Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Summary Tables: York County, Virginia Shoreline Inventory Report, Marcia Berman, Karinna Nunez, Sharon Killeen, Tamia Rudnicky, Carl Hershner, Kory Angstadt, David Stanhope, David Weiss, Karen Duhring, Christine Tombleson

Reports

The Shoreline Inventory Summary Tables quantify observed conditions based on river systems, such as the combined length of linear features (e.g. shoreline miles surveyed, miles of bulkhead and revetment), the total number of point features (e.g. docks, boathouses, boat ramps) & total acres of polygon features (tidal marshes).

An Interpolation Based Approach For Pattern Recognition And Generation, Vishnukumar Galigekere Nagabhushana

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations

A large number of problems in computer vision and computer graphics can essentially be reduced to a pattern recognition problem. In this thesis, we explore a novel interpolation based framework to address some of the various recognition problems in these areas. Our interpolation based framework is a supervised learning algorithm that allows for both generation (synthesis) of new patterns as well as perception (analysis) of existing patterns. The method is simple to implement and yet, expects a very straightforward and intuitive set of parameters to model the complex nature of such recognition problems.Specifically, given a set of training data along …

Hardware And Software Systems For Control Of Assistive Robotic Devices Using Point-Of-Gaze Estimation, Christopher Dale Mcmurrough

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations

Eye gaze based interaction has many useful applications in human-machine interfaces, assistive technologies, and multimodal systems. Traditional input methods, such as the keyboard and mouse, are not practical in many situations and can be ineffective for some users with physical impairments. Knowledge of the user point of gaze (PoG) can be a powerful data modality in intelligent systems by facilitating intuitive control, perception of user intent, and enhanced interactive experiences.This research aims to advance the use of non-traditional, multimodal interfaces in assistive robotic devices for the benefit of users with severe physical disabilities. The data modalities which are of particular …

Sparse And Large-Scale Learning Models And Algorithms For Mining Heterogeneous Big Data, Xiao Cai

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations

With the development of PC, internet as well as mobile devices, we are facing a data exploding era. On one hand, more and more features can be collected to describe the data, making the size of the data descriptor larger and larger. On the other hand, the number of data itself explodes and can be collected from multiple resources. When the data becomes large scale, the traditional data analysis method may fail, suffering the curse of dimensionality and etc. In order to explore and analyze the large-scale data more accurately and more efficiently, based on the characteristic of the data, …

Image Annotation And Feature Engineering Via Structural Sparsity And Low Rank Approximation, Deguang Kong

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations

Nowadays, in order to sense environment and understand human behaviors, data analysis plays a more and more important role to handle heterogeneous data ranging from different domains, e.g., image categorization/annotation, customer segmentation, traffic prediction, ad optimization, recommendation systems, privacy analysis, etc. The large amount of multivariate data raises the fundamental problem of data mining: how to discover meaningful compact patterns hidden in the high-dimensional noisy observations? One approach is to do dimension reduction, which finds the low-dimensional subspace and thus encodes data in a low-dimensional structure. The other approach is to do feature selection or feature engineering, which manipulates the …

Novel Methods For Entity-Centric Information Exploration, Ning Yan

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations

We witness an unprecedented proliferation of entity graphs that capture entities (e.g., persons, products, organizations) and their relationships. Such entity data gradually evolves into the most comprehensive knowledge graph ever built by human beings. The flourish of entity data also boosts a growing demand for entity-centric information exploration tasks. Different from traditional information retrieval tasks that are based on statistics of text terms, entity-centric information exploration tasks are usually based on metrics over entities, their relationships, or graph structures. In this work, we identified two essential tasks in entity-centric information exploration: 1) how to do faceted navigation over a set …

Effective Collaboration In Opportunitic Networks, Umair Sadiq

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations

Opportunistic networks formed by users' mobile devices have the potential to exploit a rich set of distributed service components that can be composed to provide each user with a multitude of application level services. In opportunistic networks, tasks such as content sharing and service execution among remote devices are facilitated by intermediate devices capable of short–range wireless connectivity, also called relays that receive, move around, and forward the data.To enable effective collaboration in such an environment, we make three novel contributions: (i) an adaptive forwarding scheme, ProxiMol, to select suitable relays for data transfer; (ii) a distributed mechanism to select …

Applying Combinatorial Testing To Systems With A Complex Input Space, Mehra Nouroz Borazjany

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations

Combinatorial testing, which has been shown very effective in fault detection, is a testing strategy that applies the theory of combinatorial design to test software programs. Given a program under test with k parameters, t-way combinatorial testing requires all combinations of values of t (out of k) parameters be covered at least once, where t is usually a small integer. Combinatorial testing can significantly reduce the cost of testing while increasing its effectiveness.Input space modeling is an important step in combinatorial testing. The input space of a subject program must be modeled before combinatorial testing can be applied to it. …

Study Of The Reaction Of Nitriles With Dialkyl Phosphites For Synthesis Of A-Amino-Bis-Phosphonates, Prasanna Vanja

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Amino bisphosphonate compounds are found in a vast array of products from water chelators to flame retardants to pharmaceuticals. Previous methods to synthesize these compounds involved the use of protic acids, which don’t provide ideal conditions for the starting materials containing acid labile functional groups in pharmaceutical compounds. The present study adopts a new synthetic route in which diethyl phosphite addition to the nitrile would be effected in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst. This study utilized lanthanum trifluoromethane sulfonate as the Lewis acid catalyst, facilitating the addition of the P-H bond across the nitrile triple bond. Product purification …

Dg And Hdg Methods For Curved Structures, Li Fan

Wayne State University Dissertations

We introduce and analyze discontinuous Galerkin methods

for a Naghdi type arch model. We prove that, when the numerical traces are properly chosen, the methods display optimal convergence uniformly with respect to the thickness of the arch. These methods are thus free from membrane and shear locking.

We also prove that, when polynomials of degree $k$ are used,

{\em all} the numerical traces superconverge with a rate of order

h ^2k+1.

Based on the superconvergent phenomenon and we show how to

post-process them in an element-by-element fashion

to obtain a far better approximation. Indeed, we prove that,

if polynomials …

Investigation Of Dopamine Dynamics In Bdnf+/- Mice Using In Vivo Microdialysis And Electrochemical Analysis Of Purine And Monoamine Molecules Using A Boron-Doped Diamond Electrode, Johnna A. Birbeck

Wayne State University Dissertations

The goal of the first study was to determine if a reduction in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in female mice lead to a dysregulation in their dopaminergic system. Through a series of in vivo microdialysis and slice voltammetry experiments, we have discerned that female BDNF^+/- mice are hyperdopaminergic similar to their male BDNF^+/- counterparts. The in vivo microdialysis method zero-net flux highlighted that female BDNF^+/- mice had increased extracellular dopamine (DA) levels, while stimulated regional release by high potassium potentiated DA release from vesicular mediated depolarization. Using the complementary technique of fast scan cyclic voltammetry, electrical …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Metal Complexes Containing Tetrazolate, Poly(Tetrazolyl)Borate, And Poly(Azolyl)Aluminate Ligands As High Energy Density Materials, Christopher James Snyder

Wayne State University Dissertations

A series of heavy alkaline earth metal tetrazolate complexes has been synthesized that contain metal ions saturated by aqua ligands. Tetrazolates with small ring-core carbon substituents favor formation of two dimensional polymers with u3-coordination of the tetrazolate to the metal centers. Tetrazolates with bulkier groups block coordination to the 1- and 4-nitrogen atoms, resulting in monomer formation. The first example of a trihydro(tetrazolyl)borate was prepared, and its bonding is heavily influenced by the basic BH3 moiety. 18-Crown-6 adducts of dihydrobis(tetrazolyl)borate complexes have been prepared that contain B-N bonding to the 2-nitrogen atoms, due to bulky ring-core atom substituents. A series …

Second Order And Fluctuating Hydrodynamic Theory Of Two-Particle Transverse Momentum Correlations In Nuclear Collisions, Rajendra Kumar Pokharel

Wayne State University Dissertations

Relativistic heavy ion collision experiments show clear evidence of creation of a very short-lived phase of nuclear matter consisting of color-deconfined quarks and gluons. This matter is known as the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). Fluctuation and correlation measurements of the detected particles have played a very important role in revealing the properties of QGP. In particular, these measurements have shown that the QGP behaves like a nearly perfect liquid. Relativistic hydrodynamics has been successfully used to study how the QGP evolves before the system hadronizes and ultimately produces the final state particles. Transport properties like shear viscosity constitute an important part …

Reproductive Health Of Yellow Perch Perca Flavescens In Selected Tributaries Of The Chesapeake Bay, Vicki S. Blazer, Alfred E. Pinkney, Jill A. Jenkins, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Steven Minkkinen, Rassa O. Draugelis-Dale, James H. Uphoff

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Reduced recruitment of yellow perch has been noted for a number of years in certain urbanized watersheds (South and Severn Rivers) of the Chesapeake Bay. Other rapidly developing watersheds such as Mattawoman Creek are more recently showing evidence of reduced recruitment of anadromous fishes. In this study, we used a battery of biomarkers to better document the reproductive health of adult yellow perch collected during spring spawning in 2007–2009. Perch were collected in the South and Severn Rivers, Mattawoman Creek and the less developed Choptank and Allen's Fresh watersheds for comparison. Gonadosomatic indices, plasma reproductive hormone concentrations, plasma vitellogenin concentrations …

Human-Caused Mortality Influences Spatial Population Dynamics: Pumas In Landscapes With Varying Mortality Risks, Jesse R. Newby, L. Scott Mills, Toni K. Ruth, Daniel H. Pletscher, Michael S. Mitchell, Howard B. Quigley, Kerry M. Murphy, Rich Desimone

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

An understanding of how stressors affect dispersal attributes and the contribution of local populations to multi-population dynamics are of immediate value to basic and applied ecology. Puma (Puma concolor) populations are expected to be influenced by inter-population movements and susceptible to human induced source–sink dynamics. Using long-term datasets we quantified the contribution of two puma populations to operationally define them as sources or sinks. The puma population in the Northern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (NGYE) was largely insulated from human-induced mortality by Yellowstone National Park. Pumas in the western Montana Garnet Mountain system were exposed to greater human-induced mortality, …

Extending Airborne Electromagnetic Surveys For Regional Active Layer And Permafrost Mapping With Remote Sensing And Ancillary Data, Yukon Flats Ecoregion, Central Alaska, Neal J. Pastick, M. Torre Jorgenson, Bruce K. Wylie, Burke J. Minsley, Lei Ji, Michelle A. Walvoord, Bruce D. Smith, Jared D. Abraham, Joshua R. Rose

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Machine-learning regression tree models were used to extrapolate airborne electromagnetic resistivity data collected along flight lines in the Yukon Flats Ecoregion, central Alaska, for regional mapping of permafrost. This method of extrapolation (r = 0.86) used subsurface resistivity, Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) at-sensor reflectance, thermal, TM-derived spectral indices, digital elevation models and other relevant spatial data to estimate near-surface (0–2.6-m depth) resistivity at 30-m resolution. A piecewise regression model (r = 0.82) and a presence/absence decision tree classification (accuracy of 87%) were used to estimate active-layer thickness (ALT) (< 101 cm) and the probability of near-surface (up to 123-cm depth) permafrost occurrence from field data, modelled near-surface (0–2.6m) resistivity, and other relevant remote sensing and map data. At site scale, the predicted ALTs were similar to those previously observed for different vegetation types. At the landscape scale, the predicted ALTs tended to be thinner on higher-elevation loess deposits than on low-lying alluvial and sand sheet deposits of the Yukon Flats. The ALT and permafrost maps provide a baseline for future permafrost monitoring, serve as inputs for modelling hydrological and carbon cycles at local to regional scales, and offer insight into the ALT response to fire and thaw processes. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

A Library Approach To Establish An Educational Data Curation Framework (Edcf) That Supports K-12 Data Science Sustainability, Benjamin D. Branch, Kristin Wegner, Steven Smith, Darrell G. Schulze, Venkatesh Merwade, Jinha Jung

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

It has been the tradition of the libraries to support literacy. Executive Order, Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information, May 9, 2013, implies new roles for libraries. The library has the responsibility to support geospatial data, big data, earth science data or cyber infrastructure data that may support STEM for educational pipeline stimulation. (More information can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/09/executive-order-making-open-and-machine-readable-new-default-government-.)

Provided is an Educational Data Curation Framework (EDCF) that has been initiated in Purdue research. The EDCF may be applied to geospatial data service, engagement and outreach endeavors to augment the data science and climate …

Solitary Wave And Shock Wave Solutions Of The Variants Of Boussinesq Equations, Houria Triki, Abhinandan Chowdhury, Anjan Biswas

Math Faculty Publications

This paper obtains the solitary wave as well as the shock wave solutions of the variants of the Boussinesq equations in both (1+1) and (1+2) dimensions. The domain restrictions are also identified in the process.

A State-Dependent Delay Equation With Negative Feedback And ‘Mildly Unstable’ Rapidly Oscillating Periodic Solutions, Benjamin B. Kennedy

Math Faculty Publications

We consider state-dependent delay equations of the form x′(t)=f(x(t−d(x(t)))) where d is smooth and f is smooth, bounded, nonincreasing, and satisfies the negative feedback condition xf(x)x≠0. We identify a special family of such equations each of which has a ``rapidly oscillating" periodic solution p. The initial segment p0 of p is the fixed point of a return map R that is differentiable in an appropriate setting.

We show that, although all the periodic solutions p we consider are unstable, the stability can be made arbitrarily mild in the sense that, given ϵ>0, we can choose f and d such …

Pointless Hyperelliptic Curves, Ryan P. Becker, Darren B. Glass

Math Faculty Publications

In this paper we consider the question of whether there exists a hyperelliptic curve of genus g which is defined over but has no rational points over for various pairs . As an example of such a result, we show that if p is a prime such that is also prime then there will be pointless hyperelliptic curves over of every genus.

High Flux Isolated Attosecond Pulse Generation, Yi Wu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis outlines the high intensity tabletop attosecond extreme ultraviolet laser source at the Institute for the Frontier of Attosecond Science and Technology Laboratory. First, a unique Ti:Sapphire chirped pulse amplifier laser system that delivers 14 fs pulses with 300 mJ energy at a 10 Hz repetition rate was designed and built. The broadband spectrum extending from 700 nm to 900 nm was obtained by seeding a two stage Ti:Sapphire chirped pulse power amplifier with mJ-level white light pulses from a gas filled hollow core fiber. It is the highest energy level ever achieved by a broadband pulse in a …

Volume Phase Masks In Photo-Thermo-Refractive Glass, Marc Segall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In many applications such as beam shaping, mode conversion, and phase encoding it is necessary to alter the spatial phase profile of a beam via a phase mask. Conventional techniques to accomplish this either involve surface relief profiling in thin films such as PMMA or refractive index modulation in bulk photorefractive crystals such as lithium niobate. These materials have been used extensively for the past several decades and perform admirably in low power conditions. However, in high power systems these materials will be destroyed, requiring a new means of producing phase masks. In this dissertation a method for producing robust …

Prediction Of Optical Properties Of Pi-Conjugated Organic Materials For Technological Innovations, Iffat Nayyar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organic π-conjugated solids are promising candidates for new optoelectronic materials. The large body of evidence points at their advantageous properties such as high charge-carrier mobility, large nonlinear polarizability, mechanical flexibility, simple and low cost fabrication and superior luminescence. They can be used as nonlinear optical (NLO) materials with large two-photon absorption (2PA) and as electronic components capable of generating nonlinear neutral (excitonic) and charged (polaronic) excitations. In this work, we investigate the appropriate theoretical methods used for the (a) prediction of 2PA properties for rational design of organic materials with improved NLO properties, and (b) understanding of the essential electronic …

Phase-Locking Stability Of A Quasi-Single-Cycle Pulse, Nathan Bodnar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is increasing interest in the generation of very short laser pulses, even down to attosecond (10-18 s) durations. Laser systems with femtosecond pulse durations are needed for these applications. For many of these applications, positioning of the maximum electric field within the pulse envelope can affect the outcome. The peak of the electric field relative to the peak of the pulse is called the Carrier Envelope Phase (CEP). Controlling the position of the electric field becomes more important when pulse duration approaches single-cycle. This thesis focuses on the stabilization of a quasi-single-cycle laser facility. Improvements to this already-established laser …

Stability Of Large Flocks: An Example, J. J. P. Veerman, F. M. Tangerman

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The movement of a flock with a single leader (and a directed path from it to every agent) can be stabilized. Nonetheless for large flocks perturbations in the movement of the leader may grow to a considerable size as they propagate throughout the flock and before they die out over time. As an example we consider a string of N+1 oscillators moving in the line. Each one `observes' the relative velocity and position of only its nearest neighbors. This information is then used to determine its own acceleration. Now we fix all parameters except the number of oscillators. We then …

A Study Of Traditional Activities In The Exit Glacier Area Of Kenai Fjords National Park, Douglas Deur, Karen Brewster, Rachel Mason

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ) occupies roughly 1,760 square miles on the Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska. Sitting adjacent to the community of Seward, the park was established in 1980 under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA). The central portion of the park contains the Harding Icefield, from which no fewer than 38 active glaciers exit into valleys and tidewater locations surrounding the park. Of these glaciers, Exit Glacier is the most publicly accessible, and the only park glacier with road access from the town of Seward. A number of individuals and families from the Seward …

High-Performance Flexible Solid-State Supercapacitors Based On Mno2-Decorated Nanocarbon Electrodes, Yang Gao, Yun Shen Zhou, Min Qian, Hao Ming Li, Jody G. Redepenning, Li Sha Fan, Xiang Nan He, Wei Xiong, Masoud Majhouri-Samani, Lan Jiang, Yongfeng Lu

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

Flexible energy storage units are highly desired to meet the ever-increasing demands for flexible electronics. In this paper, highly flexible solid-state supercapacitors are fabricated using MnO₂-decorated nanocarbon electrodes and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide–poly(vinylidene fluoride)- hexafluoropropylene ([EMIM][NTf2]–PVdF(HFP)) gel electrolytes. The flexible electrodes are prepared by electrodepositing MnO₂ onto the carbon nanotube/carbon nanoonion (CNT/CNO) films. CNT/CNO films have a large surface area for MnO₂ deposition and work as mechanical supports with high flexibility and light weight. CNOs act as spacers to separate CNTs, introducing mesopores inside the CNT/CNO films for preventing pore blocking during MnO₂ deposition. The supercapacitor exhibits …

Mathematical Self-Efficacy: Addressing The Declining Interest In Engineering Careers, Eileen Goold

Conference Papers

This paper presents the findings of a study investigating whether there is a relationship between students’ experiences with school mathematics and their choice of engineering as a career. The study was inspired by the observation that there is a lacuna in the scholarly literature concerning the nature of mathematics’ role, if any, as a significant cause of the declining number of students entering professional engineering courses. The population of interest in this study comprises professional engineers practising in Ireland. Engineers’ experiences of school mathematics, factors that contributed to their engagement with school mathematics and the impact of their feelings about …

Argumentation Theory In Health Care, Luca Longo, Bridget Kane, Lucy Hederman

Books/Book Chapters

Argumentation theory (AT) has been gaining momentum in the health care arena thanks to its intuitive and modular way of aggregating clinical evidence and taking rational decisions. The basic principles of argumentation theory are described and demonstrated in the breast cancer recurrence problem. It is shown how to represent available clinical evidence in arguments, how to define defeat relations among them and how to create a formal argumentation framework. Argumentation semantics are then applied over the built framework to compute arguments justification status. It is demonstrated how this process can enhance the clinician decision-making process. A encouraging predictive capacity is …

Research On Holographic Sensors And Novel Photopolymers At The Centre For Industrial And Egnineering Optics, Emilia Mihaylova, Dervil Cody, Izabela Naydenova, Suzanne Martin, Vincent Toal

Books/Book Chapters

The recent resurgence of interest in photopolymers for commercial holograms is a strong incentive for development of photopolymers that are as environmentally friendly as possible. Photopolymer materials consist of a light-sensitive film which is exposed during production to form the hologram, thereby offering versatility well beyond that of current security holograms, which are mass produced from a master using a foil stamping processes.