By using the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) “polynomial” method for corn in the Mississippi Irrigation Scheduling Tool (MIST), the total number of irrigations required during the growing season can be reduced depending on the variety, growing degree days required to reach maturity, and the length of the growing season. Results showed that even though the SCS method called for irrigations earlier in the season, the method did not trigger irrigation events after the crop reached physiological maturity. In addition, although changing the timing of model initiation (planting vs emergence) was not important on the total crop water use, it may have other benefits. Lastly, Watermark 200SS sensors generally did not trigger similar irrigation events, especially around the mid-season, but shallower sensors somewhat matched and showed similar trends with the MIST modeled results and irrigation records. Therefore, using MIST with sensors may be beneficial when making precise irrigation scheduling decisions.

The thermotropic behavior of multilamellar vesicles of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), or of DPPC in admixture with cardiolipin or cholesterol, in the presence of various N-alkyl derivatives of both adriamycin-14-valerate has been investigated by high sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry. The analogues, particularly the 14-valerate derivatives, which were most lipophilic as judged by their lipid/buffer, and to a lesser extent by their octanol/buffer, partition coefficients, were the most effective in depressing the tm of the investigated lipids; correlations, however, were not absolute. Other factors, such as the distribution of the drugs between the solid and liquid-crystalline phases of the bilayer, were also important to the observed membrane perturbations. With all anthracyclines, however, no major changes in the transition enthalpy were observed. In the case of vesicles prepared from pure DPPC, curve fitting analysis based on ideal solution theory (J.M. Sturtevant (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81, 1398-1400) applied at relatively low drug concentrations where single peak transitions were produced, adequately described the differential scanning calorimetric results. At high drug concentrations, however, the presence of multipeak transitions were indicative of non-ideality.

No description available.

Boundary conditions for the cable equation - such as voltage-clamped or sealed cable ends, branchpoints, somatic shunts, and current clamps - result in multi-exponential series representations of the voltage or current. Each term in the series expansion is characterized by a decay rate (eigenvalue) and an initial amplitude (Fourier coefficient). The eigenvalues are determined numerically and the Fourier coefficients are subsequently given by the residues at the eigenvalues of the Laplace transform of the solution. In this paper, we introduce an alternative method for estimating the Fourier coefficients which works for all types of boundary conditions and is practical even when analytic expressions for the Fourier coefficients become intractable. It is shown that terms in the analytic expressions for the Fourier coefficients result from derivatives of the equation for the eigenvalues, and that simple numerical estimates for the amplitude coefficients are easily derived by replacing analytical derivatives by numerical eigenslope. The physical quantity represented by the slope is identified as effective neuron capacitance.

In order to preserve the acoustics of the Salt Lake Tabernacle after the seismic renovation of 2005-2006, it was necessary to characterize these acoustics immediately preceding the renovation. This thesis discusses the characterization process that began with the measurement of hundreds of impulse responses for five different source positions and several receiver locations throughout the hall seating areas. The acoustics were further characterized by deriving various parameters from these responses that correlate with subjective preferences for music and speech. Impulse responses were also generated by a CATT-Acoustic™ computer model of the Tabernacle for the same purpose. The parameter values were then mapped over diagrams of the seating areas of the hall to show the spatial variation of the acoustics. To further investigate the variation, statistics were calculated for each parameter and an algorithm was developed to determine the minimum number of receiver locations necessary to adequately characterize the hall. Computer models were also used to investigate focusing effects of the curved ceiling and historical comments made about the improvements to the acoustics with addition of the balcony in 1870.

A Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) target’s flight through a low Reynolds number and high Mach number regime was analyzed with computational fluid dynamics software. This regime consisted of xenon gas at 1,050 K and approximately 6,670 Pa. Simulations with similar flow conditions were performed over a sphere and compared with experimental data and published correlations for validation purposes. Transient considerations of the developing flow around the target were explored. Simulations of the target at different velocities were used to determine correlations for the drag coefficient and Nusselt number as functions of the Reynolds number. Simulations with different target angles of attack were used to determine the aerodynamic coefficients of drag, lift, Magnus moment, and overturning moment as well as target stability. The drag force, lift force, and overturning moment changed minimally with spin. Above an angle of attack of 15°, the overturning moment would be destabilizing. At angles of attack less than 15°, the overturning moment would tend to decrease the target’s angle of attack, indicating the lack of a need for spin for stability at these small angles. This stabilizing moment would cause the target to move in a mildly damped oscillation about the axis parallel to the free-stream velocity vector through the target’s center of gravity.

An experimental investigation of the interaction of water waves with flexible structures acting as breakwaters was carried out. Wave profiles, mapped out by water level measuring transducers, were studied to provide information on the performance of different breakwater models. A new signal analysis procedure for determining reflection coefficients based on wavelet theory was developed and compared to a conventional method. The reliability of using wavelet analysis to separate a partial standing wave into incident and reflected wave components was verified with a numerical example. It was also verified by the small variance in the estimates of the incident wave height from independent experimental measurements. Different geometries of rigid and flexible structures were constructed and examined. Reflection, transmission and energy loss coefficients were obtained over them. The influence of various properties of the models, such as the width and the internal pressure, on the effectiveness in reflecting or absorbing the incident wave energy was determined. Various factors which affect the performance of the breakwater, including the water depth, the wave length and the wave amplitude, were measured and documented. Suspended and bottom-mounted models were considered. The flow field over and near a hemi-cylindrical breakwater model was also examined using a flow visualization technique. An overall comparison among the models has also been provided. The results showed that the rectangular models, rigid and flexible, are the most effective structures to dissipate wave energy. The flow visualization technique indicated that the flow conforms with the circular geometry of a hemi-cylindrical breakwater model, yielding no flow separation. / Ph. D.

Изучаются коэффициенты тригонометрического полинома при односторонних ограничениях на отрезках [0, π] и [0, 2π]. Для нечетных тригонометрических полиномов степени не выше двух получены точные верхние и нижние границы первого коэффициента при линейном одностороннем ограничении. Для полиномов более высоких степеней определено поведение максимальных и минимальных возможных значений при одностороннем линейном ограничении. Проведено исследование поведения максимальных и минимальных значений первых коэффициентов синус-полиномов при двусторонних линейных ограничениях. / We study coefficients of a trigonometric polynomial under a one-sided constraint on the intervals [0, π] и [0, 2π]. We obtain sharp upper and lower estimates of the first coefficient of an odd trigonometric polynomial of degree at most two under a linear constraint. For polynomials of higher degree, we find the behavior of maximal and minimal coefficients of a sine-polynomial under two-sided linear constraints.

Novel technologies capable of generating wavelengths not accessible with typical laser gain media have been among the primary drivers of the field of nonlinear optics. Here, we are interested in the linear and nonlinear properties of liquids beyond the visible spectrum, motivated in part by their use as core materials in optical fibers. Given their dispersion, nonlinearities, transparency, and ability to be mixed, liquids show potential for exploiting in-fiber nonlinear phenomena for developing the new generation of low cost, size, weight, and power wavelength-agile fiber-laser sources. For the design, modeling, and experimental realization of these liquid-core fiber laser sources, proper knowledge of dispersion and Raman gain coefficients is necessary. However, the data for the liquids in the near-IR spectrum are sparse, with most reported values being in the visible and only for commonly used solvents. In this thesis, we report a Rayleigh interferometry-based refractometer to characterize the refractive index of 26 solvents relative to standard materials at seven different wavelengths (543.5, 632.8, 780, 973, 1064, 1550, and 1970 nm) at a temperature of ~ 21.3±0.6 °C. The corresponding Sellmeier equations fitted to our data for each liquid are given and compared with previously published literature; percent transmittance data for each liquid are also provided. Furthermore, we use a well-known technique for obtaining the relative total differential Raman cross-section of eight selected solvents at 532 nm. By measuring and analyzing the solvents' spontaneous Raman emission, we obtain their depolarization ratios, linewidth, and calculate their Raman gain coefficients. With knowledge of the electronic resonance and frequency dependence of the total differential cross-section, extrapolations were used to provide values for the total differential cross-section and gain coefficient at 1064 nm.

In this dissertation, we study the existence and nonexistence of positive solutions to some classes of singular p-Laplacian boundary value problems with a parameter. In the first study, we discuss positive solutions for a class of sublinear Dirichlet p- Laplacian equations and systems with sign-changing coefficients on a bounded domain of Rn via Schauder Fixed Point Theorem and the method of sub- and supersolutions. Under certain conditions, we show the existence of positive solutions when the parameter is large and nonexistence when the parameter is small. In the second study, we discuss positive radial solutions for a class of superlinear p- Laplacian problems with nonlinear boundary conditions on an exterior domain via degree theory and fixed point approach. Under certain conditions, we show the existence of positive solutions when the paprameter is small and nonexistence when the paramter is large. Our results provide extensions of corresponding ones in the literature from the Laplacian to the p-Laplacian, and can be applied to the challenging infinite semipositone case