Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Determining Scaphirhynchus Sturgeon Population Demographics And Dynamics: Implications For Range-Wide Management, Recovery, And Conservation, Martin J. Hamel

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Sturgeons (Acipenseridae) have experienced world-wide declines as a result of anthropogenic effects such as over-harvest, habitat degradation, altered flow regimes, and pollution. Nearly all European and Asian sturgeon species have experienced population declines and have subsequently been classified as either threatened or endangered. North American sturgeons have experienced a similar plight in that all eight native sturgeon species are listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Direct linkages between North American sturgeon declines and anthropogenic effects are difficult to assess due to scale considerations, fluctuating environmental conditions, difficulty in capture, and the interaction of all these effects. To recover, …

Monodomain Alignment Of The Smectic-A Liquid Crystalline Phase From The Isotropic Phase, Mitya Reznikov, Bentley Wall, Mark A. Handschy, Philip J. Bos

Philip J. Bos

The liquid crystal alignment method described here provides uniform orientation of otherwise difficult-to-align smectic-A liquid crystal materials lacking a nematic phase. The smectic-A phase is grown in the presence of a 10–20 K/mm temperature gradient from an air bubble located within a cell by a photolithographically defined channel in the cell substrates. We obtain uniform layer alignment in millimeter-wide smectic regions at growth rates below about 0.05 μm/s even though there is a tendency for spontaneous nucleation of focal-conic defects at higher growth rates once the width of the smectic-A region exceeds the critical value of about 20 μm.

Comparing The Effects Of Interactive And Noninteractive Complementary Nutrients On Growth In A Chemostat, James P. Braselton, Martha L. Abell, Lorraine Braselton

Department of Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

We compare the effects of interactive and noninteractive complementary nutrients on the growth of an organism in the chemostat. We also compare these two situations to the case when the nutrients are substitutable. In previous studies, complementary nutrients have been assumed to be noninteractive. However, more recent research indicates that some complementary nutrient relationships are interactive. We show that interactive complementary and substitutable nutrients can lead to higher population densities than do noninteractive complementary nutrients. We numerically illustrate that if the washout rate is high, an organism can persist at higher densities when the complementary nutrients are interactive than when …

Understanding Basin Specific Life History Characteristics Of Lake Mead Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Bugensis) And A Potential Treatment Using Uv Radiation In Laboratory Studies, Melissa Thaw

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis) is an aquatic invasive species that is spreading throughout Lake Mead and other western waterways. Unlike their native waters in Eurasia, Lake Mead exhibits year round warm temperatures, high calcium levels and a lack of natural predators, all of which are very favorable conditions for their growth and spread. Dreissena bugensis reproduce and colonize hard surfaces rapidly, where they filter large amounts of water. They disrupt the aquatic food chain and interfere with infrastructure that is exposed to lake water. There is an urgent need to understand Dreissena bugensis life history characteristics within this new …

Single-Crystal Growth And Anisotropic Magnetic Properties Of Nonstoichiometric Three-Layer Sodium Cobalt Oxides, Dapeng Chen, Xiaolin Wang, C T Lin, S X. Dou

Shi Xue Dou

Large single crystals of α-NaxCoO2 (x=0.91, 0.92, and 0.93) have been successfully fabricated by using the traveling solvent floating zone method. Details on the crystal growth are discussed. The crystal structures were characterized using powder x-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement. The magnetic susceptibility measurements show that the magnetic properties depend strongly on x. The compound was found to be antiferromagnetic at TN ≈ 20 K for x=0.91 and x=0.92, and paramagnetic for x=0.93. The in-plane and out-of-plane anisotropies were observed for the x=0.91 crystals. In addition, the derived anisotropic g-factor ratios (gab /gc) from the anisotropic susceptibility along H||ab and …

In Situ Growth Of Sno2 On Graphene Nanosheets As Advanced Anode Materials For Rechargeable Lithium Batteries, Xiaowei Yang, Yu-Shi He, Xiao-Zhen Liao, Jun Chen, Gordon G. Wallace, Zi-Feng Ma

Gordon Wallace

Graphene with a single layer of carbon atoms densely packed in a honeycomb crystal lattice is one of attractive materials for the intercalation of lithium ion, but it has low volumetric capacity owing to low tap density. We report a method for in situ growth of SnO2 on graphene nanosheets (SGN) as anode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries. The results indicated that the SnO2 nanoparticles with size in the range of 5-10 nm and a polycrystalline structure are homogeneously supported on graphene nanosheets. The charge and discharge capacities of SGN attained to 1559.7 and 779.7 mAh/g in the first cycle …

The Role Of Unbound Oligomers In The Nucleation And Growth Of Electrodeposited Polypyrrole And Method For Preparing High Strength, High Conductivity Films, Wen Zheng, Joselito M. Razal, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Van-Tan Truong, Philip G. Whitten, Gordon G. Wallace

Gordon Wallace

Polypyrrole is a material with immensely useful properties suitable for a wide range of electrochemical applications, but its development has been hindered by cumbersome manufacturing processes. Here we show that a simple modification to the standard electrochemical polymerization method produces polypyrrole films of equivalently high conductivity and superior mechanical properties in one-tenth of the polymerization time. Preparing the film as a series of electrodeposited layers with thorough solvent washing between layering was found to produce excellent quality films even when layer deposition was accelerated by high current. The washing step between the sequentially polymerized layers altered the deposition mechanism, eliminating …

A Study Of The Effects Of Using Computer Spreadsheets On Student Development Of Algebraic Thinking To Compare Function Growth, Beth Stone

Culminating Projects in Applied Statistics

Problem:

The purpose of this research was to explore the effects of incorporating computer spreadsheets on the development of algebraic thinking as it pertains to growth patterns of functions. The study also examined students' ability to transfer skills learned on a computer spreadsheet to problems using pencil and paper, as well the effect of incorporating computer spreadsheets on student motivation, engagement, and communication. Specific questions addressed in the study include: How does investigating an algebra problem about growth patterns by entering numbers, creating formulas, and noticing patterns on a computer spreadsheet affect students' ability to learn the concepts of linear …

Universe Galaxy Contraction, Struck Force Table New Forces, New Universes, New Elements, Sociological Implications, James T. Struck

James T Struck

Universe Galaxy Contraction, Struck Force Table and New Forces, New More Charged Universe and In Between Universe, 12 New Chemical Elements-Universe galaxy contraction is supported by quasar blueshift of some material, Andromeda Galaxy movement towards the Milky Way, blazar movement towards Earth, Earth, galaxy movement towards the Great Attractor, Hydra Centaurus and Shapley Supercluster and some evidence of Virgo Cluster movement at a 250-300 km/s rate. Contraction might be happening at a lesser rate than expansion, but contraction of the Universe and galaxies may effect our Earth before expansion affects us. From a sociological viewpoints, Universe galaxy contraction is something …

In Vitro Growth And Differentiation Of Primary Myoblasts On Thiophene Based Conducting Polymers, Anita F. Quigley, Klaudia K. Wagner, Magdalena Kita, Kerry J. Gilmore, Michael J. Higgins, Robert D. Breukers, Simon E. Moulton, Graeme M. Clark, Anthony Penington, Gordon G. Wallace, David L. Officer, Robert M. Kapsa

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Polythiophenes are attractive candidate polymers for use in synthetic cell scaffolds as they are amenable to modification of functional groups as a means by which to increase biocompatibility. In the current study we analysed the physical properties and response of primary myoblasts to three thiophene polymers synthesized from either a basic bithiophene monomer or from one of two different thiophene monomers with alkoxy functional groups. In addition, the effect of the dopants pTS- and ClO4 - was investigated. In general, it was found that pTS- doped polymers were significantly smoother and tended to be more hydrophilic than their ClO 4 …

Anisotropy Of Crystal Growth Mechanisms, Dielectricity, And Magnetism Of Multiferroic Bi2femno6 Thin Films, P Liu, Z X. Cheng, Y Du, L Y. Feng, H Fang, Xiaolin Wang, S X. Dou

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Epitaxial Bi2FeMnO6 (BFMO) thin films deposited on various Nb:SrTiO3 substrates show that the lattice parameters are very sensitive to epitaxial strains. Compressive and tensile strains are induced to the in-plane lattice constants of the (100) and (111) oriented films, respectively, while that of the (110) oriented thin film stay unstrained. The thin films also exhibit a strongly anisotropic growth habit depending on the substrate. Spiral growth, such as in the (100) BFMO film, is unique in samples prepared by pulsed laser deposition. Extrinsic dielectric constants at low frequencies are attributed to oxygen vacancies via the Maxwell-Wagner effect. All the samples …

In Situ Growth Of Nanoparticles Through Control Of Non-Stoichiometry, Dragos Neagu, George Tsekouras, David N. Miller, Herve Menard, John T. S Irvine

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Surfaces decorated with uniformly dispersed catalytically active nanoparticles play a key role in many fields, including renewable energy and catalysis. Typically, these structures are prepared by deposition techniques, but alternatively they could be made by growing the nanoparticles in situ directly from the (porous) backbone support. Here we demonstrate that growing nano-size phases from perovskites can be controlled through judicious choice of composition, particularly by tuning deviations from the ideal ABO₃ stoichiometry. This non-stoichiometry facilitates a change in equilibrium position to make particle exsolution much more dynamic, enabling the preparation of compositionally diverse nanoparticles (that is, metallic, oxides or …

Crystal Growth, Structure And Thermal Properties Of Noncentrosymmetric Single Crystals Prca4o(Bo3)3+, Fapeng Yu, Shujun Zhang, Xiufeng Cheng, Xiulan Duan, Tingfeng Ma, Xian Zhao

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Noncentrosymmetric praseodymium calcium oxyborate single crystals, PrCa4O(BO3)3 (PrCOB), were grown by the Czochralski technique. The monoclinic unit cell parameters were found to be a = 8.177 Å, b = 16.157 Å, c = 3.629 Å and Z = 2 with space group Cm. Crystal density was measured using the Archimedes method, being on the order of 3.47 g cm-3. Thermal properties of PrCOB were investigated, where the specific heat was found to be 0.63 J g-1 °C-1 at room temperature, increasing to 0.85 J g-1°C-1 at 700°C. The thermal expansion coefficients were measured to be α11 = 7.99, α22 = …

Degree-Day Accumulation Influences Annual Variability In Growth Of Age-0 Walleye, Christopher S. Uphoff, Casey W. Schoenebeck, W. Wyatt Hoback, Keith D. Koupal, Kevin L. Pope

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The growth of age-0 fishes influences survival, especially in temperate regions where size-dependent over-winter mortality can be substantial. Additional benefits of earlier maturation and greater fecundity may exist for faster growing individuals. This study correlated prey densities, growing-degree days, water-surface elevation, turbidity, and chlorophyll a with age-0 walleye Sander vitreus growth in a south-central Nebraska irrigation reservoir. Growth of age-0 walleye was variable between 2003 and 2011, with mean lengths ranging from 128 to 231 mm by fall (September 30th–October 15th). A set of a priori candidate models were used to assess the relative support of explanatory variables using Akaike’s …

Population Ecology Of The Ribbed Mussel In Southeastern Louisiana, Aaron Jacob Honig

LSU Master's Theses

Benthic intertidal bivalves play an essential role in estuarine ecosystems by contributing to habitat provision, water filtration, and promoting productivity. As such, ecosystem level changes that impact population distributions and persistence of local bivalve populations may have large ecosystem level consequences, making it important to better understand the population distribution and ecology of native bivalve populations. Gametogenesis, recruitment, growth, mortality, size structure and density of the ribbed mussel, Geukensia demissa, were examined across a salinity gradient in southeastern Louisiana. In summer 2012, 100-m transects were placed at interior and edge marsh plots to collect data on mussel density, and vegetation …

An Evaluation Of Oyster Stocks, Grow-Out Conditions, And Off-Bottom Culture Methods For Increasing Commercial Production Of Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica) In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Justin Morgan Leonhardt

LSU Master's Theses

This project examined the ecologically and economically valuable eastern oyster (Crassotrea virginica) in Louisiana with two field experiments. Little information has been gathered on the performance of local Louisiana oyster stocks and no study has focused on a comparison of stocks among variable estuarine conditions. Additionally, the use of alternative grow-out methods and intensive cage aquaculture has never been evaluated in Louisiana. For the first study, a dermo-resistant stock of oysters (LSU-OYS: ‘OBOY’) was compared to three wild oyster stocks along a salinity gradient. The objectives of this study were to determine the optimal oyster stock(s) and the ideal grow-out …

Practical Approach To Cosmological Perturbations In Modified Gravity, Alessandra Silvestri, Levon Pogosian, Roman V. Buniy

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The next generation of large scale surveys will not only measure cosmological parameters within the framework of general relativity, but will also allow for precision tests of the framework itself. At the order of linear perturbations, departures from the growth in the standard cosmological model can be quantified in terms of two functions of time and Fourier number k. We argue that in local theories of gravity, in the quasistatic approximation, these functions must be ratios of polynomials in k, with the numerator of one function being equal to the denominator of the other. Moreover, the polynomials are even and …