Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Water-Soluble Bis(1,10-Phenanthroline) Octanedioate Cu2+ And Mn2+ Complexes With Unprecedented Nano And Picomolar In Vitro Cytotoxicity: Promising Leads For Chemotherapeutic Drug Development, Andrew Kellett, Mark O'Connor, Malachy Mccann, Orla Howe, Alan Casey, Pauraic Mccarron, Kevin Kavanagh, Mary Mcnamara, Sean Kennedy, Donald May, Philip Skell, Denis O'Shea, Michael Devereux

Articles

Dinuclear Cu^II and Mn^II bis-phenanthroline octanedioate complexes exhibit rapid, unprecedented nano and picomolar in vitro cytotoxicity against colorectal cancer lines and are less toxic than cisplatin when examined in vivo. The complexes are potent generators of cellular reactive oxygen species, avid DNA binders and induce O₂ dependent cleavage of DNA. The Cu(II) complex was found to have self-cleaving nuclease activity.

Evaluation Of The Physicochemical Properties And Stability Of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Designed For The Delivery Of Dexamethasone To Tumors, Melissa Howard

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Pre-clinical and clinical trials suggest that pre-treatment with dexamethasone (Dex) may facilitate enhanced uptake of subsequently administered chemotherapeutic agents. To reduce the side effects associated with systemic administration of Dex, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) containing dexamethasone palmitate (Dex-P) were prepared as a means of achieving tumor-targeted drug delivery. These studies were aimed at evaluating the physicochemical properties and both the physiological and storage stability of the SLNs.

SLNs were prepared using nanotemplate engineering technology. Stearyl alcohol (SA) was used as the lipid phase with Brij^® 78 and Polysorbate 60 as surfactants and PEG6000 monostearate as a long-chain PEGylating agent. …

Resource Allocation And Efficient Routing In Wireless Networks, Jianjun Yang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

In wireless networks, devices (nodes) are connected by wireless links. An important issue is to set up high quality (high bandwidth) and efficient routing paths when one node wants to send packets to other nodes. Resource allocation is the foundation to guarantee high quality connections. In addition, it is critical to handle void areas in order to set up detour-free paths. Moreover, fast message broadcasting is essential in mobile wireless networks. Thus, my research includes dynamic channel allocation in wireless mesh networks, geographic routing in Ad Hoc networks, and message broadcasting in vehicular networks.

The quality of connections in a …

A Classification Of Lower Paleozoic Carbonate-Bearing Rocks For Geotechnical Applications, Bethany L. Overfield

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

An empirically-based classification of lower Paleozoic carbonate-bearing rocks was created for field-based geotechnical applications. Geotechnical parameters were subsequently correlated to that classification. Seven hundred seventy-seven samples were used as the basis for the classification. Thirteen categories based on visual and tactile properties and a hydrochloric acid test were created. Samples were from central, north-central, and south-central Kentucky and represented the majority of Ordovician exposures in the state, and some Mississippian exposures. Few Silurian and Devonian units were included in the sample set. Geotechnical parameters, including density as well as elastic constants (shear and compression wave velocities, Poisson’s ratio, Young’s modulus, …

Assessment Of Black Carbon In Snow And Ice From The Tibetan Plateau And Pacific Northwest, Matthew Glen Jenkins

All Master's Theses

An ice core from Mt. Geladandong, Tibetan Plateau, spanning 1853-1983, and snow samples collected over two winters from the Cascade Mountains were analyzed for concentrations of black carbon (BC) using a Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2). From the ice core, the high-resolution BC record displayed substantial variability, a 2-fold increase in peak concentrations from 1853-1930 to 1930-1983, and a 1.6-fold increase in average concentrations from 1853-1975 to 1975-1983. Concentrations were also higher than at two areas closer to BC sources and analyzed by the same method. In the Pacific Northwest, BC concentrations varied seasonally and annually, with the highest concentrations …

Combinatorial Aspects Of Excedances And The Frobenius Complex, Eric Logan Clark

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation we study the excedance permutation statistic. We start by extending the classical excedance statistic of the symmetric group to the affine symmetric group eSn and determine the generating function of its distribution. The proof involves enumerating lattice points in a skew version of the root polytope of type A. Next we study the excedance set statistic on the symmetric group by defining a related algebra which we call the excedance algebra. A combinatorial interpretation of expansions from this algebra is provided. The second half of this dissertation deals with the topology of the Frobenius complex, that …

Development Of Luminescent Sensing Systems With Clinical Applications, Daniel F. Scott

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

As the move towards the miniaturization of many diagnostic and detection systems continues, the need for increasingly versatile yet sensitive labels for use in these systems also grows. Luminescent reporters provide us with a solution to many of the issues at hand through their unique and favorable characteristics. Bioluminescent proteins offer detection at extremely low concentrations and no interference from physiological fluids leading to excellent detection limits, while the vast number of fluorescent proteins and molecules available allows the opportunity to select a tailored reporter for a specific task. Both provide relatively simply instrumentation requirements and have exhibited great promise …

Modeling, Analysis, And Simulation Of Discrete-Continuum Models Of Step-Flow Epitaxy: Bunching Instabilities And Continuum Limits, Nicholas O. Kirby

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Vicinal surfaces consist of terraces separated by atomic steps. In the step-flow regime, deposited atoms (adatoms) diffuse on terraces, eventually reaching steps where they attach to the crystal, thereby causing the steps to move. There are two main objectives of this work. First, we analyze rigorously the differences in qualitative behavior between vicinal surfaces consisting of infinitely many steps and nanowires whose top surface consists of a small number of steps bounded by a reflecting wall. Second, we derive the continuum model that describes the macroscopic behavior of vicinal surfaces from detailed microscopic models of step dynamics.

We use the …

Analysis Of Differential Gene Expression And Alternative Splicing In The Liver And Gastrointestinal Tract In The Lactating Rat, Antony Thomas Athippozhy

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Rat exon microarrays were utilized to detect changes in mRNA expression and alternative splicing in the liver, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of the lactating rat when compared to age-matched virgin controls. Analysis of data at the level of gene expression revealed differential expression of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis in each tissue examined, suggesting increased Sterol Response Element Binding Protein activity. We also detected decreased mRNA from components of the T-cell signaling pathway in the jejunum and ileum. We characterized expression of solute carrier and adenosine triphosphate binding cassette proteins. In addition to characterizing genes by pathway, we have also …

Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Provides Protection Against Injury-Induced Thrombosis In Female Mice, Rita K. Upmacis, Hao Shen, Lea Esther S. Benguigui, Brian D. Lamon, Ruba S. Deeb, Katherine A. Hajjar, David P. Hajjar

Faculty Papers and Publications

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important vasoactive molecule produced by three NO synthase (NOS) enzymes: neuronal (nNOS), inducible (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS). While eNOS contributes to blood vessel dilation that is generally thought to protect against the development of hypertension, iNOS has been primarily implicated as a disease-promoting isoform leading to protein-bound 3-nitrotyrosine formation in aortic lesions and select organs during atherogenesis. Despite this, iNOS may also play a physiological role, via the modulation of cyclooxygenase and thromboregulatory eicosanoid production. Herein, we examined the role of iNOS in a murine model of thrombosis. Blood flow was measured in carotid …

Variables Affecting Crime Rate, Jaime Zeigler

Honors Program Theses

The Federal Bureau of Investigation releases data about crime statistics. They publish the raw data and provide factors that influence the crime rate. They provide the general public with a few variables that they deemed most influential, but do not provide the statistical analysis to support. After performing a statistical analysis, I support or disprove their claims. Another way to question the validity of regression is comparing the current regression to a previous regression performed two years ago by myself with the same variables from the same source. An additional aspect that this paper explores the history of factors affecting …

A Statistical Analysis Of The Factors Affecting University Endowments, Lisa M. Stoecken

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study was to discover which, if any, institutional characteristics had a significant impact upon a university's endowment size. This study further explored whether the success of a university's athletic program had an impact on endowment size. The results from the study indicated two variables, operating revenues and student selectivity, were significant at a 99 percent confidence level; and, two additional variables, appropriations and a binary research university variable, were significant at a 95 percent confidence level. The results indicated that an additional one million dollars in total operating revenues and appropriations would decrease the endowment size …

A Different Kind Of Garden: Seeding The Growth Of Tas2 Nanostructures With 3d Transition Metals, Kayla Rose Boyle

Honors Program Theses

An investigation into the synthesis of TaS₂ nanostructures was performed through the comparison of four growth methods. Each method utilized a 3d metal, Mn or Cr, or a comparable metal sulfide compound as a potential nucleating compound to seed the growth of these nanostructures, and all samples were produced using similar heating conditions. Sample imaging of the final products was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the chemical compositions were determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). From these analyses it was determined that the most effective growth process for these TaS2 nanostructures resulted …

Designing For The User: Exploring The Interface Design Of Web Services, Katelyn Anne Haw

Honors Program Theses

My thesis investigated the ideas of usability and the design process to create software that is considered usable. I developed a web interface for a Plan of Study Application that would help students make the educated decisions about their studies at UNI. Throughout the development of this application I addressed the following questions: "What makes an interface usable?" and "How does the design process affect a system's usability?" User interface design is an interdisciplinary process and it often involves computer programmers and graphic designers working together. Without clear communication and vision between the groups, the software being developed has little …

Growth And Characterization Of Nanoscale Thin Films, Erik Thomas Wolter

Honors Program Theses

Thin manganese films were grown by thermal evaporation in high vacuum. The growth rate was varied to determine how the growth rate affects the continuity of ultra-thin films. The resistance was measured with the two-point method in situ and the data was recorded digitally. The resistance was converted to resistivity and this was plotted against thickness. It was found that resistivity decreases exponentially as the film begins to form in islands. The film reaches a critical thickness as the islands coalesce and the data can then be fitted with Fuchs’ equation. The resistivity continues to decrease but the minimum resistivity …

Changes In Apparent Molar Water Volume And Dkp Solubility Yield Insights On The Hofmeister Effect, Daryl K. Eggers, A. Y. Payumo, R. M. Huijon, D. D. Mansfield, L. M. Belk, A. K. Bui, A. E. Knight

Faculty Publications, Chemistry

This study examines the properties of a 4 × 2 matrix of aqueous cations and anions at concentrations up to 8.0 M. The apparent molar water volume, as calculated by subtracting the mass and volume of the ions from the corresponding solution density, was found to exceed the molar volume of ice in many concentrated electrolyte solutions, underscoring the nonideal behavior of these systems. The solvent properties of water were also analyzed by measuring the solubility of diketopiperazine (DKP) in 2.000 M salt solutions prepared from the same ion combinations. Solution rankings for DKP solubility were found to parallel the …

Parallel-Sparse Symmetrical/Unsymmetrical Finite Element Domain Decomposition Solver With Multi-Point Constraints For Structural/Acoustic Analysis, Siroj Tungkahotara, Willie R. Watson, Duc T. Nguyen, Subramaniam D. Rajan

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Details of parallel-sparse Domain Decomposition (DD) with multi-point constraints (MPC) formulation are explained. Major computational components of the DD formulation are identified. Critical roles of parallel (direct) sparse and iterative solvers with MPC are discussed within the framework of DD formulation. Both symmetrical and unsymmetrical system of simultaneous linear equations (SLE) can be handled by the developed DD formulation. For symmetrical SLE, option for imposing MPC equations is also provided.

Large-scale (up to 25 million unknowns involving complex numbers) structural and acoustic Finite Element (FE) analysis are used to evaluate the parallel computational performance of the proposed DD implementation using …

3-D Computational Investigation Of Viscoelastic Biofilms Using Gpus, Paisa Seeluangsawat

Theses and Dissertations

A biofilm is a slimy colony of bacteria and the materials they secrete, collectively called “extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)”. The EPS consists mostly of bio-polymers, which cross link into a network that behave viscoelastically under deformation. We propose a single-fluid multi-component phase field model of biofilms that captures this behavior, then use numerical simulations on GPUs to investigate the biofilm’s growth and its hydrodynamics properties.

Floorplan Design And Yield Enhancement Of 3-D Integrated Circuits, Rajeev Kumar Nain

Dissertations and Theses

We have developed a placement-aware 3-D floorplanning algorithm that enables additional wirelength reduction by planning for 3-D placement of logic gates in selected circuit modules during the floorplanning stage. Thus it also bridges the existing gap between 3-D floorplanning and 3-D placement. To reduce the solution space of 3-D floorplanning which is known to be an NP-hard problem, we derive a set of feasibility conditions on the topological representation of a floorplan. In addition, we have designed a fast module packing algorithm that satisfies a set of constraints for placement-aware 3-D floorplanning. Furthermore, we have designed an efficient evolutionary algorithm …

An Exceptionally Useful Exploration, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

A book review for Computing in Science and Engineering by D. Easley and J. Kleinberg, Networks, Crowds, and Markets: Reasoning about a Highly-Connected World, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-521-1953-1, 736 pp.

A Mini-History Of Computing, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This book was produced by George K. Thiruvathukal for the American Institute of Physics to promote interest in the interdisciplinary publication, Computing in Science and Engineering. It accompanied a limited edition set of playing cards that is no longer available (except in PDF).

This book features a set of 54 significant computers by era/category, including ancient calculating instruments, pre-electronic mechanical calculators and computers, electronic era computers, and modern computing (minicomputers, maniframes, personal computers, devices, and gaming consoles).

Book Review Of "Networks, Crowds, And Markets: Reasoning About A Highly-Connected World; Easley, D. And Kleinberg, J.; 2010, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

A book review I wrote for CISE about the excellent textbook, Networks, Crowds and Markets, which I used as an anchor textbook in Honors 204 at Loyola University Chicago (Science and Society).

Steps Toward Accurate Large Area Analyzes Of Genesis Solar Wind Samples: Evaluation Of Surface Cleaning Methods Using Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, Martina Schmeling, Donald S. Burnett, Amy Jg Jurewicz, Igor V. Veryovkin

Chemistry: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) was used to analyze residual surface contamination on Genesis solar wind samples and to evaluate different cleaning methods. The Genesis mission collected solar wind during a period of 854 days by embedding the charged particles into collectors made of various ultra clean materials such as silicon, sapphire and silicon-on-sapphire. The sample return capsule unexpectedly crashed on return to Earth fracturing the collectors and exposing them to the desert soil of the landing side. The ubiquitous contaminants are separated from the atoms of solar wind by only 5-15 nm, presenting significant challenges for solar wind …

Is Strategic Management (Still) Responsible For The Demise Of Society?, Nancy E. Landrum, Sandra Edwards

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Over fourteen years ago, Bill Richardson stated that modern strategic management is leading to the demise of society with its profit-maximization focus. Furthermore, there is criticism that strategic management research is lacking relevance for practitioners. In contrast to this criticism of academia, practitioners are increasingly engaged in sustainability-related activities and reporting and are moving beyond the historical focus on profits. This study examined trends in strategic management academic and practitioner publications since Richardson's claim. Since academicians are charged with educating future managers for the workforce, we sought to determine if academic strategic management research publications are reflecting the practitioner sustainability …

Energy And Environment Chronology, David Hafemeister

Physics

No abstract provided.

Public Awareness About Global Warming In Hyderabad, India, Vani Sarraju Rao

Master's Theses

This study addressed public perceptions and awareness about global warming in India through a survey of 851 subjects in the city of Hyderabad in the year 2007. A stratified sample of nine segments of society showed that, although people consider global warming a serious problem, they do not clearly understand its causes, impacts, and solutions. The data analyses using paired T-tests indicated differences in levels of awareness about global warming, across age and education. ANOVA and regression analysis suggested that levels of awareness among respondents varied according to their occupation. The degree of seriousness with which subjects viewed global warming …

Exceptional Orthogonal Polynomials, Qhj Formalism And Swkb Quantization Condition, S Ree Ranjani, P K. Panigrahi, A Khare, A K. Kapoor, Asim Gangopadhyaya

Physics: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We study the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi (QHJ) equation of the recently obtained exactly solvable models, related to the newly discovered exceptional polynomials and show that the QHJ formalism reproduces the exact eigenvalues and the eigenfunctions. The fact that the eigenfunctions have zeros and poles in complex locations leads to an unconventional singularity structure of the quantum momentum function p(x), the logarithmic derivative of the wave function, which forms the crux of the QHJ approach to quantization. A comparison of the singularity structure for these systems with the known exactly solvable and quasi-exactly solvable models reveals interesting differences. We find that the …

Cat Detect (Computer Activity Timeline Detection): A Tool For Detecting Inconsistency In Computer Activity Timelines, Andrew Marrington, Ibrahim Baggili, George Mohay, Andrew Clark

All Works

The construction of timelines of computer activity is a part of many digital investigations. These timelines of events are composed of traces of historical activity drawn from system logs and potentially from evidence of events found in the computer file system. A potential problem with the use of such information is that some of it may be inconsistent and contradictory thus compromising its value. This work introduces a software tool (CAT Detect) for the detection of inconsistency within timelines of computer activity. We examine the impact of deliberate tampering through experiments conducted with our prototype software tool. Based on the …

The Fossil Record Of Two-Phase Galaxy Assembly: Kinematics And Metallicities In The Nearest S0 Galaxy, J, A, Arnold, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. P. Brodie, L. Chomiuk, L. R. Spitler, J. Strader, A. J. Benson, D. A. Forbes

Faculty Publications

We present a global analysis of kinematics and metallicity in the nearest S0 galaxy, NGC 3115, along with implications for its assembly history. The data include high-quality wide-field imaging from Suprime-Cam on the Subaru telescope, and multi-slit spectra of the field stars and globular clusters (GCs) obtained using Keck-DEIMOS/LRIS and Magellan-IMACS. Within two effective radii, the bulge (as traced by the stars and metal-rich GCs) is flattened and rotates rapidly (v/σ gsim 1.5). At larger radii, the rotation declines dramatically to v/σ ~ 0.7, but remains well aligned with the inner regions. The radial decrease in characteristic metallicity of both …

Star Clusters In M31: Old Clusters With Bar Kinematics, H. Morrison, N. Caldwell, R. P. Schiavon, E. Athanassoula, Aaron J. Romanowsky, P. Harding

Faculty Publications

We analyze our accurate kinematical data for the old clusters in the inner regions of M31. These velocities are based on high signal-to-noise Hectospec data. The data are well suited for analysis of M31's inner regions because we took particular care to correct for contamination by unresolved field stars from the disk and bulge in the fibers. The metal-poor clusters show kinematics that are compatible with a pressure-supported spheroid. The kinematics of metal-rich clusters, however, argue for a disk population. In particular the innermost region (inside 2 kpc) shows the kinematics of the x 2 family of bar periodic orbits, …