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The need for new antibiotics has been highlighted recently with the increasing pace of emergence of drug resistant pathogens (MRSA, XDR-TB, etc.). Modification of existing antibiotics with the additions of side chains or other chemical groups and genomics based drug targeting have been the preferred method of drug development at the corporate level in recent years. These approaches have yielded few viable antibiotics and natural products are once again becoming an area of interest for drug discovery. We examined the antimicrobial "Red Soils" of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan that have historically been used to prevent infection and cure rashes by the native peoples. Antimicrobial producing bacteria were present in these soils and found to be the reason for their antibiotic activity. After isolation, these bacteria were found to excrete their antimicrobials into the liquid culture media which we could then attempt to isolate for further study. Adsorbent resins were employed to capture the antimicrobial compounds and then elute them in a more concentrated solution. As part of a drug discovery program, we sought a way to quickly characterize other soils for potential antibiotic producing bacteria. The community level physiologic profile was examined to determine if this approach would allow for a rapid categorizing of soils based on their probability of containing antimicrobial producing microorganisms. This method proved to have a high level of variability that could not be overcome even after mixing using a commercial blender. The role of these antimicrobial producing bacteria within their natural microbial community has largely been confined to microbe-plant interactions. The role of antimicrobial-producing microorganisms in driving the diversity of their community has not been a focus of considerable study. The potential of an antimicrobial-producing bacterium to act as a driver of diversity was examined using an artificial microbial community based in a sand microcosm. The changes in the microbial assemblage indicate that antimicrobial-producing bacteria may act in an allelopathic manner rather than in a predatory role. / Ph. D.

This work was performed under a cooporative research effort sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in conjunction with the aerospace industry and acedemia. One of the primary goals of NASA is to improve the safety and affordability of commercial air flight. Part of this goal includes research to reduce fuel consumption by developing lightweight carbon fiber, polymer matrix composites to replace existing metallic airframe structure. In the Twenty-first Aircraft Technology Program (TCAT) efforts were focused on developing novel processing methods to fabricate tailored composite airframe structure. The Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) processing technique offers a safer, more affordable alternative to manufacture large scale composite fuselages and wing structures. Vacuum assisted resin transfer molding is an infusion process originally developed for manufacturing of composites in the marine industry. The process is a variation of Resin Transfer Molding (RTM), where the rigid matched metal tooling is replaced on one side with a flexible vacuum bag. The entire process, including infusion and consolidation of the part, occurs at atmospheric pressure (101.5 kPa). High-performance composites with fiber volumes in the range of 45% to 50% can be achieved without the use of an autoclave. The main focus of the VARTM process development effort was to determine the feasibility of manufacturing aerospace quality composites with fiber volume fractions approaching 60%. A science-based approach was taken, utilizing finite element process models to characterize and develop a full understanding of the VARTM infusion process as well as the interaction of the constituent materials. Achieving aerospace quality composites requires further development not only of the VARTM process, but also of the matrix resins and fiber preforms. The present work includes an investigation of recently developed epoxy matrix resins, including the characterization of the resin cure kinetics and flow behaviors. Two different fiber preform architectures were characterized to determine the response to compaction under VARTM conditions including a study to determine the effect of thickness on maximum achievable fiber volume fraction. Experiments were also conducted to determine the permeabilities of these preforms under VARTM flow conditions. Both the compaction response and the permeabilities of the preforms were fit to empirical models which can be used as input for future work to simulate VARTM infusion using process models. Actual infusion experiments of these two types preforms were conducted using instrumented tools to determine the pressures and displacements that occur during VARTM infiltration. Flow experiments on glass tooling determined the fill-times and flow front evolution of preform specimens of various thicknesses. The results of these experiments can be used as validation of process model infusion simulations and to verify the compaction and permeability empirical models. Panels were infused with newly developed epoxy resins, cured and sectioned to determine final fiber volume fractions and part quality in an effort to verify both the infusion and compaction experimental data. The preforms characterized were found to have both elastic and inelastic compression response. The maximum fiber volume fraction of the knitted fabrics was dependent on the amount of stacks in the preform specimen. This relationship was found in the determination of the Darcy permeabilities of the preforms. The results of the characterization of the two epoxy resin systems the show that the two resins have similar minimum viscosities but significantly different curing behaviors. Characterization of the VARTM process resulted in different infusion responses in the two preform specimens investigated. The response of the saturated preform to a recompaction after infusion indicated that a significant portion of the fiber volume lost during infusion could be recovered. Fiber volume and void-content analysis of flat composite panels fabricated in VARTM using the characterized resins and preforms resulted in void-free parts with fiber volumes over 58%. Results in the idealized compaction tests indicated fiber volumes as high as 60% were achievable with the knitted fabric. The work over the presented here has led to a more complete understanding of the VARTM process but also led to more questions concerning its feasibility as an aerospace composite manufacturing technique. / Master of Science

The effects of silicone coated heat-exchanger tubes on the water film coefficient of heat transfer and on the formation of gypsum seals were studied. The heat-exchanger tubes consisted of 74 ½-in. sections of 1-in. Nominal diameter standard iron pipe into whose surface were installed six copper-constantan thermocouples for measuring the temperature of the tube well. Silicone resins DC 804 and DC 802 were used for coating the tubes. Silicone resin DC 804 was cured for 16 hours under infra-red heat at 440-450°F to a pencil hardness of 7H; however, due to the fact that it would not withstand the thermal stresses encountered in the heat-exchanger, its use was abandoned. Silicone resin DC 802 was cured for 12 hours under infra-red heat at 440-450°F to a pencil hardness of 2H. The horizontal tube double-pipe heat-exchanger consisted of a 5-ft. section of 2-in. I.D. Pyrex pipe fitted with a reducing tee and a reducing cross as the end-sections. Heat was applied to the heat-exchanger by steam from 15 to 40 psig. In the "Heat Transfer Tests", which were conducted with water at 60°F and at Reynolds numbers from 2500 to 11,000, it was found that the water film coefficients on the silicon surface varied from 810 to 1590 BTu/(hr.)(sq.ft.)(°F); while those on non-coated iron tubes varied from 244 to 670 under the same conditions. In "Accelerated scaling tests", which were conducted at Reynolds numbers of 15,000 and 4,100 using a saturated gypsum solution at l55°F as the scaling medium, it was found that scale formation on the coated and non-coated tubes reduced the film coefficient approximately 50 percent in 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours. A coating of 0.0006-in. Thickness caused the initial water film coefficient to be 70 percent of the coefficient for a non-coated tube at a Reynolds number of 15,000. A coating of 0.0018-in. thickness caused the initial. water film coefficient to be 83 per eent of the initial coefficient for a non-coated tube at a Reynolds number of 4,100. The thermal conductivity of silicone resin DC 802 was found to be 0.096-0.103 Btu/(hr.)(aq.ft.)(°F per ft.) at 150°F. / Master of Science

No / Irregular residues of a yellow deposit that was assumed to be seal fat used for waterproofing were observed in the creases of the outer surface of a pair of Inuit boots from Arctic Canada. A sample of this deposit detached from one of these areas on these boots was examined initially by FT-Raman microscopy, from which interesting and rather surprising results demanded further analysis using FT-IR and GC-MS. The non-destructive Raman spectroscopic analysis yielded spectra which indicated the presence of a tree resin from the Pinaceae sp. The Raman spectra were also characteristic of a well-preserved keratotic protein and indicative of adherent skin. Subsequent FT-IR spectroscopic analysis supported the attribution of a Pinaceae resin to the yellow deposit. GC-MS analysis of the same deposits identified the presence of pimaric, sandaracopimaric, dehydroabietic and abietic acids, all indicative of an aged Pinaceae resin. These results confirmed that the Inuit people had access to tree resins which they probably used as a waterproofing agent.

The objective of this investigation was to characterize two cyanate ester resins and a eight harness satin (8HS) graphite fabric for use in resin film infusion (RFI) processing. Two cyanate ester resin systems were characterized to determine their cure-kinetics, and viscosities during cure. A 8HS graphite fabric was tested in compaction and through the thickness permeability. A one-dimensional, through the thickness, flow and cure computer simulation was run. The resin cure-kinetics models predicted the curing behavior of the resins as functions of time, temperature, and degree of cure. The proposed viscosity models determined the resin viscosity as a function of temperature and degree of cure. The 8HS graphite fabric was tested in compaction and through the thickness permeability to determine the effect of compaction pressure on fiber volume fraction and in turn on through the thickness permeability. The one-dimensional RFI flow and cure simulation combined the cure-kinetics and viscosity models of the resins with the characteristics of the graphite fabric and determined resin infiltration and cure times. The proposed cure-kinetics and viscosity models were more than adequate in modeling the cure and flow behavior of the cyanate ester resin systems. Power law curve fits accurately represented the compaction and through the thickness permeability of the 8HS graphite fabric. Finally, the one-dimensional RFI flow and cure simulation showed that resin viscosity was the major influence on the infiltration times. / Master of Science

Gutowski et al.'s model has been employed to describe the cure and consolidation of prepregs used for resin film infusion. Resin kinetics, rheology, flow and fiber deformation are considered. Resin kinetics are simulated with an isothermal autocatalytic-1 type relation. The non-Newtonian viscosity of the Cytec™ 754 resin is represented with a gel type expression. The one dimensional flow of resin through a deformable, partially saturated porous medium is studied. A nonlinear partial differential equation describing the spatial and temporal variation of the fiber volume fraction combining the continuity equation, Darcy's Law, and mat compressibility has been derived and solved numerically. Resin is assumed to be incompressible and inertial effects are neglected. Based on the resin content of regions where resin and fiber coexist, expressions for tracking resin flow through fully and partially saturated regions of fiber are given. Values of material parameters for the E-QX 3600-5 glass fabric are estimated from literature data involving compression of similar dry fabrics and through comparison of computed results with the experimental data. Results for the final thickness of the consolidated part agree with the experimental values, but those for the mass loss do not. / Master of Science

Cure time is often the bottleneck of composite manufacturing processes, therefore it is important to understand the cure of today's thermosetting adhesives. This research attempts to characterize the cure rate of two commercial phenol-formaldehyde adhesives. Two methods are used, parallel-plate rheometry and dielectric spectroscopy. Viscosity data from a parallel-plate rheometer may be used to track the advance of polymerization as a function of temperature. This data can then be used to optimize press conditions and reduce production times and costs. The research will further examine resin cure through dielectric analysis; such a technique could monitor resin cure directly and in real-time press situations. Hot-pressing processes could conceivably no longer require a set press schedule; instead they would be individually set based on dielectric data for every press batch. Such a system may lead to a more efficient and uniform product because press times could be based on individual press cycles instead of entire product lines. A more likely scenario, however, is the use of in situ adhesive cure monitoring for troubleshooting or press schedule development. This research characterized the cure of two phenol-formaldehyde resins using parallel-plate rheometry, fringe-field dielectric analysis, and parallel-plate dielectric analysis. The general shape of the storage modulus vs. time curve and the gel and vitrification points in a temperature ramp were found. Both dielectric analysis techniques were able to characterize trends in the resin cure and detect points such as vitrification. The two techniques were also found to be comparable when the cure profiles of similar conditions were examined. / Master of Science

Master of Science / Department of Biology / Peter P. Wong / Abstract Water purification methods that remove pathogens and harmful or distasting molecules make water potable. Recently, silver loaded ion-exchange resins have demonstrated a strong role in removing microbes. The goal is to make an effective silver ion-based water purifier that is portable, environmentally stable, and cost efficient. The project was conducted as a collaborative effort with Safewater A/S, an up and coming entrepreneurial business located in Denmark that is interested in developing novel water purifiers for developing nations, adventurers and military personnel. Purolite, a prominent business in ion-exchange resins located in Whales, designed and provided Safewater A/S and our research team with experimental resins for water purification, which will be discussed in the body of this thesis. The data reveals critical issues that may render this tool unavailable for commercial production in some countries due to the mode of action for killing the bacteria and the amount of silver leaching. Tests were conducted using Escherichia coli K12 and Enterococcus faecalis OG1SSp as model fecal organisms using different silver ion-exchange resins. Surveillance of leached silver ions, pH changes, and total dissolved solids (TDS) were also monitored to find correlations with capacity (liters of purified water produced) and effectiveness of microbicidal action. Overall, one resin was found to contain properties consistent with the stated objectives; however its use in some countries as a water purifier for human consumption will be nullified due to extensive silver leaching. Although this resin could be used in the United States of America since it passes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, Safewater A/S is interested in further developing it for countries with stricter regulatory constraints before mass production. The goal of the present thesis report is to address the stated objectives in the development of a water purifier.

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a resistência à flexão, microdureza e grau de conversão de 9 resinas compostas para uso indireto: Solidex (Sl), Epricord (Ep), Belleglass (Be), Signum (Sg), Sinfony (Sy), Tescera (Te), Cristobal (Cr), Targis (Ta) e Adoro (Ad); e uma resina para uso direto como controle, Esthet X (Et), em função da cor: esmalte (E), dentina (D) e translúcido (T). O teste de resistência à flexão (n=15) obedeceu ao método dos três pontos (Kratos) e, após a obtenção dos valores de carga, os corpos de prova fraturados eram posicionados em fita matriz de poliéster e fixados com resina quimicamente polimerizável (Adaptic) no paralelômetro. Em seguida, os corpos de prova eram levados ao microdurômetro (Shimadzu), para obtenção dos valores de microdureza Knoop (n=15), através da aplicação de uma carga de 50gramas por 30 segundos. Para o grau de conversão (n=3), os corpos eram construídos na mesma matriz usada para resistência à flexão, e posicionados em frente ao feixe de infravermelho do espectrofotômetro Raman (Bruker RFS 100/S - 64 scans) para leitura do grau de conversão. A análise de Variância e teste de Tukey foram usados para tratamento dos dados obtidos. A partir dos resultados, chegou-se às seguintes conclusões: 1. Resistência à flexão: O ranqueamento variou em função da cor e as resinas Cr, Sy, Be e Ta tiveram valores de resistência flexural estatisticamente superiores aos dos outros materiais. Os piores materiais foram o Ep, Sg e Sl. A cor não mostrou diferenças significantes (p=12), mas a interação (p<0,0001) e o material (p<0,0001) mostraram. Dois grupos intermediários entre estes foram encontrados. Um deles com valores muito próximos ao grupo com maiores médias de resistência flexural, os quais se encontram os materiais, Et e Te e, um terceiro grupo foi composto pelo material Ad. 2. Microdureza: As resinas Te > Cr > Be > Et, se destacaram com os maiores valores de dureza, (em ordem decrescente de valores de dureza, e com diferenças significantes entre elas). Os piores valores foram obtidos por Ad e Sy com diferenças significantes entre eles. Ep, Sg, Sl e Ta constituíram um grupo com valores intermediários. Portanto, o material (p<0,0001) e a interação (p<0,0001), obtiveram diferenças significantes. Em relação à cor (p<0,0002), a cor indicada para esmalte apresentou valores estatisticamente inferiores do que dentina e translúcido, e deve ser atribuída aos baixos valores em esmalte, em relação a outras cores do material Te. 3. Grau de conversão: Os maiores valores foram obtidos pelo material Te > Be > e = Cr > ou = Sy = Ad. Os materiais Ep e Ta apresentaram valores de grau de conversão logo abaixo destes materiais, e os piores valores de grau de conversão foram mensurados nos materiais Sg, Et e Sl, com diferenças estatisticamente significantes entre eles. Em relação à cor (p<0,0001), a cor indicada como translúcido apresentou valores estatisticamente superiores aos das duas outras cores. Estes resultados são devido aos altos valores apresentados pelos materiais Sy e Ep. Também tiveram valores significantemente diferentes o material (p<0,001) e a interação (p<0,0001). / Objectives: To characterize nine laboratory-processed composite systems (Adoro [Ad], Belleglass [Be], Cristobal [Cr], Epricord [Ep], Sinfony [Sy], Signum [Sg], Solidex [Si], Targis [Ta] andTescera [Te], ) and one composite for direct placement (Esthet-X [Et]) in terms of particle-size distribution and to compare the flexural strength (FS), Knoop hardness (KH) and degree of conversion (DC) of these composites. Materials and methods: Approximately 5 g of composite paste were dissolved in acetone pro analysi, mixed and centrifuged for 30 min at 3000 rpm. The remaining filler particles were dried (37 °C/12 h) and ultrasonically agitated. A computer-controlled apparatus using laser-diffraction technology was used to determine particle size distribution. Specimens (10 x 2 x 1 mm) were fractured with a 3-point bending test (n=15). KH was measured on fragments obtained after the flexural test (25g/30s). Raman spectra of both unpolymerized and polymerized resins were measured at room temperature in the backscattering geometry using the FT-Raman spectrometer. FS, KH and DC data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA and Tukey\'s post-hoc test (?=0.05). Results: The range of particle sizes was dramatically different for each composite. The composite Et showed the narrowest range of particle size while Sg showed the widest range. The highest DC means were observed for Te, Be and Cr. The lowest means were observed for Sg, Et and Si. Cr, Sy and Ta showed the highest FS values, while Ep, Sg and Si showed the lowest FS values. Te, Cr, Be and Et showed the highest KH means, while Ad and Sy the lowest. Conclusions: The composites Te, Cr and Be showed the best performance in all methods evaluated. On the other hand, the indirect composites Ep, Sg and Si demonstrated the worst performance.