Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Adsorption Of 2-Ketogluconate By Goethite, Jessica Suzanne Journey

Masters Theses

The low-molecular-mass-organic acid, 2-ketogluconate (kG), has been found to exist in significant concentrations in the rhizosphere of agricultural soils. Adsorption of kG by constant potential mineral surfaces may influence soil chemical processes. This study examines influence of temperature, pH, and ionic environment on the adsorption of kG by goethite. When kG was present on the surface of goethite, the pH_pzc decreased by approximately 0.4 pH units, from pH 7.6 to pH 7.2, suggesting that kG is chemisorbed to the goethite surface via ligand exchange mechanisms. The adsorption of kG by goethite is a function of pH and ionic strength. …

Tree-Like Spaces With The Fixed-Point Property, Realized As Inverse Limits Of Special Finite Trees, Jennifer Katherine Aust

Masters Theses

In this paper, we explore some properties of inverse limit sequences on sub-spaces of Euclidean n-space. We address some well-known examples, in particular the example by David Bellamy of the "tree-like" continuum that does not have the fixed-point property. We highlight some spaces with the fixed-point property that are between snake-like continua and Bellamy's example in their level of complexity. Specifically, we prove the fixed-point property for inverse limits of limit sequences on the unit interval and on the n-ad (in two configurations), and for inverse limits that can be mapped via a continuous function with small point pre-images to …

Heats Of Solvation Of Organic Liquids In Room Temperature Ionic Liquids, Paula Jeanette Beach

Masters Theses

Ionic liquids are of potential use in industry as reusable, non-polluting solvents. Their thermochemical properties need to be known to facilitate planning of processes and experiments using these solvents. Two ionic liquids: 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C4mim]PF6 or [bmim]PF6) and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([hmim]NTf2) were studied using a calorimeter. Various organic liquids were introduced into the solvents and their heats of solution were measured and tabulated. Potential effects of certain functional groups such as alcohol, amine, carboxylic acid, ketone, and aldehyde were examined as well as aromatics versus chains and saturated rings.

The Use Of Lanthanide Triflates As A Method For Reducing Ytterbium(Iii) To Ytterbium(Ii), Latasha Michelle Garrett

Masters Theses

High purity lutetium (99.999%) is employed in the manufacture of cerium-doped lutetium oxyorthosilicate. Such lutetium is in high demand because the cerium-doped lutetium oxyorthosilicate is the best gamma-detecting scintillator known. Solvent extraction is the most widely used method for separating the rare earths on an industrial scale at 99.999% purity. However, this process is time consuming and requires 80-100 separation stages. The major difficulty in pure lutetium production is the separation from the adjacent element, ytterbium. If ytterbium(III) could be reduced to ytterbium(II), this would permit a different chemistry between ytterbium(II) and the trivalent state elements, allowing a more facile …

A Note On Hamel Bases, Jeremy S. Higdon

Masters Theses

The purpose of this paper is to discuss certain properties of Hamel bases. In particular, we reprove and generalize a theorem of R. Mabry (Aequations Mathematicae 71 (2006) p. 294-299) on the non-existence of nontrivial Hamel bases closed under multiplication.

The Evaluation Of A Chemical Fingerprinting Technique For Identifying The Sources Of In-Stream Sediments, Robert Alexander Hull

Masters Theses

Sediment is often listed as one of the main contributors to the impairment of surface waters throughout the United States. Sediment source identification is difficult in watersheds with complex combinations of land-uses and non-point sources because of the complexities involved in correlating water quality data, which are relatively easy to collect, to the source of a degrading component. The elemental properties of a particular soil on the landscape may be viewed as a “fingerprint”. A comparison of the elemental fingerprints of potential sources and in-stream sediment may be used to establish sediment source. The objectives of this investigation were to …

Biochemical Reactions Instigating Vision – Parameter Sensitivity Analysis, Sophonie Ketcha Tchoua

Masters Theses

The purpose of this work is to investigate the sensitivity of parameters involved in a cascade of biochemical reactions occurring in photoreceptor cells in the retina of the eye. This cascade constitutes the first stage of the elaborate process of vision, by which light captured in a photoreceptor generates an electrical signal. It is this signal that travels to the brain enabling vision.

Sensitivity on parameters was performed on an ODE model of the biochemical cascade using two methods. One method used SimLab, a statistical sensitivity analysis program. We found that there are at most five important parameters out of …

Experimental Determination Of Emissivity And Resistivity Of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia At High Temperatures, Howard Mosley Frederick

Masters Theses

The emissivity and resistivity of yttria stabilized zirconia (YsZ), Y₂O₃-ZrO₂, a ceramic material that has been specially fabricated for use as an electrically powered high temperature air heater are determined for temperatures above 2000 K. Published results of measurements of emissivity and resistivity of yttria, zirconia, and their alloys at temperatures above 2000 K are rare in the technical literature. A survey of literature describing the properties of YsZ, particularly literature concerning the ionic conduction process at high temperatures, is assembled to provide a theoretical basis for the formulation of a temperature and resistivity …

Environmental Analysis And White Cell Applications Ftir Spectroscopy, Maria Gabriela Oliveros

Masters Theses

The research is concerned with atmospheric chemistry & physics, and analyzing the environment with respect to the quantity of molecules is in the air we breathe. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy is used to identify the IR active molecules in our atmosphere. FTIR Spectrometer determines the intensity loss for molecules that have absorbed IR light. The FTIR spectroscopy is performed using the light from the sun or a carbon rod light source in the lab. A Sun-tracking device was employed to direct the sunlight into the spectrometer. Open-path measurements were made using multiple mirror reflections of the carbon rod light source …

Fusion Reaction Cross-Section Measurements Near 100Sn, Elton Lewis Freeman

Masters Theses

This thesis describes the measurement of production rates of A=109 isobars produced with beams of ⁵⁴Fe ions accelerated to 207 MeV bombarding ⁵⁸Ni target. The reaction products have been electromagnetically separated according to their mass over charge ratio and implanted into a semiconductor detector. The spontaneous decay radiation from the implanted radioactive isobars has been measured in a detection system with known detection efficiency, enabling to determine absolute intensities of observed isotopes. Known branching ratios of alpha decays of ¹⁰⁹Xe, ¹⁰⁹Te, proton decay of ¹⁰⁹I and beta delayed gamma radiation of ¹⁰⁹Te and ^{109 …}

Quantum Monte Carlo Simulations Of Many-Dimensional Harmonic Oscillators: A Study Of 2Nd And 4Th Order Propagators, Brent-Jon Bjorgvin Magnusson

Masters Theses

Because the Schrödinger equation cannot be solved analytically for systems larger than hydrogen, approximate solution methods must be applied to study systems of chemical interest. Quantum Monte Carlo is one of these methods. Quantum Monte Carlo simulations involve the diffusion of walkers through configuration space and necessitate the use of one of two imaginary time propagators, 2^nd or 4^th order. The choice of the propagator implemented depends on a balance between accuracy and efficiency. Obtaining accurate solutions is the primary objective; once this is accomplished, finding ways to make the simulations efficient is the next intention. Using a …

Assembly And Evaluation Of A Multi-Functional Heat Pulse Probe For Measurement Of Soil Properties, Andrew Conrad Sherfy

Masters Theses

A device capable of estimating soil properties quickly and accurately is of great worth to individuals in many disciplines. The multi-functional heat pulse probe (MFHPP) is an instrument which allows for simultaneous in situ measurements of soil heat capacity, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, water content, water flux density, and electrical conductivity. Previous studies showed this device exhibits instrumentation and model limitations which reduce its measurement accuracy. It is important for the future use of the MFHPP to fully investigate sources of error, increase the range of testing and develop improvements to alleviate these issues.

The main objectives of this study …

Relationship Between Slug-Test And Effective Hydraulic Conductivities For 2-Dimensional Heterogeneous Aquifers, Richard Walker Donat

Masters Theses

Slug tests are one of the most common field tests used by hydrogeologists to evaluate the hydraulic conductivity of an aquifer system. Steady-state and transient (slug test) numerical simulations were run in 37, 2-dimensional randomized multifractal hydraulic conductivity fields. Each field consisted of 59,049 individual saturated hydraulic conductivity (K) values with varying numbers of hydrofacies and different degrees of spatial heterogeneity. The K_eff values were determined by examining the flux in and out of the steady-state numerical model. The K_slug values were determined by adding a slug of water to the center node of the field and evaluating …

Origin Of Tunnel Valley And Esker Assemblages In The Saginaw Lobe, Barry County, Michigan, Caleb J. Woolever

Masters Theses

Surficial mapping, borehole analysis, and ground penetrating radar surveys are used to reconstruct conditions leading to the formation of tunnel valley and esker networks within the Dowling 7 .5 minute quadrangle. The relationship between tunnel valleys and eskers has important implications on the subglacial hydrology beneath the Saginaw Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet.

Surficial mapping reveals northeast-southwest trending tunnel valleys, some containing eskers of the same orientation, in hummocky topography mapped as the Saginaw Kalamazoo Moraine. A borehole hole drilled through one such tunnel valley and esker pair reveals sand and gravel fining upwards to fine sand. Stratigraphy suggests …

Characterization Of P62, Hah1 And Their Interaction With The Wilson Disease Protein, Paul Sifuna Oshule

Masters Theses

Wilson disease is an autosomal recessive disorder resulting in the accumulation of copper in the body primarily in the liver and brain. In order to understand the pathogenesis of Wilson disease, our laboratory is studying several different proteins. Wilson disease protein (ATP7B) is a P-type ATPase which acts to remove excess copper from the cells. The p62 subunit of the dynactin complex is a protein whose function is still unknown but it has been proposed to have a copperdependent interaction with ATP7B. HAH1 is a human metallochaperone that binds copper as it comes into the cells from CTR1, a permease. …

Optical And Electrochemical Molecular And Nanoscale Sensors For The Selective Detection Of Organophosphorus Based Pesticides, Chandrima De

Masters Theses

Organophosphorus based pesticides are highly toxic and represent serious environmental concerns. These compounds tend to easily enter ground water and cause drastic pollution. The toxicity levels of the organophosphorus pesticides however are based on their structures, and hence methods for their selective detection are in high demand. The creation of new materials for sensing and actuation requires careful manipulation of the responsive units required to control analyte selectivity. We have successfully designed and synthesized a molecular sensor based on the family of stilbenes that not only can detect organophosphorus pesticides, but also distinguish between them. Four different pesticides have been …

Origin Of Size-Dependent Energy Transfer From Photoexcited Cdse Quantum Dots And Fluorescent Dyes To Gold Nanoparticles, Mariana Kondon

Masters Theses

The photoluminescence quenching of CdSe quantum dots (QD) and fluorescent dyes by hexanethiolate Mono layer Protected Clusters (MPCs) with core diameters of 1.1- 4 .9 nm is described.

The CdSe QD investigated had the following core diameters of 2.0, 2.6, 3.4 and 6.9 nm. The florescent dyes used were: Coumarin 440 (CM440), Fluorescein 548 (F548), Rhodamine 6G (R6G), Pyromethene 597 (PM597) and Lyssamine Dye (LD700). Experimental evidence suggests that the photoluminescence quenching of both CdSe QD and the fluorescent dyes occurs through energy transfer and that the AuMPCs are efficient quenchers in both cases. The larger MPCs are more efficient …

Influence Of Bioirrigation On Metal Distribution Within Burrows, Terri Shattuck

Masters Theses

Bioirrigation is the increase of solute transport resulting from introduction of oxygenated water from the surface into the more reduced environment deep within the burrow. Fe and Mn hydr-(oxides) accumulate on burrow margins in response to the oxygen flux into suboxic porewaters. This has been shown to trap trace metals (Harding and Risk, 1986; Tessier and Campbell, 1988; Tessier et al., 1979, 1982). The diagenesis, mobility, and transport of metals contribute to the bioavailability of metals in the environment possibly to the extent of harming ecosystems; especially in coastal areas with buried waste. This study assesses Fe and trace metal …

Simulation Of Single Molecule Trapping In A Nanochannel, William Neil Robinson

Masters Theses

Trapping of single fluorescent molecules in solution is numerically simulated. Optical trapping provides insufficient force for trapping molecules much smaller than the optical wavelength. Instead, a means for trapping by sensing the molecule position and applying real-time feedback of flow to compensate diffusional displacement is used. The solution is contained in a nanochannel, reducing the problem to one spatial dimension. The position of the molecule is estimated from the fluorescence signals generated by two focused laser beams, which originate from a single laser source that is split and temporally alternated between the two focal spots. Photon collection is time gated, …

Using Automated Task Solution Synthesis To Generate Critical Junctures For Management Of Planned And Reactive Cooperation Between A Human-Controlled Blimp And An Autonomous Ground Robot, Christopher M. Reardon

Masters Theses

This thesis documents the use of an approach for automated task solution synthesis that algorithmically and automatically identifies periods during which a team of less-than-fully capable robots benefit from tightly-coupled, coordinated, cooperative behavior.

I test two hypotheses: 1) That a team’s performance can be increased by cooperating during certain specific periods of a mission and 2) That these periods can be identified automatically and algorithmically. I also demonstrate how identification of cooperative periods can be performed both off-line prior to the application and reactively during mission execution.

I validate these premises in a real-world experiment using a human-piloted Unmanned Aerial …

Analyzing The Effects Of Coupons And Promotion In The Grocery Retail Sector, Milena Hanna Chotard

Masters Theses

Modern scanner technology is pervasive throughout the retailing sector of the economy and is almost universal in the food retail industry. Along with loyalty programs, it has led to the development of massive databases which accurately and proficiently track the purchasing habits of customers. Making use of this information is one of the most important efforts in the management of this sector to further increase profitability.

This thesis explores the application of several statistical techniques to extract specific information from two large databases of customer purchasing behavior at a major US grocery chain. In particular, we first focus on the …

The Synthesis And Stability Of Endohedral Actinium-225(225Ac@C60), Jofa Gideon Mwakisege

Masters Theses

Due to their chemical and thermodynamic stability, fullerenes could play an important role in encapsulation of radionuclides for applications in radio-immunotherapy. In this thesis, we report the first synthesis of actinium endohedral fullerenes. The alpha-emitter Actinium-225 (²²⁵Ac, t_1/2 =10 d) was trapped in fullerenes by the direct current (D.C) arc discharge-catcher method in a He atmosphere. Endohedral ²²⁵Ac and the bulk of fullerene C₆₀ was dissolved from the catcher electrode (a Pt disk covered with a thin layer of C₆₀) in toluene under N₂, and converted to the malonic ester derivative. …

L-Encoder: Video Transcoding In The Logistical Network, Harold Thomas Gonzales

Masters Theses

Transcoding, the transformation of digital information from one encoding format to another, is a prominent operation in the realm of digital video and audio. This process of changing the encoding formats of multimedia files and streams is now a common task for many users due in part to the prevalence of portable media players and consumer electronic devices for digital media, which place constraints on the file and stream formats they can play. The transcoding process is often both data and compute intensive due to both the large data requirements of modern media formats from sources such as HDTV and …

The Physics Of Electron Degenerate Matter In White Dwarf Stars, Subramanian Vilayur Ganapathy

Masters Theses

White dwarfs are the remnant cores of medium and low mass stars with initial mass less than 8 times the mass of our sun. As the aging giant star expels its surface layers as planetary nebulae, the core is exposed as a white dwarf progenitor. The density of matter in white dwarfs is so high that thermal or radiation pressure no longer supports the star against the relentless pull of gravity. The white dwarf is supported by a new kind of pressure known as the degeneracy pressure, which is forced on the electrons by the laws of quantum mechanics. The …

Blocked Localized Wavefunction Analysis Of Π And Σ Bonds In The Metal Carbonyl, Kazuhito Nakashima

Masters Theses

The bonding features in group 10 and 11 metal carbonyls Ni(CO), Pd(CO), Pt(CO), [Cu(CO)]+, [Ag(CO)]+, and [Au(CO)]+ have been studied with BLW method. The carbon monoxide is well known as both a π acceptor and a σ donor. The π back bonding and o bonding are synergistic in these metal carbonyl complexes, because the π donation from the metals polarizes the metals and creates a negative force field as an additional driving force on the σ donation from the carbon end of CO vice versa. The synergistic effect in the metal-carbonyl bonds can be described by decomposing the binding energy …

Analysis Of Pore Architecture And Correlation To Sonic Velocity Values In Silurian (Niagaran) Reefs Of The Michigan Basin, Amy Kathryn Noack

Masters Theses

Recent work has shown that there is a complex relationship among porosity, permeability, and rock fabric in carbonate rocks. Porosity/permeability transforms are of limited value when evaluating carbonate reservoirs because permeability is controlled by pore type. Vuggy, moldic, or fenestral pore types have high porosity but poor permeability; in contrast, intergranular and intercrystalline pore networks have high porosity and high permeability. Visible pore types of key facies in five Middle Silurian (Niagaran) Reef reservoirs of the Michigan Basin were evaluated to better understand related permeability. Image analysis was performed on key facies to understand pore geometries and pore connectivity. Facies …

Optimization Of Cosmological Simulations With Artificial Intelligence, Jay Billings

Masters Theses

Galaxy collisions are an important part of the large-scale structure of the Universe and an important catalyst for intragalactic processes like star formation. Therefore, realistic models of these interactions are an important part of any theory that plans to accurately describe the evolutionary processes of the Universe and, given the size of the problem, efficient computation and data analysis are key. This dissertation presents a proof-of-concept that an artificial intelligence suite, nominally composed of a genetic algorithm and neural network, can optimize the search of the galaxy collision parameter space. Furthermore, this dissertation discusses the possibility that this method can …

Ground Penetrating Radar Investigations On The Relationship Between Horizontal Sub-Wavelength ‘Thin-Layer’ Bedrock Fractures And Reflection Amplitudes, Kevin E. Burns

Masters Theses

Several theoretical equations that predict sub-wavelength ‘thin-layer’ reflection amplitudes are compared to the results of a series of controlled ground penetrating radar surveys using 1 GHz transducers over a physical model of a horizontal bedrock fracture. Two large plastic (UHMW-PE) blocks, separated by one or more stacked inserts (polyethylene; ~0.1 mm thick) for a total of 101 surveys, generate a modeled fracture with an aperture ranging from 0-300 mm. All existing theoretical reflection coefficient equations fail to predict observed reflection amplitude oscillations in the data when the fracture aperture is less than 1/48 of a wavelength. The only theoretical formulation …

The Utilization Of Microwave Irradiation In Organic Synthesis: Organotrifluoroborate And Alumina Chemistry, Arie A. Dadush

Masters Theses

The utilization of microwave irradiation in chemistry started in the 1950’s. Due to operational difficulties, organic chemists only began using microwaves in the mid- 1980’s, when better instruments were invented. This work describe the utilization of microwaves in two areas of organic chemistry: microwave enhanced reactions using organotrifluoroborates and microwave irradiation reactions catalyzed by highly acidic alumina.

In part one, a basic understanding of microwave irradiation is presented followed by the exploration of three major reactions. The first comprises the coupling of allyl acetate and cinnamyl acetate with various substituted potassium arylvinyltrifluoroborates to produce a variety of 1,4-dienes. The second …

Observation Of Analyte-Induced Deflections For Uncoated Microcantilevers Using The Focused Ion Beam Procedure, Jacques S. Stacco

Masters Theses

It has been found that structural modifications, involving the creation of submicron scale grooves on uncoated silicon nitride microcantilevers, allow microcantilevers to display analyte-induced deflections which have not been previously observed. The submicron grooves were created through the use of a focused ion beam procedure to mill deep and narrow grooves without the subsequent deposition of a chemically reactive coating. These modifications significantly increase (by approximately 400%) an uncoated microcantilever’s ability detect analytes such as water vapor, ethyl alcohol, acetone vapor, argon, and 1-mononitrotoluene. The intention of the experiment was to achieve greater microcantilever deflections by increasing an uncoated microcantilever’s …