Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Towards Developing Glut2 Specific Probes For Biochemical And Biomedical Applications, Abdelrahman Ismail

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Facilitated Glucose transporters (GLUTs) are membrane proteins responsible for the uptake of simple sugars and other structurally similar metabolites in all mammalian cells. One of the hallmarks of cancer is dysfunctional sugar metabolism, known as the Warburg effect, and one of the manifestations of that effect is abnormal GLUT expression. There are 14 known GLUT proteins with different expression patterns in different tissues, and tumors tend to express certain GLUTs that are not present in surrounding healthy tissue. Therefore, selective targeting of GLUTs presents a potentially powerful tool for diagnostics and treatment of cancer and other diseases. This has been …

Schaper Numbers, Palindrome Partitions, And Symmetric Functions, With Applications To Characters Of The Symmetric Group, Karlee J. Westrem

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Finding the decomposition numbers for the symmetric group is a difficult problem and has led to many different research directions. For a given Specht module, the Schaper sum formula can be refined with knowledge of the Schaper number for the particular partition to give more precise information about the decomposition numbers. In Chapter 2, we give a combinatorial formula for the Schaper number when the partition has at most two columns. At the end, we provide a conjecture for the Schaper number for the partition of shaper (3^n).

Chapter 3 covers the joint work with my advisor, David Hemmer, and …

Great Lakes And Its Regional Climate In The Future, Miraj Bhakta Kayastha

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The overarching objective of this dissertation is to enhance our predictive understanding of the Great Lakes regional climate by utilizing advanced modeling techniques and provide comprehensive insights into the future of the Great Lakes. This dissertation focuses on four areas pertinent to the future of the Great Lakes hydroclimate and extreme events, beginning with the derivation of robust water level projections for the Great Lakes in Chapter 2. Using a regional climate modeling system with a two-way coupled three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic lake and ice model for the Great lakes, we analyze long-term future changes in the over-lake precipitation, lake evaporation, …

From Plasmonics To Superfluorescence: Engineering Light- Matter Interactions For Quantum Optical Phenomena, Aaron J. Wildenborg

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This work presents different ways to engineer light-matter interactions by using nanostructures to exploit quantum-optical phenomena. First, sodium (Na) is predicted to be an ideal plasmonic material due to its ultra-low optical losses from the visible to the near-infrared (NIR). However, Na has practical limitations due to its high chemical reactivity. Using a scalable fabrication method for Na plasmonic nanostructures by combining phase-shift photolithography and a thermo-assisted spin-coating process, we produced nano-pit arrays of varying periodicities (300-600 nm), supporting tunable surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes spanning visible to NIR. These structures demonstrated SPP resonances as narrow as 9.3 nm, with …

Near-Infrared Fluorescent Cyanine Probes For Monitoring Nad(P)H Dynamics In Living Cells And Drosophila Larvae, May Waters

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+/NADH) plays a critical role in cellular metabolism, with abnormally elevated NADH levels linked to disrupted metabolic processes and cancer. In this study, we developed near-infrared fluorescent probes to selectively measure NADH concentrations. We present five cyanine-based probes, which were optimized by modifying the connection bridges to fine tune electronics. Two NAD(P)H-biosensing probes consisting of 1,3,3-trimethyl-3H-indolium and 3-quinolinium acceptors, linked by thiophene, A, and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, B, bridges are detailed. They exhibit near-infrared fluorescence at 742.1 nm and 727.2 nm for probes A and B, respectively, and generate absorbance signals at 690.6 nm and 685.9 nm. Probe A …

Linear Response Of Driven Non-Hermitian Photonic Systems, Lucas R. Simonson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The notion of non-Hermitian engineering in optics and photonics has attracted considerable attention in the past decade. From laser devices and sensing applications to light trapping and guiding, non-Hermitian engineering provides additional degrees of freedom that allows for more control over light-matter interaction. It is thus of great importance to develop a deep insight into the linear response of non-Hermitian optical systems. We begin by studying the linear response of non-Hermitian Hamiltonian systems under general conditions and derive an expression for its Green's operator in terms of its eigenvectors and its canonical Jordan vectors. Next, we investigate the quantum noise …

Proximal Seismic Tracking Of Pyroclastic Density Currents At Volcán De Fuego, Guatemala, Jacob A. Krier

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Pyroclastic Density Currents (PDCs) are deadly flows of ash, tephra, gas, and solidified magma which predominantly occur when an ash plume collapses during a volcanic eruption. PDCs are also able to form when large deposits of ash at the summit of a volcano are displaced during an eruption and flow downslope. This is typically the mechanism behind PDCs that occur at Volcán de Fuego such as one that occurred in 2018 killing at least 430 people. The purpose of this paper is to track the propagation of PDCs that occurred at Fuego seismologically in order to better understand how they …

Developing A Graphql Mesh Federated Api Gateway: Rapid Integration Of New Endpoints Into A Predefined Schema, Noah Kolczynski

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Navy’s Undersea Warfare Decision Support System (USW-DSS) uses data from an ever growing number of sensors, accessible through an equally growing number of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Due to the lack of standardization among these sensors and APIs, as the system has continued to grow, the challenge of collecting and using these data has become increasingly prevalent. Previous work at Michigan Tech, in collaboration with engineers at ARiA (Applied Research in Acoustics LLC), introduced a GraphQL Mesh federated API gateway. The gateway would enable the combination of diverse API sources into a predefined hierarchical structure. This report follows the …

Development Of Near-Infrared Probe For The Detection Of Nadh And Nad(P)H In Live Cells And D. Melanogaster Larvae, Sophia J. Jaeger

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

A near-infrared fluorescent probe, A, was designed by substituting the carbonyl group of the coumarin dye’s lactone with a 4-cyano-1-methylpyridinium methylene group and then attaching an electron-withdrawing NADH-sensing methylquinolinium acceptor via a vinyl bond linkage to the coumarin dye at the 4-position. The probe exhibits primary absorption maxima at 603, 428, and 361 nm, and fluoresces weakly at 703 nm. The addition of NAD(P)H results in a significant blue shift in the fluorescence peak from 703 to 670 nm, accompanied an increase in fluorescence intensity. This spectral shift is attributed to the transformation of A−π–A−π–D configuration to D−π–A−π–D pyridinium platform …

Metal-Free Photoredox Catalysis For The S-Trifluoromethylation Of Thiols And Investigation Of Ph-Dependent Decontamination Of Dimethyl Chlorophosphate, A Nerve Agent Simulant, Via Hydrolysis With Azoles, Raheemat Rafiu

Doctoral Dissertations

"Organofluorine chemistry plays a critical role in synthetic chemistry due to the unique properties of fluorine. However, the S-trifluoromethylation of thiols remains underexplored, with existing methods often relying on toxic and expensive organometallic catalysts. Given the advantages of S-trifluoromethylated compounds, including enhanced pharmacological activity and improved metabolic stability, we developed a green and cost-effective method for the synthesis of S-CF3 compounds using diacetyl as the organic catalyst and Langloi's reagent as the trifluoromethylating reagent. This reaction, which proceeds under mild conditions using visible light photoredox catalysis, works across various substrate scopes, including aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic thiols.

Chemical Warfare Agents …

Polybenzodiazine Aerogels: All-Nitrogen Analogues Of Polybenzoxazines - Synthesis, Characterization, And Their Application In Carbon Dioxide Capture, Vaibhav Edlabadkar

Doctoral Dissertations

"The rapidly risen concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over recent years contributed to global warming and ocean acidification. Carbon capture is viewed as an essential tool from keeping atmospheric CO₂ levels from rising further. This thesis focuses on the development of new materials for high capacity and selective adsorption of CO₂. One such material was based on a newly synthesized tetrahydroquinazoline (THQ), which was designed as an all-nitrogen analogue of main-stream benzoxazine monomers. THQ solutions in DMF gelled at 100 °C via HCl-catalyzed ring opening polymerization to polybenzodiazine (PBDAZ) wet gels, which were dried in …

Applications Of Tetramethyl-Guanidine Supported Cationic Transition Metal Sites Towards C─N Bond Construction Methodologies And [3+2] Cycloaddition Reactions, Suraj Kumar Sahoo

Doctoral Dissertations

"We present a family of divalent cationic bipodal and tripodal M(II) reagents (M = Mn, Fe, Co) supported by superbasic tetramethyl-guanidinyl (TMG) residue framework with applications towards C─N bond construction methodologies. These cationic reagents possess unique characteristics since their enhanced Lewis acidity facilitates in situ elaboration of the primary nitrene-transfer product (aziridine). Indeed, further aziridine-ring opening and cycloaddition of several dipolarophiles (nitriles, alkenes, ketones) permits the three-component synthesis of valuable five-membered N-heterocycles, commonly found in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.

We undertake a more systematic study to unravel parameters that make certain divalent metal sites more suitable as catalysts for the in-situ …

Development Of Ligands And Metal Complexes With Weakly Coordinating Apical Elements And Their Application To Nitrene Insertion And Addition To C‒H And C=C Bonds, Meenakshi Sharma

Doctoral Dissertations

"We present a family of triangular coinage metal M₃Cl₃ complexes [M = Cu (I), Ag (I)] supported by antimony [Sb (III)], and bismuth [Bi (III)]-centered highly basic tetramethyl-guanidinyl [TMG₃trphen-E] (E = Sb, Bi) ligand frameworks with their applications as catalysts toward the construction of C‒N bond through aziridination and amination reaction methodologies.

The [(TMG₃trphen-Sb)Cu₃(µ-Cl)₃] catalyst gives better yields of aziridines with styrenes than [(TMG3trphen-Bi)Cu₃(µ-Cl)₃] with PhINTs as a nitrene source. However, the catalytic reactivity of both catalysts is enhanced by an electrophilic nitrene, PhINTces for …

Development Of Catalytic Membranes And Composites For Energy Storage Devices And Nonenzymatic Biosensors, Harish Singh

Doctoral Dissertations

The excessive use of fossil fuels has led to their rapid depletion, causing an energy crisis and environmental issues. Consequently, there's a growing focus on sustainable energy conversion. Electrocatalysts are pivotal in this development, particularly for fuel cells and solar fuel generators, necessitating high-efficiency, cost-effective catalysts for large-scale adoption. Transition metal chalcogenides have emerged as promising electrocatalysts due to their high efficiency, electrochemical tunability, and abundant active sites. This work is divided in two parts. In Part A, we have investigated transition metal chalcogenide and few atom clusters FACs as electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution and reduction, highlighting their structure-property relationships …

Provenance Of The Uppermost Carboniferous–Lower Triassic Sandstones, Bogda Mountains, Nw China: Implications On The Late Paleozoic Tectonic History Of The Southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt, Sixuan Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

"The Permian-Triassic period represents a significant but insufficiently understood tectonic transition stage in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) between the Paleozoic continental amalgamation and Cenozoic orogenic reactivation. This study integrates fieldwork, petrographic, and detrital zircon geochronological data to document the trend of depositional environments, framework grain compositions, and dates of detrital zircon grains of the uppermost Carboniferous–Lower Triassic sandstones from three study areas in Bogda Mountains, the greater Turpan-Junggar basin, NW China, to decipher the spatial and temporal changes in the provenance lithology and area and reconstruct the unroofing history of the southern CAOB.

In the first part …

The Real-Time Detection Infrastructure Of Ligo, Virgo, And Kagra: Data Products, Current Performance, And Future Developments, Sushant Sharma Chaudhary

Doctoral Dissertations

The discovery of the binary neutron star merger event GW170817 marked the dawn of Multi-Messenger Astronomy (MMA) with Gravitational Waves (GWs). Such multi-messenger events are of immense scientific interest due to the wealth of information they provide through joint observations across different messengers. In this rapidly evolving field, prompt identification and timely distribution of alerts is critical for follow-up observations.

This work offers a comprehensive overview of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) Collaboration’s low-latency analysis pipeline for GW events, covering key stages from calibration and data analysis to the issuance of public alerts. I examine the latency and accuracy of each stage …

Topics On Ai Fairness Preferences In Kidney Transplantation, Mukund Telukunta

Doctoral Dissertations

Modern kidney transplantation incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) decision-support systems which exhibit social discrimination due to biases inherited from training data. Although researchers have proposed various group-based fairness notions to assess biases in AI, it remains uncertain which criterion is most suitable for evaluating biases in such complex healthcare systems. This dissertation explores human perception of fairness to identify the most appropriate fairness criterion for assessing AI tools in kidney transplantation, focusing on the preferences of non-expert (e.g. public, patients) stakeholders. The study examines two distinct AI systems employed in kidney transplantation: a classification model and a regression model. Human subject …

Deep Learning And Adaptive Clustering Approaches For Flood Prediction And Efficient Sensor Placement In Missouri, Fahimeh Sharafkhani

Doctoral Dissertations

Floods represent formidable natural calamities, posing a significant threat to communities and infrastructure due to their unpredictable and often devastating consequences. The occurrence of floods is influenced by a convergence of meteorological, hydrological, and geographical factors, resulting in changes to the patterns of rising water levels. Machine learning models have emerged as favored tools in recent times for modeling water levels and enhancing the precision of flood predictions. This research employs both supervised and unsupervised machine learning models, with the main objective of improving the accuracy of flood predictions and sensor placement. Four distinct deep learning models are used to …

Epitaxial Growth Of Metal-Organic Framwork Thin Films By Electro-Conversion And Electrodeposition, Xiaoting Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

Electrochemical epitaxy is a facile and inexpensive soft-solution process to fabricate highly ordered thin films. This research focuses on the epitaxial growth of metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films by electrochemical methods which include electro-conversion and electrodeposition.

First, an electrochemical conversion pathway was invented to achieve epitaxial MOF thin films. Epitaxial single-domain Cu-BTC(111) thin films were manufactured by electrochemical oxidation of Cu₂O(111) films electrodeposited on single-crystal Au(111). The single-crystal-like Cu-BTC(111) thin films with out-of-plane and in-plane order provide well-aligned 3.5 Å triangular windows along the [111] direction. Cu-BTC(111) foils were fabricated from the Cu-BTC/Cu₂O system by electrochemical …

Design And Synthesis Of Organocatalyts For Efficient Decontamination Of Organophosphate-Based Nerve Agents And Pesticides, Emmanuel Kingsley Darkwah

Doctoral Dissertations

Exposure to organophosphate-based nerve agents and pesticides poses significant health and security threats to civilians, soldiers, and first responders. Despite extensive efforts to develop chemical detoxification agents for use in topical applications on exposed skin surfaces and for intravenous injections, there remains an unmet need for effective, non-hazardous decontaminating agents. The current state-of-the-art decontaminating agent, Dekon-139 (2,3-butanedione oxime, potassium salt), exhibits adverse effects when applied to the skin.

In this study, we designed and synthesized pharmaceutically relevant aminoguanidine-derived aldimines that are relatively non-toxic and substantially more effective at decontaminating nerve agents and pesticides compared to existing agents, and they act …

Tailoring Selected Aerogels To Targeted Applications, Stephen Yaw Owusu

Doctoral Dissertations

Aerogels are ultra-lightweight, porous solid materials characterized by a three-dimensional nanostructured network. Owing to their exceptional physical and chemical properties, aerogels have garnered considerable attention within the materials science community and were recognized by IUPAC in 2022 as one of the top ten emerging technologies in chemistry. Although numerous aerogels have been synthesized, only a few have been effectively tailored for specific applications. Optimizing the properties of known aerogels for targeted uses remains challenging. This dissertation investigates strategies for tailoring aerogels derived from isocyanate-benzoxazine, benzodiazine, and phenolic resins to meet the requirements of various advanced applications. The approaches employed include …

Products Of Laser Ablated Actinides And Actinide Comparators In The Presence Of Carbonyl Sulfide Characterized By Rotational Spectroscopy, Joshua Edward Isert

Doctoral Dissertations

As the consumption of energy continues to rise globally, so too has interest in alternative energy sources such as nuclear power. However, a fundamental understanding of the actinide series is needed in order to safely and efficiently utilize these elements. Rotational or microwave spectroscopy, depending on if one is speaking of the physical outcome of the experiment or the region of the electromagnetic spectrum being operated in, is a gas phase molecular study utilized for structural determination. This technique can be utilized to gain an in depth understanding of bonding within the actinide series. However, when studying species that are …

Machine Learning Models For Location Prediction, Message Routing And Path Planning For Rescue Of Underground Miners, Abhay Goyal

Doctoral Dissertations

Self-rescue during underground mine disasters is vital for miner safety. Evolving hazards and post-disaster conditions demand solutions that enable navigation under severe communication and computational constraints. Centralized systems often fail in such rugged settings, while decentralized methods—particularly Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs), proven in battlefields and space missions—offer distinct advantages for underground applications. This research addresses five core challenges: (i) predicting miners’ next locations on low-power devices using points of interest and movement sequences; (ii) delivering timely updates on safe routes, evacuation zones, and hazardous areas; (iii) evaluating energy efficiency and comparing graph-based approaches to existing methods; (iv) enabling edge-ready frameworks, …

Generalizations Of Finiteness Conditions And Extension Monads In Algebras With Infinitely Many Or Infinitary Operations, Danielle Christienne Bowerman

Doctoral Dissertations

In this work, we extend the results of finiteness conditions and extension monads found in Insall from finitely many finitary operations to infinitely many finitary operations, as well as touching on infinitary operations. We also examine varieties of algebras, including the notion of strong varieties introduced in Insall, and common constructions of extension monads in varieties of algebras. We see that for finite collections of algebras of the same signature, the extension monad operation on a variety of algebras commutes with the direct product operation, and all retractions from an enlargement or extension monad are trivial. We also see that …

Chromium Removal From Tannery Wastewater Via A Hydroponic Technique With Vetiver Grass (Vetiveria Zizanioides), Ismot Zereen, Zainul Abedin, Siddikur Rahman, Debasish Pandit

Applied Environmental Research

This research aimed to investigate the effects of hydroponically cultivated vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) on the treatment of tannery wastewater for chromium (Cr) removal in Bangladesh. The field experiment involved 9 containers, which were separated into 3 groups: tannery wastewater with hydroponically planted vetiver, tannery wastewater without vetiver (control), and a group with vetiver grown in tap water. The tap water group was used solely for plant growth assessment, whereas only the control and hydroponic vetiver groups were evaluated for Cr and water quality parameters. Throughout the 45-day trial period, Cr and other water quality parameters were analyzed …

Enhanced Co2 Capture Performance Using Methyl Diethanolamine-Functionalized Silica Gels: Assessing Co2 Capture Capacity, Petpitcha Boonmatoon, Pacharapol Nokpho, Pornpote Piumsomboon, Benjapon Chalermsinsuwan

Applied Environmental Research

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a significant greenhouse gas. This causes harm to the environment and to humans. In 2023, atmospheric CO2 levels rose to 420 ppm, marking a new record high. Therefore, technology for capturing CO2 has been developed. At present, a wide variety of technologies have been proposed to capture CO2. Adsorption technology is more affordable and requires less energy for regeneration. There are many potential solid adsorbents for CO2 capture, such as zeolites, alumina, metal‒organic frameworks (MOFs), and mesoporous silicas. Silica materials possess unique properties that make them promising candidates as solid sorbents for CO2 capture. They provide …

Government Support And Local Residents’ Behavior In E-Waste Management: Evidence From Thailand, Peeranart Kiddee, Somsiri Decharat, Suttiporn Bunmak

Applied Environmental Research

Electronic waste (e-waste) management is a critical global pollution concern. This study investigates government support; local residents' perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to e-waste management; and collaborative governance in southern Thailand. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, this research involves expert government officers who are well versed in e-waste management and local residents. The study utilized in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and workshops. The results revealed that the government is responsible for four e-waste management approaches, encompassing various e-waste collection, transportation, and disposal methods. Local residents exhibited low perceptions of e-waste news but possessed substantial knowledge and positive attitudes toward e-waste …

Examining The Variability In Planetary Boundary Layer Height Over Thailand: Correlations With Enso And Aerosol Optical Depth, Sirapong Sooktawee, Khwanruthai Renuhom, Siriwan Kaewket, Aduldech Patpai, Pramet Kaewmesri, Thongchai Kanabkaew, Pichnaree Lalitaporn

Applied Environmental Research

Thailand has been facing air pollution, e.g., PM2.5, and impacts from climate phenomena, e.g., the El Niño‒Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Both air pollution and climate interact with each other. Changes in the planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) can affect PM2.5, represented by the aerosol optical depth (AOD), and are influenced by ENSO related to changes in the PBLH. The relationships among the PBLH, ENSO, and AOD were investigated via an empirical orthogonal function (EOF), which decomposes the spatiotemporal data of the PBLH into spatial patterns and corresponding time series. Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationships between the PBL variability …

Spatial And Temporal Pattern Assessment Of Agricultural Drought Sensitivity And Its Potential Impact On Economic Crops In Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, Suwit Ongsomwang, Siripon Kamontum

Applied Environmental Research

Agricultural drought sensitivity (ADS) is highly diverse across regions, primarily due to differences in climate, soil types, and farming practices. Agricultural drought impacts depend on drought intensity, severity, duration and timing relative to crop growth stages. Therefore, spatial and temporal pattern assessments of ADS and its potential impact on economic crops in three scenarios via multicriteria decision-making methods were conducted. As a result, the spatial distributions of the ADS index and its classification at 3 m7, 3 m10 and 6 m10, covering the planting and growing periods, displayed different patterns. The percentages of moderate, high and very high severity levels …

Exploring The Co-Composting Potentials Of Raw Grease Trap And Grease Trap-Derived Soaps: Insights Into Grease Trap Modification, Calcium Supplementation, And Microbial Community Analysis, Pokchat Chutivisut, Panaya Kotchaplai, Bualuang Faiyue, Nattapong Tuntiwiwattanapun

Applied Environmental Research

Managing waste with grease traps poses a challenge because of the potential environmental issues associated with its disposal. In this study, two approaches were investigated to increase the biodegradability of grease trap waste: 1) converting raw grease trap waste into soap and 2) supplementing grease trap soap as inoculum with calcium material. The preparation of grease trap soap was optimized to attain a soap yield of 103% by utilizing a water-to-ethanol ratio of 9:1 at 80 °C for a processing time of 3 hours. A comparison of the composting results revealed higher nitrate yields with increased ratios of grease trap …