Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Using Emotion To Gain Rapport In A Spoken Dialog System, Jaime Cesar Acosta

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Although spoken dialog systems are becoming more widespread, their application is today limited largely to domains involving simple information exchange. To enable future applications, such as persuasion, new capabilities are needed. One barrier to the creation of such applications has been the lack of methods for building rapport between spoken dialog systems and human users, and more generally the inability to model the emotional and interpersonal aspects of dialog. This dissertation focuses on improving this.

A corpus of persuasive dialogs that in which a graduate coordinator informed undergraduate students about the graduate school option was analyzed. Although much of each …

Age-Distribution Estimation For Karst Groundwater: Issues Of Parameterization And Complexity In Inverse Modeling By Convolution, Andrew J. Long, Larry D. Putnam

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Convolution modeling is useful for investigating the temporal distribution of groundwater age based on environmental tracers. The framework of a quasi-transient convolution model that is applicable to two-domain flow in karst aquifers is presented. The model was designed to provide an acceptable level of statistical confidence in parameter estimates when only chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and tritium (³H) data are available. We show how inverse modeling and uncertainty assessment can be used to constrain model parameterization to a level warranted by available data while allowing major aspects of the flow system to be examined. As an example, the model was …

Asymptotic Approximation Of The Free Boundary For The American Put Near Expiry, Walt E. Bales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

An introduction to boundary value problems for the heat operator will focus on the Dirichlet and Neumann problems in bounded domains. Following an overview of the basic financial principles of derivative securities, a derivation of the Black-Scholes formulae will be given. Partial differential equations as free boundary problems will then be discussed and applied to modeling the American Put option. A method of solution close to expiry will then be investigated.

The Pluvial Lake Palomas - Samalayuca Dunes System, Miguel Dominguez Acosta

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A lacustro-aeolian system formed by the Pluvial Lake Palomas (PLP), the Samalayuca Dunes (SMD) and a connecting aeolian corridor is found in the central Chihuahuan Desert of North America approximately 50 km upwind (SW) of the binational Paso del Norte metroplex. The system is described by its three individual components. They comprise one of the largest paleo-lacustrine (Pleistocene) environments in the Chihuahuan Desert (PLP), one of the largest and least-studied sand seas of North America (SMD), and a newly described and geomorphically heterogeneous aeolian corridor connecting the two.

The Chihuahuan Desert has been a major and underappreciated dust production region …

Lipid Metal Organic Networks, Maria Eugenia Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) first appeared in the literature in 1991 and consist of three dimensional structures constructed by linking transition metal ions together through highly directional bonding with organic ligands. MOF materials offer the ability to choose from variety of metal centers that allow the tailoring of optical or magnetic properties, as well as control, to some extent, the size of the coordination sphere. Another advantage is the numerous organic ligands form which suitable pore geometries may be constructed with customized functionality among many applications in other areas such a gas storage chemical separations and selective catalysis. The primary objective …

A Retrospective Study Of Dust Storms And Respiratory Hospitalizations In El Paso, Texas Using A Case-Crossover Study Design, Yanlei Peng

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Dust storms frequently occur in El Paso, Texas, but little is known about their respiratory health effects. The association between dust storm and hospitalization for respiratory illness will be studied through a case-crossover study design. The goal is to ascertain the effect of dust storms, adjusted for weather and other pollutants, and to explore the potential harmfulness for different subgroups of residents. A case-crossover study allows patients to serve as their own controls, in order to reduce confounding. The history, relationship, and application of the case-control and case-crossover study designs are reviewed in this thesis. The estimating equations for conditional …

Studies Of Prompt Gamma And Neutron Yield Due To 2.5 Mev Neutrons Using Geant4, Jesus Felipe Tovar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the present work the software GEANT4, a particle transport toolkit based on the Monte Carlo method, developed mostly by CERN, but also by other institutions and universities. GEANT4 is here used to simulate the dispersive effects that 2.5 MeV neutrons undergo after interacting with different elements. This study has the main interest of identifying spectral signatures, that is the type and number of particles yielded after neutron bombardment of special nuclear material under various shielding conditions. Shielding is composed of various attenuating materials with simple geometrical configurations, that can evolve into more intricate geometries through Boolean operations, enclosing a …

Transition Metal Catalysts For Hydrodesulfurization Reactions Applied To Petroleum Industry, Brenda Torres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Catalysis plays a fundamental role in petroleum refining and basic petrochemical industries creating new routes in the development of industrial processes. Moreover, catalysis has become indispensable to the solution of environmental pollution problems and therefore on public health. World wide concerns for preservation of the environment has motivated the development of "Green" catalyst based technologies, to achieve a better utilization of petroleum resources and demands for cleaner transportation fuels. These environmental concerns have led to increasingly drastic regulations on sulfur, nitrogen and aromatics content in fuels. Sulfur content in the motor and diesel fuels is continuously reduced by regulations to …

By-Product Synergy In The Textile Industry: Indigo Waste Recovery In The Denim Finishing Process, Dennis Wambuguh

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Textile dyeing effluents present a substantial environmental problem, primarily because such effluents contain high concentrations of waste dyes, dye-products, and variable salts. The stonewashing process for the degradation of blue indigo to create a `faded' look in blue denim results in high concentrations of indigo dye waste in the resulting effluent and because indigo is very difficult to decompose biologically, the effluent ends up in the environment, raising aesthetic concerns and damaging the integrity of the rceiving streams. Wastewater containing indigo is characterized by a moderate amount of chemical oxygen demand (COD), pH, suspended solids, dissolved solids and a dark …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Organic-Inorganic Colorants, Kiran A V Adiraju

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

New colorant materials have been found with the interaction of organic dyes and metal alkoxides. Changes in the hue are observed as indigo dye or thioindigo dyes are combined with the ASB (aluminum tri-secbutoxide), when compared to the original indigo or thioindigo dye, due to the binding and geometry change between dye and metal alkoxide. These dyes are combined with the ASB in two different methods of hydrolysis, namely in the air and in water. Similarly, when TTIP (Titanium tetraisopropoxide) is hydrolyzed using the sol gel process, along with the incorporation of thioindigo dye, hue changes were observed. X-ray diffraction …

Symbiotic Effects Of The Fungus Glomus Sp. On Chromium(Iii), Chromium(Vi), And Lead(Ii) Uptake By Mesquite (Prosopis Sp.): A Novel Method To Remediate Heavy Metals, Jack A. Arias

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The indiscriminate disposal of lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) containing wastes has resulted in a detrimental impact on environmental health. Lead and Cr are in the EPA priority list due to their degree of toxicity on humans, animals, plants, and other living organisms. The removal of toxic wastes involves technologies that are expensive, sometimes incomplete, and could represent health hazards. In addition, site restoration after contaminant removal encompasses time and technological resources. Phytoremediation, the use of plants alone or associated with microorganisms, represents a potentially cost-effective option in the long term management of contaminated sites. Various plants known as "hyperaccumulators" …

Introduction To Pseudo-Ordered Groups, Maria Dolores Cruz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

We will give a definition, examples and basic properties of pseudo-ordered groups. These generalize partially-ordered groups. The pseudo-ordered groups have a compatible pseudo-order relation that may lack transitivity. Unlike partially-ordered groups, our groups can be finite and still admit a non-trivial pseudo-order. We will show necessary and sufficient conditions for a group to have a compatible pseudo-order. We also consider maximal pseudo-orders. We give a definition of a pseudo chain induced by a pseudo-order and characterize all pseudo chains on the group $\mathbb {Z}_{n}.$ We will calculate the number of non-isomorphic pseudo-orders on $\mathbb {Z}_{n}$ for $ n < 24.$

Earth Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging And Paramagnetic Contrast Agents, Saideh Sadat Mortazavi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The goal of this research was to visualize the uptake of copper by plants to aid phyto-remediation research. The hypothesis was that regions of the plant with more copper will have an enhanced NMR signal using copper as a paramagnetic contrast agent.

As the name implies, Earth Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (EFMRI) spectrometry uses a magnetic field 300,000 times weaker than a 600 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer. Just like in conventional human MRI, this portable instrument is capable of recording one, two and three dimensional images though the sample size is much smaller.

The enhancement of signal was …

Survey Research On Communication And Language For English Language Learners And Native English Speakers Enrolled In A College Course On Statistical Literacy, Maria Guadalupe Valenzuela

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine in what ways language is a factor that affects the learning process of students in an introductory statistics class. This research used a questionnaire survey instrument called: CLASS, Communication, Language And Statistics Survey that was applied to a total of 137 college students from a large southwestern public university, 83 of these students were self-identified as native English speakers (NOELL) and 53 were self-identified as English learner speakers (ELL) and one was dropped. This research found that in statistical instruction, there are some particular differences in behavior and learning process in the …

Pressure Induced Phase Transformation Of Sno2: An Ab Initio Constant Pressure Study, Daniel Tesfai Yehdego

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The behavior of SnO2 under rapid hydrostatic pressures is studied using constant-pressure ab initio simulations. The rutile-type SnO2 gradually transforms into the CaCl2-type structure at 15 GPa. At a pressure of about 20 GPa, a phase transformation into a cubic fluorite-type structure is observed. The orthorhombic Pnma cotunnite-structured phase is observed above 150 GPa. The mechanisms of these phase transformations at the atomistic level are discussed.

Beam-Energy And System-Size Dependence Of Dynamical Net Charge Fluctuations, B. I. Abelev, M. M. Aggarwal, Z. Ahammed, B. D. Anderson, D. Arkhipkin, G. S. Averichev, Y. Bai, J. Balewski, S. Bueltmann, Star Collaboration

Physics Faculty Publications

We present measurements of net charge fluctuations in Au+Au collisions at √sNN=19.6, 62.4, 130, and 200 GeV, Cu+Cu collisions at √sNN=62.4 and 200 GeV, and p+p collisions at √s=200GeV using the dynamical net charge fluctuations measure ν_+−,dyn. We observe that the dynamical fluctuations are nonzero at all energies and exhibit a modest dependence on beam energy. A weak system size dependence is also observed. We examine the collision centrality dependence of the net charge fluctuations and find that dynamical net charge fluctuations violate 1/N_ch scaling but display approximate 1/N_part scaling. We also study the azimuthal and …

Beam Spin Asymmetries In Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering (Dvcs) With Clas At 4.8 Gev, G. Gavalian, M. J. Amaryan, H. Bagdasaryan, M. Bektasoglu, S. Bültmann, S. L. Careccia, K. V. Dharmawardane, G. E. Dodge, N. Guler, C. E. Hyde, H. G. Juengst, N. Kalantarians, A. Klein, S. E. Kuhn, J. Lachniet, M. R. Niroula, R. A. Niyazov, L. M. Qin, F. Sabatié, S. Tkachenko, L. B. Weinstein, J. Yun, J. Zhang, Clas Collaboration

Physics Faculty Publications

We report measurements of the beam spin asymmetry in deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) at an electron beam energy of 4.8 GeV using the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The DVCS beam spin asymmetry has been measured in a wide range of kinematics, 1.02<2.8 (GeV/c)², 0.12<_xB<0.48, and 0.1<−t<0.8 (GeV/c)², using the reaction →ep→e′pX. The number of H(e,e′γp) and H(e,e′π⁰p) events are separated in each (Q²,_xB,t) bin by a fit to the line shape of the H(e,e′p)X M²_x distribution. The validity of the method was studied in detail …

Search For The Photoexcitation Of Exotic Mesons In The Π+Π+Π- System, Clas Collaboration, M. J. Amaryan, H. Bagdasaryan, S. Bektasoglu, S. Bültmann, G. E. Dodge, G. Gavalian, N. Guler, C. E. Hyde-Wright, N. Kalantarians, A. Klein, S. E. Kuhn, J. Lachniet, M. R. Niroula, L. M. Qin, S. Tkachenko, L. B. Weinstein, J. Zhang

Physics Faculty Publications

A search for exotic mesons in the π⁺π⁺π⁻ system photoproduced by the charge exchange reaction γp→π⁺π⁺π⁻(n) was carried out by the CLAS Collaboration at Jefferson Lab. A tagged-photon beam with energies in the 4.8 to 5.4 GeV range, produced through bremsstrahlung from a 5.744 GeV electron beam, was incident on a liquid-hydrogen target. A partial wave analysis was performed on a sample of 83 000 events, the highest such statistics to date in this reaction at these energies. The main objective of this study was to look for the …

Measurement Of The Differential Cross Section For The Reaction Γn →Π⁻P From Deuterium, M. J. Amaryan, H. Badasaryan, S. L. Careccia, G. E. Dodge, C. E. Hyde, S. E. Kuhn, F. Sabatié, S. Tkachenko, L. B. Weinstein, J. Zhang, Et Al., The Clas Collaboration

Physics Faculty Publications

We report a measurement of the differential cross section for the γn →π⁻p process from the CLAS detector at Jefferson Laboratory in Hall B for photon energies between 1.0 and 3.5 GeV and pion center-of-mass (c.m.) angles (𝜃 _c.m.) between 50° and 115°. We confirm a previous indication of a broad enhancement around a c.m. energy (√ s) of 2.1 GeV at 𝜃_c.m. = 90° in the scaled differential cross section s^{7 dσ}_dt and a rapid falloff in a center-of-mass energy region of about 400 MeV following the enhancement. Our data show an angular dependence of …

Conformal Kernel For The Next-To-Leading-Order Bfkl Equation In 𝒩 = 4 Super Yang-Mills Theory, Ian Balitsky, Giovanni A. Chirilli

Physics Faculty Publications

Using the requirement of Möbius invariance of 𝒩 = 4 super Yang-Mills amplitudes in the Regge limit, we restore the explicit form of the conformal next-to-leading-order Balitsky-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov (BFKL) kernel out of the eigenvalues known from the forward next-to-leading-order BFKL result.

Contribution Of A Portable Air Plasma Torch To Rapid Blood Coagulation As A Method Of Preventing Bleeding, S. P. Kuo, O. Tarasenko, J. Chang, S. Popovic, C. Y. Chen, H. W. Fan, A. Scott, M. Lahiani, P. Alusta, J. D. Drake, M. Nikolic

Physics Faculty Publications

The effectiveness and mechanism of a low temperature air plasma torch in clotting blood are explored. Both blood droplets and smeared blood samples were used in the tests. The treated droplet samples reveal how blood clotting depends on the distance at which the torch operated, and for how long the droplets have been exposed to the torch. Microscopy and cell count of smeared blood samples shed light on dependencies of erythrocyte and platelet counts on torch distance and exposure time. With an increase of torch distance, the platelet count of treated blood samples increases but is less than that of …

Local-To-Global Spectral Sequences For The Cohomology Of Diagrams, David Blanc, Mark W. Johnson, James M. Turner

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

We construct local-to-global spectral sequences for the cohomology of a diagram, which compute the cohomology of the full diagram in terms of smaller pieces. These are motivated by the obstruction theory of D. Blanc et al. [D. Blanc, M.W. Johnson, J.M. Turner, On realizing diagrams of Π-algebras, Algebraic Geom. Topol. 6 (2006) 763-807] for realizing a diagram of Π-algebras, but are valid in quite general algebraic settings. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Options For An 11 Gev Rf Beam Separator For The Jefferson Lab Cebaf Upgrade, Jean R. Delayen, M. Spata, H. Wang

Physics Faculty Publications

The CEBAF accelerator at Jefferson Lab has had, since first demonstration in 1996, the ability to deliver a 5-pass electron beam to experimental halls (A, B, and C) simultaneously. This capability is provided by a set of three, room temperature 499 MHz rf separators in the 5th pass beamline. The separator cavity is a two-rod, two-cell TEM mode type resonator, which has high shunt impedance. The 12 GeV baseline design does not preserve the capability of separating the 5th pass, 11 GeV beam for the 3 existing halls. Several options for restoring this capability, including extension of the present room …

Markov Models For Linking Environments And Facies In Space And Time (Recent Arabian Gulf, Miocene Paratethys), Bernhard Riegl, Samuel J. Purkis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

If, as comparative sedimentology maintains, knowledge of the Recent can sometimes be helpful to explain the past (and vice-versa), common quantitative denominators might exist between Recent and fossil systems. It may also be possible to describe dynamics and find linkages between space and time with a unique set of quantitative tools. To explore such conceptual links, spatial facies patterns mapped using satellite imagery were compared with temporal patterns in analogous ancient outcropping facies using Markov chains and graphs. Landsat and Ikonos satellite imagery was used to map benthic facies in a nearshore carbonate ramp (Ras Hasyan) and offshore platform system …

Rapid Recovery Of A Coral Reef At Darwin Island, Galapagos Islands, Peter W. Glynn, Bernhard Riegl, Adrienne M. S. Correa, Iliana B. Baums

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Surveys at Darwin Island in 2006 and 2007 have demonstrated that this northernmost Galapagos Islands coral reef has recovered significantly since the 1982–3 El Niño event. When first surveyed in 1975, this structural reef exhibited actively accreting frameworks of pocilloporid and poritid corals. The coral suffered severe mortality in 1983, resulting in the near total loss of pocilloporids and extensive partial mortality of poritid corals. Large sections of the reef had not recovered by 1992 and dead frameworks were subject to bio-erosion, although small numbers of sexual recruits of pocilloporid corals and numerous recruits plus regenerating patches of Porites lobata …

New Perspectives On Ecological Mechanisms Affecting Coral Recruitment On Reefs, Raphael Ritson-Williams, Suzanne N. Arnold, Nicole D. Fogarty, Robert S. Steneck, Mark J. A. Vermeij, Valerie J. Paul

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Coral mortality has increased in recent decades, making coral recruitment more important than ever in sustaining coral reef ecosystems and contributing to their resilience. This review summarizes existing information on ecological factors affecting scleractinian coral recruitment. Successful recruitment requires the survival of coral offspring through sequential life history stages. Larval availability, successful settlement, and post-settlement survival and growth are all necessary for the addition of new coral individuals to a reef and ultimately maintenance or recovery of coral reef ecosystems. As environmental conditions continue to become more hostile to corals on a global scale, further research on fertilization ecology, connectivity, …

Models Of Garnet Differential Geochronology, Matthew J. Kohn

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Rayleigh distillation models are developed to describe theoretical growth zoning of Lu, Hf, Rb, Sr, Sm and Nd in typical garnet crystals from metapelites and metabasites. Effects of diffusion limited transport within the matrix and intracrystalline diffusion are also considered qualitatively. Theoretical zoning profiles show strong depletions of Lu in garnet rims compared to cores, but virtually invariant Hf, Rb, Sr, Sm, and Nd profiles, generally consistent with natural profiles for Lu and Hf and previously published models. Theoretical isochron diagrams for Lu-Hf exhibit distinctive arcuate distributions and high MSWD’s consistent both with Himalayan data, and with expectations that garnet …

The Nature Of Boulder-Rich Deposits In The Upper Big Flat Brook Drainage, Sussex County, New Jersey, Gregory A. Pope, Andrew J. Temples, Sean I. Mclearie, Joanne C. Kornoelje, Thomas J. Glynn

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The upper reaches of the Big Flat Brook drainage, northwest of Kittatinny Mountain, contain a variety of glacial, pro-glacial, and periglacial deposits from the Late Quaternary. The area is dominated by recessional moraines and ubiquitous ground moraine, along with meltwater deposits, drumlins, and possible postglacial periglacial features. We have identified a curious boulder-rich deposit in the vicinity of Lake Ocquittunk and Lake Wapalanne on upper Big Flat Brook. The area where these boulder deposits occur is mapped (1:24,000 surficial geology) as till. As mapped and observed, larger cobbles and boulders within the till are quartz-pebble conglomerate, quartzite, sandstone, and shale. …

The Influence Of Familism On Descriptive And Injunctive Norms In Predicting The Intention To Eat A Vegetarian Diet Among Chinese Seventh-Day Adventists, See Wei Toh

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

According to the theory of planned behavior (TpB), one determinant of intention to engage in a behavior is the subjective norm. Various studies have found that subjective norm is often the weaker predictor of intention compared to perceived behavioral control and attitude. This study examined whether familism (emphasis on the family rather than the individual) would contribute positively to the predictive power of the TpB model through interactions with the family portion of descriptive and injunctive norms. Descriptive and injunctive norms are component variables of the subjective norm. A sample of 284 adult Chinese Seventh-day Adventists 18 years and older …

Coarser Connected Topologies And Non-Normality Points, Lynne Yengulalp

Mathematics Faculty Publications

We investigate two topics, coarser connected topologies and non-normality points. The motivating question in the first topic is:

Question 0.0.1. When does a space have a coarser connected topology with a nice topological property? We will discuss some results when the property is Hausdorff and prove that if X is a non-compact metric space that has weight at least c, then it has a coarser connected metrizable topology. The second topic is concerned with the following question:

Question 0.0.2. When is a point y ∈ β X\X a non-normality point of β X\X? We will discuss the question in the …