Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Bioavailability Of Metal/Metal Oxide Nanomaterials And Their Effects On The Physiology Of Plants, Nubia Zuverza Mena

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nanoparticles (NPs) contained in consumer products will undoubtedly reach the environment. Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) may cause physiological and biochemical alterations in plants and, therefore, have noteworthy effects on their growth and proliferation. Edible plants are a means through which NPs can reach organisms of higher trophic levels that feed on them. Previous studies have demonstrated that there are strong interactions between NPs and terrestrial plants. This project intends to evaluate the impacts that various commercially available NPs have on plants. Copper (Cu) nanomaterials and conventional Cu compounds were compared in cilantro plants (Chapter 2). In addition, changes in radish sprouts …

Study On Dioxygen Binding To Heme Using Scan Functional, Zegnet Yimer Muhammed

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Density functional theory, a quantum mechanical based electronic structure method with GGA-PBE and MGG-SCAN functionals, are used to investigate the structure and energies of singlet, triplet, and quintet spin states of FeP (iron Porphyrin), FePIm (imidazole iron porphyrin), and FePImO2 (dioxygen imidazole iron porphyrin) systems. The binding and release of dioxygen to and from hemoglobin (Hb) are the most crucial reaction takes place in human body to sustain the existence of life. FePImO2 is used to model this phenomenon. When O2 binds to FePIm, the system undergoes a conformational change. i.e. from domed structure of FePIm in which the Fe …

Quantifying A Mining Investability Quotient To Mitigate Junior Mining Investment Risk, Jonathan Mickey Merguerian

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Uncertainty and risk are inherent features of investing in mineral exploration ventures. Investors rely on qualitative and quantitative analysis to evaluate risk of capital. The distinction between risk and uncertainty pertaining to mineral exploration is that risk is an opportunity for loss and uncertainty can be described as the range of probabilities that some condition may occur (Rose, 1987). Stakeholders rely on a combination of investment conferences, risk analysis equations, press releases, financial reports, and investment research to determine if an investment potential. J. M. Cozzolini developed a formula for Risk Adjusted Value (RAV) of an exploration venture. The study …

Application Of Uranium And Strontium Isotopes As Salinity And Paleo-Environmental Conditions Tracers:Insight From The Rio Grande River And Pedogenic Carbonates In Drylands Soils Of Southwest, Usa., Syprose Nyachoti

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

South New Mexico and west Texas regions of the northern Chihuahua Desert are characteristic of low annual rainfall and high potential evapotranspiration rates. Soils in these arid and semi-arid regions are abundant of pedogenic carbonates of various stages of development. Both surface and ground water resource in the area have high salt content; the Rio Grande river, which flows through the region is known for its high salinity downstream. Due to increasing population in cities of the region thus high food demand, irrigation activities along the river valley have enhanced crop productivity. High evapotranspiration rates and intense saline flood irrigation …

Tectonostratigraphic Evolution Of A Suprasalt Minibasin, Oligocene - Miocene Western Slope Of The Gulf Of Mexico, Felix Alan Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The petroleum industry has focused Gulf of Mexico exploration efforts on salt-related geologic provinces in search of major hydrocarbon accumulations. This work has led to recognition of the influence that salt tectonics has had on play elements of the petroleum system in the producing salt basins. In particular, the complex depositional patterns of the reservoir rocks controlled by shifting depocenters resulting from the accommodation space generated by salt withdrawal from minibasins.

The focus of this research is to understand the structural and stratigraphic components that controlled the evolution of an Oligocene - Miocene suprasalt minibasin located in the upper continental …

Pre-Tuned Principal Component Regression And Several Variants, Pei Wang

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The regression coecient estimates from ordinary least squares (OLS) have a low probability of being close to the real value when there is a multicollinearity problem in the design matrix. In order to combat this problem, many regularized methods have been introduced. Principal components regression (PCR) is an important analysis tool for dealing with multicollinearity and high-dimensionality. In conventional PCR, the rst step is to change the original predictors to orthogonal principal components (PC's) by a linear transformation. These PC's correspond to the eigenvalues which are sorted in a decreasing order. The next step is to regress the response on …

Geochemical Signatures As A Chemostratigraphic Tool To Correlate Stacked Carbonates Of The Glorieta, Victorio Peak, Cutoff, And Upper San Andres Formations West Dog Canyon, Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico, Eric Bergersen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

For oil exploration, stratigraphic correlation of formations over distance and across structural complications is essential. I tested if an established method – carbon and oxygen isotope composition of carbonates (δ 18Ocarbonate, δ13Ccarbonate) and a new chemostratigraphic tool – sulfur isotope composition of Carbonate Associated Sulfate (δ34SCAS) can aid in the correlation of rock packages belonging to multiple stacked carbonate horizons from a carbonate platform.

In my study area, located in the Brokeoff Mountains, north of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, the δ18Ocarbonate, δ 13Ccarbonate and δ34SCAS scatter strongly within single beds of the Leonardian-aged Victorio Peak Formation. In stratigraphic order, …

Evidence Of Active Rifts In The Southwest United States Using Geophysical Inversion Of Seismic Data, Sergio H. Celis

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A continental rift represents a zone where the lithosphere has become thinner due to extensional forces associated with plate tectonics. Many of these rifts are still active, such as the East Africa rift, while others appear to be failed rifts. I build upon recent results of crustal structure for the southern section of the Rio Grande Rift using seismic data collected by USArray stations, and extend the analysis into the states of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana to investigate the differences between active and failed rifts in the state of Texas. I collect two geophysical data sets, including receiver …

Twenty-Seven Element Albertian Semifields, Thomas Joel Hughes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In 1958 Abraham Adrian Albert published his findings on the now famous class of semifields known as twisted fields or, as we refer to them in this Thesis, Albertian semifields. Since the publication of his findings, interest in the topic of semifields has grown and, naturally, some progress has been made in the subject, but there is still much to be studied. Moreover, the greater portion of modern efforts have been made to develop a theory of semifields, with less attention paid to more practical considerations. In this Thesis, we will narrow our investigations to a specific subclass of Albert's …

Regional Geochemical Mapping Of The Superior Upland Province; Ichnology Of The Cretaceous Mesilla Valley Formation, Cerro De Cristo Rey; A New Ichnospecies Of Cardioichnus From The Cretaceous (Albian) Of New Mexico; A Pedagogy For The Cerro De Cristo Rey Tracksite; Walking In The Footprints Of Dino, Eric J. Kappus

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This is a multi-disciplinary study that covers a variety of geoscience topics on both international borders of the continental United States. This Dissertation is the product of several separate investigations. First is a report on the landscape geochemistry of the Superior Upland Province of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, with regional maps of 37 chemical elements interpreted in terms of bedrock, glacial reworking, and anthropogenic influence. The next 2 sections are reports on the invertebrate ichnology of the Cretaceous Mesilla Valley Formation at Cerro de Cristo Rey, including the proposal of a new ichnospecies of echinoid resting trace, Cardioichnus biloba nov. …

The Origin Of Anomalous Carbonate Units Outcropping At The Salt Sediment Interface Of The Southern End Of Gypsum Valley Salt Wall, Paradox Basin, Colorado, Allison M. Mast

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Understanding structural, stratigraphic, and petrographic complexities at the salt-sediment interface of diapirs has important implications in accurately assessing hydrocarbon reservoir quality and near-diapir trap geometries, and may aid in more accurate predictions for locating the true margin of salt in diapiric layered evaporites. The southwest margin of the exhumed Gypsum Valley Salt Wall, Paradox Basin, southwest Colorado, provides a rare view of this interface where onlapping and overlapping wedges of Late Permian and Jurassic halokinetic sequences overlie an angular unconformity truncating near-vertical, highly deformed carbonate beds formerly mapped as Pennsylvanian Honaker Trail Formation. This study investigates three possible alternative origins …

Predicting The Water Quality Of Shallow Arctic Ponds Using Remote Sensing, Gabriela Tarin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Barrow, Alaska is in a region dominated by Arctic tundra of which a substantial part is covered by lakes and ponds. Despite their dominance in the landscape, freshwater ecosystems in the Arctic have been insufficiently studied. It is clear that furthering understanding of how Arctic water bodies are responding to warming will depend on the analysis of changes in the concentration of organic and inorganic constituents in the water; however, scientists are faced with the task of sampling many remote sites in a relatively hostile environment. Thus, the exploration and incorporation of remote methods for monitoring changes in water quality. …

Two-Photon Excitation Based Photochemistry And Neural Imaging, Kevin Andrew Hatch

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Two-photon microscopy is a fluorescence imaging technique which provides distinct advantages in three-dimensional cellular and molecular imaging. The benefits of this technology may extend beyond imaging capabilities through exploitation of the quantum processes responsible for fluorescent events. This study utilized a two-photon microscope to investigate a synthetic photoreactive collagen peptidomimetic, which may serve as a potential material for tissue engineering using the techniques of two-photon photolysis and two-photon polymerization. The combination of these techniques could potentially be used to produce a scaffold for the vascularization of engineered three-dimensional tissues in vitro to address the current limitations of tissue engineering. Additionally, …

Salt Tectonic Controls On Facies And Sequence Stratigraphy Of The Triassic Chinle Formation, Gypsum Valley Salt Wall, Colorado, Elizabeth Heness

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study focuses on mapping the facies geometry and depositional sequences of the Chinle Formation adjacent to the Gypsum Valley Salt Wall (GVSW). Interactions between salt tectonics and fluvial systems can affect sediment distribution. The upper Triassic Chinle Formation was deposited across the western U.S. in an intra-cratonic, fluvial environment. Throughout the Paradox Basin in Utah and Colorado, deformation associated with rising salt anticlines and subsiding minibasins coincided with Chinle deposition. In most areas, only small and isolated remnant Chinle outcrops actually expose the contact between Chinle sediments and the salt diapir. In Gypsum Valley three study areas were mapped …

Educational Use Of Social Media: Exploring Science And Engineering College Students' Perceptions About Utilizing Facebook To Enhance The Learning Of Physics, Angel Salvador Marquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this qualitative investigation is to explore a group of science and engineering students' perceptions about utilizing Facebook to enhance the learning of physics. Particularly, a survey composed of multiple choice and open-ended questions was employed as to obtain participantsâ?? reactions on a proposed scenario where Facebook is utilized in an Introductory Classical Mechanics course as the medium to manage the following academic activities throughout the semester: examinations, class preparations, study guides, homework assignments, lab preparations, creating group studies, and class participation dynamics. Out of the 120 potential candidates, 106 of them accepted to voluntarily participate in this …

Towards The Scalability And Hybrid Parallelization Of A Spatially Variant Lattice Algorithm, Henry Roger Moncada Lopez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to design a faster implementation of the spatially variant algorithm that improves its performance when it is running on a parallel computer system.

The spatially variant algorithm is used to synthesize a spatially variant lattice for a periodic electromagnetic structure. The algorithm has the ability to spatially vary the unit cell orientation and exploit its directional dependencies. The algorithm produces a lattice that is smooth, continuous and free of defects. The lattice spacing remains strikingly uniform when the unit cell orientation, lattice spacing, fill fraction and more are spatially varied. This is important for …

Bayesian Parameter Estimation For The Birnbaum-Saunders Distribution And Its Extension, Tun Lee Ng

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

We utilize the Bayesian approach to estimate the parameters of the Birnbaum-Saunders (BS) distribution devised by Birnbaum and Saunders (1969a), as well as the Generalized Birnbaum-Saunders (GBS) distribution obtained by Owen (2006), in the presence of random right censored data. We also derive the classical MLE expressions for the observed Information matrix of the GBS distribution, in order to illustrate the fact that no closed form expressions are available for the MLE, and numerical approximations are required to obtain the point estimates and asymptotic confidence intervals. Where Bayesian approach is concerned, new sets of priors are considered based on the …

Uranium-Series And Strontium Isotope Ratios In Soils From Basse-Terre Island, French Guadeloupe: Insights For Rapid Soil Formation And Impact Of Dust In A Tropical Volcanic Setting, Yvette Pereyra

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chemical weathering of silicate rocks generates soils that contain mineral nutrients, sustain ecosystems, modify water chemistry in the hydrosphere, and regulate the global carbon cycle. Understanding the timescales of soil formation and sources of soil mineral nutrients has great implications for securing the future of agriculture and food production. However, few tools are currently available to directly quantify the rates of chemical weathering and timescales of soil formation. Uranium-series isotopes fractionate during chemical weathering and the activity ratios of (234U/238U), (230Th/238U), (238U/232Th) and (230Th/232Th) have great potential to constrain the rates and timescales of chemical weathering and soil formation in …

Geology, Geochemistry, And 3d Geological Modelling Of The Independencia - Los Bancos Ag-Au Epithermal Vein Systems In The Palmarejo District, Chihuahua, Mexico, Arturo Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) is a Cretaceous-Tertiary silicic ignimbrite province in northwestern Mexico. It is the result of tectonic and magmatic events produced by the subduction of the Farallon plate under North America (80-40 Ma) and the opening of the Gulf of California (14-12 Ma), thus forming the SMO metallogenic provinces. The Late Eocene to Oligocene was a major period of metallic mineralization hosting various deposit types, principally Ag-Au (±Pb-Zn-Cu) epithermal veins, which have been economically significant.

The study area lies in the Palmarejo district, operated by Coeur Mining Inc., which was the worldâ??s fifth largest silver producer in …

Design And Evaluation Of The Impact Of A Multi-Agent Control System (Framework) Applied To A Social Setting, Perez Antonio Perez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this research is to design and analyze the performance of a new mechanism to improve the advising of students in a nontraditional environment. This nontraditional environment includes: a minority serving, commuter campus with a high percentage of transfer students. Specifically, these demographics are unable to keep a tightly controlled cohort of students flowing through to the completion of the curriculum. Students in these circumstances usually have varied course loads and competing priorities due to family and financial needs or other societal responsibilities. Therefore, there is a need for an individualized approach to advising.

University administrations face challenges …

Synthesis Of Neoglycoproteins/Neoglycopeptides And Their Immunological Evaluation In The Context Of Chagas Disease, Nathaniel Scott Schocker

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease (ChD), has a cell surface covered by immunogenic glycoconjugates. A synthetic glycoarray containing non-reducing α-galactopyranosyl moieties related to mucin O-glycans of the parasite T. cruzi was evaluated by a chemiluminescent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CL-ELISA) with sera from patients with chronic ChD, revealing the disaccharide Galα(1,3)Galβ as the immunodominant glycotope (Chapter 2). This disaccharide comprises the two terminal sugars of the known immunodominant glycotope Galα(1,3)Galβ(1,4)GlcNAcα, which is expressed on glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored mucins of the infective trypomastigote stage of T. cruzi and triggers high levels of protective anti-α-Gal antibodies (Abs) in infected …

Modulation Of The Physiological And Biochemical Effects Of Copper Nanoparticles In Kidney Beans (Phaseouls Vulgaris) Treated By Kinetin, Suzanne Annette Apodaca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

It is imperative to not only understand the impact of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in edible plants, but also the interactions they have with various additives used in agriculture. In this study, kidney bean plants were grown in potting soil treated with nano copper (nCu), bulk copper (bCu), and copper chloride (CuCl2) at concentrations of 0, 50, and 100 mg/kg for 55 and 90 days. At 15 days of growth, 0, 10, and 100 μm of kinetin (KN) were applied to plants. Plant tissue samples were harvested at 55 days and seeds were reaped at 90 days. Physiological and biochemical parameters …

Dft Study On The Structure And Properties Of Vsc2n@C68, Surendra Bhatta

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A computational study on the structure and electronic properties of the VSc2N@C68 molecule was carried out using the density functional theory. This molecule is based on the recent report on the synThesis of the VSc2N@C80 and V2ScN@C80 fullerenes. The Sc3N@C68 is also a stable endohedral fullerene that has a cage with fuse pentagonal rings. The doping by a V atom changes the structure as well as the spin state of the Sc3N@C68 from S=0 to S=1 state. Since the C68 has 6332 isomers, we have carried out an extensive search for the lowest energy structure of the C68 in several …

Adaptive Switched Capacitor Voltage Boost For Thermoelectric Generation, Rene A. Brito

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Thermoelectric generators (TEG) and other forms of energy harvesting often provide voltages that are not directly usable by traditional electronics as levels are too low from the TEG. While increasing the number of thermoelectric elements can ultimately increase the power output, there is a tradeoff between size and power. By implementing charge pumps, a proposed circuit technique is described that can boost the TEG output to levels that can be used for energy harvesting applications. Current voltage boost circuits for TEGs simply boost a voltage by a set amount. The proposed circuit consists of an analog chip, to provide several …

The Characterization Of A Recombinant Virophage Integrase, Martin Christopher Chacon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Virophages are satellite-like dsDNA viruses that parasitize giant viruses of the family Mimiviridae. Mavirus is the second virophage discovered that associates with its host virus Cafeteria roenbergensis Virus (CroV). When co-infecting their common host cell Cafeteria roenbergensis, a marine zooplankton that is widely spread throughout the oceans, mavirus will inhibit CroV's replication. In addition, mavirus was shown to share high similarities to the Maverick/Polinton eukaryotic DNA transposons. A coding sequence in mavirus genome (MV02) reveals high homology to retroviral integrases such as those found in HIVs. The putative integrase MV02 is predicted to integrate mavirus DNA into the host genome. …

Reconstructing Late Pleistocene And Holocene Paleoenvironments Using Playa-Lunette System Sediments Within The Harney Basin Of Southeastern Oregon, Usa, Joe Collins

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Paleoenvironmental investigations of the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene in the Harney Basin of eastern Oregon have been limited to date. This Dissertation investigates and links the stratigraphy of Rimrock Draw Rockshelter (35HA3855) (RDR) and two surrounding playas, Rimrock Lake and Hay Lake, located on the western margin of the Harney Basin, in order to identify paleoenvironmental shifts during the last ~20 kyr. An emphasis also is given to demonstrating the potential for playas in the Harney Basin to record changes in paleoclimate, as well as the application of multivariate statistics to interpret paleoenvironments from sedimentary grain size data. Stratigraphy …

A Novel Approach For Evaluating The Impact Of Fixed Variables On Photovoltaic (Pv) Solar Installations Using Enhanced Meta Data Analysis Among Higher Education Institutions In The United States, Diane N. De Hoyos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The global demand for electric energy has continuously increased over the last few decades. Some mature, alternative generation methods are wind, power, photovoltaic panels, biogas and fuel cells. In order to find alternative sources of energy to aid in the reduction of our nation's dependency on non-renewable fuels, energy sources include the use of solar energy panels. The intent of these initiatives is to provide substantial energy savings and reduce dependence on the electrical grid and net metering savings during the peak energy-use hours.

The focus of this study explores and provides a clearer picture of the adoption of solar …

Scalability Improvements To Nrlmol For Dft Calculations Of Large Molecules, Carlos Manuel Diaz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Advances in high performance computing (HPC) have provided a way to treat large, computationally demanding tasks using thousands of processors. With the development of more powerful HPC architectures, the need to create efficient and scalable code has grown more important. Electronic structure calculations are valuable in understanding experimental observations and are routinely used for new materials predictions. For the electronic structure calculations, the memory and computation time are proportional to the number of atoms. Memory requirements for these calculations scale as N2, where N is the number of atoms. While the recent advances in HPC offer platforms with large numbers …

Impacts Of Environmental Changes To The Middle Rio Grande Landscape On Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo's Cultural And Cermonial Sustainability, Andrea L. Everett

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Given future climate scenarios, this Thesis investigates how plausible climate changes will further impact the Native American community of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo's (Tiguas) cultural continuity and access to riparian ecosystem services along the Rio Grande River (specific to Tigua tradition; riparian vegetation used in ceremony, i.e. Gooding's and Coyote willow). The project aims to (1) describe and understand the relationship between regional climatic changes, anthropogenic changes, and major events in Tigua history, (2) identify rates and patterns of riparian vegetation changes, (3) evaluate impacts on cultural and provisioning ecosystem services relevant to Tigua culture, and relate these to climate …

A Unified Cyber-Enhanced Approach For Detecting Cross-Site Scripting Attacks On Web Applications, Bhanukiran Gurijala

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Cyber-security is one of our nation's most critical security priorities, and its importance continues to grow with the pervasiveness of computers and Web-based applications. In particular, cross-site scripting (XSS) is one of the most common and dangerous types of injection attacks that exploit input validation vulnerabilities. XSS has intensified due to: 1) lack of extensive security domain knowledge of software engineers who are involved in building and/or maintaining Web-applications; and 2) lack of proper software development processes focused on security, resulting in fixes to security vulnerabilities late in the software development lifecycle. Indeed, the cost benefits of removing defects, in …