Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Using Stable Isotope Hydrology To Partition Evapotranspiration In The Sagebrush Steppe, Kellie Jo Rey

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a major part of ecosystem water loss. This thesis aims to develop methods that partition soil water loss into evaporation (E) and transpiration (T). Water balance methods may improve with relative contributions of evaporation (E) and transpiration (T). Isotopic fractionation distinguishes soil water loss due to evaporation from that of plant uptake. This provides a means to assess E and T in retrospect rather than only measuring ET fluxes. To measure the isotopic composition of soil water, we used a liquid-vapor equilibration method following Wassenaar (2008). Experimental trials of different soil amounts and equilibration times were performed …

Statistical Modeling To Predict N2O Production Within The Hyporheic Zone By Coupling Denitrifying Microbial Community Abundance To Geochemical And Hydrological Parameters, Tiffany Brooke Farrell

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The hyporheic zone (HZ) of streams can be a significant source of nitrous oxide (N₂O). However, the biogeochemical processes controlling N₂O emissions remain poorly constrained due to difficulties in obtaining high-resolution chemical, physical, and biological data from streams. We performed a large-scale flume experiment to unravel the complexities of a natural system by constraining streambed morphology, flow rate, organic carbon loading, grain size distribution, and exogenous nitrate loading while enabling regular monitoring of dissolved oxygen, pH, alkalinity, and concentrations of NO₃^-, NO₂^-, NH₄⁺, and N₂O …

Riparian Zone Evapotranspiration Using Streamflow Diel Signals, Ethan Thomas Geisler

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Riparian zones are crucial regions of semi-arid and arid watersheds. In the summer, riparian zones provide an important habitat for the watershed since they have sufficient water supply throughout the year. However, little is known about the impact of riparian zone evapotranspiration (ET) at a watershed scale. The use of streamflow diel signals can provide a more thorough understanding of riparian zone processes, particularly evapotranspiration. The streamflow diel signals were analyzed for Dry Creek Experimental Watershed (DCEW), for the summer of 2014, to determine riparian evapotranspiration. The riparian zone evapotranspiration was compared to a spatially distributed evapotranspiration model to determine …

The Effects Of Hydrogen Bonding On The Reactivity Of Synthetic Ada Repair Protein Analogues, Josiah G. Elsberg

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The study of bioinorganic chemistry is an important field, as it can provide insight as to why Nature has chosen certain active sites and structures within different kinds of metalloproteins. Ada repair protein, a zinc-containing metalloprotein, is one such topic of interest. Although it is known that Ada RP is able to repair methyl-phosphotriester backbone damage by self-methylation of one of its cysteine groups, the mechanism is not fully understood. Two pathways have been proposed: a dissociative pathway where the Zn-S bond becomes a zinc/sulfur ion pair, and an associative pathway where a four ringed σ-metathesis occurs. Previous research has …

Data Partitioning Methods To Process Queries On Encrypted Databases On The Cloud, Osama M. Omran

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many features and advantages have been brought to organizations and computer users by Cloud computing. It allows different service providers to distribute many applications and services in an economical way. Consequently, many users and companies have begun using cloud computing. However, the users and companies are concerned about their data when data are stored and managed in the Cloud or outsourcing servers. The private data of individual users and companies is stored and managed by the service providers on the Cloud, which offers services on the other side of the Internet in terms of its users, and consequently results in …

Exploiting Self-Organization In Bioengineered Systems: A Computational Approach, Delin Davis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bio-reactors, also known as microbial factories are used extensively to produce various industrially valuable products. However, scalability and stability of these factories are limited as it is difficult to deliver nutrients and extract product and waste from a large system. Current solution approaches explore changes in the physical configuration of the bio-reactors. Inspired from the nutrient delivery mechanisms of large organisms in nature, this work studies the possibilities of exploiting self-organizing bio-engineered cells which are capable of organizing into a vessel network to support the producer cells in the factory.

Primary goal of this dissertation is to design a proof-of-concept …

Number Sense In High School Mathematics Students, Vi Le Nguyen

Mathematics Theses - Archive

Understanding the real number system plays a very important role in each student’s mathematical achievement. The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Mathematics Subchapter A. Elementary states, “For students to become fluent in mathematics, students must develop a robust sense of number” (TEKS Subchapter A Elementary, 2012). Knowledge of the real number system and number sense develops over several years. Once students get to high school, they are expected to have a large amount of knowledge about the real number system and number sense in order to effectively start and complete their high school math courses. However, many high …

Particle Image Velocimetry Design & Installation, Zach Ritchie

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This work will mainly focus on the design, construction, and installation of the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system in the Chemical Hazards Research Center wind tunnel. The PIV system utilizes a Class IV (double pulsed) laser, optics to produce a light sheet, timing circuitry, and a high-resolution camera (with buffered output) to measure a system’s velocity (two-dimensional) field by determining the displacement of particles over the time between laser pulses. For maximum mobility and functionality, the PIV system was installed in the center of the tunnel on a moveable cart with the laser and camera mounted to an adjustable support. …

Nanoscale Frictional Properties Of Nickel With One-Dimensional And Two-Dimensional Materials, Timothy K. Schlenger

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

When looking at the nanoscale, material interface interactions have been observed to exhibit particularly interesting properties. Our research looks into various combinations of carbyne and graphene atop a nickel block to look into the interface friction properties between them. Both the carbyne and graphene are tested using steered molecular dynamics (SMD) in sheering and peeling directions along the surface of the nickel block. These tests are then analyzed by comparing the magnitude of the acting force versus the displacement of the carbon allotrope sample across the nickel block. It is found that as the width of a carbon allotrope sample …

A Model For Collective Dynamics In Ant Raids, Shawn D. Ryan

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

Ant raiding, the process of identifying and returning food to the nest or bivouac, is a fascinating example of collective motion in nature. During such raids ants lay pheromones to form trails for others to find a food source. In this work a coupled PDE/ODE model is introduced to study ant dynamics and pheromone concentration. The key idea is the introduction of two forms of ant dynamics: foraging and returning, each governed by different environmental and social cues. The model accounts for all aspects of the raiding cycle including local collisional interactions, the laying of pheromone along a trail, and …

The Maximal Thurston-Bennequin Number On Grid Number N Diagrams, Emily Goins Thomas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We will prove an upper bound for the Thurston-Bennequin number of Legendrian knots and links on a rectangular grid with arc index n.

TB(n)=CR(n)-[n/2]

In order to prove the bound, we will separate our work for when n is even and when n is odd. After we prove the upper bound, we will show that there are unique knots and links on each grid which achieve the upper bound. When n is even, torus links achieve the maximum, and when n is odd, torus knots achieve the maximum.

Enabling Usage Pattern-Based Logical Status Inference For Mobile Phones, Jon C. Hammer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Logical statuses of mobile users, such as isBusy and isAlone, are the key enabler for a plethora of context-aware mobile applications. While on-board hardware sensors (such as motion, proximity, and location sensors) have been extensively studied for logical status inference, continuous usage typically requires formidable energy consumption, which degrades the user experience. In this thesis, we argue that smartphone usage statistics can be used for logical status inference with negligible energy cost. To validate this argument, we present a continuous inference engine that (1) intercepts multiple operating system events, in particular foreground app, notifications, screen states, and connected networks; (2) …

Enabling Runtime Profiling To Hide And Exploit Heterogeneity Within Chip Heterogeneous Multiprocessor Systems (Chmps), Eugene Cartwright

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The heterogeneity of multiprocessor systems on chip (MPSoC) has presented unique opportunities for furthering today’s diverse application needs. FPGA-based MPSoCs have the potential of bridging the gap between generality and specialization but has traditionally been limited to device experts. The flexibility of these systems can enable computation without compromise but can only be realized if this flexibility extends throughout the software stack. At the top of this stack, there has been significant effort for leveraging the heterogeneity of the architecture. However, the betterment of these abstractions are limited to what the bottom of the stack exposes: the runtime system.

The …

Dietary Effects On The Stoichiometry Of Growth, Regulation, And Wastes Of Ozark Stream Insect Detritivores, Halvor Matthew Halvorson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A widespread stressor, anthropogenic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollution can increase resource nutrient content and alter animal community composition in freshwater ecosystems. In this dissertation, I used ecological stoichiometry theory to examine effects of diet nutrient content and leaf litter type on growth, regulation, and wastes of aquatic invertebrate detritivores. I tested effects of leaf litter diet carbon:phosphorus (C:P) on growth and stoichiometric regulation of the detritivorous caddisfly Pycnopsyche lepida and used results to determine a threshold elemental ratio of oak litter C:P=1620 that confers peak growth of this species. This empirical, growth-based approach provided a more accurate estimate …

Exploring Privacy Leakage From The Resource Usage Patterns Of Mobile Apps, Amin Rois Sinung Nugroho

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Due to the popularity of smart phones and mobile apps, a potential privacy risk with the usage of mobile apps is that, from the usage information of mobile apps (e.g., how many hours a user plays mobile games in each day), private information about a user’s living habits and personal activities can be inferred. To assess this risk, this thesis answers the following research question: can the type of a mobile app (e.g., email, web browsing, mobile game, music streaming, etc.) used by a user be inferred from the resource (e.g., CPU, memory, network, etc.) usage patterns of the mobile …

Topics In The Detection Of Gravitational Waves From Compact Binary Inspirals, Shasvath Jagat Kapadia

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Orbiting compact binaries - such as binary black holes, binary neutron stars and neutron star-black hole binaries - are among the most promising sources of gravitational waves observable by ground-based interferometric detectors. Despite numerous sophisticated engineering techniques, the gravitational wave signals will be buried deep within noise generated by various instrumental and environmental processes, and need to be extracted via a signal processing technique referred to as matched filtering.

Matched filtering requires large banks of signal templates that are faithful representations of the true gravitational waveforms produced by astrophysical binaries. The accurate and efficient production of templates is thus crucial …

Dissemination And Persistence Of Plasmid Located, Integron Associated Antibiotic Resistant Genes In Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent And Stream Water Bacteria, _ Suhartono

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transmissible plasmid-mediated integrons play important role in the persistence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance throughout the environment. Plasmids from 139 multi-antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli recovered from wastewater treatment plant effluent and upstream and downstream receiving stream water in Northwest Arkansas were extracted and profiled. Genes of class 1 and class 2 integrase (intI), mobilization (mob), sulfamethoxazole resistance (sul), and trimethoprim resistance (dfr) were detected using PCR and confirmed through DNA sequencing. Plasmids from almost half of the isolates (47%) were transmissible with mobF12 gene as the most frequently detected mobilization gene. Plasmid-borne class 1 with and without class 2 integrons …

Alluvial Sedimentation Associated With Logging In Low Gradient Watersheds In Desoto National Forest, Mississippi, Andrew W. Simmons

Master's Theses

Forestry and related businesses are an important factor of Mississippi’s economy, contributing between $11 and $14 billion annually (Mississippi Forestry Commission, 2006). The timber industry is not only important in Mississippi but is an important sector of the economy throughout the Gulf Coast region. While providing positive economic benefits to the region, the forestry industry can also negatively affect soil properties, hillslope stability, and increase sedimentation rates in local streams and rivers. The aim of this research is to determine if forestry removal causes an increase of soil erosion and how it affects floodplain sedimentation in the low gradient watershed …

Fire And Fuels: Vegetation Change Over Time In The Zuni Mountains, New Mexico, Luke Wylie

Master's Theses

The Zuni Mountains are a region that has been dramatically changed by human interference. Anthropogenically, fire suppression practices have allowed a buildup of fuels and caused a change in the fire-adapted ponderosa pine ecosystem such that the new ecosystem now incorporates many fire-intolerant species. As a result, the low-severity fires that the ecosystem once depended on to regenerate the forest are much reduced, and these low-severity fires are now replaced by crown-level infernos that threaten the forest and nearby towns. In order to combat these effects, land managers are implementing fuel reduction practices and are striving to better understand the …

Energy Management Mechanisms Employed At The Human-Material Interface Of Traditional And Minimalist Shod Running, Nadine M. Lippa

Dissertations

From recreational to elite athletes, greater than 50% of runners sustain overuse injuries each year, prompting substantial research efforts to identify causes of—and solutions to—the high injury rate. Different shoe types and material property degradation have been related to injury. Two popular footwear types are traditional shoes with thick graded soles and minimalist running footwear with thinner foam and/or non-graded soles. Notwithstanding 45 years of significant modifications to shoe design features, gained knowledge in kinesiology, and advanced technologies in polymer science, runner injury rates have not decreased and EVA foam has remained the primary running shoe midsole material since the …

Acoustic Firearm Discharge Detection And Classification In An Enclosed Environment, Lorenzo Luzi, Eric Gonzalez, Paul Bruillard, Matthew Prowant, James Skorpik, Michael Hughes, Scott Child, Duane Kist, John E. Mccarthy

Mathematics Faculty Research

Two different signal processing algorithms are described for detection and classification of acoustic signals generated by firearm discharges in small enclosed spaces. The first is based on the logarithm of the signal energy. The second is a joint entropy. The current study indicates that a system using both signal energy and joint entropy would be able to both detect weapon discharges and classify weapon type, in small spaces, with high statistical certainty.

Polynomials With No Zeros On A Face Of The Bidisk, Jeffrey S. Geronimo, Plamen Iliev, Greg Knese

Mathematics Faculty Research

We present a Hilbert space geometric approach to the problem of characterizing the positive bivariate trigonometric polynomials that can be represented as the square of a two variable polynomial possessing a certain stability requirement, namely no zeros on a face of the bidisk. Two different characterizations are given using a Hilbert space structure naturally associated to the trigonometric polynomial; one is in terms of a certain orthogonal decomposition the Hilbert space must possess called the “split-shift orthogonality condition” and another is an operator theoretic or matrix condition closely related to an earlier characterization due to the first two authors. This …

The Implicit Function Theorem And Free Algebraic Sets, Jim Agler, John E. Mccarthy

Mathematics Faculty Research

We prove an implicit function theorem for non-commutative functions. We use this to show that if p ( X;Y ) is a generic non-commuting polynomial in two variables, and X is a generic matrix, then all solutions Y of p ( X;Y ) = 0 will commute with X

Functionalizing Β-Cyano Oligo(P-Phenylene Vinylene) Chromophores For Use In Mechanochromic Materials, Alexander J. Wink

Honors Theses

Mechanochromic materials are materials that change color upon mechanical deformation. This concept can be applied in areas of quality control, since the knowledge of damaged parts will easily be detected due to a color change in the material that has undergone deformation. Typically these types of materials are enabled by employing functional small molecules. Often, these are conjugated organic molecules or chromophores, which fluoresce different colors determined by the stimulus (or lack thereof) acting upon the material. In this work, we explore a new avenue to elicit color changes in polymeric materials based on the process of restriction of intramolecular …

The Effect Of Acrylic Acid On Ring Formation In Polyacrylonitrile, Elisha Cade Willis

Honors Theses

The addition of comonomers into carbon fiber precursor, polyacrylonitrile (PAN), has shown to have effects on the extent of stabilization and thermal behavior.1 Acrylic Acid (AA) was added at varying initial apparent weight percent and added via semibatch reaction to copolymerize with acrylonitrile to form carbon fiber precursor. Accompanying batch reactions were synthesized for comparison. Degradation was found to be greater in the semibatch reactions although overall was comparable to the batch reactions. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirmed the addition of higher concentrations of AA into the reaction resulted in a less intense exotherm upon cyclization, along with a greater …

Investigation Of How Hydrogen Bonding Affects The Enantiomeric Excess Of Pig Liver Esterase Promoted Hydrolysis Of Pro-Chiral Substrates, Jacob E. Pruett

Honors Theses

Pig Liver Esterase is a cost effective enzyme for ester hydrolysis. In our group, it is vital for creating chiral molecules for the synthesis of unnatural amino acids of potential biological importance. It has been previously found that the enantiomeric excess (%ee) of the PLE hydrolysis reaction increases drastically with the addition of co-solvents that are able to both accept and donate hydrogen bonds. This research endeavors to see if substrates of enhanced hydrogen bonding ability also increase the stereoselectivity of PLE hydrolyses. Diester malonate was covalently linked with a furan ring in both the third and second position from …

Momentum Transfer To A Simplified Wind Turbine Blade, Myer D. Milbrath

Honors Theses

This project looks into the potential of simplified simulations as a supplement to wind turbine blade designs. The idea is to take a two-dimensional representation of a wind turbine blade and attempt to use a fluid flow simulation to determine which "aspect ratio" is the most efficient in the transfer of momentum. This is then compared to the current requirements for wind turbine blades to judge how accurate the simulation was. It was found that an aspect ratio of 16.66 percent was most efficient, however when compared to the requirements for a wind turbine blade this ratio only falls into …

Synthesis And Application Of (R)-3-Methylpyrrolidine-3-Carboylic Acid, Shelby D. Dickerson

Honors Theses

L-Proline is an amino acid widely used in pharmaceutical and biotechnological research due to its catalytic activity and biological relevance. L-Proline has been recognized and utilized as an organocatalyst, which allows cleaner, more sustainable reactions. However, one issue with L-proline is its low solubility in organic systems, limiting its reactivity and efficiency, especially when considering industrial research. Two reactions that utilize L-Proline are the Michael and Aldol but require 100 mol% of L-Proline and 30 mol% of L-Proline, respectively. This research will focus on the synthesis of an analogue of L-Proline utilizing inexpensive, commercially available reagents. A variety of organic …

Applications Of The Sierpiński Triangle To Musical Composition, Samuel C. Dent

Honors Theses

The present paper builds on the idea of composing music via fractals, specifically the Sierpiński Triangle and the Sierpiński Pedal Triangle. The resulting methods are intended to produce not just a series of random notes, but a series that we think pleases the ear. One method utilizes the iterative process of generating the Sierpiński Triangle and Sierpiński Pedal Triangle via matrix operations by applying this process to a geometric configuration of note names. This technique designs the largest components of the musical work first, then creates subsequent layers where each layer adds more detail.

Automated Data Acquisition Of Deet Time-Dependent Concentration Profiles, Ryan D. Coleman

Honors Theses

Spatial insect repellents must maintain a sufficient concentration in the vapor phase to successfully deter pests. However, little is known regarding correlation of concentration to efficacy nor does there exist a standard testing protocol to measure efficacy in air. Among existing spatial repellents, DEET is the most common active ingredient. This research focuses on application of sensor-based technologies to monitor the concentration levels of DEET under static conditions.

Metal oxide semiconductor sensors feature conductivity variance in response to absorption and desorption of volatile organic compounds. Advantages of these sensors include cost, versatility, and sensitivity. Metal oxide semiconductor sensors were chosen …