Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Resonances Of Periodic Metal-Dielectric Structures At The Infrared Wavelength Region, Oren Sternberg

Dissertations

Metal meshes have been used as reflectors in radar receivers for wavelength much longer than the periodic constant of the conducting wires and as optical reflectors in a FabryPerot in the far infrared. Cross shaped metal meshes can be used as band pass filters but the design theory and near field properties have not been known.

Transmittance of thin, single-layer and multiplayer metal meshes has been investigated using Micro-Strips, yielding numerical solutions of Maxwell's equations. The near field effect was studied for two alignment configurations of cross shaped metal meshes, both free standing and with dielectrics, and transmission line theory …

Knowledge Discovery And Modeling In Genomic Databases, Michael M. Yin

Dissertations

This dissertation research is targeted toward developing effective and accurate methods for identifying gene structures in the genomes of high eukaryotes, such as vertebrate organisms. Several effective hidden Markov models (HMMs) are developed to represent the consensus and degeneracy features of the functional sites including protein-translation start sites, mRNA splicing junction donor and acceptor sites in vertebrate genes. The HMM system based on the developed models is fully trained using an expectation maximization (EM) algorithm and the system performance is evaluated using a 10-way cross-validation method. Experimental results show that the proposed HMM system achieves high sensitivity and specificity in …

Thermal Treatment Of Organic Contaminated Solids And Waste : Experiment, Model And Mass Balance, Hsien-Tsung Chern

Dissertations

A number of processes can be used to remediate contaminated soils. The thermal technologies for remediation of contaminated soils are summarized in this study. Each of these treatment process along with their system components are identified and described. Waste applicability is included for each treatment technology. A detailed list of feasible treatment processes is presented with descriptions of site demonstration results to aid ill selection of a given process. Technology status is summarized to provide current information on the processes.

Energy components are discussed for cost requirement and safety considerations in thermal treatment applications. It is determined that the heat …

A Microfabricated Microconcentrator For Sensors And Chromatography, Minhee Kim

Dissertations

The detection and quantitative measurement of trace components is a challenging task. The key component in such an instrument is the concentration step where the analytes are accumulated before the analysis. In this research, simple and inexpensive processes for the microfabrication of microconcentrator that can be used with sensors and as an injector in GC were developed. Analytes are selectively concentrated in the microconcentrator. Rapid electrical heating of the microconcentrator releases the adsorbed species as a 66 concentration pulse", which serves as an injection for the detection system. The relatively small size of the microconcentrator allows it to be heated …

Development Of Membrane Extraction Techniques For Water Quality Analysis, Dawen Kou

Dissertations

This research involved the development of membrane-based analytical techniques as applied to various aspects of water quality analysis. Gas injection membrane extraction was developed for fast on-line analysis of volatile organic compounds in water. Gas injection of aqueous samples increased the speed of membrane extraction. The aqueous boundary layer effects encountered during water elution was reduced. Axial mixing of the sample with a gaseous eluent was minimal, and this eliminated the tailing in the permeation profiles. The overall effect was significantly faster penneation. The overall diffusion coefficient during gas injection was found to be seven times the value during aqueous …

Catalytic Reduction Of Nitric Oxide By Solid Carbonaceous Material Under Lean Condition, Shan Xiao

Dissertations

The reactions of O₂, NO_x and soot from Diesel exhaust over Cu containing catalysts can significantly reduce soot and NO_x emissions while producing N₂ and CO₂. The author has evaluated the performance of Cu ion exchanged ZSM-5 and Cu adsorbed on Granulated Activated Carbon (Cu-GAC) using GAC as a surrogate for soot in a packed bed reactor. CO, formed primarily by the oxidation of GAC with O₂, appears to be a stable intermediate in the reduction of NO. With experimental parameters chosen to simulate Diesel exhaust conditions, Cu-GAC is much more …

Intramural, Collaborative Learning Systems, Robert S. Friedman

Theses

This thesis focuses on three related concepts: problem-based collaborative learning; the use of multimedia tools in learning systems; and participatory design as a software engineering methodology to create multimedia tools to be used in learning systems. A literature review of the three areas is followed by an overview of the pedagogical, technological, and business trends that affect the direction of innovation in education, including problem-based learning. A discussion of a software engineering project to develop a multimedia application that enhances the learning of geography skills and puts the programming, interface design and multimedia systems capabilities of college students into action …

Statistical Image Analysis Of Spotted Arrays, Filippo Posta

Theses

There is a lot of systematic and specific variability in microarray experiments, this variability affects measured gene expression levels, leading to unreliable gene profiling or an heavy load of extra experiment to statistically confirm the data observed in one experiment.

The aim of this work is to systematically analyze, using statistics, the image derived from a cDNA microarray experiment to have a better understanding of this variability and thus a better confidence over the data obtained from an experiment.

Using technologies available at the Center for Applied Genomics, Newark, New Jersey. Selected images derived from different type of microarray experiments …

An Algorithm For Estimating The Quality Of Microarrays, Ajeet S. Sodhi

Theses

Microarray technology is currently one of the most valuable gene expression tools in molecular biology allowing the experimenter to simultaneously quantify the expression of thousands of genes. It is also one of the most difficult tools to use accurately as each microarray produces a large amount of information that needs to be inspected and normalized before analysis. As the size of a microarray or number of replicates increase, the use of manual inspection becomes impractical. The aim of this thesis is to introduce an algorithm that evaluates each feature of a microarray from the scanned data file. A quality score …

Nonlinear Interfacial Stability Of Core-Annular Film Flows In The Presence Of Surfactants, Said A. Kas-Danouche

Dissertations

This work is an analytical and computational study of the nonlinear interfacial instabilities found in core-annular flows in the presence of surfactants. Core-annular flows arise when two immiscible fluids (for example water and oil) are caused to flow in a pipe under the action of ail axial pressure gradient. In one typical type of flow regime, the fluids arrange themselves so that the less viscous (e.g. water) lies in the region of high shear near the pipe wall, with the more viscous fluid occupying the core region. Tech nologically, this arrangement provides an advantage since the highly viscous fluid is …

Temporal Synchronization Of Ca1 Pyramidal Cells By High-Frequency, Depressing Inhibition, In The Presence Of Intracellular Noise, Stephen A. Kunec

Dissertations

The Sharp Wave-associated Ripple is a high-frequency, extracellular recording observed in the rat hippocampus during periods of immobility. During the ripple, pyramidal cells synchronize over a short period of time despite the fact that these cells have sparse recurrent connections. Additionally, the timing of synchronized pyramidal cell spiking may be critical for encoding information that is passed on to post-hippocampal targets. Both the synchronization and precision of pyramidal cells is believed to be coordinated by inhibition provided by a vast array of interneurons. This dissertation proposes a minimal model consisting of a single interneuron which synapses onto a network of …

Experimental And Theoretical Study Of An Integrated Silicon Mach-Zehnder Interferometer For Chemical Sensing Applications, Yew Fong Hor

Dissertations

This thesis involves the design, fabrication and characterization of an integrated optical waveguide sensor. Prior to fabrication, design parameters of the waveguide need to be determined and optimized. The waveguide parameters such as waveguide dimension and the refractive index of the core and cladding are obtained from the single-mode cutoff frequency calculated using either analytical or numerical methods. In this thesis, details of analytical calculations to determine the cutoff frequency in terms of the waveguide parameters will be presented. The method discussed here is Marcatili's approximation. The purpose is to solve the scalar wave equation derived from Maxwell's equations because …

Instability Of Electrified Viscous Films, Knograt Savettaseranee

Dissertations

We examine the stability of a thin two-dimensional liquid film with a regular electric field applied in a direction parallel to an initially flat bounding fluid interface. We study the distinct physical effects of surface tension, van der Waals and electrically induced forces for a viscous incompressible fluid. The film is assumed to be sufficiently thin, and the surface tension and electrically induced forces are large enough that gravity can be ignored to the leading order. Our target is to analyse the nonlinear stability of the flow. We attain this by deriving and numerically solving a set of nonlinear evolution …

Development And Characterization Of Methodology And Technology For The Alignment Of Fmri Time Series, Carlo Ciulla

Dissertations

This dissertation has developed, implemented and tested a novel computer based system (AUTOALIGN) that incorporates an algorithm for the alignment of functional Magnetic Resonance Image (fMRI) time series. The algorithm assumes the human brain to be a rigid body and computes a head coordinate system on the basis of three reference points that lie on the directions correspondent to two of the eigenvectors of inertia of the volume, at the intersections with the head boundary. The eigenvectors are found weighting the inertia components with the voxel's intensity values assumed as mass. The three reference points are found in the same …

Two-Dimensional Reflectivity Polarization Elastometry Imaging Techniques (Piet) Of Soft Tissue, Hee Chuan Lim

Dissertations

A non-invasive polarized light reflection measurement method to measure the stretch of soft tissue, such as skin, is described. The technique utilizes changes in the reflectivity of polarized light intensity as a monitor of skin stretch. Measurements on in-vitro pigskin and invivo human skin show that the reflectivity of polarized light intensity increases linearly with stretch over a range. The changes in diffusive reflectivity properties of skin result from the alterations that take place in the roughness across the thickness of the skin layers due to stretch. Conceptually, as the roughness of a layer decreases with stretch, a smoother reflecting …

An Analysis Of Field Data For Evidence Of Anaerobic Degradation Of Pah And Btex Plumes At Manufactured Gas Plant Sites, Georgene Mortimer

Dissertations

Field data (including geology, hydrogeology, soil chemistry, groundwater chemistry, and aquifer characteristics) were analyzed at eight MGP sites located in the New Jersey Coastal Plain. These data were used to calculate biodegradation rate constants, which were then compared with laboratory microcosm data and published values. Isopleths were drawn from the field data to indicate the dominant biodegradation mechanisms at each of the sites, and stoichiometric calculations were used to determine the total capacity of the electron acceptors present to degrade the plume contaminants. In examining these data, the protocol described by the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) was …

Collaborative Problem Solving And Program Development Model, Joanna Defranco-Tommarello

Dissertations

A model to enhance collaborative problem solving and program development is presented. The collaborative model is a detailed cognitive model that takes into consideration the cognitive and social activities that occur during collaborative problem solving and program development. The cognitive activities required for collaborative problem solving and program development are identified and integrated into a six-stage model. An extensive literature review in the associated fields is presented to show the need for the model described in this dissertation. In addition, a comprehensive study of tools to support collaboration during problem solving and program development was also performed as well as …

An Evolving Approach To Learning In Problem Solving And Program Development : The Distributed Learning Model, Idania Espinosa

Theses

Technological advances are paving the way for improvements in many sectors of society. The US education system needs to undergo a transformation of existing pedagogical methods to maximize utilization of new technologies. Traditional education has primarily been teacher driven, lectured-based in one location. Advances in technology are challenging existing paradigms by developing tools and educational environments that reach diverse learning styles and surpass the boundaries of current teaching methods.

Distributed learning is an emerging paradigm today that has promise to contribute significantly to learning and improve overall academic success. This research first explores various systems that provide different modes of …

Sustainable Agriculture : Pragmatism, Distinctions On Artifacts And The Role Of The Land Ethic, Dustin Mulvaney

Theses

This thesis will explore the ethical dimensions of global agriculture from the productionist paradigm to the land ethic in the context of the sustainable agriculture promoted in the fair trade, shade grown, and organic coffee movements. Much of the sustainable development debate in the environmental ethics literature has centered on justifications (from anthropocentric and nonanthropocentric worldviews) for preserving nature. Since agriculture is an artifact of human sedentary civilization, traditional nonanthropocentric arguments do not suffice because of the tendency to focus exclusively on natural systems. Building on the work of Katz's "Pragmatic ReConsideration" and Light's "methodological pragmatism," the role of anthropocentric …

Novel Synthesis Of 2-Methyl-3, 4, 5-Trichloropyrimidine, Daniel M. Goldman

Theses

A one-step synthesis of the heterocycle 2-methyl-3,4,5-trichloropyrimidine by the cycloaddition of hexachloropropene with acetamidine hydrochloride in methanolic NaOH was attempted. The product was dark amber oil. A by-product of this reaction was sodium chloride. The proposed reaction was expected to proceed via a SN2 nucleophilic displacement of three chlorine atoms on hexachloropropene by acetamidine, the nucleophile. The proposed driving force for this transformation is the lone pair of electrons on the amidine nitrogen along with the electron withdrawing ability of three chlorines on hexachloropropene which induces a partial positive charge on the carbon. It is proposed that the chlorine atoms …

Agricultural Land Reform Policy In Western Ukraine : The Influence Of Environmental History And Ethics, Andrew B. Wowk

Theses

Agricultural land privatization is an important environmental and economic policy within Ukraine, which is transitioning to a market-based economy. This thesis studied the influence of bioregional environmental history and environmental ethics on land privatization in Western Ukraine, within Lviv oblast, through historical research and field research of private farmers.

Historical research showed that due to its environmental history, the study area was particularly receptive to land privatization after Ukraine's independence in 1991. Field research indicated that farmers in the study area generally see private ownership of land as better for humans and the environment than collective land ownership. The farmers …

A New Theory Of Premixed Flames In Near-Stoichiometric Mixtures, Eliana S. Antoniou

Dissertations

In this dissertation, a new model of premixed flames in near-stoichiometric mixtures is derived. Unlike most previous theories, which are valid only for very lean or very rich, i.e. off-stoichiometric conditions, our model remains valid over the entire spectrum of mixture compositions, from lean to rich, including the near-stoichiometric regime. Since fuel-mixture composition is known to have a significant effect on flame behavior, such a model is expected to contribute new insights into classical problems in premixed combustion.

In the first part of this dissertation, we describe the derivation of a model for premixed flames in two-reactant mixtures in a …

Simultaneous Removal Of Ortho-Dichlorobenzene And Ethanol Vapors In A Biotrickling Filter : Experimental Results And Process Modeling, Suchismita Bhattacharya

Dissertations

This study investigated the possibility of simultaneous removal of vapors of dissimilar volatile organic compounds from air streams in a biotrickling filter (BTF). Using a rricrobial consortium known to utilize ortho-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB) as sole carbon and energy source, a culture was developed on o-DCB/ethanol mixtures and a BTF unit was developed and operated with air streams carrying o-DCB and ethanol vapors. Simultaneous removal of the two compounds was observed in experiments that span a period of over three years.

Experiments were performed at air residence times ranging from 4 to 6.5 min, liquid flow rates from 3.6 to 9 Lh …

Development Of Analytical Systems And Monitoring Of Vocs Emissions During Polymer Processing, Qin Xiang

Dissertations

A method using direct flame ionization detector (FID) measurement was developed to study total volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions during thermal degradation of polymers. This was used to estimate organic emissions from both virgin polymer resins and commingled plastics. The effects of process parameters, i. e., temperature, heating rate and residence time, were also studied. Significant VOCs emissions were observed at normal processing temperatures, particularly from recycled polymers. Each polymer showed a distinct evolution pattern during its thermal degradation. Kinetics of VOCs emissions were also studied using a non-isothermal technique. The kinetic parameters were in agreement with data from the …

Modeling Hydrogen Diffusion For Solar Cell Passivation And Process Optimization, Yi Zhang

Dissertations

A diffusion model for hydrogen (H) in crystalline silicon was established which takes into account the charged state conversion, junction field, mobile traps, and complex formation and dissociation at dopant and trap sites. Carrier exchange among the various charged species is a "fast" process compared to the diffusion process. A numerical method was developed to solve the densities of various charged species from the Poisson's equation that involves shallow-level dopants and one "negative U" impurity, e.g., H. Time domain implicit method was adopted in finite difference scheme to solve the fully coupled equations.

Limiting versions of the model were applied …

The Siting Of Regional Sanitary Landfills Or Facilities For Municipal Solid Waste In The Upper Southern Region Of Thailand, Jantira Duangsai

Theses

The pollution problem from municipal solid waste in Thailand is serious. Population growth and rapid economic expansion have resulted in a significant increase in the quantity of solid waste. Inadequate provisions for waste collection, shortages of disposal equipment, and the inability of the responsible agencies to find appropriate disposal sites, also are major causes of the present problems. The environmental impacts that result from unsanitary disposal sites have become a serious public concern across the country.

Environmentally protective and publicly acceptable siting of regional sanitary landfills or facilities for municipal solid waste management in the upper southern region of Thailand: …

Simulation And Close-To-Optimal Algorithm For The Static Load Balancing Of A Network Of Heterogeneous Processors, Mark G. Steiner

Theses

A close-to-optimal linear programming-based algorithm for the static load balancing of a network of heterogeneous processors is described and implemented. Experimental results suggest that the amount of time required by the implementation of the algorithm to balance the loads of the servers as a function of the number of servers has polynomial complexity.

Comparative Molecular Field Analysis (Comfa) Of Protonated Methylphenidate Phenyl-Substituted Analogs, Kathleen Mary Gilbert

Theses

Protonated methylphenidate (pMP) and several phenyl-substituted pMP analogs were analyzed using Comparative Molecular Field Analysis (CoMFA) to develop a pharmacophore for dopamine transporter (DAT) binding. This research is a part of an interdisciplinary study on using methylphenidate (MP) analogs to block the binding of cocaine to the DAT as a treatment for addiction.

A random search conformational analysis using key pMP torsional angles was performed to create conformer families representing possible bioactive conformations. The lowest energy pMP conformer of each family was used as a template to create phenyl-substituted pMP analogs.

Partial least squares analysis was used to determine the …

Short-Term Community Based Dune Management Activities On A Highly Developed Coast In New Jersey, Stacy Mccormack

Theses

Recently, local governments have started to realize the effectiveness of dune building as a form of hazard mitigation and have engineered dunes for this purpose. This study evaluates dune management at the local level; specifically, short term management practices, physical constraints, dune management participants, and sources of guidance. A review of municipal regulations, topographic surveys, and interviews with local officials were conducted in four New Jersey communities: Belmar, Spring Lake, Sea Girt and Manasquan. The results of this study indicate that dunes were established as part of local hazard mitigation planning in response to the 1992 storm, and topographic surveys …

A Tool For Phylogenetic Data Cleaning And Searching, Viswanath Neelavalli

Theses

Data collection and cleaning is a very important part of an elaborate Data Mining System. 'TreeBASE' is a relational database of phylogenetic information at the Harvard University with a keyword based searching interface. 'TreeSearch' is a Structure based search engine implemented at NJIT that can be used for searching phylogenetic data. Phylogenetic trees are extracted from the flat-file database at Harvard University, available at {ftp://herbaria.harvard.edu/pub/piel/Data/files/}. There is huge amount of information present in the files about the trees and the data matrices from which the trees are generated. The search tool implemented at NJIT is interested in using the string …