dirichlet Allocation to incorporate human expertiese during inference in order to produce topics which are better suited to individual user needs. However, interactive use cases of probabalistic models of text introduce new constraints on inference - the inference procedure …

Improving Production Of Carbon Nanotube Composites, Dan Broadbent

Faculty Publications

Carbon nanotube (CNT) composites offer great promise for making lighter, thinner and stronger structures. Producing CNT composites, however, can be tricky. The focus of this work is to improve production yields of CNT composites by doing research and development in two areas:

• Research the relationship between ethylene gas concentrations used during CNT growth and yields of usable composite films produced.
• Develop furnace for growing larger CNT samples, which will enable larger sizes and quantities of research product.

Ribosome Component Turnover Kinetics Describes A Two-Pool Kinetic Model In Dietary Restriction That Suggests Rpl10 Is Exchanged During Ribosome Lifespan, Andrew David Mathis

Theses and Dissertations

The eukaryotic ribosome is a large molecular machine consisting of ~80 ribosomal proteins and 4 rRNAs. The 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits are assembled in the nucleolus by ~200 helper proteins then shipped into the cytoplasm or to the endoplasmic reticulum where protein translation takes place. Eventually ribosomes are removed from the cytoplasm and recycled through ribophagy, however, very is little is known about ribosomal protein exchange after assembly but before ribophagy. Using kinetic turnover measurements of ribosomal proteins and rRNA in vivo we determined ribosomal protein replacement rates are diverse suggesting ribosomal components may be replaced without destruction of …

Design, Fabrication, And Optimization Of Miniaturized Devices For Bioanalytical Applications, Suresh Kumar

Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation work integrates the techniques of microfabrication, micro/nanofluidics, and bioanalytical chemistry to develop miniaturized devices for healthcare applications. Semiconductor processing techniques including photolithography, physical and chemical vapor deposition, and wet etching are used to build these devices in silicon and polymeric materials. On-chip micro-/nanochannels, pumps, and valves are used to manipulate the flow of fluid in these devices. Analytical techniques such as size-based filtration, solid-phase extraction (SPE), sample enrichment, on-chip labeling, microchip electrophoresis (µCE), and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) are utilized to analyze biomolecules. Such miniaturized devices offer the advantages of rapid analysis, low cost, and lab-on-a-chip scale integration …

A Nonabelian Landau-Ginzburg B-Model Construction, Ryan Thor Sandberg

Theses and Dissertations

The Landau-Ginzburg (LG) B-Model is a significant feature of singularity theory and mirror symmetry. Krawitz in 2010, guided by work of Kaufmann, provided an explicit construction for the LG B-model when using diagonal symmetries of a quasihomogeneous, nondegenerate polynomial. In this thesis we discuss aspects of how to generalize the LG B-model construction to allow for nondiagonal symmetries of a polynomial, and hence nonabelian symmetry groups. The construction is generalized to the level of graded vector space and the multiplication developed up to an unknown factor. We present complete examples of nonabelian LG B-models for the polynomials x^2y + y^3, …

Peroxy Radical - Water Complexes: Their Role In The Atmosphere, Sambhav Rajendra Kumbhani

Theses and Dissertations

The importance of radical-water complexes in the atmosphere is explored in this dissertation. Radicals, although present in small concentrations in the atmosphere, play a significant role in creating and removing atmospheric pollution. As the atmosphere warms and consequently gets wetter, it is essential to understand the effects of water vapor on radical chemistry. This dissertation reports studies on the effects of water vapor on the kinetics of the self-reaction of β-hydroxyethyl peroxy radical (β-HEP), a prominent organic peroxy radical in the atmosphere. Both experimental and computational studies have been performed to examine the effects of water vapor on the kinetics …

Comparing Theory And Experiment For Analyte Transport In The First Vacuum Stage Of The Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer, Matthew R. Zachreson

Theses and Dissertations

The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) has been used in laboratories for many years. The majority of the improvements to the instrument have been done empirically through trial and error. A few fluid models have been made, which have given a general description of the flow through the mass spectrometer interface. However, due to long mean free path effects and other factors, it is very difficult to simulate the flow details well enough to predict how changing the interface design will change the formation of the ion beam. Towards this end, Spencer et al. developed FENIX, a direct simulation …

The Synthesis And Characterization Of Ferritin Bio Minerals For Photovoltaic, Nanobattery, And Bio-Nano Propellant Applications, Trevor Jamison Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Material science is an interdisciplinary area of research, which in part, designs and characterizes new materials. Research is concerned with synthesis, structure, properties, and performance of materials. Discoveries in materials science have significant impact on future technologies, especially in nano-scale applications where the physical properties of nanomaterials are significantly different than their bulk counterparts. The work presented here discusses the use of ferritin, a hollow sphere-like biomolecule, which forms metal oxo-hydride nanoparticles inside its protein shell for uses as a bio-inorganic material.Ferritin is capable of forming and sequestering 8 nm metal-oxide nanoparticles within its 2 nm thick protein shell. A …

Analytical Approaches In Investigating The Kinetics Of Water-Molecule Complexes In Tropospheric Reactions, William J. Keeton

Theses and Dissertations

Ozone is a heavily monitored pollutant. Ozone is not directly emitted into the atmosphere, but rather the product of chemical reactions. Ground level ozone occurs when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react with each other in the presence of sunlight. The primary precursors of ozone are anthropogenically emitted, and as a result, tropospheric ozone has cost millions of dollars in damages and has hurt the health of countless people. This dissertation is a collection of work that aims to provide insight into atmospheric reactions that result in tropospheric ozone and the instrumentation to study such reactions. While …

Vector Intensity And Holography-Based Acoustic Source Characterization Of A Military Jet Aircraft, Trevor Alden Stout

Theses and Dissertations

The scientific community has employed multiple methods to analyze and describe the jet noise emanating from the turbulent exhaust flow from modern military aircraft engines, with the goal that better characterization of the sound radiation will improve noise reduction efforts. This thesis utilizes three different approaches to characterize the noise source region from a static F-22A Raptor. First, the energy flow field along planes near the aircraft and along an arc is measured using a multidimensional vector intensity probe. The resulting vector intensity maps give a clear indication of the directionality of the noise as a function of frequency at …

An Improved Classifier Chain Ensemble For Multi-Dimensionalclassification With Conditional Dependence, Joseph Ethan Heydorn

Theses and Dissertations

We focus on multi-dimensional classification (MDC) problems with conditional dependence, which we call multiple output dependence (MOD) problems. MDC is the task of predicting a vector of categorical outputs for each input. Conditional dependence in MDC means that the choice for one output value affects the choice for others, so it is not desirable to predict outputs independently. We show that conditional dependence in MDC implies that a single input can map to multiple correct output vectors. This means it is desirable to find multiple correct output vectors per input. Current solutions for MOD problems are not sufficient because they …

Histone Deacetylase 6 (Hdac6) Is Critical For Tumor Cell Survival And Promotes The Pro-Survival Activity Of 14-3-3Ζ Viadeacetylation Of Lysines Within The14-3-3Ζ Binding Pocket, Jeffrey Benjamin Mortenson

Theses and Dissertations

Our understanding of non-histone acetylation as a means of cellular regulation is in its infancy. Using a mass spectrometry approach we identified acetylated lysine residues and monitored acetylation changes across the proteome as a consequence of metabolic stress (hypoxia). We observed changes in acetylation status of non-histone lysines in tumor cells. Through the use of small molecule inhibitors of histone deacetylase enzymes (HDACs) and siRNA screening identified HDAC6 as a pro-survival regulator of lysine acetylation during hypoxia. The phospho-binding protein 14-3-3ζ acts as a signaling hub controlling a network of interacting partners and oncogenic pathways. We show here that lysines …

Geologic Mapping Of Ice Cave Peak Quadrangle, Uintah And Duchesne Counties, Utah With Implications From Mapping Laramide Faults, Gabriel J. Poduska

Theses and Dissertations

Geologic mapping (1:24,000 scale) of the Ice Cave Peak quadrangle, Uintah and Duchesne Counties, Utah has produced a better understanding of the geologic structures present in the quadrangle and has increased our understanding of faulting in northeastern Utah. Map units in the quadrangle range in age from late Neoproterozoic to Quaternary and include good exposures of Paleozoic rocks (Mississippian to Permian), limited exposures of Mesozoic rocks, and good exposures of Tertiary strata (Duchesne River Formation and Bishop Conglomerate) deposited during uplift of the Uinta Mountains. Lower Mississippian strata along the south flank of the Uinta Mountains have typically been mapped …

Dna Origami Stabilized And Seeded With 4'-Aminomethyltrioxsalen For Improved Dna Nanowire Fabrication, Matthew Paul Mcdowell

Theses and Dissertations

A fast emerging technology in the microelectronics field is bottom-up self-assembly of computer circuitry. A promising method to develop nanoelectronic devices through bottom-up self-assembly is the implementation of DNA-based technologies. Using DNA to create nanoelectronic devices is advantageous because of its already well understood base-paring and annealing qualities. These base-pairing and annealing qualities can be used to design and construct DNA nanostructures called DNA origami. DNA origami are specially designed structures made from single stranded DNA. Short single stranded DNA oligonucleotides called staple strands attach to a large single stranded DNA called a DNA scaffold. DNA staple strands and DNA …

Progress Towards The Total Synthesis Of Yaku'amide A, Zhiwei Ma

Theses and Dissertations

The synthetic progress towards yaku'amide A is described. The study leads to development of new synthetic methodologies. Base-free regioselective aminohydroxylation is convenient to deliver β-tert-hydroxyamino acids. A sequence consisting of alkylative esterification, Martin sulfurane mediated anti dehydration, a tandem azide reduction-O→N acyl transfer allows the rapid access of E- and Z-dehydroisoleucine-containing peptides from β-tert-hydroxyisoleucine derivatives. Those methods are effective in constructing complicated peptides and advanced subunits of yaku'amide A.

Amiens Cathedral: City Of God, Dennis West, Dr. Seth Holladay

Journal of Undergraduate Research

What was it like to visit a gothic cathedral in the thirteenth century? That is the question that is explored in Amiens Cathedral: City of God. The purpose of this project was to illustrate the experience a medieval citizen of Amiens would have had upon visiting the Cathedral of Amiens. This was accomplished through researching dimensions and original construction of the cathedral, and illustrating how the stained glass and other art accentuates the sermons presented.

A Feasibility Study Of Photometric Reverberation Mapping With Meter-Class Telescopes, Carla June Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

For the past several decades, mass estimates for supermassive black holes hosted by active galactic nuclei (AGN) have been made with the reverberation mapping (RM) technique. This methodology has produced consistent results and has been used to establish several relations that link the characteristics of the host galaxy to the mass of the central black hole. Despite this success, there are less than 50 AGN with black hole masses derived from RM. This low number is generally attributed to the difficulties in coordinating large blocks of telescope time for making simultaneous photometric and spectroscopic observations. Spectroscopic observations also generally require …

Using Declassified Satellite Imagery To Quantify Geomorphic Change: A New Approach And Application To Himalayan Glaciers, Joshua Michael Maurer

Theses and Dissertations

Himalayan glaciers are key components of earth's cryosphere, acting as hydrological reservoirs vital to many human and natural systems. Most Himalayan glaciers are shrinking in response to changing climate, which will potentially impact water resources, natural hazards, sea level rise, and many other aspects. However, there is much uncertainty regarding the state of these glaciers, as direct field data are difficult to obtain. Accordingly, long-timespan remote sensing techniques are needed to measure changing glaciers, which have memory and often respond to climate on decadal timescales. This study uses declassified historical imagery from the Hexagon spy satellite database to fulfill this …

Nonlocally Maximal Hyperbolic Sets For Flows, Taylor Michael Petty

Theses and Dissertations

In 2004, Fisher constructed a map on a 2-disc that admitted a hyperbolic set not contained in any locally maximal hyperbolic set. Furthermore, it was shown that this was an open property, and that it was embeddable into any smooth manifold of dimension greater than one. In the present work we show that analogous results hold for flows. Specifically, on any smooth manifold with dimension greater than or equal to three there exists an open set of flows such that each flow in the open set contains a hyperbolic set that is not contained in a locally maximal one.

Topics Pertaining To The Group Matrix: K-Characters And Random Walks, Randall Dean Reese

Theses and Dissertations

Linear characters of finite groups can be extended to take k operands. The basics of such a k-fold extension are detailed. We then examine a proposition by Johnson and Sehgal pertaining to these k-characters and disprove its converse. Probabilistic models can be applied to random walks on the Cayley groups of finite order. We examine random walks on dihedral groups which converge after a finite number of steps to the random walk induced by the uniform distribution. We present both sufficient and necessary conditions for such convergence and analyze aspects of algebraic geometry related to this subject.

Analysis Of Multiple Collision-Based Periodic Orbits In Dimension Higher Than One, Skyler C. Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

We exhibit multiple periodic, collision-based orbits of the Newtonian n-body problem. Many of these orbits feature regularizable collisions between the masses. We demonstrate existence of the periodic orbits after performing the appropriate regularization. Stability, including linear stability, for the orbits is then computed using a technique due to Roberts. We point out other interesting features of the orbits as appropriate. When applicable, the results are extended to a broader family of orbits with similar behavior.

Characterization Of Order-Disorder Phase Transition Temperature For Select Nanoparticles, Gregory J. Sutherland

Theses and Dissertations

A method was found for creating ordered nanoparticles whose size and theoretical order-disorder temperature are ideal for study in the TEM. Specifically FePt, NiPt, FeNiPt and AuCu nanoparticles were studied. We were able to show how a nanoparticle's size affects its order-disorder temperature (Tod). When the particles were around 6 nm in diameter there was a shift downward of the Tod of 10-15 percent compared to the bulk. While particles around 10 nm in diameter experienced a downward shift of 0-6 percent compared to the bulk. One can approximate that particles less than 10-15 nm in diameter would show significant …

Synthesis, Rna Binding And Antibacterial Studies Of 2-Dos Mimetics And Development Of Polymer Supported Nanoparticle Catalysts For Nitroarene And Azide Reduction, Venkata Reddy Udumula

Theses and Dissertations

Project I 2-Deoxystreptamine (2-DOS), the most conserved central scaffold of aminoglycosides, is known to specifically recognize the 5'-GU-'3 sequence step through highly conserved hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions within and without the context of aminoglycosides (Figure 1a). We proposed that a novel monomeric unnatural amino acid building block using 2-DOS as a template would allow us to develop RNA binding molecules with higher affinity and selectivity than those currently available. Conjugating two or more of the monomeric building blocks by an amide bond would introduce extra hydrogen bonding donors and acceptors that are absent in natural aminoglycosides and increase specificity …

Octahedral Extensions And Proofs Of Two Conjectures Of Wong, Kevin Ronald Childers

Theses and Dissertations

Consider a non-Galois cubic extension K/Q ramified at a single prime p > 3. We show that if K is a subfield of an S_4-extension L/Q ramified only at p, we can determine the Artin conductor of the projective representation associated to L/Q, which is based on whether or not K/Q is totally real. We also show that the number of S_4-extensions of this type with K as a subfield is of the form 2^n - 1 for some n >= 0. If K/Q is totally real, n > 1. This proves two conjectures of Siman Wong.

A Study Of Allylic Aminations As Catalyzed By Heterobimetallic Pd-Ti Complexes, Diana Lauren Ellis

Theses and Dissertations

Heterobimetallic complexes present a unique approach to catalyzing challenging reactions. By having two metals in close proximity to each other, the metals are able to interact and alter their electronics in a way that simple organic ligands (carbon, nitrogen, sulfur etc.) cannot. Our studies of heterobimetallic complexes focus on a Pd–Ti complex. The complex features a dative interaction between the palladium and the titanium held together by a phosphonamide scaffold. This interaction increases the electrophilicity of the palladium and makes it a very suitable catalyst for allylic amination reactions. We have conducted extensive studies of this catalyst in allylic aminations, …