Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Burden Of Atopic Dermatitis In The United States: Analysis Of Healthcare Claims Data In The Commercial, Medicare, And Medi-Cal Databases, Sulena Shrestha, Raymond Miao, Li Wang, Jingdong Chao, Huseyin Yuce, Wenhui Wei

Publications and Research

Comparative data on the burden of atopic dermatitis (AD) in adults relative to the general population are limited. We performed a large-scale evaluation of the burden of disease among US adults with AD relative to matched non-AD controls, encompassing comorbidities, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and costs, using healthcare claims data. The impact of AD disease severity on these outcomes was also evaluated.

Elliptic Genera Of 2d (0,2) Gauge Theories From Brane Brick Models, Sebastian Franco, Dongwook Ghim, Sangmin Lee, Rak-Kyeong Seong

Publications and Research

We compute the elliptic genus of abelian 2d (0, 2) gauge theories corresponding to brane brick models. These theories are worldvolume theories on a single D1-brane probing a toric Calabi-Yau 4-fold singularity. We identify a match with the elliptic genus of the non-linear sigma model on the same Calabi-Yau background, which is computed using a new localization formula. The matching implies that the quantum effects do not drastically alter the correspondence between the geometry and the 2d (0, 2) gauge theory. In theories whose matter sector suffers from abelian gauge anomaly, we propose an ansatz for an anomaly …

Quadrality For Supersymmetric Matrix Models, Sebastian Franco, Sangmin Lee, Rak-Kyeong Seong, Cumrun Vafa

Publications and Research

We introduce a new duality for N = 1 supersymmetric gauged matrix models. This 0d duality is an order 4 symmetry, namely an equivalence between four different theories, hence we call it Quadrality. Our proposal is motivated by mirror symmetry, but is not restricted to theories with a D-brane realization and holds for general N = 1 matrix models. We present various checks of the proposal, including the matching of: global symmetries, anomalies, deformations and the chiral ring. We also consider quivers and the corresponding quadrality networks. Finally, we initiate the study of matrix models that arise on the worldvolume …

Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling And Oxidativeamination Reactions Of Ethers And Alcohols With Aromatics And Heteroaromatics, Mahesh K. Lakshman, Prasanna K. Vuram

Publications and Research

Cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) is a process in which, typically, a C–C bond is formed at the expense of two C–H bonds, either catalyzed by metals or other organic compounds, or via uncatalyzed processes. In this perspective, we present various modes of C–H bond-activation at sp3 centers adjacent to ether oxygen atoms, followed by C–C bond formation with aromatic systems as well as with heteroaromatic systems. C–N bond-formation with NH-containing heteroaromatics, leading to hemiaminal ethers, is also an event that can occur analogously to C–C bond formation, but at the expense of C–H and N–H bonds. A large variety of hemiaminal …

Study Of Pblh And Its Correlation With Particulate Matter From One-Year Observation Over Nanjing, Southeast China, Yawei Qu, Yong Han, Yonghua Wu, Peng Gao, Tijian Wang

Publications and Research

The Planetary Boundary Layer Height (PBLH) plays an important role in the formation and development of air pollution events. Particulate Matter is one of major pollutants in China. Here, we present the characteristics of PBLH through three-methods of Lidar data inversion and show the correlation between the PBLH and the PM2.5 (PM2.5 with the diameter 75 μg/m3 and the PM2.5 < 35 μg/m3 in daytime, respectively. The low PBLH often occurs with condition of the low wind speed and high relative humidity, which will lead to high PM2.5 concentration and the low visibility. On the other hand, the stability of PBL is enhanced by high PM concentration and low visibility.

The Quantification Of Cocaine From The Erythroxylum Coca Plant And The Comparison On High Performance Liquid Chromatography And Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy As An Analytical Method., Tuesday James

Student Theses

Cocaine is derived from the Erythroxylum coca plant, is a highly addictive stimulant abused all over the world. There are two types of Erythroxylum coca plants that produce cocaine; the E. Coca and E. Novogranatense. Cocaine exists as the salt, and the freebase which is typically referred to as “crack” due to the crackling sound it makes when heated. It is popular because it is inexpensive and easily available on the streets, mainly in poor urban areas. The purpose of this project was to determine the amount of cocaine that can be extracted from E.coca and to assess which analytical …

Insights Into The Binding Mode Of Mek Type-Iii Inhibitors. A Step Towards Discovering And Designing Allosteric Kinase Inhibitors Across The Human Kinome, Zheng Zhao, Lei Xie, Philip E. Bourne

Publications and Research

Protein kinases are critical drug targets for treating a large variety of human diseases. Type- III kinase inhibitors have attracted increasing attention as highly selective therapeutics. Thus, understanding the binding mechanism of existing type-III kinase inhibitors provides useful insights into designing new type-III kinase inhibitors. In this work, we have systematically studied the binding mode of MEK-targeted type-III inhibitors using structural systems pharmacology and molecular dynamics simulation. Our studies provide detailed sequence, structure, interaction-fingerprint, pharmacophore and binding-site information on the binding characteristics of MEK type-III kinase inhibitors. We hypothesize that the helix-folding activation loop is a hallmark allosteric binding site …

Influence Of The Interaction Of Calcium Carbonate Particles With Surfactants On The Degree Of Water Pollution In Small Rivers, Petry Spataru, Francisco Fernandez, Joseph W. Sista, Tudor Spataru, Oxana Spinu, Igor Povar

Publications and Research

Introduction: The influence of the interaction of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and surface-active substances (SAS; surfactants) with different chain lengths and cationic and anionic hydrophilic centers has been analyzed.

Results: Laboratory simulations indicate reduced negative influences on cationic SAS nitrification/self-purification processes in the presence of anionic species. This suggests the role of complex ionic formation [anionic SAS * cationic SAS] as a cause of this effect. UV-Vis spectra of lauryl sulfate (LS) and of cetyltrimethylammonium (CTMA), as well as of their mixtures in ratios of 2:1 and 1:1, treated by fine particles of CaCO3, display decreased amounts of SAS in analyzed …

Species Identification Of Necrophagous Insect Eggs Based On Amino Acid Profile Differences Revealed By Direct Analysis In Real Time-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry, Justine E. Giffen, Jennifer Y. Rosati, Cameron M. Longo, Rabi A. Musah

Publications and Research

The colonization of decomposing remains by necrophagous insects such as blow flies is of forensic importance because the progression through the various stages of insect development can be correlated to time of death. The ability to infer this information hinges on accurate determination of the fly species that are associated with the entomological evidence collected. This evidence can include eggs, larvae, pupae, and puparial casings. Determination of the egg’s identity is particularly challenging because the eggs of multiple species are morphologically very similar. We report here that the species identity of fly eggs can be determined from their chemical fingerprint …

Sobel, Dava. The Glass Universe: How The Ladies Of The Harvard Observatory Took The Measure Of The Stars. New York: Viking, 2016. 324 Pp. $30.00 Hardcover (Isbn 9780670016952)., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

Women in science have been and are still facing numerous obstacles. According

to the American Association of University Professors, despite the fact that 60

percent of all doctoral students (the main pipeline for academia) in this country

are women, only 46 percent of assistant professors, 38 percent of associate

professors, and 23 percent of full professors are female. On top of that, women

faculty in colleges and universities in the United States earn on average 10 percent

less than their male counterparts.1 A number of studies have shown that women

in academia suffer from lower expectations for intelligence, so when …

Intercusp Geodesics And Cusp Shapes Of Fully Augmented Links, Rochy Flint

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

We study the geometry of fully augmented link complements in the 3-sphere by looking at their link diagrams. We extend the method introduced by Thistlethwaite and Tsvietkova to fully augmented links and define a system of algebraic equations in terms of parameters coming from edges and crossings of the link diagrams. Combining it with the work of Purcell, we show that the solutions to these algebraic equations are related to the cusp shapes of fully augmented link complements. As an application we use the cusp shapes to study the commensurability classes of fully augmented links.

Manifold Convergence: Sewing Sequences Of Riemannian Manifolds With Positive Or Nonnegative Scalar Curvature, Jorge E. Basilio

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this thesis, we develop a new method of performing surgery on 3-dimensional manifolds called "sewing" and use this technique to construct sequences of Riemannian manifolds with positive or nonnegative scalar curvature. The foundation of our method is a strengthening of the Gromov-Lawson tunnel construction which guarantees the existence of “tiny” and arbitrarily “short” tunnels. We study the limits of sequences of sewn spaces under the Gromov-Hausdorff (GH) and Sormani-Wenger Instrinsic-Flat (SWIF) distances and discuss to what extent the notion of scalar curvature extends to these spaces. We give three applications of the sewing technique to demonstrate that stability theorems …

Olfactory Receptor Antagonism In The Or-I7 Aldehyde Receptor And The Mammalian Olfactory System, Min Ting Liu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The detection of smell is initiated when an odorant binds and activates olfactory receptors (ORs) within the nose. Chapter 1 studies the structural requirements for activation of the OR-I7 aldehyde receptor. Octanal is an agonist of the OR-I7 receptor. 4-Ethylcyclohexylacetaldehyde (1.1), with a cyclohexyl ring that locks the C4-C5 bond of octanal in the gauche conformation, was previously found to have higher potency than octanal, suggesting that the OR-I7 receptor prefers the gauche conformation of octanal during activation. However, 1.1 had only been previously tested as a mixture of cis- and trans-isomers, and therefore, it was …

From The Making To The Tuning To The Use Of Chlorins For Biomedical Applications, Junior Gonzales

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Chlorins are porphyrins missing a double bond. These pigments are optimal platforms for the development of novel dyes that display drug-like attributes such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) agents. More recently, it was demonstrated that chlorins can serve both as a PDT agent and as a modality for fluorescence or PET imaging. Thus, multifunctional chlorins eliminate the differences that may occur in specificity, uptake, and distribution between separate compounds or constructs for imaging and therapy. The overall goal of this dissertation is to take advantage of the reputed intrinsic attributes of chlorins as a viable tool in biomedical applications. In this …

Elimination For Systems Of Algebraic Differential Equations, Richard Gustavson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

We develop new upper bounds for several effective differential elimination techniques for systems of algebraic ordinary and partial differential equations. Differential elimination, also known as decoupling, is the process of eliminating a fixed subset of unknown functions from a system of differential equations in order to obtain differential algebraic consequences of the original system that do not depend on that fixed subset of unknowns. A special case of differential elimination, which we study extensively, is the question of consistency, that is, if the given system of differential equations has a solution. We first look solely at the ``algebraic data" of …

Rewriting Methods In Groups With Applications To Cryptography, Gabriel Zapata

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this thesis we describe how various rewriting methods in combinatorial group theory can be used to diffuse information about group elements, which makes it possible to use these techniques as an important constituent in cryptographic primitives. We also show that, while most group-based cryptographic primitives employ the complexity of search versions of algorithmic problems in group theory, it is also possible to use the complexity of decision problems, in particular the word problem, to claim security of relevant protocols.

Solving Algorithmic Problems In Finitely Presented Groups Via Machine Learning, Jonathan Gryak

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Machine learning and pattern recognition techniques have been successfully applied to algorithmic problems in free groups. In this dissertation, we seek to extend these techniques to finitely presented non-free groups, in particular to polycyclic and metabelian groups that are of interest to non-commutative cryptography.

As a prototypical example, we utilize supervised learning methods to construct classifiers that can solve the conjugacy decision problem, i.e., determine whether or not a pair of elements from a specified group are conjugate. The accuracies of classifiers created using decision trees, random forests, and N-tuple neural network models are evaluated for several non-free groups. …

Naturally-Derived Molecular Ensembles In Medicine, Materials Science And Evolutionary Biology: An Interdisciplinary Study, Silvio Panettieri

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The first chapter will introduce the work carried out in collaboration with the Govind laboratory at CCNY. Our quest was set forth to investigate the intimate relationship lying between chronic inflammation and tumor development. For at least the last fifteen years much research has been conducted on this topic; yet, the level of complexity arising from exceedingly interwoven biochemical pathways in mammals has resulted in slow advancements in this field. This is why we resorted to a simple yet powerful immunogenetic model organism, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, in combination with the administration of the most common anti-inflammatory drug, …

The Advanced Spectroscopic Analysis Of Organic Gunshot Residue And Explosives, Jennifer M. Leonard

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

With the prevalence of shooting cases and terrorist attacks/or threats that plague the current state of the criminal justice system, it is of paramount importance to be able to detect, identify and interpret the presence of gunshot residue or explosives material. This concern is seen in law enforcement agencies and the media throughout the United States and abroad.

Currently, the typical method of analyzing gunshot residue in most crime laboratories serves to identify the inorganic constituents of the primer residue, namely lead, barium and antimony. However, it is possible that the organic matter from the propellant could provide different information …

Counting Rational Points, Integral Points, Fields, And Hypersurfaces, Joseph Gunther

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis comes in four parts, which can be read independently of each other.

In the first chapter, we prove a generalization of Poonen's finite field Bertini theorem, and use this to show that the obvious obstruction to embedding a curve in some smooth surface is the only obstruction over perfect fields, extending a result of Altman and Kleiman. We also prove a conjecture of Vakil and Wood on the asymptotic probability of hypersurface sections having a prescribed number of singularities.

In the second chapter, for a fixed base curve over a finite field of characteristic at least 5, we …

Characterizing Cool Brown Dwarfs And Low-Mass Companions With Low-Resolution Near-Infrared Spectra, Paige Godfrey

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Exoplanet direct detections are reaching the temperature regime of cool brown dwarfs, motivating further understanding of the coolest substellar atmospheres. These objects, T and Y dwarfs, are numerous and isolated in the field, thus making them easier to study in detail than objects in companion systems. Brown dwarf spectral types are derived from spectral morphology and generally appear to correspond with decreasing mass and effective temperature (T_eff). However, spectral subclasses of the colder objects do not share this monotonic temperature correlation, indicating that secondary parameters (gravity, metallicity, dust) significantly influence spectral morphology. These secondary atmospheric parameters can provide …

Joint Laver Diamonds And Grounded Forcing Axioms, Miha Habič

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In chapter 1 a notion of independence for diamonds and Laver diamonds is investigated. A sequence of Laver diamonds for κ is joint if for any sequence of targets there is a single elementary embedding j with critical point κ such that each Laver diamond guesses its respective target via j. In the case of measurable cardinals (with similar results holding for (partially) supercompact cardinals) I show that a single Laver diamond for κ yields a joint sequence of length κ, and I give strict separation results for all larger lengths of joint sequences. Even though the principles get …

Turaev Surfaces And Toroidally Alternating Knots, Seungwon Kim

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this thesis, we study knots and links via their alternating diagrams on closed orientable surfaces. Every knot or link has such a diagram by a construction of Turaev, which is called the Turaev surface of the link. Links that have an alternating diagram on a torus were defined by Adams as toroidally alternating. For a toroidally alternating link, the minimal genus of its Turaev surface may be greater than one. Hence, these surfaces provide different topological measures of how far a link is from being alternating.

First, we classify link diagrams with Turaev genus one and two in terms …

Travel Mode Identification With Smartphone Sensors, Xing Su

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Personal trips in a modern urban society typically involve multiple travel modes. Recognizing a traveller's transportation mode is not only critical to personal context-awareness in related applications, but also essential to urban traffic operations, transportation planning, and facility design. While the state of the art in travel mode recognition mainly relies on large-scale infrastructure-based fixed sensors or on individuals' GPS devices, the emergence of the smartphone provides a promising alternative with its ever-growing computing, networking, and sensing powers. In this thesis, we propose new algorithms for travel mode identification using smartphone sensors. The prototype system is built upon the latest …

The Modified Stereospecific Stille Reaction: Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions Involving Secondary And Tertiary Alkyl Carbastannatranes, Chao-Yuan Wang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Organic chemistry is present in all domains of everyday life, from polymer production to medicine. In order to synthesize complex compounds, it is often necessary to make new carbon-carbon bonds. Transition metal catalysts, particularly those derived from second and third row metals such as Pt, Pd, Rh, and Ir metals, display remarkable efficiency for the formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. In the first chapter, introduction of transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions is given. While the formation of C(sp²)–C(sp²) bonds has been studied extensively, C(sp³)-C(sp²) bond formation still presents a challenge due to …

Quantum Optical Interferometry And Quantum State Engineering, Richard J. Birrittella Jr

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

We highlight some of our research done in the fields of quantum optical interferometry and quantum state engineering. We discuss the body of work for which our research is predicated, as well as discuss some of the fundamental tenants of the theory of phase estimation. We do this in the context of quantum optical interferometry where our primary interest lies in the calculation of the quantum Fisher information as it has been shown that the minimum phase uncertainty obtained, the quantum Cramer-Rao bound, is saturated by parity-based detection methods. We go on to show that the phase uncertainty one obtains …

Chelating Ligands And Nanomaterials Based On Graphene Oxide For The Reduction And Sequestration Of Radiometals And Protein Purification, Sam Groveman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Nuclear waste remediation and protein purification using immobilized metals can benefit enormously from the design and implementation of novel chelating nanomaterials. Available commercial resins capable of sequestering metals are based on bulk materials such as organic polymers, ceramics, and their composites. The use of two-dimensional nanoplatforms with large surface areas expands the horizon for the research and development of new systems with higher efficiency and lower cost. Fundamental science challenges remain in the synthesis and characterization of these nanomaterials and their integration with known or novel coordinating ligands.

Chemical exfoliation of graphite under strong oxidizing conditions yields graphene oxide (GO) …

Fabrication And Applications Of Multifunctional Superhydrophobic Surfaces Based On Surface Chemistry And Morphology, Yang Liu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Superhydrophobic surfaces are gaining great interests in both fundamental researches and technological applications, because of their unique non-wetting and self-cleaning properties. By mimicking the hierarchical surface structure of the natural superhydrophobic surface, i.e. lotus leaf, numerous artificial surperhydrophobic surfaces were developed. However, the challenge is how to fabricate superhydrophobic surfaces by a scalable and economical method. To address this challenge, our group has developed methodologies that enable the fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces in inexpensive and potentially scalable ways, such as lamination and 3-D printing. To expand on applications, we also combined other desired functionalities into the superhydrophobic surfaces.

The transparent …

Wave Propagation Inside Random Media, Xiaojun Cheng

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis presents results of studies of wave scattering within and transmission through random and periodic systems. The main focus is on energy profiles inside quasi-1D and 1D random media.

The connection between transport and the states of the medium is manifested in the equivalence of the dimensionless conductance, g, and the Thouless number which is the ratio of the average linewidth and spacing of energy levels. This equivalence and theories regarding the energy profiles inside random media are based on the assumption that LDOS is uniform throughout the samples. We have conducted microwave measurements of the longitudinal energy profiles …

Lichen Conservation In Eastern North America: Population Genomics, Climate Change, And Translocations, Jessica Allen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Conservation biology is a scientific discipline that draws on methods from diverse fields to address specific conservation concerns and inform conservation actions. This field is overwhelmingly focused on charismatic animals and vascular plants, often ignoring other diverse and ecologically important groups. This trend is slowly changing in some ways; for example, increasing number of fungal species are being added to the IUCN Red-List. However, a strong taxonomic bias still exists. Here I contribute four research chapters to further the conservation of lichens, one group of frequently overlooked organisms. I address specific conservation concerns in eastern North America using modern methods. …