Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Estimating The Discrepancy Between Computer Model Data And Field Data: Modeling Techniques For Deterministic And Stochastic Computer Simulators, Emily Joy Dastrup

Theses and Dissertations

Computer models have become useful research tools in many disciplines. In many cases a researcher has access to data from a computer simulator and from a physical system. This research discusses Bayesian models that allow for the estimation of the discrepancy between the two data sources. We fit two models to data in the field of electrical engineering. Using this data we illustrate ways of modeling both a deterministic and a stochastic simulator when specific parametric assumptions can be made about the discrepancy term.

Piecing Together The Triassic/Jurassic Stratigraphy Along The South Flank Of The Uinta Mountains, Northeast Utah: A Stratigraphic Analysis Of The Bell Springs Member Of The Nugget Sandstone, Paul H. Jensen Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Nomenclature for the Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic strata along the south flank of the Uinta Mountains has been somewhat confusing because of the position of the study area between southern Wyoming, where one set of names is used, and central/southern Utah where a different set of formation names is used. The Nugget Sandstone or Glen Canyon Sandstone of the eastern Uinta Mountains overlies the Upper Triassic Popo Agie or Chinle Formation. The nature of the contact between these two formations is unclear both in stratigraphic location and conformability. The Chinle Formation consists, in ascending order, of the Gartra Member, …

Studies Directed Toward The Synthesis Of Acylated Phloroglucinols, Joseph Allen Burlison

Doctoral Dissertations

The synthesis and application of α-allenyl ketones directed toward the synthesis of polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols are described. A functionalized α-allenyl ketone was synthesized in twelve steps starting from 2-methyl-2-cyclohexenome in 24% overall yield. The α’ stereocenter in the α-allenyl ketone was stereoselectively quaternized using a Tsuji allylation, Mukaiyama adol condensation sequence to afford C-1 functionalized allenyl cyclohexanone building blocks. A survey of acetals and reaction conditions for the Mukaiyama reaction suggested that 3-tert-butyldiphenylsiloxypropanal dimethyl acetal could be used, and indeed this reagent in the presence of TiCl₄∙Ti[OCH(CH₃)₂]₄ gave the aldol product …

Factors Affecting The Phase Separation Of Liquid Crystals From Acrylate-Based Polymer Matrices, Nathan Joseph Crawford

Doctoral Dissertations

The work presented in this dissertation covers the study of phase separation of small-molecule liquid crystals (LC's) from acrylate-based polymer matrices. These materials are used in the construction of polymer dispersed liquid crystals, or PDLC's, an emerging technology with applications ranging from privacy windows to photonic materials.

The first part of this study involves the determination of the effect of increasing polymer molecular weight on the solubility of the LC 4' -octyl-4-biphenyl carbonitrile, or 8CB, in poly(methyl methacrylate), or PMMA. Optical microscopy is used to determine the equilibrium phase diagrams for blends of 8CB and PMMA with weight-average polymer molecular …

Lanthanide Separation Using Rate-Controlled Solvent Extraction, Joey Edwin Dickson

Doctoral Dissertations

Solvent extractions of many of the lanthanide ions in both single ion and mixed ion environments have been carried out. These cations were first complexed with an aqueous complexing agent and were extracted with DEHPA (di-2 ethylhexylphosphoric acid) in an organic phase (kerosene). The experiments were designed to measure the rates of extraction in the hope that separation factors might be enhanced under non-equilibrium conditions. The complexing agents tried include ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), tetraethylenepentamine (tetraen), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and diethylenetriamine (dien). These represent a hexadentate, pentadentate, tetradentate, and tridentate agent respectively. EDTA was determined to give the best results for …

C3/C4 Variations In High Salt Marsh Sediments: An Application Of Compound Specific Isotopic Analysis Of Lipid Biomarkers To Late Holocene Paleoclimatic Research, Benjamin Ryan Tanner

Doctoral Dissertations

Chapter 1

Bulk carbon isotopes were previously used as a tool to differentiate between C3 and C4 plant communities in ancient salt-marsh deposits (Chmura and Aharon 1995). However, the bulk carbon values reflect organic matter contributions not only from salt-marsh plants, but also from algal bacterial inputs, as well as allochtonous terrestrial organic matter. The introduction of gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometery (GC-IRMS) allows for the separation of algal vs. higher plant contributions to the sediment pool. In the present study, this technique is applied to a core and modern plant samples collected from two Maine salt-marshes. We sampled 10 …

Shell Model Monte Carlo Method In The Pn-Formalism, Cem Ozen

Doctoral Dissertations

We report on the development of a new shell-model Monte Carlo algorithm, which uses the proton-neutron formalism. Shell model Monte Carlo methods, within the isospin formulation, have been successfully used in large-scale shell-model calculations. Motivation for this work is to extend the feasibility of these methods to shell model studies involving non-identical proton and neutron valence spaces. We show the viability of the new approach with some test results. Finally, we use a realistic effective nucleon-nucleon interaction in the model space described by (1p_1/2, 0g_9/2) proton and (1d_5/2, 2s_{1/2 …}

Synthesis And Applications Of Monolithic Hplc Columns, Chengdu Liang

Doctoral Dissertations

Silica and carbon monolithic columns were synthesized and modified for liquid chromatography applications. Column configurations and cladding techniques were investigated in detail. Three novel approaches have been developed for the synthesis of bimodal porous rods. Out of these three methods, gel-casting was adopted for the synthesis of silica monoliths with ordered mesopores and uniform macropores; the use of colloidal templates and dual phase separation has been successfully implemented for the synthesis of carbon monoliths with well-controlled meso- and macro- porosities. The formation of mesopores in carbon materials has been further studied in the microphase separation of block copolymers. Electrochemical modification …

Tungsten Alkyl Alkylidyne And Bis(Alkylidene) Complexes. Their Unusual Inter-Conversion And Reactions With Phosphines, Dioxygen And Water, Laurel Anne Morton

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the unique chemistry of d0 alkylidyne and bis (alkylidene) complexes with β-silicon atoms. The goals of this dissertation research were to prepare and characterize these new d0 transition metal complexes, to study their reactivities including thermodynamics and kinetics of the inter-conversion between the alkylidyne and bis(alkylidene) complexes, and to explore the mechanism of the reactions of O2 or water with d0 alkylidyne complexes.

A summary of the research in this dissertation is provided in Chapter 1.Chapter 2 reports the study of an unusual exchange between new alkyl alkylidyne and bis(alkylidene) complexes …

A Tree-Ring Oxygen Isotope Record Of Tropical Cyclone Activity, Moisture Stress, And Long-Term Climate Oscillations For The Southeastern U.S., Dana Lynette Miller

Doctoral Dissertations

Geological proxies are needed to extend the record of hurricane occurrence beyond historical observations. Tree rings preserve uniquely high resolution and precisely dated records of past environmental conditions. Oxygen isotopic compositions of alpha cellulose in seasonally-resolved components (earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW)) of tree rings of southeastern coastal plain pines predominantly reflect precipitation source and/or temperature providing a snapshot of climate activity for the region.

Tropical cyclones produce large amounts of precipitation with distinctly lower oxygen isotope ratios than typical low-latitude thunderstorms. Evidence of isotopically depleted precipitation may persist in surface and soil waters for several weeks after a large …

Geochemical Investigations Of Ordinary Chondrites, Shergottites, And Hawaiian Basalts, Valerie Slater Reynolds

Doctoral Dissertations

Part I: Quantifying peak temperatures achieved during metamorphism is critical for understanding the thermal histories of ordinary chondrite parent asteroids. I performed two-pyroxene geothermometry, using QUILF95, on the same Type 6 chondrites for which peak temperatures were estimated using the plagioclase geothermometer. Pyroxenes record a narrow, overlapping range of temperatures in H6 (865-926°C), L6 (812-934°C), and LL6 (874-945°C) chondrites. Lower plagioclase temperature estimates may not reflect peak metamorphic temperatures because chondrule glass probably recrystallized to plagioclase prior to reaching the metamorphic peak. The average temperature for H, L, and LL chondrites (~900°C) is at least 50°C lower than peak temperatures …

Analysis Of Martian Parental Melts And Thermal Infrared Studies Of Putative Paleolake Basins On Mars, Karen Renée Stockstill

Doctoral Dissertations

Both martian meteorites and remote sensing data allow us to study the geologic history of Mars. Martian meteorites can reveal information regarding partial melting of the Mars mantle and the surface processes that affected the meteorite following eruption (weathering, impact ejection, etc.). Remote sensing data can be used to investigate the local-, regional- or global-scale surface of Mars in terms of composition and geomorphology. A well-rounded approach is necessary to address fundamental questions regarding the geologic history of Mars.

We studied melt inclusions in augite of the martian meteorite Nakhla to better understand the magma that produced this rock. This …

The Middle Ordovician Tellico-Sevier Syncline: A Stratigraphic, Structural And Paleoseimic Investigation., Stephen Christopher Whisner

Doctoral Dissertations

Analyses of remote-sensing satellite data, aerial photography, radar images, and digital elevation models, and detailed (1:24,000-scale) geologic mapping of bedrock and surficial deposits were conducted in a portion of the southeastern Tennessee. This area contains the southern portion of the Tellico-Sevier Alleghanian syncline and the highest concentration of modern earthquakes as well as two major rivers with unconsolidated floodplain and terrace deposits that would be most susceptible to disruption by earthquakes. Cambrian to Mississippian age rocks occurs in the syncline. The majority of detailed mapping was conducted in Middle Ordovician Chickamauga Group rocks.

Earthquakes occur in the East Tennessee seismic …

Synthesis Of A C-Linked Methyl Β-Disaccharide As A Building Block Of Hyaluronic Acid Oligosaccharide Mimetics, Kpakpo Ambroise Akue

Doctoral Dissertations

Hyaluronic acid is a viscous high MW polysaccharide that is synthesized in the plasma membrane. It is found in the connective tissue space, in the synovial fluid of movable joints and in the vitreous humor of the eye. Its chemical structure is composed of a repeating disaccharide unit in which D-glucuronic acid is linked to the 3-position of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. It appears to play an important role in the metastasis of cancer cells since cancer cell’s CD44 receptors adhere to it and migrate to host cells. Our goal was to synthesize small HA-oligosaccharides that would behave as CD44 metastasis receptor antagonists. …

Understanding And Controlling The Molecular Level Processes Involved In The Development Of Latent Fingerprints Using The Cyanoacrylate Fuming Method, Stephen Paul Wargacki

Doctoral Dissertations

The cyanoacrylate fuming method (CFM) is the standard method for forensic investigators to develop latent fingerprints from nonporous substrates. Variations in the effectiveness of the technique and the quality of the ethylcyanoacrylate (ECA) polymer impression formed during the development process have lead researchers to investigate the fundamental reactions between the print residue and the developing vapor. Identification of the active initiating species in the residue is an essential first step to understanding the development process. The fingerprint residue is composed primarily of water and eccrine salts, of which, water is generally accepted as the active initiator. However, initiation by water …

Sedimentation, Hydrology, And Bottomland Hardwood Forest Succession In Altered And Unaltered Tributaries Of The Hatchie River, Tn, Aaron R. Pierce

Doctoral Dissertations

Hydrologic and sedimentation processes are critical in determining floodplain site conditions and the distribution of bottomland hardwood (BLH) forest communities (Hodges 1997). Channelization of streams associated with BLH wetlands has occurred extensively throughout the southeastern United States, altering the hydrologic and sedimentation processes that sustain these systems. In western Tennessee, channelization and past land-use practices have resulted in drastic geomorphic and hydrologic changes including excessive sand deposition on floodplains, and in extreme cases, the formation of valley plugs and shoals.

Our understanding of the processes associated with valley plugs and shoals, their rates and variability, and their impacts on BLH …

Natural Image Statistics For Digital Image Forensics, Siwei Lyu

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

We describe a set of natural image statistics that are built upon two multi-scale image decompositions, the quadrature mirror filter pyramid decomposition and the local angular harmonic decomposition. These image statistics consist of first- and higher-order statistics that capture certain statistical regularities of natural images. We propose to apply these image statistics, together with classification techniques, to three problems in digital image forensics: (1) differentiating photographic images from computer-generated photorealistic images, (2) generic steganalysis; (3) rebroadcast image detection. We also apply these image statistics to the traditional art authentication for forgery detection and identification of artists in an art work. …

On The Design Of An Immersive Environment For Security-Related Studies, Yougu Yuan

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The Internet has become an essential part of normal operations of both public and private sectors. Many security issues are not addressed in the original Internet design, and security now has become a large concern for networking research and study. There is an imperative need to have an simulation environment that can be used to help study security-related research problems. In the thesis we present our effort to build such an environment: Real-time Immersive Network Simulation Environment (RINSE). RINSE features flexible configuration of models using various networking protocols and real-time user interaction. We also present the Estimate Next Infection (ENI) …

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 …

Implications Of Spatial Autocorrelation And Dispersal For The Modeling Of Species Distributions, Volker Bahn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modeling the geographical distributions of wildlife species is important for ecology and conservation biology. Spatial autocorrelation in species distributions poses a problem for distribution modeling because it invalidates the assumption of independence among sample locations. I explored the prevalence and causes of spatial autocorrelation in data from the Breeding Bird Survey, covering the conterminous United States, using Regression Trees, Conditional Autoregressive Regressions (CAR), and the partitioning of variance. I also constructed a simulation model to investigate dispersal as a process contributing to spatial autocorrelation, and attempted to verify the connection between dispersal and spatial autocorrelation in species' distributions in empirical …

Integration Of Interactive Voice Response Unit And Outage Management System, Chaomei Jiang

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This project provides a technical solution that integrates the Interactive Voice Response Unit (IVR) and the Outage Management System (OMS) for the Public Service Company. The IVR system is introduced because its automatic call logging functionality can process a large volume of phone calls from the customers reporting electrical service problems. This is a major improvement over the current Trouble Call Center (TCC) infrastructure that has a limited number of agents handling a relatively small number of customer calls. Because OMS can receive more calls, it then can predict the outage locations and causes more accurately, dispatch more repair crews …

The Design And Implementation Of The Megacomm Media Center's Extranet, Kenneth J. Quigley

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The Purpose of this thesis is to document the project that designed, configured and implemented a network infrastructure that provided the capability to segment, current and future, non-MegaComm Media Center companies that need IT services from the MegaComm Media Center (MMC) and provided Business-to- Business connectivity. The MegaComm Media Center, located in Littleton, Colorado, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the MegaComm Corporation. The MMC provides unique services to the cable industry. In support of these services, the MMC hosts several tenants. Prior to this project the tenants had access to internal MMC networks. The MMC also has several vendors …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Fluorescent Photoinduced Electron Transfer (Pet) Cation Sensors Derived From Natural Products, Kenny Loo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Two new second generation fluorescent switches that are based on the chromophore-spacer-receptor architecture are reported in this thesis. The fluorescence modulation of these switches is a result of quenching or initiating photoinduced electron transfer (PET) between the chromophore and the receptors due to cation binding. These two molecules utilize an alkaloid, anabasine, as the proton receptor, and function as fluorescent off-on-off switches with decreasing pH. One of these molecules also utilizes a coumarin as the chromophore, making it the first rationally designed fluorescent PET system based on natural products. Further studies of two well-known first generation fluorescent switches to achieve …

Valuing Wildfire Risk Mitigation In Kyle Canyon, Nevada, James P. O'Brien

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The federal government lists Kyle Canyon, Nevada, as an at-risk wildland-urban interface community. Stakeholders' attitudes and preferences about wildfires and mitigation options were assessed through a survey. 541 surveys were sent and 107 returned. More than a majority of stakeholders report the chances of wildfire occurrence as very likely. Stakeholders demonstrate consensus in reporting high concern about wildfire potential for Kyle Canyon, Nevada. Fire fighters assign the greatest responsibility for mitigating wildfire risks to Clark County, Nevada, and the federal government, while resident property owners do not assign responsibility consistently to any particular group. Trimming is the most favored mitigation …

Entropy-Based 2d Image Dissimilarity Measure, Meng-Hung Wu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Traditional histogram or statistics based 2D image similarity/dissimilarity metrics fail to handle conjugate pair of black and white images, due to the lack of spatial information in the measurement. Recently proposed Compression-based Dissimilarity Measure (CDM) [1] based on the concept of Kolmogorov complexity has provided a different paradise for similarity measurement. However, without a clear definition how to “concatenate” two 2D images, CDM has difficulties to directly apply with 2D images. In this thesis, an entropy -based 2D image dissimilarity measure is proposed within the same Kolmogorov complexity paradise. The spatial relationship between images is embedded in our metric, and …

The Classification Of Links Of Up To And Including Thirteen Crossings, Dylan Joshua Faullin

Masters Theses

The prime links of up to 13 crossings are classified up to unoriented equivalence.

Automatic Service Discovery For Grid Computing: A Decentralized Approach To The Grid, Jeffrey Michael Larkin

Masters Theses

The purpose of this document is to explore the feasibility of a decentralized system for grid computing. A proof-of-concept grid computing system was created based on the GridSolve computing environment and multicast domain name server with service discovery. This experimental grid computing environment showed that reasonable results can be achieved in a decentralized environment. Using these results suggestions are made for future research in this area.