Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Numerical Investigations Of 2-D Magnetic Nozzles On Pulsed Plasma Plumes, Joshua Daniel Burch

Masters Theses

"This research presents studies of a novel type of magnetic nozzle that allows for three-dimensional (3-D) steering of a plasma plume. Numerical simulations were performed using Tech-X's USim® software to quantify the nozzle's capabilities. A2-D planar magnetic nozzle was applied to plumes of a nominal pulsed inductive plasma (PIP) source with discharge parameters similar to those of Missouri S&T's Missouri Plasmoid Experiment (MPX). Argon and xenon plumes were considered. Simulations were verified and validated through a mesh convergence study as well as comparison with available experimental data. Periodicity was achieved over the simulation run time and phase angle samples were …

Using Lake Sediment Chemistry In The Exploration For Nickel Laterite Deposits In Tropical Regions, Gabriela Yvonne Ramirez

Masters Theses

"Developing reliable geochemical indicators to guide the search for ore deposits is a long-standing goal. This particularly applies to tropical regions that are often heavily vegetated which hampers boots-on-the ground exploration efforts. Here we present the preliminary results of a study that investigates the usefulness of lake sediment chemistry in the exploration for nickel laterite ore deposits in tropical regions using Lake Izabal, Guatemala, as a case study. Lake Izabal’s catchment area contains Ni laterite deposits along its northern shore, whereas no Ni-laterite discoveries have been made in the south except for a Ni mine in the southern region that …

Lithofacies Characterization Of Marine Shelf Shale And Implicaitons On Depositional Conditions And Processes On The Continental Shelf — A Case Study Of The Upper-Cretaceous Tuscaloosa Marine Shale In Louisiana And Mississippi, U.S.A., Efren Mendez Jr

Masters Theses

"The Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) is an unconventional shale reservoir deposited on the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico Basin. Previous studies have focused on sequence stratigraphy, thermal modeling, and well-log correlations. However, a limited understanding of the stratigraphic heterogeneity of the TMS is yet to be studied. This study aims to characterize the stratigraphic heterogeneity of the TMS using core, petrographic, and well-log analyses to better understand the depositional conditions and processes that occur on the continental shelf. The TMS has been classified into four lithofacies of very fine sands – coarse silts (LF1), medium-fine …

Low-Head Dam Removal Increases Functional Diversity Of Stream Fish Assemblages, Adam Christopher Jones

Masters Theses

Despite the growing number of dam removals to date, very few have been studied to understand their impacts on stream fish communities. Despite being the most common type of dam in the U.S., an even smaller proportion of studies focus on the impacts of low-head dam removals, instead, focusing on the impacts of removal of larger dams. In this study, two previously impounded Illinois rivers were monitored to assess the impacts of low-head dam removal on the functional assemblage of stream fishes. This was accomplished by aggregating fishes into habitat and reproductive guilds, relating community changes to habitat, environmental metrics, …

Interfacial Electrochemistry In Metallic Film Fabrication, Eric S. Tuala

Masters Theses

An experimental determination of RC constant at the edge and the center of a disk electrode was done using in situ reflectance spectroscopy on a Au electrode immersed in HClO₄ as electrolyte. The RC constant at the edge of the disk electrode was found much smaller than that at the center. Such differences contribute to the selective removal of the deposited Cu on an Au disk electrode.

Furthermore, the electrochemical corrosion of Cu²⁺ towards Co electrode (called cementation reaction) was investigated using a Co/Pt rotating disk electrode. The Open Circuit Potential of Co electrode in CuSO₄ electrolyte …

A Study Of Π – Π Stacking Interactions In Rhenium Carbonyl Complexes Based On Backbone Functionalized Bis(Pyrazolyl)Methane Ligands, Balamani Guduru

Masters Theses

π – π Stacking interactions are one of the most important non-covalent inter-molecular forces, which play an important role in the architecture of 1D and 2D networks of supramolecular chemistry. This associative contact involves the attractive interactions of aromatic molecules with each other. To describe and study the strength of the π – π stacking interactions, four new bis(pyrazolyl)ethanamine ligands having different aromatic groups (1-pyrenyl, 1-naphthyl, 2-naphthyl, and 9-anthracenyl) known for their propensity to be involved in π – π stacking interactions were prepared by the reaction of one equivalent of bis(pyrazolyl)ethanamine with one equivalent of the corresponding aromatic aldehyde. …

Continuous And Discrete Models For Optimal Harvesting In Fisheries, Nagham Abbas Al Qubbanchee

Masters Theses

"This work focuses on the logistic growth model, where the Gordon-Schaefer model is considered in continuous time. We view the Gordon-Schaefer model as a bioeconomic equation involved in the fishing business, considering biological rates, carrying capacity, and total marginal costs and revenues. In [25], the authors illustrate the analytical solution of the Schaefer model using the integration by parts method and two theorems. The theorems have many assumptions with many different strategies. Due to the nature of the problem, the optimal control system involves many equations and functions, such as the second root of the equation. We concentrate on Theorem …

Developing Novel Molecular Detection Techniques For Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges Tsugae), Meg Sanders

Masters Theses

Hemlock forests in eastern North America face a deadly threat: the invasive insect, hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae. Early detection of this pest remains a key focus for management groups to ensure rapid response to control and stop the spread of HWA. In Chapter II, our goals were to develop an affordable, easy-to-use trap that is compatible with airborne eDNA sampling techniques and assess its efficiency as a monitoring tool for HWA. We tested three potential trap designs (i.e., passive trap, funnel trap, and motorized trap) against a standard sticky trap. Our passive, funnel, and motorized traps estimated …

Quantifying Surface Water Capture By Municipal Pumping Wells In An Urban Watershed Impacted By Road Salt, Austen York

Masters Theses

The Spring Valley sub-watershed is located within the Kalamazoo Township contains Spring Valley Lake, a man-made impoundment that ultimately discharges into the Kalamazoo River. Elevated chloride levels in pumped water from the Kalamazoo Station 14 municipal wellfield, located along the shoreline of Spring Valley Lake, has resulted in less than ideal corrosivity values for the water distribution system. Specific project objectives include: (1) identifying the cause of elevated chloride, (2) assessing surface water capture by the Station 14 wellfield, and (3) characterizing of water quality in Spring Valley Lake. Monitoring along a series of sampling transects spanning the sub-watershed, focused …

Using Sedimentary Mercury Geochemistry To Evaluate The Niagara-Salina Transition, Silurian Michigan Basin, Usa, Sara Hayes

Masters Theses

The Niagara-Salina boundary in the Michigan Basin is marked by an abrupt transition from carbonates to evaporites. Though the cause is uncertain, previous work suggests the onset of Salina evaporites was driven by basin restriction, but the presence of several global carbon isotope excursions (CIE) suggest a global driver. This study builds on this discussion using two relatively new geochemical proxies - elemental mercury concentrations [Hg] and Hg isotopes.

Mercury concentrations [Hg] were measured in 88 samples from the State Kalkaska #2-15 core from 6604.03 ft to 6797.42 ft. [Hg] ranges from 0.11 to 0.62 mg/kg and [Hg]/TOC from 0.038 …

The Growth Of Starry Stonewort (Nitellopsis Obtusa), An Aquatic Invasive Species, In Two Michigan Lakes, And Its Suitable Habitats In The Midwest And Northeast United States, Emily Neuman

Masters Theses

The growth of starry stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa), an aquatic invasive species, in two Michigan Lakes, and its suitable habitats in the Midwest and Northeast United States Aquatic invasive species are a major threat to freshwater ecosystems, but gaps remain in our knowledge on how these species invade, grow, and thrive. This thesis aims to understand how an invasive macroalga, Nitellopsis obtusa (starry stonewort), grows within the littoral zone of two drowned river mouth lakes and suitable habitat preferences across 17 Midwest and northeast U.S.A. states to aid in aquatic invasive species management. In chapter II of this thesis, …

On Cup-Products Of Cofibers Of Maps Between Moore Spaces, Hopf Invariant, And Lusternik-Schnirelmann Category, Marwa A.S. Mosallam

Masters Theses

In this thesis we make a detailed investigation of the cohomology rings of the cofibers C_β of Moore spaces of dimension 2 by computing the cup products in cofibers and to do so we prove that the Hopf invariant in case of Moore spaces in the zero and nonzero homomorphism case is a homomorphism. We have shown when is ��_r,_k a Co-H-Map. We calculated the homologies and cohomologies of Moore spaces of dimension 2 and of the cofibers C_β where β=��_r,k. We used Lusternik-Schnirelmann category to determine the complexity of C …

Invasives In Our National Parks: How Tourists Can Help Stop The Spread Of Invasive Species, Alexandria Elivira Marci

Masters Theses

Invasive species are a major issue around the world and more specifically in our U.S. National Parks. Ranging from plants to insects to animals, invasive species are a greater threat than many may imagine. The impact that invasive species have on an ecosystem encompasses more than taking over a native species’ environment; it includes competing for food, water, and other resources, as well as having an adverse effect on our economy and threatening us with deadly diseases. Many factors lead to the cause of spread of invasive species, but all point back to human interference, from purposely spreading invasive species …

Impact Of Calcium Carbonate Reactant Size And Mineralogy On Dolomite Stoichiometry, Katharine G. Rose

Masters Theses

Dolomite is a common, diagenetic, Mg-Ca carbonate mineral. Dolomitization occurs by a dissolution-precipitation reaction between a CaCO₃ precursor (calcite or aragonite) and Mg bearing fluids. The amount of Mg in dolomite, referred to as dolomite stoichiometry (mol% MgCO₃), varies in natural dolomites (38-50 mol% MgCO₃). Laboratory experiments have shown that dolomite stoichiometry is dependent on physiochemical factors of the diagenetic fluids (i.e., temperature, salinity, and Mg/Ca). The impact of the CaCO₃ precursor on stoichiometry, however, has not been studied directly. This study tests how the CaCO₃ precursor size (sieve size) and mineralogy (calcite …

Per- And Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (Pfas) Cycling Within Michigan: Connections Between Contaminated Sites, Landfills, And Wastewater Treatment Plants, Ross W. Helmer

Masters Theses

The disposal and treatment of Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) contaminated solid and liquid wastes, and associated cycling within the natural and engineered environment is a complex topic. PFAS data on contaminated sites, landfill leachates, the influent, effluent, and biosolids from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) within Michigan were compiled from publicly available and private sources. Most of the datasets are based on a 28-analyte suite generated using a modified form of the US EPA 537 analytical method, with a subset of data from the 18-analyte ASTM D7979-19 method. Approximately 70% of the 171 contaminated sites in Michigan have maximum …

Algal Alterity : A Study Of Florida's Algae-Crisis-Culture, Katelyn Flood

Masters Theses

This research critically engages with the ecology of media discourse surrounding Florida’s “harmful algae crisis” . It uses a content analysis of online news media articles to address how the presence and unique processes of aquatic algae organisms are entangled with people and cultural practices. Specifically, this work grapples with the dynamic relationship between algae organisms and the cultural production of meaning through visual imagery/stimuli. It examines both visual and textual representations of algae in mass media communications covering the harmful algae crisis or “red tide crisis” of 2017 and 2018: an extreme period of aquatic algae proliferation and hazardous …

Development Of High Throughput Assays For Identification And Evaluation Of Small Molecule Inhibitors Of Microrna-31 Expression, Jackline A. Onyango

Masters Theses

Dysregulated expression of miRNAs has been linked to numerous cancers. On the other hand, miRNAs are potential drug targets due to the ability of their precursor molecules to fold into ligand binding structures. Small-molecule modulators of miRNAs offers opportunity for the development of new therapeutic agents and tools to further probe the mechanisms of miRNA functions. To facilitate the identification of miRNA modulators, the appropriate screening systems are needed, which would be adaptable for high-throughput applications, and allow for quantitative measurements. In this text, we present a molecular beacon-based assay to identify molecules that inhibit miRNA-31 processing by Dicer and …

Using Low-Flow Sampling Data To Estimate Hydraulic Conductivity In Aquifers, Joy Kiefer

Masters Theses

Hydrogeologists sample wells to test aquifer water quality and use slug tests to estimate aquifer permeability. Robbins et al. (2009) proposed a more efficient way to obtain the goals of the two tests—the use of low-flow sampling and the use of the resulting flow rate and drawdown data to estimate aquifer hydraulic conductivity (K). The Robbins et al. method calculates K by using the slope of the best fit line from the graph of flow rate vs. drawdown for all low-flow pumping data collected at a well. When the method was applied to low-flow data from four Kalamazoo, MI, it …

Quantum Simulation Using High-Performance Computing, Collin Beaudoin, Christian Trefftz, Zachary Kurmas

Masters Theses

Hermitian matrix multiplication is one of the most common actions that is performed on quantum matrices, for example, it is used to apply observables onto a given state vector/density matrix.

ρ→Hρ

Our goal is to create an algorithm to perform the matrix multiplication within the constraints of QuEST [1], a high-performance simulator for quantum circuits. QuEST provides a system-independent platform for implementing and simulating quantum algorithms without the need for access to quantum machines. The current implementation of QuEST supports CUDA, MPI, and OpenMP, which allows programs to run on a wide variety of systems.

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Two Station Starburst Pseudorotaxane, Janaka Prasad Kaviraj Kavikarage

Masters Theses

Mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs) are arranged with mechanical bonds. These molecules cannot be separated without breaking the required covalent bonds. There are different kinds of MIMs, such as rotaxanes, catenanes, suitanes, borromean rings, and molecular knots. These MIMs are stabilized by non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonds, π-π stacking, and ion-dipole interactions. Dialkylammonium ions, bis(pyridinium)ethane dications, viologen species, and naphthalene diimide π-deficient groups are typical examples of recognition motifs for crown ethers.

In the research described here, we synthesized a new axle, based on a combination of benzobis(imidazolium) (BBI) and viologen species. The axle contains two recognition sites: one is …

A Novel Palladium Bodipy Photocatalyst For Sonogashira Carbon-Carbon Cross-Coupling, Prahadeesh Nagaretnam

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Multiple Generations Of Phlogopite In An Alnöite Diatreme: Insights Into The Petrogenesis Of The Avon Alkaline Igneous Province, Missouri, Nathan Gregory Limbaugh

Masters Theses

“Alkaline Ultramafic Carbonatite (AUC) complexes, although rare, are valued for diamonds and REEs, and as windows into subcontinental and mantle processes as recorded by rock fabrics, mineral spatial relationships, and mineral compositions. We report specifically on olivine and phlogopite petrographic relationships and compositions from the Devonian alnoite diatreme-facies of the Avon Alkaline Igneous Province, Missouri. The diatreme alnoite is a mixture of domains of olivine magmaclasts (OM) set in a crystal-rich melilite matrix. OM are highly fractured, serpentinized olivine pseudomorphs with variable amounts of pristine olivine fragments. Larger olivine domains typically exhibit clear crystal faces and irregular “channels” indicative of …

Relationships Among Mineralogy, Geochemistry, And Oil And Gas Production In The Tuscaloosa Marine Shale, Hayley Roxana Beitel

Masters Theses

"The Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) is an unconventional shale reservoir located in southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi. Limited mineralogical and geochemical data for the TMS have been published. The data that do exist indicate that the formation is heterogeneous. Consequently, previous investigators and oil and gas companies have not managed to effectively link mineralogical and chemical changes to oil and gas production in the TMS. These linkages are critical to establish for future exploration efforts. In this study, we attempt to establish these relationships by gathering all existing mineralogical and chemical data in the TMS, including newly acquired data from …

Preclassic Cultural Eutrophication Of Lake Petén Itzá, Lowland Guatemala, By The Early Maya Of Nixtun-Ch'ich', Brooke A. Birkett

Masters Theses

"Paleolimnological evidence indicates the ancient Maya transformed lowland terrestrial ecosystems by felling forest vegetation to construct large civic-ceremonial centers and expand agriculture. The effects of prehistoric Maya land alterations on lake trophic status, however, remain poorly understood. We analyzed a 515-cm-long sediment core from Lake Petén Itzá, lowland Guatemala, to infer paleoenvironmental changes resulting from Maya occupation of the riparian archaeological site of Nixtun-Ch'ich'. Substantial increases in charcoal and fecal stanol concentrations indicate Maya occupation of the Candelaria Peninsula by the late Early Preclassic period beginning ca. 1400 cal yr Before the Common Era (hereafter BCE), despite scant archaeological evidence …

Metal Complexes Of Bis(Pyrazolyl)Methane-Based Ditopic Ligands, Pubudu Nuwan Perera Hapuarachchige

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Cheeger Constants Of Two Related Hyperbolic Riemann Surfaces, Ronald E. Hoagland

Masters Theses

This thesis concerns the study of the Cheeger constant of two related hyperbolic Riemann surfaces. The first surface R is formed by taking the quotient U²/Γ(4), where U² is the upper half-plane model of the hyperbolic plane and Γ(4) is a congruence subgroup of PSL2(Z), an isometry group of U² . This quotient is shown to form a Riemann surface which is constructed by gluing sides of a fundamental domain for Γ(4) together according to certain specified side pairings. To form the related Riemann surface R' , we follow a similar procedure, this time taking the …

Neural Network Supervised And Reinforcement Learning For Neurological, Diagnostic, And Modeling Problems, Donald Wunsch Iii

Masters Theses

“As the medical world becomes increasingly intertwined with the tech sphere, machine learning on medical datasets and mathematical models becomes an attractive application. This research looks at the predictive capabilities of neural networks and other machine learning algorithms, and assesses the validity of several feature selection strategies to reduce the negative effects of high dataset dimensionality. Our results indicate that several feature selection methods can maintain high validation and test accuracy on classification tasks, with neural networks performing best, for both single class and multi-class classification applications. This research also evaluates a proof-of-concept application of a deep-Q-learning network (DQN) to …

A Simple Background Elimination Method For Miniaturized Fiber-Optic Raman Probe, Bohong Zhang

Masters Theses

"Raman scattering is called a photonic - molecular interaction based on the kinetic model of the analytic. Due to the uniqueness of the Raman scattering technique, it can provide a unique fingerprint signal for molecular recognition. However, a serious challenge often encountered in Raman measurement comes from the requirements of fast, real-time remote sensing, background fluorescence suppression, and micro-environmental detection.

A new Miniaturized Fiber-Optic Raman Probe (MFORP) for Raman spectroscopy, used especially for eliminating background fluorescence and enhancing sampling, is presented. Its main purpose is to provide an overview of excellent research on the detection of very small substances and …

Predator Scent And Presence Alter Mammal Assemblages In The Missouri Ozarks, Usa, Cara Jean Yocom-Russell

Masters Theses

"Species that are vulnerable to predation exhibit a host of behavioral and physiological adaptations toward the avoidance of this outcome: Heightened awareness of surroundings through visual, olfactory, and auditory senses are common ways in which these species avoid detection by predators. While links between direct predator-prey relationships are well established, less is known about how predators can shape overall community structure or the populations of secondary or less frequently consumed prey items. As humans expand into rural areas, the frequency of wildlife conflicts rises. In response, humans look to prevent these events with a variety of methods. One such method …

A Compact Wavelength Meter Using A Multimode Fiber, Ogbole Collins Inalegwu

Masters Theses

“Wavelength meters are very important for precision measurements of both pulses and continuous-wave optical sources. Conventional wavelength meters employ gratings, prisms, interferometers, and other wavelength-sensitive materials in their design. Here, we report a simple and compact wavelength meter based on a section of multimode fiber and a camera. The concept is to correlate the multimodal interference pattern (i.e., speckle pattern) at the end-face of a multimode fiber with the wavelength of the input lightsource. Through a series of experiments, specklegrams from the end face of a multimode fiber as captured by a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera were recorded; the images …