Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

DePaul Discoveries

Journal

2016

Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

How To Impress: Coordinating A Large Video Data Set For A Collaborative Project, Noah-Kee Marks, Rita Dawod Jul 2016

How To Impress: Coordinating A Large Video Data Set For A Collaborative Project, Noah-Kee Marks, Rita Dawod

DePaul Discoveries

Though many different research methods involve mass quantities of video/audio data, there is little discussion of best practices for organization, especially when the research is collaborative. The guidelines we provide here were created while conducting educational research on the IMPRESS project, an integrated metacognitive program for at risk STEM majors at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Our hope is to encourage large-scale, collaborative research of qualitative video data by using our project as an example and providing enough information for readers to make a judgment on the efficacy of this process for their own projects.

Go to article

Instrumentation Of A Self-Correcting Data Acquisition System For Ultrafast Lasers, Fabricio S. Marin Jul 2016

Instrumentation Of A Self-Correcting Data Acquisition System For Ultrafast Lasers, Fabricio S. Marin

DePaul Discoveries

Optical phenomenon in semiconductors and other light-sensitive materials typically happen at very short time durations, and require instruments capable of measuring time resolutions on the order of nanoseconds to femtoseconds. Electronics can only measure up to nanosecond-time lengths. The purpose of this summer research project is to design a system capable of achieving variable time delays with resolutions up to femtosecond range to use in time-resolved experiments with the pump-probe technique. The time delay is achieved using a delay stage driven by a micro stepper-motor which moves in variable increments while an encoder counts the steps and tells a computer …

Go to article

Wavelet Packet Analysis Of Amino Acid Chain Sequences In The Proteins Of Mesophile And Thermophile Bacteria, John B. Linehan Jul 2016

Wavelet Packet Analysis Of Amino Acid Chain Sequences In The Proteins Of Mesophile And Thermophile Bacteria, John B. Linehan

DePaul Discoveries

In this project, proteins from mesophile and thermophile bacteria with similar functions are compared. Initially it is assumed that the differences between these two bacteria are substantial to be recognized in the amino acid sequences of their proteins. These differences would then lead to the creation of a statistical measure, which would allow the classification of a protein to its corresponding bacteria. By assigning hydrophobicity values from three well-known scales, a discrete numeric signal is produced for each protein, which is analyzed using wavelet packets. The result of this method indicates that the overall hydrophobic tendencies of these two bacteria’s …

Go to article

Using A High-Altitude Balloon Platform To Observe And Measure Ozone Uptake Over Agricultural Landscapes In Central Illinois, Cody Sabo Jul 2016

Using A High-Altitude Balloon Platform To Observe And Measure Ozone Uptake Over Agricultural Landscapes In Central Illinois, Cody Sabo

DePaul Discoveries

An increase in the amount of factories and machines that emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) has caused the concentration of GHGs to rise steeply since the industrial era. These emissions create compounds that react with sunlight to form ozone, a GHG. Ozone not only traps heat in the atmosphere causing long-term global issues, but it also causes direct harm to both plants and animals. The damage that ozone causes to plants is due to plants taking the gas up through their stomata. Measuring ozone uptake has traditionally been a difficult and expensive process. This study proposes a novel approach towards measuring …

Go to article

Greenhouse Gas Flux Response To Harvest Of Typha X Glauca In A Great Lakes Coastal Wetland, Olivia Johnson Jul 2016

Greenhouse Gas Flux Response To Harvest Of Typha X Glauca In A Great Lakes Coastal Wetland, Olivia Johnson

DePaul Discoveries

Although harvesting invasive species can promote biodiversity during wetlands restoration, there is little known about this mechanical treatment’s impacts on greenhouse gas flux, a significant biosphere-atmosphere interaction. We quantified greenhouse gas flux response to experimental harvest of invasive cattail (Typha x glauca) at Cheboygan Marsh in Northeastern Michigan during the 2015 growing season. During each sampling campaign (July 15, July 31, August 12) we collected gas samples from static PVC chambers at 6 harvest and adjacent Typha control plots. Using gas chromatograph analysis, we found no significant difference in CH4 or CO2 flux between harvest and control plots on any …

Go to article

Combinatory Effect Of Changing Co2, Temperature, And Long-Term Growth Temperature On Isoprene Emissions, Michael Cole Jul 2016

Combinatory Effect Of Changing Co2, Temperature, And Long-Term Growth Temperature On Isoprene Emissions, Michael Cole

DePaul Discoveries

Isoprene, the most abundant hydrocarbon in the atmosphere, plays a significant role in atmospheric chemistry. Its reactions with NOx lead to the formation of ozone in the lower troposphere, which is harmful to plants and detrimental to human health. As air temperatures and CO2 concentrations increase with climate change, it is uncertain how isoprene emissions from plants will respond. We hypothesized that isoprene emissions will increase with the combination of increasing temperature and CO­2 concentrations. We predict that oaks grown at a higher temperature will exhibit an increase in isoprene emissions with combined short-term increases in temperature …

Go to article

Implications Of Manipulations Of Soil Quality On The Growth Of European Buckthorn (Rhamnus Cathartica) In A Greenhouse, Sam L. Pepper, Liam Heneghan Jul 2016

Implications Of Manipulations Of Soil Quality On The Growth Of European Buckthorn (Rhamnus Cathartica) In A Greenhouse, Sam L. Pepper, Liam Heneghan

DePaul Discoveries

European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L.) is an invasive shrub that is capable of changing the nitrogen content of a soil through the deposition of its nitrogen rich leaf litter. This change creates conditions that may favor recolonizing by buckthorn and negatively affect the growth of native plants. In this greenhouse experiment, we examined the effect of altering soil quality by adding mulch comprised of buckthorn wood on above and belowground biomass, stem length and leaf production of buckthorn saplings. We found that buckthorn saplings planted in buckthorn mulch had reduced stem length and leaf production compared to growth in …

Go to article

The Correlation Between Basal Isoprene Emissions And Climate Of The Native Range Across Oak Species, Mary J. Babiez Jul 2016

The Correlation Between Basal Isoprene Emissions And Climate Of The Native Range Across Oak Species, Mary J. Babiez

DePaul Discoveries

Isoprene is a biogenic volatile organic compound that is emitted by various plant species and plays an important role in the chemistry of the atmosphere. When it reacts with pollutants in the air, such as nitrogen oxides, the precursor to ozone (O3) is formed. In this experiment, we measured leaf emissions from 20 different oak species at the Morton Arboretum (Lisle, Illinois). The aim was to better understand differences in isoprene emissions across oak species. Since emissions have been found to protect leaves against brief periods of heat stress, we hypothesized that oaks native to areas with greater …

Go to article

Synthesis Of A Small Molecule Nitrosocysteine Inhibitor To Reduce The Activity Of Caspase-1, Catherine A. Shamblen, Caitlin E. Karver Jul 2016

Synthesis Of A Small Molecule Nitrosocysteine Inhibitor To Reduce The Activity Of Caspase-1, Catherine A. Shamblen, Caitlin E. Karver

DePaul Discoveries

Caspase-1 is an enzyme that is overactive in autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases cleaving pro-interleukin-1β to the cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β), which leads to inflammatory symptoms. The inhibition of caspase-1 will cause a decrease in the concentration of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), resulting in the reduction of inflammatory symptoms. Recent research has revealed that the appending of a nitric oxide (NO) or nitroxyl (HNO) donating group to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduced, or avoided, the side effects caused by currently available treatments. A small molecule based on a known caspase-1 inhibitor with a nitrosocysteine appended on was synthesized to look at the effect of …

Go to article

Serendipitous Discovery Of A New Method For The Catalytic Synthesis Of Indole-Fused Benzazepanes, Edward Gluzman, Paul A. Vadola Jul 2016

Serendipitous Discovery Of A New Method For The Catalytic Synthesis Of Indole-Fused Benzazepanes, Edward Gluzman, Paul A. Vadola

DePaul Discoveries

We report here on our investigations into the application of 1,5-hydride transfer cyclization mechanisms to the synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted benzofurans and indoles. We found that PtI4 in MeCN at 120 ºC was indeed capable of activating the alkyne, however, the expected 2,3-disubstituted indole product was not observed. Instead we isolated an indolyl-3-benzazepane via an unexpected intramolecular Steven’s rearrangement/ring expansion. While this transformation has been previously reported our method may prove to have increased substrate scope and more practical reaction conditions. Further studies are underway to optimize the reaction conditions and to fully explore the scope and mechanism of the …

Go to article

Electrochemistry And Spectroscopy Of A Molybdenum Porphyrin Compound, Jay S. Bhanot, Kyle A. Grice Jul 2016

Electrochemistry And Spectroscopy Of A Molybdenum Porphyrin Compound, Jay S. Bhanot, Kyle A. Grice

DePaul Discoveries

Carbon dioxide has been a problematic greenhouse gas since the beginning of the industrial age. In an effort to remediate its effects on the climate, multiple techniques have been utilized in the chemical and electrochemical reduction of CO2. Homogeneous electrocatalysis for carbon dioxide reduction has been a topic of increasing interest. However, a full examination of the catalytic performance of early transition metals supported by macroligands has yet to be done. The research reported involves synthesis of a chelate of molybdenum within a tetraphenylporphyrin, and then synthesis, purification, and characterization of its ability to reduce carbon dioxide. The …

Go to article

Synthesis And Studies Of Cyclopentadienyl Molybdenum Complexes, Cesar Saucedo, Kyle A. Grice Jul 2016

Synthesis And Studies Of Cyclopentadienyl Molybdenum Complexes, Cesar Saucedo, Kyle A. Grice

DePaul Discoveries

The synthesis and electrochemical responses of [CpMo(CO)3]2, CpMo(CO)3I, CpMo(CO)3(OTf), and [CpMo(bpy)(CO)2] (Cp = cyclopentadienyl, bpy = 2,2’-bipyridine, OTf = trifluoromethansulfonate) in organic solvent are reported. Transition metal compounds such as Re(bpy)(CO)3Cl have been shown to be effective carbon dioxide reduction catalysts. The molybdenum metal complexes studied herein were examined under argon and carbon dioxide gas for the potential reduction of carbon dioxide. Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, infrared (IR) spectroscopy and an electrochemical method know as cyclic voltammetry were used to gather data on the complexes. Electrochemical …

Go to article