Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Study On Performance Of Pruned Cnn-Based Classification Models, Mengling Deng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is a neural network developed for processing image data. CNNs have been studied extensively and have been used in numerous computer vision tasks such as image classification and segmentation, object detection and recognition, etc. [1] Although, the CNNs-based approaches showed humanlevel performances in these tasks [2], they require heavy computation in both training and inference stages, and the models consist of millions of parameters. This hinders the development and deployment of CNN-based models for real world applications. Neural Network Pruning and Compression techniques have been proposed [3, 4] to reduce the computation complexity of trained CNNs …

Diversity And Inclusion In Science Teaching Learning (Distl): Focusing On The Perspectives Of Undergraduate Students And Graduate Teaching Assistants In The Chemistry Classroom, Albert Aidoo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) come with a wide range of experiences and educational backgrounds. There is high attrition rate and low academic achievement among students in STEM areas, specifically in college chemistry courses that are prerequisites for many STEM majors. Hence it is important to look at diversity and inclusion specifically in first- and second-year college chemistry courses to address the challenge of student attrition in STEM. Diversity can be understood as the differences each student brings along the dimensions of prior knowledge, skills, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, socio-economic status, age, ability, religious or political …

Disentangling The Complex Evolutionary History Of Invasive Russian Thistle: Phylogenetic Relationships, The Role Of Hybridization, And Public Engagement, Deva Raj Khanal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Pathogen Prevalence In Domestic Sheep In Western Nebraska: Implications For Bighorn Sheep Conservation And Coexistence On A Multi-Use Landscape, Kaytlin Bohr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) and domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are members of the same genus and thus share multiple pathogens that can be spread between them. One specific respiratory pathogen of concern is Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovipneumoniae), which has been linked to pneumonia epizootics in bighorn sheep that are often characterized by all age die offs upon initial exposure followed by years of low lamb recruitment. Domestic sheep have been identified as one carrier of M. ovipneumoniae with transmission between sheep species occurring when there is close contact on the landscape. To prevent this cross-species transmission, importance has been placed …

The Efficacy Of The South Dakota State University Summer Jacks Leap Program, Tessa M. Sundermann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today, several studies detail the continuing struggle many students have with college mathematics courses at universities across the United States. The South Dakota State University Summer Jacks LeaP program is a summer bridge mathematics program aimed at improving incoming students’ mathematics success. This analysis used a mixed methods research design to examine the efficacy of the Summer Jacks LeaP program. First, we analyzed the LeaP students’ homework averages, exam 1 scores, final exam scores, and overall grade scores to determine if they were finding success in their fall semester mathematics courses. We also used hypothesis testing to compare LeaP participants …

Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus Virginiana L.) Encroachment On South-Central South Dakota Rangelands: Impact On Plant Communities, Austin K. Domeier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grasslands historically covered 46 million km2 of Earth’s surface representing nearly 42% of the living vegetation. Encroachment of woody species onto grasslands and savannas is a widely researched global phenomenon, with eastern redcedar (ERC) (Juniperus virginiana L.) trees being the most prominent woody encroacher in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) due to the lack of prescribed fire and planted ERC escaping from shelterbelts. This encroachment poses a threat to native plant communities in terms of their reproduction, regeneration, and diversity. ERC are fierce competitors and can establish in most soil types, are drought tolerant, and prolific seed reproducers. These qualities …

Post-Fledging Habitat Selection And Movements Of Juvenile Mallards In The Prairie Pothole Region, Cynthia E. Anchor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America provides critical habitat for waterfowl across life stages, but anthropogenic changes to the landscape have negatively impacted habitat quality for waterfowl. The mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is abundant and socioeconomically valuable in the PPR, as it is a preferred target species of waterfowl hunters. Extensive research has evaluated breeding ecology of mallards in the PPR, but the period between juvenile mallards fledging and migrating has rarely been studied. The post-fledging ecology of juvenile mallards is a vital consideration for comprehensive waterfowl management. Further, juvenile mallards are a significant portion of hunter harvest at …

Targeted Browsing With Goats For Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus Virginiana L.) Control, Alanna M. Hartsfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As eastern redcedar (ERC) (Juniperus virginiana L.) grassland encroachment progresses, all potential control methods should be explored in the interest of Great Plains grassland health and longevity. Targeted browsing with goats has been proven as an effective control method on some juniper species; however, little is known about its ability to control ERC. These studies intend to mend knowledge gaps of how targeted browsing with goats control ERC by causing tree death without chemicals or machinery. The first study is two 3x3 Latin squares comparing protein-supplemented diets. The second study is a randomized complete block design of five 0.224 ha …

Femtosecond Pulse Compression Via Self-Phase Modulation In 1-Decanol, Jacob A. Stephen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ultrafast science is a branch of photonics with far reaching applications in and outside the realm of physics. Ultrashort laser pulses on the order of femtoseconds (1 fs = 1 × 10−15 s) are widely used for ultrafast science. Many lasers can produce pulses on the order of 100 fs, with state of the art, high end lasers being capable of producing pulses around 30 fs. However, many experiments require pulses around 10 fs or shorter. Femtosecond pulses are typically generated using spectral broadening via self-phase modulation, followed by dispersion compensation. The most common spectral broadening technique exploits the nonlinear …

Convolutional Neural Networks For Breast Ultrasound Image Segmentation, Yahya Abdullah Alzahrani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Medical Image Segmentation is the process of segmenting and detecting boundaries of anatomical structures in various types of 2D and 3D medical images. The latter come from different modalities, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), X-Rays, Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography, Computed Tomography (CT), and Ultrasound (US). It is a key supporting technology for medical applications including diagnostics, planning, monitoring, and guidance. Hence, a large number of segmentation methods have been published in past decades. This dissertation presents four contributions to the field d of medical images and for segmentation in general and to Breast Ultrasound (BUS) image …

A Blockchain-Based Privacy-Preserving Physical Delivery System, Shahin Zanbaghi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The internet has transformed the way we shop. Previously, most of our purchases came in the form of shopping trips to a nearby store. Now, it’s as easy as clicking a mouse. But with great convenience comes great responsibility. We have to be constantly vigilant about our personal information. This work presents a novel approach for online buyers to have a trusted, decentralized, privacy-preserved physical assets delivery solution. The proposed solution focuses on privacy-preserving personal information in delivering physical assets between sellers and buyers. Our primary approach is to prevent sellers and agents (responsible for ensuring the asset delivery is …

Understanding Freshwater Ecosystems And Human Health Implications In Recreational Water Through Microbial Characterization, Source Tracking, And Sediment-Microbe Dynamics, Danielle Gleason

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Contamination of natural aquatic ecosystems is a serious global concern as populations increase and the environment is impacted by climate change. Nonpoint source (NPS) contamination of allochthonous materials, such as sediments, nutrients, and microorganisms, is commonly introduced to a body of water through runoff and wash-off which cumulates over a large area, and is subsequently transported to surface waters (e.g., rivers, streams, lakes) and shorelines. The principal form of microbial contamination of water resources is often from fecal pollution derived from humans, domesticated animals, or wildlife, and contains a variety of human pathogens. There are also numerous factors (with limited …

On Estimation Methods In Tensor Regression Models, Mai Ghannam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we consider two estimation problems in some tensor regression models. The first estimation problem is about the tensor coefficient in a tensor regression model with multiple and unknown change-points. We generalize some recent findings in five ways. First, the problem studied is more general than the one in context of a matrix parameter with multiple change-points. Second, we develop asymptotic results of the tensor estimators in the context of a tensor regression with unknown change-points. Third, we construct a class of shrinkage tensor estimators that encompasses the unrestricted estimator (UE) and the restricted estimator (RE). Fourth, we …

Structure And Mechanics Of Biomembrane Mimics In The Presence Of Vitamin E, Mitchell Dipasquale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the course of this dissertation, the fundamental behaviours and interactions between various analogs of vitamin E and biologically-relevant membranes will be explored. These analogs include the biologically active form, α-tocopherol; the most naturally abundant form γ-tocopherol; an oxidized product, α-tocopheryl quinone; and the synthetic stabile form, vitamin E acetate.

Beginning in Chapter 1, a foundation in membrane biophysics is established from a historical progression of the field. The importance of biomembranes is argued and a deep connection is established between structure and function. Key structural features of lipid assemblies, and role of lipid composition is defined, and with the …

Identifying Network Biomarkers For Each Breast Cancer Subtypes Along With Their Effective Single And Paired Repurposed Drugs Using Network-Based Machine Learning Techniques, Forough Firoozbakht

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is a complex disease that can be classified into at least 10 different molecular subtypes. Appropriate diagnosis of specific subtypes is critical for ensuring the best possible patient treatment and response to therapy. Current computational methods for determining the subtypes are based on identifying differentially expressed genes (i.e., biomarkers) that can best discriminate the subtypes. Such approaches, however, are known to be unreliable since they yield different biomarker sets when applied to data sets from different studies. Gathering knowledge about the functional relationship among genes will identify “network biomarkers” that will enrich the criteria for biomarker selection. Cancer …

Characterization Of Cyclopropyl Synthases Involved In The Maturation Of Ribosomally Synthesized And Posttranslationally Modified Peptides, Yi Lien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a large class of natural products with significant human health implications. RiPPs are synthesized from a genetically encoded precursor peptide that undergoes significant modifications by maturing enzymes, or maturases. Recently, radical-S-adenosylmethionine (rSAM) enzymes have emerged as an important family of RiPP maturases. rSAM enzymes have been shown to install ether, thioether, and carbon-carbon bonds on the precursor peptide. These modifications usually define the backbone structure of the mature RiPP. This thesis describes the characterization of a novel RiPP modification catalyzed by the radical S-adenosylmethionine enzyme TigE. TigE belongs to the TIG biosynthetic …

A Comparison Of The Oxidative Addition Chemistry Of Tetrathiocins To P- And D- Block Elements, Lara Watanabe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the oxidative addition of 1,2,5,6-tetrathiocins to low valent transition metals and p-block elements. Chapter 1 provides a literature review of tetrathiocin reactivity and the related dithiete chemistry for both the p- and d-block elements. Chapter 2 describes the synthesis of a library of tetrathiocins used extensively through the rest of this thesis alongside the synthesis of a series of group 10 dithiolate complexes through the oxidative addition of tetrathiocins to M2dba3 (M = Pd or Pt) in the presence of the chelating phosphines dppe and dppf to generate complexes of general formula M(dt)(dppe) and M(dt)(dppf) [M = …

Segceco: Subgraph Embedding Of Gene Expression Matrix For Prediction Of Cell-Cell Communication, Sheena Hora

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, graph-structured data has become increasingly developed in a variety of fields from biological networks to social networks. While link prediction is one of the key problems in graph theory, cell-cell communication regulates individual cell activities and is a crucial part of tissue structure and function. In this regard, recent advances in single-cell RNA sequencing technologies have eased routine analyses of intercellular signaling networks. Previous studies work on various link prediction approaches. These approaches have certain assumptions about when nodes are likely to interact, thus, showing high performance for some specific networks. Subgraph-based methods have solved this problem and outperformed …

Graph Realizability And Factor Properties Based On Degree Sequence, Daniel John

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A graph is a structure consisting of a set of vertices and edges. Graph construction has been a focus of research for a long time, and generating graphs has proven helpful in complex networks and artificial intelligence.

A significant problem that has been a focus of research is whether a given sequence of integers is graphical. Havel and Hakimi stated necessary and sufficient conditions for a degree sequence to be graphic with different properties. In our work, we have proved the sufficiency of the requirements by generating algorithms and providing constructive proof.

Given a degree sequence, one crucial problem is …

Building Competent Teams Of Experts Based On Project Completion Time And Skill Levels, Yalda Yazdanpanah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With many companies quickly expanding their sizes, building the best team of experts from the applicants has evolved into an interesting subject for computer-aided decision-making tasks. In this regard, the Team Formation Problem (TFP) has been well-studied in Artificial Intelligence and operations research literature in recent years. We consider a Team Formation Problem of assigning qualified experts to a given set of positions in a given set of projects where each position is to be filled with an expert with a required skill. In our setting, an expert can be quantitatively characterized by one level per skill, and each expert …

Developing A Robust Defensive System Against First Order Adversarial Attacks Using Siamese Neural Network Methods, Ahamd Khalil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Both Convolutional neural networks (CNN) and Deep neural networks (DNN)have recently demonstrated state-of-the-art performance in various real-world ap- plications. However, in recent research the Deep neural networks are shown to be sensitive to adversarial attacks .[32]. Furthermore, it was evidenced that inputs that are almost invariant to the human eye from natural data can be classified incorrectly by deep neural networks. [32]. Although adversarial training improves the model’s robustness significantly, it eventually devolves into a whack-a-mole game in which defenders and attackers try to outdo each other. Because of recent advancements in computer applications, the security aspects of machine learning …

Simple Measurement For Ultrafast Field Reconstruction, Chathurangani Jayalath Arachchige

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ultrashort pulses are important for resolving electron motion in semiconductors to measure electronic transport properties. Electron wave packet motion is on the order of attoseconds, requiring temporal resolution on this time scale. However, a major constraint on femtosecond (1 fs = 10−15 s) and attosecond (1 as = 10−18 s) science is how well we can control and compress the excitation and measurement pulses in pump-probe experiments. Such ultrashort pulses require a broad spectrum with careful phase control across its bandwidth to minimize the duration. We discuss a new optical measurement technique that can directly measure the electric field that …

Speed Offset Attack Detection In Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (Vanets) Using Machine Learning, Bhuiyan Mustafa Tawheed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An integral component of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) is the emerging technology called Vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET). VANET allows Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) communication wirelessly to improve road safety, traffic congestion, and information dissemination. Communication of vehicles in a VANET network is vulnerable to various attacks. Commonly used cryptographic techniques alone are insufficient to ensure and protect vehicle message integrity and authentication from insider attacks. In such cases, additional measures are necessary to ensure the correctness of the transmitted data. Each vehicle in the network periodically broadcasts a basic safety message (BSM) that contains …

Evaluation Of Field-Level Screening, Sampling, Storage, And Laboratory Analysis Of Hydrogen Sulfide And Reduced Sulfur Species In Sagd Operations, Kaylee Colene Anagnostopoulos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operations extract viscous bitumen from the subsurface. During routine operations, fugitive gas can present as a surface casing vent flow (SCVF) or a gas migration (GM) in soils. Depending on regulatory thresholds, these fugitive gases can be classified as serious or non-serious. The presence of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) automatically classifies a well as serious by regulators. Thus, accurate detection and quantification is necessary to meet and exceed regulatory policies and provide the highest standards of environmental health and safety for the energy sector. This thesis investigates the impacts temperature and steam present …

Development Of Novel Therapies Targeting Biochemical Mechanisms To Halt Progression Of Alzheimer’S And Parkinson’S Disease, Caleb Vegh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD) are the two most common and devastating neurodegenerative diseases in the world. There is no cure for either disease and current treatments provide only symptomatic relief. Furthermore, current treatments for AD and PD have shown to exhibit adverse side effects when taken over long periods of time. With age being the greatest risk factor for developing AD and PD, the increase in the aging population has the potential to lead to a serious medical/economic crisis due to the amount of time and care required for patients with AD and PD. The exact aetiologias …

The Immobilization Of Ticagrelor On Implant Materials And Corrosion And Biofouling Inhibition By Novel Layered Polymer Thin Films For Marine Application, Tell Lovelace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Percutaneous coronary interventions are a widely used cardiovascular surgery which is typically accompanied by the insertion of a vascular stent. After the procedure patients are put on dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT) to prevent stent thrombosis, a common complication to this procedure in which platelets aggregate in the blood vessel on the inserted stent. Systemic deactivation of platelets in patients via oral DAPT results in patients becoming bleeding risks in future medical procedures, necessitating the development of a localized delivery system for anti-platelet medications from the surface of the stent. A novel anti-thrombogenic vascular stent coating has been prepared by covalent …

High Resolution Remote Sensing As A Tool To Improve Coastal Habitat Mapping In The Gulf Of Maine, Gabriel Hesketh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The derivation of oceanographic and biological parameters from remote sensing is well documented across decades of research. Careful evaluation of satellite products provides insight into the optimal algorithms for image processing, research, and various biogeographical applications. Archived multi-satellite data from the United States Geological Survey offers users decades of continuously updated global data, and the agency has recently updated the Landsat portion of its catalog with Collection 2 files, which offers both Level 1 and Level 2 processed data products. Here, we evaluate the Collection 2 improvements using several published algorithms currently used to derive sea surface temperature, chlorophyll, and …

Seasonal Flammability Comparisons Of Native And Exotic Plants In The Post Oak Savannah, Blackland Prairie, And Pineywoods Ecoregions Of Texas, Michael Tiller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

East Texas’ diverse landscape can present year-round wildfire seasons that can be influenced by seasonal and regional differences in climate and physiography. Greater insight into the fundamental thermal behavior of wildland fuels can aid in fire behavior prediction and development of fire-resistant plant lists. This study focused on estimating seasonal and regional flammability characteristics of five evergreen species: yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), greenbrier (Smilax spp.), eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), and escarpment live oak (Quercus fusiformis); and two deciduous species: Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) and southern …

Computationally Modeling Dynamic Biological Systems, Katherine Jarvis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modeling biological systems furthers our understanding of dynamic relationships and helps us make predictions of the unknown properties of the system. The simple interplay between individual species in a dynamic environment over time can be modeled by equation-based modeling or agent- based modeling (ABM). Equation based modeling describes the change in species quantity using ordinary differential equations (ODE) and is dependent on the quantity of other species in the system as well as a predetermined rates of change. Unfortunately, this method of modeling does not model each individual agent in each species over time so individual dynamics are assumed to …

Stratigraphic Analysis Of The Capps Limestone In The North Norton Oil Field In Runnels County, Texas, William Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Desmoinesian (Middle Pennsylvanian) Capps Limestone Member of the Mineral Wells Formation is a carbonate reservoir located in North Central Texas. It consists of interbedded limestone, sandstone, and shale units. Much of the Capps Limestone exists in the subsurface of Brown, Coleman, Runnels, Coke, Nolan, and Taylor counties, however, the Capps Limestone outcrops on the surface in Brown, Eastland, and Palo Pinto counties.

The cored interval from Runnels County was deposited in a marginal marine environment during the Middle Pennsylvanian Period. Although the Capps Limestone was first described in the 1890s, there is still much to be discovered about its …