Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Genome Analysis: Mutation Analysis Using Near Infrared Laser-Induced Fluorescence (Nir-Lif) And Single Molecule Detection In Microfluidic Devices, Musundi Ben Wabuyele

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A number of genotyping methods have been developed for mutation analysis, each of which has its own unique advantage. DNA amplification via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) provides an unlimited supply of material for subsequent genetic analysis even in case where only a single copy of the DNA molecule is present in the sample. Research presented in this dissertation first examines the efficiency of in vitro amplification of single copy DNA with subsequent sequencing analysis of PCR product. The PCR products (amplicons) were investigated for possible alteration, distortions or mutations due to the amplification process. The sequencing data for single copy …

Group Theoretical Approach To Pairing And Non-Linear Phenomena In Atomic Nuclei, Kristina D. Launey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The symplectic sp(4) algebra provides a natural framework for studying proton-neutron (pn) and like-nucleon pairing correlations as well as higher-J pn interactions in nuclei when protons and neutrons occupy the same shell. While these correlations manifest themselves most clearly in the binding energies of 0+ ground states, they also have a large effect on the spectra of excited isobaric analog 0+ states. With a view towards nuclear structure applications, a fermion realization of sp(4) is explored and its q-deformed extension, sp(4)q, is constructed for single and multiple shells. The su(2)(q) substructures that enter are associated with isospin symmetry and with …

Brane Factories, Eun-Joo Ahn, Marco Cavaglia, Angela V. Olinto

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We propose that higher-dimensional extended objects (p-branes) are created by super-Planckian scattering processes in theories with TeV scale gravity. As an example, we compute the cross section for p-brane creation in a (n + 4)-dimensional spacetime with asymmetric compactification. We find that the cross section for the formation of a brane which is wounded on a compact submanifold of size of the fundamental gravitational scale is larger than the cross section for the creation of a spherically symmetric black hole. Therefore, we predict that branes are more likely to be created than black holes in super-Planckian …

Perturbative And Nonperturbative Calculations Of Electron-Hydrogen Ionization, Stephenie J. Jones, Don H. Madison, Mark D. Baertschy

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We compare calculations of the fully differential cross section for ionization of atomic hydrogen by electron impact using two different theories-the perturbative CDW-EIS (continuum distorted wave with eikonal initial state) approximation and the nonperturbative ECS (exterior complex scaling) method. For this comparison, we chose an impact energy of 54.4 eV, since this is near the lowest energy that our perturbative approach would be applicable and near the highest energy that can be tackled by the ECS method with our present computational resources. For the case of equal-energy outgoing electrons investigated here, the two theories predict nearly identical results except that …

Dynamic Nonlinear Effect On Lasing In Random Media, B. Liu, Alexey Yamilov, Y. Ling, J. Y. Xu, Hui Cao

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We investigate the dynamic effect of nonlinearity on lasing in disordered medium. The third-order nonlinearity not only changes frequency and size of lasing mode, but also modifies laser emission intensity and laser pulse width.

Collision Cross Sections And The Size Of A Coin, Antonio C. Santos, A. Fröhlich

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

An important question in education nowadays is how to convey some concepts of Modern Physics to students in high school, secondary education or the sixth form. This article presents an approach to atomic collisions suitable for intermediate level students. We describe an alternative way of measuring the area of a coin using a macroscopic analogy of the scattering of radiation by an atom or molecule—the collision cross section. We hope this article will help educators to illustrate such an important procedure and related concepts of Modern Physics. © 2003 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Electron Loss From 0.74- And 1.4-Mev/U Low-Charge-State Argon And Xenon Ions Colliding With Neon, Nitrogen, And Argon, Robert D. Dubois, Antonio C. Santos, Ronald E. Olson, Th Stöhlker, F. Bosch, A. Bräuning-Demian, A. Gumberidze, S. Hagmann, C. Kozhuharov, R. Mann, A. Oršić Muthig, U. Spillmann, S. Tachenov, W. Barth, L. Dahl

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Absolute total-, single-, and multiple-electron-loss cross sections are measured for (Ar⁺-, Ar²⁺-, Xe³⁺)-~Ne, N₂ Ar) collisions at 0.74 and 1.4 MeV/u. in addition, a many-body classical trajectory Monte Carlo model was used to calculate total- and multiple-electron-loss cross sections for Ar⁺ impact. for N₂ and Ar targets, excellent agreement between the measured and calculated cross sections is found; for the Ne target the experimental data are approximately 40% smaller than the theoretical predictions. the experimental data are also used to examine cross-section scaling characteristics for electron loss from fast, low-charge-state, heavy …

Postcollisional Decay In Ne Multiple Ionization By H2+ Ions In Breakup Collisions, M. M. Sant'anna, H. Luna, Antonio C. Santos, C. Mcgrath, M. B. Shah, E. G. Cavalcanti, G. M. Sigaud, E. C. Montenegro

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We measured the Ne^q+ charge-state yield distribution for Ne atoms multiply ionized by 1-MeV/amu H₂⁺ in coincidence with the final state of the projectile, for both breakup and Non breakup channels. Measurements with 1-MeV H⁺ projectiles were also performed. While the H₂⁺ Non breakup channel produces results similar to equal-velocity proton or electron projectiles, the breakup channels lead to a charge-state yield distribution very close to the known Ne 2s^-1 post collisional decay distribution, measured through photoionization [T. A. Carlson, W. E. Hunt, and M. O. Krause, Phys. Rev. 151, 41 (1966)]. This …

Target Z Dependence And Additivity Of Cross Sections For Electron Loss By 6-Mev/Amu [Formula Presented] Projectiles, R. L. Watson, Yong Peng, V. Horvat, G. J. Kim, Ronald E. Olson

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The dependence of electron loss by 6-MeV/amu Xe¹⁸⁺ on target atomic number was investigated by measuring single-collision cross sections for loss of one to eight electrons in targets of the noble gases He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe. the total-electron-loss cross sections were found to increase linearly with target atomic number, but an abrupt slope change was observed to occur between Ne and Kr. Calculated total-loss cross sections obtained using the n-body classical trajectory Monte Carlo method were in good agreement with the measurements. the dependence of the individual cross sections on the number of electrons lost was reasonably …

A Deception Based Framework For The Application Of Deceptive Countermeasures In 802.11b Wireless Networks, Suen Yek

Theses : Honours

The advance of 802.11 b wireless networking has been beset by inherent and in-built security problems. Network security tools that are freely available may intercept network transmissions readily and stealthily, making organisations highly vulnerable to attack. Therefore, it is incumbent upon defending organisations to take initiative and implement proactive defences against common network attacks. Deception is an essential element of effective security that has been widely used in networks to understand attack methods and intrusions. However, little thought has been given to the type and the effectiveness of the deception. Deceptions deployed in nature, the military and in cyberspace were …

Floristics Of The Banksia Woodlands On The Wallingup Plain In Relation To Environmental Parameters, Claire Mccamish

Theses : Honours

An understanding of the underlying environmental factors contributing to the floristic composition of Banksia woodlands should improve the effective management of Banksia woodland communities of the Swan Coastal Plain. Although a number of studies have examined the vegetation on the Banksia woodlands on detail there have been few studies aimed at identifying the specific environmental parameters influencing the floristic gradients on the Swan Coastal Plain. A comprehensive local scale study was undertaken on the northern Swan Coastal Plain to determine the environmental correlates influencing floristic communities in an area of Banks/a woodland known as the Wallingup Plain. Vegetation communities of …

Minerogenesis Of Volcanic Caves Of Kenya, Paolo Forti, Ermanno Galli, Antonio Rossi

International Journal of Speleology

Kenya is one of the few countries in which karst cavities are scarce with respect to volcanic ones, which are widespread throughout the whole country. The great variability in lava composition allowed the evolution of very different cavities, some of which are amongst the largest lava tubes of the world. As normal for such a kind of cave, the hosted speleothems and cave minerals are scarce but important from the minerogenetic point of view. Anyway up to present no specific mineralogical research have been carried out therein. During the 8th International Symposium on Volcanospeleology, held in Nairobi in February 1998, …

Caves And Karsts Of Northeast Africa, William R. Halliday

International Journal of Speleology

At least potentially karstifiable rocks cover much of the surface of Egypt and northern Libya. Study of caves and other karstic features of this region has been hampered by lack of roads, rapid disintegration of the surface of friable, poorly consolidated limestone, wind-blown sand and other factors. Interbedding with marly aquicludes hampers speleogenesis locally. Calcareous and evaporite karsts are present, however, and their waters are important albeit generally limited resources. Large quantities of fresh water are lost through submarine springs downslope from Libya’s Gebel al Akhdar range; the caves and karst of that range may be among the world’s greatest. …

Front Matter

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Restoration And Monitoring Of The River Otter Population In Iowa, J. A. Pitt, W. R. Clark, R. D. Andrews, K. P. Schlarbaum, D. D. Hoffman, S. W. Pitt

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Northern river otters (Lontra canadensis) were widespread in North America at the time of European settlement. However, river otters were extirpated from most of Iowa in the early 1900s due to habitat degradation and unregulated harvest. In 1985, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources began an effort to restore the river otter population throughout the state, including a pilot study of survival to determine if establishment was feasible. Annual survival was estimated to be 86% during the pilot study. River otters dispersed an average of about 11 km from the point of release and exhibited habitat use typical for the …

The Influence Of Soil Water Content, Calcite Content, And Temperature On Bulk Electrical Conductivity, Eric C. Brevik, Jaehoon Lee, Thomas E. Fenton, Robert Horton

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Electrical conductivity (EC) as measured by the Geonics® EM-38 has shown promise as a soil survey tool. EC is determined by a combination of soluble salts, clay content and mineralogy, water content, and temperature. While investigating use of the EM-38 for soil survey purposes, it is important to understand the relative contribution of each of these variables on EC. A laboratory experiment was set up to determine the relative influence of water content, temperature, and calcite content on EC using time-domain reflectometry (TDR) probes. TDR was used as a proxy for the EM-38 because of the large volume of soil …

United States Diplomacy In The Age Of The Internet, Allison S. Greene

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The dynamics of international relations are constantly changing, and the origin of an extraordinary amount of that change can be traced to what has been coined the ‘Information Revolution.’ It is a revolution as profound and as significant as Gutenberg's invention of moveable metal type, and may result in social and political consequences of comparable magnitude. One of the most significant and far-reaching implications of this phenomenon is the emergence of the Internet. Since its inception, there have been many claims and assertions about existing and potential repercussions of the Internet within the diplomatic realm.

The purpose of this work …

Multivariate Geostatistical Analysis With Application To A Western Australian Nickel Laterite Deposit, Ellen Bandarian

Theses : Honours

Although it can be time consuming and computationally more expensive to work with multivariate data, it is often desirable to exploit the relationships among and between the variables sampled across a study region. In most cases the availability of this secondary information can enhance the estimation of the primary variable(s). The aim of this research is to describe and then demonstrate the use of multivariate statistical methods in geostatistical analysis. The methods will be illustrated by application to a multivariate data set from an actual mineralisation. The data suite is known as MM22D and comes from the Murrin Murrin nickel …

The Redox Potential Of Ddt: An Environmental Perspective, Anne Lewis, Christopher Cramer, John Bumpus

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Due to their low water solubility, the reduction potentials of DDT and dicofol are difficult to determine experimentally. Through computational methods, we calculated the one and two electron reduction potentials for DDT as 0.51 V and 0.67 V, respectively, and those for dicofol were 0.50 V and 0.74 V. This study is significant because we are able to calculate reliable redox potentials that may be utilized to predict chemical behavior and degradation pathways of environmental pollutants. To assess the accuracy of theoretical chemistry, we compared experimental and computational data and examined whether our calculated redox potentials fit with the known …

Littoral Dripstone And Flowstone--Non-Spelean Carbonate Secondary Deposits, Danko Taborosi, Kevin Stafford

International Journal of Speleology

Speleothem-like dripstone and flowstone deposits can form in the non-spelean environments of marine notches on tropical carbonate coastlines. Hereby termed “littoral dripstone” and “littoral flowstone” to distinguish them from genuine cave deposits, they reflect the basic speleothem types: draperies, stalactites, stalagmites, and columns. Nevertheless, these formations lack the luster and crystallinity of cave analogues, and are not nearly as well-developed, dense, and massive. They are composed of layered microcrystalline aragonite and calcite, are generally highly porous, and invariably overlie dissolutional and bioerosional karren. Because true speleothems, often found in the remnants of solution voids breached by coastal erosion, are also …

Adsorption And Reaction Of Benzaldehyde On Porous Glass Studied By Ftir And Tpd, Steven Michael Badger Ii

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Benzaldehyde was dosed onto porous borosilicate glass in order to better understand the catalytic behavior of the surface of the porous glass. 18,000 L of benzaldehyde was dosed onto the porous glass at approximately 50 K and heated to a temperature of 470 K. The reactions that occurred were studied using FTIR spectroscopy and Temperature Programmed Desorption (TPD). The FTIR spectrum of the porous glass confirmed the presence of isolated surface hydroxyl groups (Si-OH), seen in the spectrum at 3750 cm1 , and the presence of isolated boron-OH groups, seen in the spectrum at 3700 cm1 . Neighboring surface hydroxyl …

Report On The Third Acm/Ieee Joint Conference On Digital Libraries (Jcdl), Michael L. Nelson

Computer Science Faculty Publications

The Third ACM/IEEE Joint Conference on Digital Libraries (JCDL 2003) was held on the campus of Rice University in Houston, Texas, May 27 - 31. Regarding the merging of the ACM and IEEE conference series, in the JCDL 2002 conference report published last year in D-Lib Magazine Edie Rasmussen noted, "Perhaps by next year...no one will remember that it wasn't always so" [1]. Judging by the number of participants I met who did not know that the ACM and IEEE used to hold separate digital library conferences, Rasmussen's prediction has come to pass.

Indirect Evidence Of Density-Dependent Population Regulation In Aponomma Hydrosauri (Acari: Ixodidae), An Ectoparasite Of Reptiles, Andrew J. Tyre, C. Michael Bull, Brigitte Tenhumberg, Neil Chilton

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The extent to which density-dependent processes regulate natural populations is the subject of an ongoing debate. We contribute evidence to this debate showing that density-dependent processes influence the population dynamics of the ectoparasite Aponomma hydrosauri (Acari: Ixodidae), a tick species that infests reptiles in Australia. The first piece of evidence comes from an unusually long-term dataset on the distribution of ticks among individual hosts. If density-dependent processes are influencing either host mortality or vital rates of the parasite population, and those distributions can be approximated with negative binomial distributions, then general host– parasite models predict that the aggregation coefficient of …

Under The Plastic: A Quantitative Look At Dvd Video Encoding And Its Impact On Video Modeling, Wu-Chi Feng, Jin Choi, Wu-Chang Feng, Jonathan Walpole

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, we examine the DVD encoding process and the implications this process has video modeling and network traffic analysis. We have assembled a system that allows us to extract the video data from the DVDs as they were encoded for distribution. Analyzing the resulting video trace data, we describe how DVD encodings have evolved over time. In addition, our findings show that the underlying video content is fundamentally different than those produced by basic consumer video capture boards. We demonstrate how this affects current video modeling proposals and their affect on network traffic characterization. This research is based …

Complex Decapod Burrows And Ecological Relationships In Modern And Pleistocene Intertidal Carbonate Environments, San Salvador Island, Bahamas, H. Allen Curran, Anthony J. Martin

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Burrowing by thalassinidean shrimp in modern tropical, shallow-subtidal to intertidal carbonate environments is widespread and a powerful agent of bioturbation, particularly within sandy substrates. Deep and intense burrowing by callianassids commonly occurs along the intertidal margins of hypersaline lagoons throughout the Bahamas, such as Pigeon Creek on San Salvador Island, where the sediments of extensive sand flats are thoroughly bioturbated by Glypturusacanthochirus. In addition to dominating the deep-tier infauna, G. acanthochirus is a true ecosystem engineer, and its prodigious burrowing activity results in a highly mounded topography. On sand flats, individual sediment cones commonly coalesce with time to form large …

Assessment Of Selected Reef Sites In Northern And South-Central Belize, Including Recovery From Bleaching And Hurricane Disturbances (Stony Corals, Algae And Fish), Paulette M. Peckol, H. Allen Curran, Emily Y. Floyd, Martha L. Robbart, Benjamin J. Greenstein, Kate L. Buckman

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

The condition of coral. algal. and fish populations in fore reefs. patch reefs, and coral reef ridges was investigated at 13 sites along the northern and south-central Belize barrier reef during May 1999, documenting effects of the 1998 warming episode and Hurricane Mitch. We found high percentages of partial, or even complete, colony mortality of major reef-builders (Acropora palmata, the Montastraea annuluris species complex and Agaricia tenuifolia) that were rarely censused as recruits. A. tenuifolia, formerly a space-dominant coral in reef ridges, had incurred nearly 100% mortality after bleaching. Nearly 45% of the M. annurluris complex …

Assessment Of Coral Reefs Off San Salvador Island, Bahamas (Stony Coral, Algae And Fish Populations), Paulette M. Peckol, H. Allen Curran, Benjamin J. Greenstein, Emily Y. Floyd, Martha L. Robbart

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

During assessments at 11 shallow reef sites on an Salvador Island, Bahamas in .iunc I998 we found low prevalence of disease, bleaching, and recent partial-colon1 mortality among stony corals (10 cm minimum dixncter). Old partial-colony mortalit) was >50% in Acropora palmata; however, recent tissue losses were low and it had recruits at several sites. Total (recent + old) partial-colony mortality of the Montastraea annularis species complex exceeded 30% on leeward patch reefs and back reefs. Groupers (serranids), snappers (lutjanids), and grunts (haemulids) were rare. Parrotfishes (scarids) were uncommon at most sites and surgeonfishes (acanthurids) were the dominant herbivores. Macroalgae, particularly …

Aspects Of Conformal Field Theory From Calabi-Yau Arithmetic, Rolf Schimmrigk

Faculty Articles

This paper describes a framework in which techniques from arithmetic algebraic geometry are used to formulate a direct and intrinsic link between the geometry of Calabi-Yau manifolds and aspects of the underlying conformal field theory. As an application the algebraic number field determined by the fusion rules of the conformal field theory is derived from the number theoretic structure of the cohomological Hasse-Weil L-function determined by Artin's congruent zeta function of the algebraic variety. In this context a natural number theoretic characterization arises for the quantum dimensions in this geometrically determined algebraic number field.

On String Topology Of Three Manifolds, Hossein Abbaspour

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this dissertation we establish a connection between some aspects of the string topology of three dimensional manifolds and their topology and geometry using the theory of the prime decomposition and characteristic surfaces.

Compact Supercell Method Based On Opposite Parity For Bragg Fibers, Wang Zhi, Ren Guobin, Lou Shuquin, Liang Weijun, Shangping Guo

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The supercell- based orthonormal basis method is proposed to investigate the modal properties of the Bragg fibers. A square lattice is constructed by the whole Bragg fiber which is considered a supercell, and the periodical dielectric structure of the square lattice is decomposed using periodic functions (cosine). The modal electric field is expanded as the sum of the orthonormal set of Hermite-Gaussian basis functions based on the opposite parity of the transverse electric field. The propagation characteristics of Bragg fibers can be obtained after recasting the wave equation into an eigenvalue system. This method is implemented with very high efficiency …