Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Photophysical Study Of Linked 1,4,7-Triazacyclonane Cr (Iii) Complexes, Weizhen Tu

Masters Theses

A series of mono and bimetallic Cr(III) complexes based on the 1,4,7- triazacyclonoane(TACN) were prepared. Complexes of the Cr(TACN)X₃ , and Cr₂(DTNE)X₆ demonstrated marked difference of photophysical properties on the nature of X. In cases where X is more easily oxidized, enhanced extinction coefficient in the ⁴A₂ ➔ ²T, absorption and larger quantum yield of emission at 77K were observed in the dimer complexes. Shorter lifetime and enhanced decay rate were also found in the dimer complexes suggests that there might exists weak coupling behavior between the two Cr(III) metal cents in the …

The Application And Performance Of A Generic Task Routine Decision Making Algorithm To Recipe Selection In Meal Planning, Michelle M. Cox

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A nutritional meal planning system was implemented to test the effectiveness of a previously developed routine decision making algorithm. The combinatorics involved in ordering recipes in all possible combinations to produce variability in a meal plan and provide sufficient nutrition is conceptually intensive. Meal planning involves selection of food to eat to fulfill a person's nutritional and personal preferences. This thesis demonstrates meal planning as a decision making problem and demonstrates the utility of the routine decision making algorithm by solving this problem. Generic Tasks, identified through artificial intelligence research, provides the basis for this algorithm. It uses user preferences …

Image-Based Change Detection Using An Integrated Spatiotemporal Gazetteer, Georgios Mountrakis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses image-based change detection. Motivation was provided by the lack of algorithms that incorporate in their solution diverse types of pre-existing and complementary information and have the ability to interact with a spatiotemporal environment. The main differentiation with our approach is that we develop our algorithm within an integrated spatiotemporal environment and we make use of all change evidence that might exist within that environment. In addition, a change resolution model is developed that will distinguish meaningful changes based on user requirements. A model for change is proposed that establishes a general framework for the incorporation of image …

Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes Of Betamethasone-Related Steroids Studied Using Hplc, Keith Gerald Flood

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Iron Acquisition Systems And The Effect Of Iron On Virulence, Amy E. Noles

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Sedimentologic And Paleogeomorphologic Character Of The Western Beteiha Plain, Israel, Laura Baker

Student Work

The geographical problem addressed in this study was to reconstruct the paleogeography of the western Beteiha Plain, located between Bethsaida and the Sea of Galilee and determine its sedimentologic and paleogeomorphologic character. Grain size analysis of sediments, along with sediment color was used to reconstruct the landscape and identify areas such as estuaries or lagoons.

Sediment samples were collected throughout the Beteiha Plain at selected locations. Excavation and collection was accomplished with hand-driven core equipment and backhoe trenches.

The multidisciplinary approach used in this project included fieldwork for sediment collection, laboratory analysis for the production of the data necessary to …

Fluid Flow In Micro-Channels: A Stochastic Approach, Hilda Marino Black

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study free molecular flow in a micro-channel was modeled using a stochastic approach, namely the Kolmogorov forward equation in three dimensions. Model equations were discretized using Central Difference and Backward Difference methods and solved using the Jacobi method. Parameters were used that reflect the characteristic geometry of experimental work performed at the Louisiana Tech University Institute for Micromanufacturing.

The solution to the model equations provided the probability density function of the distance traveled by a particle in the micro-channel. From this distribution we obtained the distribution of the residence time of a particle in the micro-channel. Knowledge of …

Effects Of Elevated Atmospheric Co2 On Root Growth, Turnover And Decomposition In A Scrub Oak Ecosystem, John Joseph Dilustro

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are increasing and predicted to double this century. The implications of this rise on vegetation structure and function are not well understood. Measurement of root growth response to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide is critical to understanding soil carbon input. I investigated the effects of elevated carbon dioxide on fine root growth and decomposition using open top chambers with both ambient and elevated (700 PPM) CO₂ treatments in an oak-palmetto scrub ecosystem at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Minirhizotron tubes were installed in each elevated and control chamber to allow observation of roots. Each tube was sampled …

Buckets: Smart Objects For Digital Libraries, Michael L. Nelson

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Discussion of digital libraries (DLs) is often dominated by the merits of various archives, repositories, search engines, search interfaces and database systems. While these technologies are necessary for information management, information content and information retrieval systems should progress on independent paths and each should make limited assumptions about the status or capabilities of the other. Information content is more important than the systems used for its storage and retrieval. Digital information should have the same long-term survivability prospects as traditional hardcopy information and should not be impacted by evolving search engine technologies or vendor vagaries in database management systems.

Digital …

Phenomenological Description Of Double-Pion Photoproduction, Andry M. Rakotovao

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Double pion photoproduction off proton targets is studied, in the framework of an Effective Lagrangian approach at tree level, based on the coupling of photons and pions to nucleons and resonances. We consider N, Δ(1232), N(1440), N(1520) and N(1535) as intermediate baryonic states and ρ-meson as the intermediate 2π resonance. The general form of the amplitude is presented and total cross sections of the γp → π⁺π− p, γp → π⁰π⁰p and γp → π ⁺π⁰n processes are evaluated up to Eγ …

Resolution Of Overlapping Spectra By Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy, Audra Michiele Bullock

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Wavelength modulation absorption spectroscopy is a highly sensitive, non-intrusive technique for probing gaseous species, which employs the well-known principles of modulation spectroscopy in a novel way. With this technique, parameters such as velocity, density, and temperature can be measured with a high degree of precision. The research presented here shows that wavelength modulation is a convenient means of increasing the sensitivity of an absorption spectroscopy measurement because it allows for harmonic detection. The focus of the dissertation is resolution of overlapping spectra by harmonic detection and the advantages gained by performing detection at the higher harmonics, e.g., sixth and eighth. …

Electroweak Structure Of Three-And Four-Body Nuclei, Laura Elisa Marcucci

Physics Theses & Dissertations

This work reports results for (i) the elastic electromagnetic form factors of the trinucleons; (ii) the nuclear response functions of interest in [e → e'] experiments, at excitation energies below the deuteron breakup threshold; (iii) the astrophysical S-factor for proton weak capture on ³He (the hep reaction). The initial and final state wave functions are calculated using the correlated hyperspherical harmonics method, from a realistic Hamiltonian consisting of the Argonne ^v18 two-nucleon and Urbana IX three-nucleon interactions. The nuclear electroweak charge and current operators include one- and many-body components. The predicted magnetic form factor of …

Identity, Conflict And Cooperation In International River Basins, Jack V. Kalpakian

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation tests the hypothesis that water disputes cause serious conflict within and between states. It uses a structured case study approach to see whether there is a link between the independent and dependent variables. It also considers the effect of other variables on serious conflict. Specifically it addresses the effects of national identity and the othering process on conflict. The three case studies are built around rivers in the drier parts of the world. This biases the dissertation towards affirming the established mainstream hypothesis which states that water disputes cause serious conflict. In all three cases, historical animosities and …

Investigations On The Use Of Ion Mobility Spectrometry For Clinical Chemistry Applications, Henri Parson Patten

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

The major objective of this research is to examine ion mobility spectrometry as a rapid screening tool for specific application to clinical chemistry research and laboratory use. Methodology was developed for target analytes representing several classes of physiologically active substances, including anesthetics, illicit drugs, and their metabolites. The IMS characteristics of animal tissues and other compounds such as amino acids and proteins were determined. Quality assurance and control procedures were developed for specific quality data objectives. Criteria were established relating to use of IMS for assessing the precision and accuracy of data, qualitative screening, and semi-quantitative analyses.

It was found …

Design Of Adaptive Sliding Mode Fuzzy Control For Robot Manipulator Based On Extended Kalman Filter, Abdelrahman Aledhaibi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this work, a new adaptive motion control scheme for robust performance control of robot manipulators is presented. The proposed scheme is designed by combining the fuzzy logic control with the sliding mode control based on extended Kalman filter. Fuzzy logic controllers have been used successfully in many applications and were shown to be superior to the classical controllers for some nonlinear systems. Sliding mode control is a powerful approach for controlling nonlinear and uncertain systems. It is a robust control method and can be applied in the presence of model uncertainties and parameter disturbances, provided that the bounds of …

Advanced Atmospheric Water Vapor Dial Detection System, Tamer Refaat

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Measurement of atmospheric water vapor is very important for understanding the Earth's climate and water cycle. The remote sensing Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) technique is a powerful method to perform such measurement from aircraft and space. This thesis describes a new advanced detection system, which incorporates major improvements regarding sensitivity and size. These improvements include a low noise advanced avalanche photodiode detector, a custom analog circuit, a 14-bit digitizer, a microcontroller for on board averaging and finally a fast computer interface.

This thesis describes the design and validation of this new water vapor DIAL detection system which was integrated onto …

Personal Radio, John C. Artz Jr

Dartmouth College Undergraduate Theses

With the development of new technologies that allow the broadcast of digital data over radio signals, there are many possibilities for improving upon the traditional radio station model for content delivery. The idea of Personal Radio is a system that tailors content to meet the needs of each individual. Using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to play location specific content, the listening history to play content an appropriate number of times, and user feedback to learn personal preferences, the Personal Radio provides the listener with the content that is the most useful/interesting to them. This paper will examine the general …

Registration Of Images With Dissimilar Contrast Using A Hybrid Method Employing Correlation And Mutual Information, Karolyn A. Abram

Dartmouth College Undergraduate Theses

The problem of fitting one image into another is commonly called "registration." Finding the best possible translation and rotation necessary to align two images is one approach to solving this problem. Registration is a crucial component of many remote sensing and medical image interpretation applications. Image alignment techniques aid in volumetric estimations of complicated structures and allow radiologists to accurately identify changes between sequential images. Radiologists require image alignment capabilities to correct for patient motion and/or content displacement between images. Numerous image registration techniques exist for correcting the alignment problems mentioned above. Unfortunately, most of these techniques, such as Correlation, …

An Economic Cpu-Time Market For D'Agents, Ezra E.K. Cooper

Dartmouth College Undergraduate Theses

A usable and efficient resource-management system has been created for use with D'Agents. The software dynamically negotiates a price rate for CPU time, using the competitive bids of mobile agents that offer currency in return for fast computation. The system allows mobile agents to plan their expenditures across many hosts while minimizing the time needed for their tasks. The ability to price CPU time opens the door for service owners to be compensated for the computation consumed by agents and provides an incentive for servers to allow anonymous agents. We discuss the theoretical background which makes a CPU market system …

Depth From Flash, David B. Martin

Dartmouth College Undergraduate Theses

Digital camera technology has recently seen substantial improvements in image quality while lower prices have made it affordable to the average consumer. Camera manufacturers, however, are not taking full advantage of this new medium for image capture. By filtering the already digitized image produced by these cameras through on-board image processing algorithms we can dramatically increase the power of digital cameras. For example, according to experts in the photographic industry, most people simply take bad pictures. Classic examples of this phenomenon are photographs taken indoors with a point-and-shoot style camera using its built-in flash. The subjects of these photographs often …

Control And Data Acquisition For An Electron Spectrometer System, Stanislav Rumega

Masters Theses

An electron spectrometer system, installed on one of the beam lines in the WMU Van de Graaff accelerator laboratory, consists of two 45^o parallel-plate electrostatic analyzers, a decelerating grid, and a channeltron. It allows the energy analysis, angular analysis, and the detection of continuum electrons ejected following the bombardment of a target with accelerated ions or electrons. First, the principles of operation of the spectrometer itself are discussed with emphasis on the energy analysis. Next, the electronics and computer interfacing required for control of the spectrometer functions and for acquisition of data are described. Finally, the control and data …

Rainbow Ramsey Numbers, Linda Eroh

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Taxonomic Evaluation Of The Comatulid Genus Stephanometra (Echinodermata:Crinoidea), Dana Lin Rankin

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Several genera in the comatulid family Mariametridae are currently ambiguously distinguished on the basis of variations in length and robustness of oral pinnules. Previous descriptions have suggested that at least the genera Stephanometra and Lamprometra are imperfectly distinguishable. A detailed re-examination of morphology coupled with principal component analyses of morphometric data and cladistic analyses provide support for a monophyletic Stephanometra distinct from Lamprometra. A preliminary morphological analysis suggests that Dichrometra and Liparometra should be synonymized with Lamprometra. The six currently recognized species of Stephanometra uniquely share at least one pair of oral pinnules characterized by enlarged size, reduced ambulacral groove …

An Improved Algorithm For Translating Relational Schemas Into An Object Model, Joseph C. Pearson

Theses and Dissertations

Today's war fighter is inundated with data from numerous Command, Control, Communications and Computers and Intelligence systems. Integration of these systems is desirable, yet integration results in a static solution to a dynamic problem-by the time a global schema can be devised, it is out of date. Automating schema integration will mitigate this problem, but data model disparity must be addressed via translation to a common data model prior to integration. To address this requirement, this thesis presents an improved, relational to object-oriented schema translation algorithm, which is derived from a base algorithm proposed by another research effort. The improved …

Forensic Applications Of Capillary Electrophoresis, Jennifer A. Jakubowski

Honors Theses

The separation by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) of the chiral narcotic propoxyphene is the goal of this work. A three-way collaboration between our research group, Professor lsiah Warner (LSU), and the New York State Forensic Investigation Center is underway, with the goal of separating controlled substances and developing techniques that the Forensic Center can apply in it& investigations. Earlier studies by Warner's group have shown that using polymerized N-undecylenyl-L-amino acid and peptide derivatives as pseudo-stationary phases in CZE has resulted in the separation of chiral molecules. Our separations were attempted by combining the drug samples with polymerized N-undecylenyl-L-amino acid and …

Stereoselection In The Preparation Of Alpha-Oxy-Beta-Amino Esters : Revealing The Mechanism, Richard James Fox

Honors Theses

Due to their significant pharmaceutical applications, the development of efficient, stereoselective synthetic routes for the preparation of α-substituted-β-amino esters has become increasingly important. We demonstrated that the titanium enolates (47) of a.alkoxy acetate esters (48) add cleanly to imines (49), and predominately afford the anti diastereomer of the a.-oxy-f3-amino ester product (50). Furthermore, by altering the electronic properties of the ether oxygen, sterics of the ester and temperature conditions, we changed the anti:syn product ratio. We rationalized the origin of these effects, and proposed a mechanism of imine addition.

Diastereoselection In Titanium Enolate Addition To Aldmines, Julia Leigh Barkin

Honors Theses

A mild and versatile synthesis of a-oxy-6-amino esters has been performed by condensation of the chlorotitanium enolates of methyl methoxyacetate with aldimines. The imine-aldol addition occurs in excellent yields without Lewis acid activation of the imine. All aryl imines examined show good to excellent diastereoselection for the anti isomers.

Fluorescence Studies Of Tris (2,2'-Bipyridine) Ruthenium (Ii) In Thin Clay Films, Samuel James Salamone

Honors Theses

Because of their rich intercalation chemistry and ability to enhance the thermal stability of the included guest, layered silicate clays are excellent hosts for the fabrication of organic/inorganic nanocomposites. Composites of hectorite and tris(2, 2' -bipyridine) ruthenium(U), Ru(bpy), 3 2+, have attracted attention owing to their potential applications as glucose and oxygen based chemical sensors. Previous studies on the fluorescence behavior of Ru(bpy)3 2+ complexes in aqueous colloidal clay suspensions have shown enhanced emission traces. We report here the first study of the fluorescence responses of Ru(bpy) 3 2+ exchanged thin clay films. Variation of guest concentration and exposure time …

An Investigation Into Relationships Between Alternative Assessment And Pre-Service Elementary Teachers’ Beliefs About Mathematics, David Charles Coffey

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how including alternative assessments in a reform-based mathematics course affects pre-service teachers’ mathematical beliefs. A single section of a mathematics course designed for elementary education majors that employed three different alternative assessments was the setting for the study.

A pre- and post-belief survey completed by students enrolled in the section under study represented the first level of data collection and analysis. The results of the pre-belief survey guided the selection of seven informants from the section and provided belief statements for the informants to verify during subsequent interviews. Based on the data …

An Extension Of Euclidean Distance Matrix Analysis Applied To Craniofacial Growth Prediction, Mark K. Batesole

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study is [sic] introduces a new extension of Euclidean Distance Matrix Analysis (EDMA) as applied to growth prediction analysis. Using EDMA eliminates the presupposition of a set growth pattern, which is introduced by traditional superimposition techniques. When EDMA is extended to analyze prediction methodologies, using a non-age-matched growth sample, some shortcomings become evident. These involve bootstrapping techniques, relative difference in growth, and absence of clinical, real world measure. To overcome these issues, a statistical approach using the Wilcoxen signed rank test, absolute difference in growth, and a new method to evaluate the error in a prediction methodology's landmark identification …