IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PLASMA SCIENCE, VOL. 34, NO. 5, OCTOBER 2006
Experiments with X -pinches made with both Mo and W wires have been performed on 1-MA pulsed power generators at Cornell University and University of Nevada, Reno. X-ray images and spectra have been studied and compared for three comparable in parameters with the SNL-Z machine, albeit in different configurations of X -pinch loads with Mo and W wires. For all X -pinches, the image size decreases with decreasing wave length and photoconducting diode (PCD) signals show multiple bursts except for one variant of the mixed Mo and W configurations. Time-gated, as well as time-integrated, images indicate the presence of radiation from energetic electrons. Previous experience with application of L-shell Mo modeling to various Z- and X -pinch experiments helped to determine plasma para-meters in the X -pinches studied here, and permitted identification of M-shell W spectral features useful for plasma parameter estimation.

This paper, submitted to fulfill the final requirement for Ph.D. candidacy, outlines both the current and prospective research done under the direction of Dr. Avijit Ghosh. In it, I seek to understand a subset of the MAPK signal transduction pathway involving signaling from EGF. While the normal channels of endocytosis are generally understood via clathrin-coated pits, under oxidative stress the role of caveolae play an increasingly important role. In this paper, a model is developed to simulate active transport of these caveolae along microtubulin from the plasma membrane into the cytosol. A background in the numerical methods is developed to give the reader a firm understanding of the processes involved. While the problem can be considered in an isolated environment I will describe merging active transport into a much larger model of the complete MAPK pathway.

The aim of this paper is to propose an extended methodology building upon the basis of genetic algorithms (GA). An introduction to the basic steps of function optimization is given in the form of the method of steepest descents. The limitations to this method and others similar to it are shown. While many algorithms exist for linear systems, we hypothesize a general non-linear result using genetic algorithms. GA's are then introduced in a framework that will be expanded beyond its traditional boundaries. Instead of seeking the solution itself, we propose that new information can be gleaned by maximizing the method of solutions to a similar class of problems.

Optical tweezers, along with other single molecule methods, have found incredible versatility in the study of biological systems. This paper proposes their use to create an optical rotor using two intersecting perpendicular laser traps, and expounds on various applications.

This paper is intended as a graduate-level introduction to the theory and application of Lanczos procedures. A theoretical introduction will be developed for exact and finite precision matrices. The block symmetric method for real symmetric matrices will be introduced for their versatility in dealing with large, dense matrices that are common in many real-world engineering problems. A sample calculation is given to illustrate the Lanczos procedures in exact arithmetic. Sample code in C++ is also provided as a starting point for interested parties.

In this paper a practical implementation of the Lanczos method is applied to a real-world quantum mechanical system. A two dimensional banded symmetric Hamiltonian is introduced and the first ten eigenpairs are plotted. A brief overview of the Lanczos procedure is also given to elucidate the inner workings of the process.