Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Development Of Microfluidic Platforms For Studies Of Cellular Organization In Escherichia Coli, Anna Dawn Jennings

Masters Theses

Traditionally, bacteria cells have been imaged on agarose pads allowing them to grow in steady conditions for only a few doubling times. To understand the cellular organization in bacteria, tools are needed that allow the observation of log-phase cells for many generations. In recent years, several microfluidic platforms have been designed that allow microscopic imaging of bacteria for over one hundred generations. One of the most promising approaches has been the so-called mother machine design where bacteria grow in small dead-end channels all connected to a large main channel, which is used to flow fresh nutrients to the cells and …

Investigating The Properties Of Superfluid He-4 Through Density Functional Calculations, Matthew Francis Dutra

Doctoral Dissertations

We present a study of isotopically pure He-4 systems evaluated using helium density functional theory (He-DFT) with the intent of better understanding their ground state structural and energetic properties, particularly within the scope of singularly-doped helium droplets. We self-consistently solve for the density profiles and chemical potentials for a wide range of pure helium droplet sizes (up to 9500 atoms) via an imaginary time propagation method, and fit the resultant energetic data to a power law formula to be able to extrapolate values for even larger droplets. Subsequent calculations on singularly-doped droplets within the same size range yield accurate binding …

Modelling Cash Crop Growth In Tn, Spencer Weston

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Project Arduino, Kevin Ye, Gregory Rouleau, Alan Person, Jabril Muhammad

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Sustainability Education In Primary And Secondary Schools: Great Needs And Possible Solutions, Allison Watson

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Target Detection With Neural Network Hardware, Hollis Bui, Garrett Massman, Nikolas Spangler, Jalen Tarvin, Luke Bechtel, Kevin Dunn, Shawn Bradford

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Molecular Structure Of Side Chain Polymers On "Click" Synthesis Of Thermosensitive Molecular Brushes, Christie Maggie Lau

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

The Loewner Equation And Weierstrass' Function, Gavin Ainsley Glenn

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Accuracy And Stability Of Integration Methods For Neutrino Transport In Core Collapse Supernovae, Kyle A. Gregory

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Convective Mode Climatology Of Tennessee Tornado Events And Effect On National Weather Service Warning Processes, Kelly Nicole Gassert

Masters Theses

Tennessee resides in the Southeastern United States, a region prone to violent tornadoes on a year-round basis. With one of the highest tornado fatality rates in the country, and a climatology that varies across the state, analysis of storms resulting in Tennessee tornadoes is necessary for improving forecasting techniques and decreasing loss of life. This study analyzed convective modes responsible for Tennessee tornadoes from 2003 to 2014 to determine an association with fatalities, seasonality, day and night, tornado magnitude, regionality, and multiple-tornado days. Chi-squared tests were conducted to determine if these patterns were significant. National Weather Service forecasters from the …

Development Of Nuclear Underground Engineered Test Surrogates For Technical Nuclear Forensics Exploitation, Robert Boone Gilbreath

Masters Theses

A method for formulation and production of Nuclear UnderGround Engineered Test Surrogates (NUGETS) based on notional improvised nuclear device (IND) detonations in an underground environment analogous to the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) is presented. Extensive statistical analyses of precursory geochemical and geophysical characteristics are combined with an augmented surrogate debris cooling technique and predictive IND contributions from the ORIGEN Fallout Analysis Tool. Precursory and resultant elemental compositions, cooling curve calculations, and visual comparison of NUGETS to genuine underground debris are reported. Application of NUGETS methodology to future studies in urban, underground post-detonation technical nuclear forensic (TNF) analysis is suggested.

Efficient Simulation Of A Simple Evolutionary System, Mahendra Duwal Shrestha

Masters Theses

An infinite population model is considered for diploid evolution under the influence of crossing over and mutation. The evolution equations show how Vose’s haploid model for Genetic Algorithms extends to the diploid case, thereby making feasible simulations which otherwise would require excessive resources. This is illustrated through computations confirming the convergence of finite diploid population short-term behaviour to the behaviour predicted by the infinite diploid model. The results show the distance between finite and infinite population evolutionary trajectories can decrease in practice like the reciprocal of the square root of population size.

Under necessary and sufficient conditions (NS) concerning mutation …

Probing Pulse Structure At The Spallation Neutron Source Via Polarimetry Measurements, Connor Miller Gautam

Masters Theses

The Fundamental Neutron Physics Beamline (FNPB) at Spallation Neutron Source is used to probe fundamental forces via cold neutrons. The beamline's latest experiment is probing the hadronic weak interaction through the capture of polarized cold neutrons on ³He nuclei. While the strong nuclear force is dominant in this interaction, a weak signal can be observed in the parity violating momentum asymmetry in the reaction products. As the asymmetry measurement requires both neutron spin states, a means of controlling the neutron spin is required. In order to alternate the spins, a radio frequency spin rotator was installed for the experiment. …

Characterization Of Reactor Background Radiation At Hfir For The Prospect Experiment, Blaine Alexander Heffron

Masters Theses

This work describes an investigation of the background radiation present at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) on behalf of the PROSPECT collaboration. The PROSPECT experiment is designed to make a precision measurement of the antineutrino spectrum at HFIR and search for sterile neutrinos. Temporal and spacial variation of neutron and gamma backgrounds at the experiment site for the PROSPECT detector are measured in order to determine if the reactor correlated radiation will contribute a significant background to the inverse beta decay signal. Knowledge of spacial background variation will also be used to inform the design of a local shield …

Optimization Of The Nedm Experiment, Patrick Rogers

Masters Theses

The Neutron Electric Dipole Moment (NEDM) experiment is an upcoming experiment at ORNL to measure the size of an electric dipole moment inside of the neutron. This is being done to probe CP asymmetries that could give rise to a matter dominated universe. The experiment will utilize a nuclear reaction that outputs scintillation light in a manner that depends on the alignment of the spins of the reactant particles. This light will be detected and used to measure the NEDM. The amount of light collected for measurement will impact the accuracy of the results; the more photons collected the better …

Spatially Explicit Population Estimates Of The Florida Black Bear, Jacob Michael Humm

Masters Theses

The Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) is currently comprised of 7 isolated subpopulations: Apalachicola, Eglin, Osceola, Ocala/St. Johns, Chassahowitzka, Highlands/Glades, and Big Cypress. The last statewide assessment of Florida black bear population dynamics was conducted by Simek et al. (2005) using traditional capture-markrecapture methods. The subspecies was removed from Florida’s List of State Threatened Species in 2012 contingent upon the formulation of a management plan that would maintain viable subpopulations of black bears in suitable habitat. Accurate population estimates for each of the remaining black bear subpopulations in Florida were needed to achieve the management goals of …

Influence Of Environmental Conditions And Inundation History On Bacterial Diversity Of Salt Marsh Soils In Southern Louisiana, Brandon M. Bagley

Masters Theses

Diversity patterns and controls on bacterial community composition were investigated from coastal salt marsh soils in southern Louisiana (USA) from 2012 – 2014. These salt marshes are part of an extensive coastal landscape that is experiencing land loss due to subsidence, sea-level rise, and anthropogenic activities, including from the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Prior to the oil spill, microbiology research focused predominately on biogeochemical roles and not on taxonomic representation in the soils or on understanding the significance of taxonomic diversity at the microbial level to marsh food webs or ecosystem dynamics. The purpose of …

Influence Of Algae On Soil Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: An In Situ Treatment Option For Reducing Infiltration Beneath Unlined Algae Cultivation Ponds, Molly Brianne Pattullo

Masters Theses

Commercial production of algal biofuels is currently limited by high capital costs, including the cost of installation and maintenance of plastic pond liners, which mitigate seepage of cultivation fluids and control the release of salts and nutrients into the subsurface beneath outdoor algae cultivation ponds. However, studies of animal waste settling lagoons show that underlying soils ranging from sands to clay loams can exhibit reduced hydraulic conductivity within days to weeks after construction, reducing the need for plastic liners. The mechanisms of the hydraulic conductivity reductions, or “soil sealing”, are physical rearrangement of soil particles, buildup of fines, and the …

Determining Sources Of Nitrate In The Semi-Arid Rio Grande Using Nitrogen And Oxygen Isotopes, Diego Alberto Sanchez Hernandez

Masters Theses

The Rio Grande, a semi-arid river in the American Southwest, is a major source of surface water for agriculture and drinking supplies in New Mexico and Texas. In addition to increasing salinity, considerable increases of NO₃^- [nitrate] have been observed in the semi-arid portion of the Rio Grande. It is possible that elevated water salinity inhibits denitrification on irrigated fields and, thus, fails to mediate excess nutrient load from anthropogenic activities. Therefore, two major goals of this project were to 1) characterize and quantify major NO₃^- sources, and 2) assess whether elevated water salinity affects microbial …

On The Role Of Genetic Algorithms In The Pattern Recognition Task Of Classification, Isaac Ben Sherman

Masters Theses

In this dissertation we ask, formulate an apparatus for answering, and answer the following three questions: Where do Genetic Algorithms fit in the greater scheme of pattern recognition? Given primitive mechanics, can Genetic Algorithms match or exceed the performance of theoretically-based methods? Can we build a generic universal Genetic Algorithm for classification? To answer these questions, we develop a genetic algorithm which optimizes MATLAB classifiers and a variable length genetic algorithm which does classification based entirely on boolean logic. We test these algorithms on disparate datasets rooted in cellular biology, music theory, and medicine. We then get results from these …

Effects Of Switchgrass Related Land-Use Changes On Aquatic Macroinvertebrates, Latha Malar Baskaran

Doctoral Dissertations

This research examines if switchgrass-based land-management practices have the potential to influence aquatic macroinvertebrates through changes in stream flow and water quality. The number of taxa in Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera orders (EPT taxa richness/EPT-TR) is analyzed as an aquatic macroinvertebrate bioindicator in the context of regional environmental effects, and changes in stream flow and water quality. This dissertation is structured as three manuscripts that link together to address the overall research question.

The first manuscript focuses on identifying regional environmental variables that influence EPT-TR across ecoregions in Tennessee. The influences of temperature, precipitation, geology, soil, stream flow and velocity …

Surface Energy In Bond-Counting Models On Bravais And Non-Bravais Lattices, Tim Ryan Krumwiede

Doctoral Dissertations

Continuum models in computational material science require the choice of a surface energy function, based on properties of the material of interest. This work shows how to use atomistic bond-counting models and crystal geometry to inform this choice. We will examine some of the difficulties that arise in the comparison between these models due to differing types of truncation. New crystal geometry methods are required when considering materials with non-Bravais lattice structure, resulting in a multi-valued surface energy. These methods will then be presented in the context of the two-dimensional material graphene in a way that correctly predicts its equilibrium …

The Homology And Phylogeny Of The Diploporita (Blastozoa: Echinodermata), Sarah Lynne Sheffield

Doctoral Dissertations

Evolutionary relationships of extinct echinoderms are poorly understood, especially within stem-bearing blastozoans, a large group of echinoderms with unique respiratory structures and feeding brachioles. They were highly experimental in their body plans and very unlike echinoderms today (e.g., sea urchins). Many of the blastozoan subgroups recognized in recent classifications do not represent clades (natural associations of organisms derived from a single ancestor); they are either grades of organization or groups united by superficially similar features. Consequently, these ‘traditional’ groupings cannot be used to analyze evolutionary questions, such as biogeography or rates of evolution. This problem is highlighted within the diploporitan …

"Returning To The Root" Of The Problem: Improving The Social Condition Of African Americans Through Science And Mathematics Education, Vanessa R. Pitts Bannister, Julius Davis, Jomo Mutegi, Latasha Thompson, Deborah Lewis

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

The underachievement and underrepresentation of African Americans in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines have been well documented. Efforts to improve the STEM education of African Americans continue to focus on relationships between teaching and learning and factors such as culture, race, power, class, learning preferences, cultural styles and language. Although this body of literature is deemed valuable, it fails to help STEM teacher educators and teachers critically assess other important factors such as pedagogy and curriculum. In this article, the authors argue that both pedagogy and curriculum should be centered on the social condition of African Americans – …

Fire History Of The Appalachian Region: A Review And Synthesis, Charles W. Lafon, Adam T. Naito, Henri D. Grissino-Mayer, Sally P Horn, Thomas A. Waldrop

Geography Publications and Other Works

The importance of fire in shaping Appalachian vegetation has become increasingly apparent over the last 25 years. This period has seen declines in oak (Quercus) and pine (Pinus) forests and other fire-dependent ecosystems, which in the near-exclusion of fire are being replaced by fire-sensitive mesophytic vegetation. These vegetation changes imply that Appalachian vegetation had developed under a history of burning before the fire-exclusion era, a possibility that has motivated investigations of Appalachian fire history using proxy evidence. Here we synthesize those investigations to obtain an up-to-date portrayal of Appalachian fire history. We organize the report by …

The Future Of The Iran Nuclear Deal: Pretty Bright From Its Verification Lens, Mutti Anggitta

International Journal of Nuclear Security

This manuscript discusses the JCPOA’s verification mechanism, especially its four innovative additional safeguards measures: much broader monitoring of Iran’s nuclear program, access with a deadline and dispute resolution mechanism, the Procurement Channel, and the prohibition of weaponization activities. It considers the possible implications of such safeguards measures for the future of the deal and for the non-proliferation regime. This manuscript found that the four additional safeguards measures, if implemented with the Iran’s Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol, would increase the effectiveness of monitoring and verification measures under the deal. In short, they will significantly contribute to the success …