Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Competitive Effects Of Uranyl-Organic Complexes On U(Vi) Reduction By Shewanella Putrefaciens, Abraham M. Northup

Masters Theses

Haas and DiChristina (2002) have demonstrated that Fe(III) reduction by the facultative Fe(III)-reducing bacterium S. putrefaciens is mediated by competitive speciation among dissolved organic ligands and functional groups on the cell surface. They also showed that rates of Fe(III) reduction by S. putrefaciens correlate with the thermodynamic stability constants of the Fe(III)-organic ligand complexes. S. putrefaciens can also use U(VI) as a terminal electron acceptor, coupling U(VI) reduction to growth. In this study, S. putrefaciens was incubated in experimental media containing U(VI) in the form of aqueous complexes with a variety of organic ligands that differ significantly in structure and …

Traffic Grooming, Routing, And Wavelength Assignment In Wdm Transport Networks With Sparse Grooming Resources, Osama Awwad

Masters Theses

While a single fiber strand in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) has over a terabit-per-second bandwidth and a wavelength channel has over a gigabit-persecond transmission speed, the network may still be required to support traffic requests at rates that are lower than the full wavelength capacity. To avoid assigning an entire lightpath to a small request, many researchers have looked at adding traffic grooming to the routing and wavelength assignment (RWA) problem. In this work, we consider the RWA problem with traffic grooming (GRWA) for mesh networks under static and dynamic lightpath connection requests. The GRWA problem is NPComplete since it …

Paleocene To Early Eocene Dinoflagellate Cyst Biostratigraphy In Southeast Nigeria And The Cote D'Ivoire-Ghana Transform Margin (Odp Site 959), Hernan Antolinez-Delgado

Masters Theses

"This study represents a contribution to Early Paleogene biostratigraphy in the tropics where published studies are sparse in comparison with mid and high latitude regions. Data were derived from a comprehensive analysis of dinoflagellate cysts (dinocysts) in 45 samples from the Early Paleocene to Early Eocene interval at two localities in West Africa, namely Alo-1 well in the Anambra Basin, southeastern Nigeria, and Ocean Drilling Program Hole 959D (ODP Leg 159) in the Cote d'Ivoire-Ghana Transform Margin. Dinocyst recovery varied from very good to poor, and the specimens were commonly well preserved. The dinocyst data were calibrated with existing calcareous …

Model Checking Control Communication Of A Facts Device, David Andrew Cape

Masters Theses

"This thesis concerns the design and verification of a real-time communication protocol for sensor data collection and processing between an embedded computer and a DSP. In such systems, a certain amount of data loss without recovery may be tolerated. The key issue is to design and verify the correctness in the presence of these lost data frames under real-time constraints. This thesis describes a temporal verification that if the end processes do not detect that too many frames are lost, defined by comparison of error counters against given threshold values, then there will be a bounded delay between transmission of …

Spectroscopic Investigation Of Metal-Substitution Of Cytochrome C, Deepthi Kandi

Masters Theses

We study, by absorbance spectroscopy, the incorporation of various metal ions (Cu²+ and Zn2*) into metal-free porphyrin cytochrome c (H₂cyt) as well as the various conformational forms of metal-substituted cytochromes. The H2cyt and desired metalsubstituted cytochromes have significantly different absorption spectra, providing a simple means of monitoring the incorporation of Cu²* or Zn2* into the empty porphyrin prosthetic group. The rates of metal-ion incorporation were studied under protein denaturating conditions using chemical denaturants, like urea and guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCI), and temperature that partially and completely unfold H2cyt, facilitating the incorporation of a metal ion. Moreover, the structural stability of copper …

The Study Of Carbon Acylation Of Highly Delocalized Enolates Using Catalytic Dmap On 3-Phenyl Benzofuranone Derivatives, Xiguang Zhao

Masters Theses

Benzofuranones along with their derivatives compose a diverse array of natural products and drugs, and show a wide variety of biological effects. Several synthetic methods have been published that describe the preparation of 2-(3H)-benzofuranones having mono alkyl or aryl substituents attached to the fused furanone ring with moderate to high yields. To date, reports describing the preparation of disubstituted 2-(3H)-benzofuranones, especially with one acyl group, are rare. Early approaches are limited by low yields, economical expenditure and environmental risk.

Direct acylation of benzofuranones consistently provides O-acylated isomers rather than C-acylated isomers, which are desired products in the great majority of …

Development Of A Web-Based Gis For Groundwater Exploration In Arid Lands, Nakul Manocha

Masters Theses

A three-fold exercise was conducted to assess the groundwater potentiality in the Eastern Desert (ED) of Egypt. First, a database was generated to host all relevant data sets in a GIS environment for a better understanding of the spatial relationships between these data sets. Co-registered digital mosaics were generated from relevant data sets including remote sensing (e.g., Landsat TM, SIR-C, SRTM, TRMM), geochemical (solute concentrations, O and H stable isotope composition), geological (geologic maps), and hydrological (lithology, depth to water table) data sets. Second, a web-based GIS interface (ArcIMS) was developed to provide a vehicle for data analysis, visualization, and …

Systems For Predicting Pitzer’S Ion-Interaction Model Parameters, Theresa Balderas Obias

Masters Theses

Pitzer's Ion-interaction Model had been widely used in predicting the non-ideal behavior of solution over a wide range of conditions for natural water systems. The model is successful only when there are sufficient parameters available. However, generating these needed parameters requires a great quantity of work and it would be advantageous to be able to predict the Pitzer's parameters for salt systems when there is no data available.

This research entailed the development of ionic radii dependent equations for Pitzer's binary ion-interaction parameters β_MX⁽⁰⁾, β_MX⁽¹⁾, β_MX⁽²⁾, and C^ϕ_MX . …

Cloning, Overexpression, Purification And Characterization On N-Terminal Metal Binding Domains 5 And 6 Of Wilsons Disease Protein, David Achila

Masters Theses

Wilsons disease is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism which results from mutations in the gene encoding for Wilson disease protein (WDP). The cytosolic N-terminus of WDP comprises six metal binding domains each containing a conserved metal binding motif, GMXCXXC. The contribution of these metal binding domains to copper homeostasis is poorly understood. We have cloned, expressed and purified residues 485 to 633 corresponding to N-terminal metal-binding domains 5 and 6 of WDP (WD5-6). Two of the 3 disease causing mutations in the N-terminal metal binding domains of WDP occur one in each of these domains and the two …

Design, Synthesis And Characterization Of Nanosensors For Nerve Gas Agents, Thushara Gunasinghe

Masters Theses

This research is focused on the design synthesis and characterization of nanosensors to detect the nerve gas agents such as sarin at very low concentration levels (parts per billion and lower) which is very important to combat terrorism. Nanosensors constructed by the bottom up approach could provide the low sensitivity levels and high selectivity required for nerve gas detection. The sensing mechanism exploits the inherent properties of nanomaterials and signal amplification by signal transduction. The components of a nanoparticle-fluorescent monomer-nanomolecule-receptor (NMNR) sensor have been designed, synthesized, and characterized successfully. Interaction of the components of NMNR sensor with a model nerve …

Investigating Nickel Partitioning In A Contaminant Aquifer, Suama Ndengu

Masters Theses

Improved prediction of the transport and bioavailability of metals in contaminated sediments demands a better quantitative understanding of how metals partition between aqueous solutions and mineral phases. This research examines the partitioning of nickel in a contaminated aquifer from Grand Rapids, Ml. Contaminated aquifer sediments were examined using the five step Tessier et al. (1979) operationally defined sequential extraction procedure to determine the solid phase distribution of nickel in the aquifer sediments. Models used to guide remediation efforts at the contaminated site assume that Ni behavior can be predicted based on Ni adsorption onto ferrihydrite (HFO). Although sequential extraction results …

Structure-Activity Relationship Studies On Thioxolone Compounds As Inhibitors Of Human Carbonic Anhydrase Ii, Jared Nyabuto Orwenyo

Masters Theses

Carbonic anhydrase II (CA II) is a zinc metalloenzyme that catalyzes the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide. The role of this reaction in physiology has made it a target of many therapeutic approaches. Most CA II inhibitors currently known are sulfonamide-based and this is the only functional group incorporated into rationally designed CA II inhibitors. Thioxolone (6-hydroxy-1, 3-benzoxathiol-2-one), is a non-sulfonamide that has been found to have CA II inhibitory activity.

Thioxolone and its analogs were studied to evaluate the inhibition activity that can be achieved upon modification of the thioxolone molecule. IC₅₀ values and dissociation constants were determined …

Resistivity, Induced Polarization, And Spontaneous Potential Study Of Part Of The Calvin 28 Oil Field, Cass County Michigan, Eric M. Larsen

Masters Theses

Some hydrocarbon reservoirs have a documented reducing chimney, extending upward to the surface due to diffusion of hydrocarbon volatiles. This effect reportedly reduces the iron in the soil to magnetite and precipitates fine-grained pyrite if there is sufficient sulfur in the system. This study was conducted to test the detectability of the hypothetical chimney, using electrical geophysics in an environment of relatively recent glacial cover, known depth to an underlying petroleum reservoir, and known faulting.

The Calvin 28 oil field, in Cass County Michigan, is a middle Devonian domal field where reservoir rocks are draped over the central uplift block …

A Tool Supporting Validation Of Uml Models, Weng Liong Low

Masters Theses

Software design is an important phase in the computer software development life cycle. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a widely used notation to design software models. As a software system increases in size and complexity it is harder for developers to check that their UML models are correct with respect to the UML metamodel. Consistency among different diagrams in a UML model is also important to ensure that there are no design conflicts that will lead to problems later. Incorrect software design will result in loss of productivity, time and money as developers fix design errors. Therefore, to ensure …

Applications Of Integrated Data Viewer – Idv In An Introductory Meteorology Class For Non-Science Majors, Ricardo C. Nogueira

Masters Theses

Computer products developed to visualize and integrate meteorological products with real-time data can create a virtual reality of the atmosphere. These advanced technologies help educators to improve teaching techniques in the classroom for science and non-science majors and increase the students' interest in learning as well. One of these products, the Integrated Data Viewer (IDV), was recently developed by University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) project, Unidata, to visualize and integrate geoscience data. This study compares students' performance in the laboratory sessions using IDV-based and MANUAL-based exercises. Comparison of lab scores with exam scores of questions on the same topic …

Ionic Liquid As Catalysts In The Cycloaddition Of Co2 To Styrene Oxide In Supercritical And Subcritical States, Joy Mwalimu

Masters Theses

Supercritical fluids (SCFs) have fascinated researchers ever since the discovery of a critical temperature more than a century ago.¹ Initial studies focused mainly on the physical properties of supercritical phases.² However, their use as reaction media has sparked mainly during the last five to ten years.²

The coupling of CO₂ and Ionic Liquids (ILs) in the synthesis of cyclic carbonates comes from an increasing need for environmentally and toxicologically benign processes for the production of high-value compounds. In my research, CO₂ was utilized as both a replacement solvent and a C₁ feedstock in its …

An Investigation Of The Interlobate Area West Of Three Rivers, Michigan And Its Relationship To The Late Wisconsinan Glaciation Of Southwest Michigan, Scott J. Kendzierski

Masters Theses

A detailed investigation of selected mineralogical and textural characteristics of glacial deposits was conducted in order to explore the complex relationships between the Lake Michigan and Saginaw Lobe ice-margins and associated depositional regimes during the deglaciation of southwest Michigan. Various analytical methodologies were applied to the characterization of glacial materials, glacial and post-glacial environments in order to infer a chronology of lobate activity.

The Sturgis Moraine, located in St. Joseph County, Michigan, is a major recessional moraine owing to the processes of both the Lake Michigan and Saginaw Lobes. Analysis of geologic materials and examination of subsurface data along with …

Effect Of Antioxidants On Cadmium Induced Oxidative Stress And Signal Transduction, Deepti Goel

Masters Theses

A study was done to establish if reactive oxygen species (ROS) participate in the signal transduction pathway through which cadmium induces gene transcription. Cadmium has become a concern in the health care community in the past few years as evidence suggests that cadmium can induce the development of tumors, influence cell signaling and cause damage to organs, tissue, cells and DNA. The mechanism by which cadmium exerts its action on cellular processes or induces toxicity is however unclear although there is evidence to suggest that ROS play a role. Our laboratory is interested in understanding the mechanisms of differentially regulated …

Seasonal Variability In Trace Metal Speciation And Vertical Redox Stratification Of Freshwater Lake And Marsh Sediments In The Kalamzoo River Watershed (Mi, Usa), Noah Tumusiime Ndenga

Masters Theses

This research was aimed at: 1) quantifying redox-sensitive parameters in order to study redox stratification of the upper freshwater sediments at Asylum Lake and Kleinstuck Marsh, 2) quantifying the speciation of metals (e.g., Pb, Mn, Fe, Cr, Cu, Zn, Co and Cd), particularly with respect to their association with Fe and Mn (hydr)oxide phases, and 3) assessing changes in redox stratification and metal speciation as a function of season in the sediments. Both the solid phase and sediment pore waters were collected to a depth of ~50cm. Pore waters were analyzed for redox-sensitive species and the sediment solid phase was …

Copper Exchange Studies Between The First And Fourth N-Terminal Metal-Binding Domains Of Wilson Disease Atpase, Jennifer Bunce

Masters Theses

The human copper-transporting ATPase Wilson's disease protein was one of the first proteins shown to be actively involved in cellular copper homeostasis. The protein includes six N-terminal metal binding domains. The individual capabilities of the domains to bind and transfer copper are not yet fully understood. Each metal-binding domain is about 72 amino acid residues long and contains the conserved binding motif GMTCXXC, of which the cysteines are involved in the copper coordination. Studies have shown that the protein binds six copper atoms suggesting the potential involvement of each metal-binding domain. Separate functional roles for the latter domains have been …

Glacial Stratigraphy And Surficial Geology Of The Decatur, Lawrence, And Paw Paw U.S.G.S.7.5 Minute Quadrangles In Van Buren County, Michigan, Brian Bird

Masters Theses

The modern day landscape of Van Buren County Michigan was created by the advance and retreat of glaciers from about 13,000 to 20,000 years ago. The Lake Michigan Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet sculpted southwest Michigan most recently. The sediments deposited by the glacier include diamicton, outwash sediments, and lacustrine deposits. The build up of sediment by the glaciers led to the construction of particular features such as moraines, till plains, and outwash fans. The huge amount of meltwater from the glaciers led to the erosion of channels throughout the area. In the area of this investigation the Ganges …

Synthetic And Structural Studies Of Novel 1, 10-Phenanthroline Derivatives, Eunjoo Kim

Masters Theses

Asymmetric catalysis can provide a general approach to the preparation of enantiomerically enriched compounds in organic synthesis. Very often these asymmetric catalysts consist of a chiral ligand-metal complex. Because of the growing demand to develop enantioselective reactions in organic chemistry one focus of this area of research is the design and characterization of new chiral ligands for asymmetric synthesis.

The focus of my research is in the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel 1, 10-phenanthroline derivatives that could be used as chiral ligands in enantioselective reactions. Central to these studies have been the effect of substituents on the B-ring of …

Rhizopine Synthesis – Potential Mediators For Nitrogen Fixation In Legume Plants, Venkat Reddy Guduru

Masters Theses

This research project focused on novel and efficient synthetic approaches of inosamine derivatives (rhizopines). The preparation of specific rhizopines would help elucidate the microbial pathway of rhizopine catabolism and degradation, and determine the role of corresponding genes during nitrogen fixation. We have investigated regio - and stereoselective transformations of myo-inositol derivative 28 utilizing an organostannane as key intermediate towards rhizopine 1a. The synthesis involved several protection and deprotection strategies to control competing reactivities of six hydroxyl groups of myo-inositol. Rhizopine 1a was prepared efficiently as a single isomer in 8 steps and 13% yield by controlling reactions …

Bio-Inspired Approaches For Critical Infrastructure Protection: Application Of Clonal Selection Principle For Intrusion Detection And Facts Placement, Kasthurirangan Parthasarathy

Masters Theses

"In this research, Clonal Selection, an immune system inspired approach, is utilized along with Evolutionary Algorithms to solve complex engineering problems such as Intrusion Detection and optimization of Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) device placement in a power grid. The clonal selection principle increases the strength of good solutions and alters their properties to find better solutions in a problem space. A special class of evolutionary algorithms that utilizes the clonal selection principle to guide its heuristic search process is termed Clonal EA. Clonal EAs can be used to solve complex pattern recognition and function optimization problems, which involve searching …

Nonaqueous Platination For Synthesis Of Platinated 7 Alpha-Substituted Estradiol, Sarah A. Mazzella

Masters Theses

Cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin are used clinically for treating some cancers, but are they are not the preferred treatment for breast cancer. The usefulness of these platinum-containing drugs is limited by poor concentration of the active platinum moiety within the tumor before dose-limiting side effects are reached. One way to selectively concentrate a platinum antitumor compound in breast cancer cells is to conjugate the platinum moiety via a malonate linkage to an estrogen which selectively binds to the estrogen receptor (ER) protein. The major obstacle to linking a lipophilic estrogen to a diamino-platinum compound is the lack of solubility of …

The Application Of 31p And 1h Nmr Spectroscopy To The Study Of Freeze Tolerance And Freeze Avoidance In Biological Systems, Nicholas C. Wright

Masters Theses

31P NMR spectroscopy was used to study freeze tolerance of the wood frog, R. sylvatica. Spectra were obtained of living whole body samples and isolated thigh muscle tissue. These results were compared to R. pipiens which is freeze sensitive. R. sylvatica was found to have significantly higher levels of glucose-6-phosphate and several phosphodiesters. Both seasonal and environmental stresses were studied to determine the effect of freezing conditions on the phosphorus compounds present in R. sylvatica. The results show that R. sylvatica is capable of tolerating stresses that are associated with freezing without any drastic changes in the levels of metabolic …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Recombinant Thrombin Inhibitor, Joel Lwande

Masters Theses

The final step of the blood coagulation cascade is catalyzed by thrombin, a serine protease. Like most enzyme activities, thrombin activity encounters inhibition from both direct and indirect inhibitors. A new thrombin inhibitor peptide named theromin was recently isolated from the leech Theromyzon tessulatum, and it is the most potent thrombin inhibitor isolated to date. Theromin is made up of 67 amino acid residues, out of which 16 are cysteines engaged in 8-disulfide bridges.

We synthesized the theromin gene and expressed the protein in Eschericia coli. We purified the recombinant protein and carried out thrombin inhibition assays that …

Slope Stability Analysis Of A Lake Michigan Coastal Bluff, Gregory Carlton Young

Masters Theses

Bluff failure along the Lake Michigan coast can be produced primarily by increased pore pressure from perched water tables above lacustrine clay deposits. To test this theory, a site in Allegan County, Michigan with alternating layers of sand, clay and glacial till was chosen for bluff failure monitoring. Historically, the site experiences sporadic massive failures as opposed to neighboring sites that show more regular and uniform displacements. Four pole and cable monitoring lines were measured bi-weekly from December 2001 to October 2003. Lake levels were low and no erosion of material at the base of the slope occurred. Slumps above …

Resonant And Non-Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering Of Copper Phthalocyanine, Michelle Deleene Tuel-Benckendorf

Masters Theses

With the ever-changing demands of technology and the desire to use new materials to replace the old, researchers have the job to not only find alternative materials, but also understand their properties. There continues to be extensive research in the properties of organic semiconductors, for use in many microelectronic applications. There is very little known about the excitation properties of these materials. For my research, I have chosen to study the electronic excitations of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), one specific organic semiconductor. To do this, we used resonant and non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering to measure the evolution of excitations as a …

Metal Ion Imprinted Polymers For Biomolecular Recognition, Len A. Harris

Masters Theses

Protein recognition by HPLC, based on histidine residues, was achieved by incorporating a copper chelating ligand covalently bonded to a polystyrene/divinyl benzene substrate, into column packing. The metal ion was bonded to the substrate in two ways: randomly, where the copper was bound to the ligand after the substrate polymerization and imprinted, where the copper was bound to the ligand before the substrate polymerization. The effect of this templating was measured by protein separation parameters of the resulting HPLC chromatographs. The hypothesis of this thesis is the imprinted substrate will have a higher copper content, and with coppers affinity toward …