Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Signature Enrichment Design With Bayesian Adaptive Randomization For Cancer Clinical Trials, Fang Xia

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Clinical trials in the era of precision medicine demand more flexible and efficient trial designs. Adaptive clinical trial designs allow pre-specified modifications of an on-going clinical trial and could shorten the trial duration. We reviewed five common types of adaptive clinical trials based on adaptation methods. In particular, outcome-randomization becomes more popular as it can assign more patients to the promising treatments based on the accumulated trial data. This data-driven allocation allows more patients to benefit from the trial, which is especially important for cancer patients. We compared different Bayesian outcome-adaptive randomization methods and discussed them from both methodological and …

Ldakm-Eiot: Lightweight Device Authentication And Key Management Mechanism For Edge-Based Iot Deployment, Mohammad Wazid, Ashok Kumar Das, Sachin Shetty, Joel J. P. C. Rodrigues, Youngho Park

VMASC Publications

In recent years, edge computing has emerged as a new concept in the computing paradigm that empowers several future technologies, such as 5G, vehicle-to-vehicle communications, and the Internet of Things (IoT), by providing cloud computing facilities, as well as services to the end users. However, open communication among the entities in an edge based IoT environment makes it vulnerable to various potential attacks that are executed by an adversary. Device authentication is one of the prominent techniques in security that permits an IoT device to authenticate mutually with a cloud server with the help of an edge node. If authentication …

Biochar As A Means Of Water Purification In Haiti, Caolan Keenan

Honors Projects

Our research set out to determine if biochar, a compound made by burning organic plant matter in a low oxygen environment, would be a suitable means of removing E. coli populations from contaminated water collected from the Grand River in Allendale, MI using simple materials to construct a filter that could be constructed and used in Haiti. Previous research has shown biochar to be effective at trapping bacteria and other contaminants in the porous surface and by binding other non organic contaminants. We constructed multiple iterations of these filters using gravel, sand, and biochar and ran three live tests with …

Effects Of Environmentally Relevant Concentrations Of Microplastic Fibers On Pacific Mole Crab (Emerita Analoga) Mortality And Reproduction, Dorothy Horn, Elise F. Granek, Clare Steele

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Microplastics are ubiquitous in marine systems; however, knowledge of the effects of these particles on marine fauna is limited. Ocean-borne plastic debris accumulates in littoral ecosystems worldwide, and invertebrate infauna inhabiting these systems can ingest small plastic particles and fibers, mistaking them for food. We examined the effect of microplastic fibers on physiological and reproductive outcomes in a nearshore organism by exposing Pacific mole crabs (Emerita analoga) to environmentally relevant concentrations of microsized polypropylene rope fibers. We compared adult gravid female crab mortality, reproductive success, and embryonic developmental rates between microfiber-exposed and control crabs. Pacific mole crabs exposed to polypropylene …

Energy And Exergy Analysis Of A Novel Multiple-Effect Vapor Chamber Distillation System For High-Salinity Wastewater Treatment, Hamidreza Shabgard, Ramkumar Parthasarathy, Ben Xu

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A novel modular thermally-driven multiple-effect vapor chamber distillation (MVCD) system is presented for compact and portable desalination applications. The MVCD system consists of several vapor chambers connected in series with the condenser section of the upstream vapor chambers serving as the evaporator section of the following effect. A heat transfer model accounting for the major thermal resistances was developed to predict the heat transfer and distilled water production rates. A mass transfer analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of the accumulation of the non-condensable gasses within the chambers. An exergy analysis was also conducted to quantify the efficiency of …

Adsorption Of Polyisobutylene-Based Dispersants Onto Carbon Black, Travis Paul Holbrook

Dissertations

The formation of carbonaceous by-products (e.g. soot) during the operation of an internal combustion engine is unavoidable and the aggregation of this soot leads to deleterious effects including abrasive wear of the engine, increased oil viscosities, and sludge deposition. Dispersants, which are composed of a hydrophobic tail and a polar headgroup, are used as oil additives to aid in the suspension and stabilization of the soot particles. Polyisobutylene succinimide (PIBSI) is the most well-studied class of dispersants and is characterized by a linear architecture and polyamine headgroup that interacts with soot by acid-base and dipole-dipole interactions. As such, there remains …

The Antimicrobial Activity And Cellular Targets Of Plant Derived Aldehydes And Degradable Pro-Antimicrobial Networks In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Yetunde Adewunmi

Dissertations

Essential oils (EOs) are plant-derived products that have been long exploited for their antimicrobial activities in medicine, agriculture, and food preservation. EOs represent a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics due to the broad-range antimicrobial activity, low toxicity to human commensal bacteria, and the capacity to kill microorganisms without promoting resistance. Despite the progress in the understanding of the biological activity of EOs, many aspects of their mode of action remain inconclusive. The overarching aim of this work was to address these gaps by studying molecular interactions between antimicrobial plant aldehydes and the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We initiated …

Developing A Computational Framework For A Construction Scheduling Decision Support Web Based Expert System, Feroz Ahmed

Dissertations

Decision-making is one of the basic cognitive processes of human behaviors by which a preferred option or a course of action is chosen from among a set of alternatives based on certain criteria. Decision-making is the thought process of selecting a logical choice from the available options. When trying to make a good decision, all the positives and negatives of each option should be evaluated. This decision-making process is particularly challenging during the preparation of a construction schedule, where it is difficult for a human to analyze all possible outcomes of each and every situation because, construction of a project …

Establishing The Role Of The Mississippi-Alabama Barrier Islands In Mississippi Sound And Bight Circulation Using Observational Data Analysis And A Coastal Model, Laura Hode

Dissertations

The Mississippi-Alabama barrier islands restrict exchange between the Mississippi Sound and Mississippi Bight in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The islands also act as storm breaks for tropical cyclones, so their continued existence sustains marine ecosystems and protects coastal communities. However, the chain has undergone extensive segmentation, erosion, and westward migration in the past two hundred years. The islands are now more susceptible to further erosion (Pendleton et al., 2013; Morton, 2007). Additional reduction in island subaerial land extent would alter circulation in the Mississippi Sound and Bight.

Consequently, this study targeted the two most vulnerable barrier islands in the …

Crevasse Initiation And History Within The Mcmurdo Shear Zone, Antarctica, Lynn Kaluzienski, Peter Koons, Ellyn Enderlin, Gordon Hamilton, Zoe Courville, Steven Arcone

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

While large-scale observations of intensified fracture and rifting can be observed through remote-sensing observations, understanding crevasse initiation may best be achieved with small-scale observations in which crevasses can be directly observed. Here we investigate the kinematic drivers of crevasse initiation in the McMurdo Shear Zone (MSZ), Antarctica. We delineated 420 crevasses from ∼95 km of 400 MHz frequency ground-penetrating radar data and compared these data with kinematic outputs derived from remotely-sensed ice surface velocities to develop a statistical method to estimate crevasse initiation threshold strain rate values. We found the MSZ to be dominated by simple shear and that surface …

Numerical Solution Of Fractional Partial Differential Equations With Normalized Bernstein Wavelet Method, Mahsa Entezari, Saeid Abbasbandy, Esmail Babolian

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper, normalized Bernstein wavelets are presented. Next, the fractional order integration and Bernstein wavelets operational matrices of integration are derived and finally are used for solving fractional partial differential equations. The operational matrices merged with the collocation method are used in order to convert fractional problems to a number of algebraic equations. In the suggested method the boundary conditions are automatically taken into consideration. An assessment of the error of function approximation based on the normalized Bernstein wavelet is also presented. Some numerical instances are given to manifest the versatility and applicability of the suggested method. Founded numerical …

Slow Flow Past Porous Shell Of Variable Permeability With Cavity At The Centre, Sanjeeva K. Singh, Vineet K. Verma

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper slow flow of a viscous, incompressible fluid past a heterogeneous porous spherical shell with cavity is discussed. The permeability of porous sphere is varying with radial distance. Flow outside the porous spherical shell and inside the central cavity region is governed by the Stoke’s equation. Brinkman equation is used to analyze the flow inside the porous region. The boundary conditions used at the interface of porous and clear region are the continuity of velocity and stress. Exact solution of the problem is obtained and relevant quantities such as stream lines, velocity, pressure and drag on surface of …

Application Of Reduced Differential Transform Method For Solving Two-Dimensional Volterra Integral Equations Of The Second Kind, Seyyedeh R. Moosavi Noori, Nasir Taghizadeh

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper, we propose new theorems of the reduced differential transform method (RDTM) for solving a class of two-dimensional linear and nonlinear Volterra integral equations (VIEs) of the second kind. The advantage of this method is its simplicity in using. It solves the equations straightforward and directly without using perturbation, Adomian’s polynomial, linearization or any other transformation and gives the solution as convergent power series with simply determinable components. Also, six examples and numerical results are provided so as to validate the reliability and efficiency of the method.

Analysis Of Batch Arrival Single And Bulk Service Queue With Multiple Vacation Closedown And Repair, T. Deepa, A. Azhagappan

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper, we analyze batch arrival single and bulk service queueing model with multiple vacation, closedown and repair. The single server provides single service if the queue size is ‘< a’ and bulk service if the queue size is ‘ ≥ a’. After completing the service (single or bulk), the server may breakdown with probability ξ and then it will be sent for repair. When the system becomes empty or the server is ready to serve after the repair but no one is waiting, the server resumes closedown and then goes for a multiple vacation of random length. Using supplementary variable technique, the steady-state probability generating function (PGF) of …

A Certain Class Of Statistical Deferred Weighted A-Summability Based On (P; Q)-Integers And Associated Approximation Theorems, L. N. Mishra, M. Patro, S. K. Paikray, B. B. Jena

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Statistical summability has recently enhanced researchers’ substantial awareness since it is more broad than the traditional (ordinary) convergence. The basic concept of statistical weighted A- summability was introduced by Mohiuddine (2016). In this investigation, we introduce the (presumably new) concept of statistical deferred weighted A-summability and deferred weighted A- statistical convergence with respect to the difference sequence of order r involving (p; q)-integers and establish an inclusion relation between them. Furthermore, based upon the proposed methods, we intend to approximate the rate of convergence and to demonstrate a Korovkin type approximation theorem for functions of two variables defined on a …

Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics In Graphene Oxide-Dye And Perovskites Nanocomposites, Abubkr A. Arzaq Abuhagr

Dissertations

Novel materials such as graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and Perovskites nanocomposites nanosheets have shown interesting electrical and optical properties. These materials have shown prominence in research regarding optical sensing applications. The interaction of different fluorescent molecules like dye molecules with GO, and RGO have been studied recently to develop novel optical sensors, photo-catalysts, and light-harvesting agents. In this study, we have monitored the excited state interactions of dyes covalently attached to GO and RGO nanosheets. Three amine derivatives of anthracene, pyrene, and coumarin were covalently bound to different systems via amide bonds and diazotization. Characterization of different …

The Astrophysics Of Nanohertz Gravitational Waves, S. Burke-Spolaor, S. R. Taylor, M. Charisi, T. Dolch, J. S. Hazboun, A. M. Holgado, L. Z. Kelley, T. J. W. Lazio, D. R. Madison, N. Mcmann, C. M. F. Mingarelli, A. Rasskazov, X. Siemens, J. J. Simon, Tristan L. Smith

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

Pulsar timing array (PTA) collaborations in North America, Australia, and Europe, have been exploiting the exquisite timing precision of millisecond pulsars over decades of observations to search for correlated timing deviations induced by gravitational waves (GWs). PTAs are sensitive to the frequency band ranging just below 1 nanohertz to a few tens of microhertz. The discovery space of this band is potentially rich with populations of inspiraling supermassive black hole binaries, decaying cosmic string networks, relic post-inflation GWs, and even non-GW imprints of axionic dark matter. This article aims to provide an understanding of the exciting open science questions in …

Zhvillimi I Sistemit Për Monitorim Të Ardhjes Dhe Largimit Nga Puna - Bazuar Në Java Sockets, Redon Bejtullahu

Theses and Dissertations

Sistemet për monitorimin e ardhjes dhe largimit nga puna bëjnë monitorimin e saktë dhe preciz të kohës së qëndrimit në orar të punës. Sistemet mund të gjenerojnë statistika komplekse rreth monitorimit të aktivitetit të punëtorit. Fokusi i zhvillimit të një sistemi të tillë është kontrolli i vijueshmërisë së punëtorëve në punë duke përfshirë largimet e hershme nga puna dhe tej zgjatjet e pauzave. Sistemi i monitorimit është i ndarë në dy pjesë atë administrative dhe pjesa raportuese, pjesa administrative kontrollon të gjithë sistemin dhe është përgjegjëse për monitorimin e tij, ndërsa pjesa raportuese përbëhet nga pajisja e cila bartet nga …

Zhvillimi I Ueb Aplikacionit Për Menaxhimin E Qendrave Të Karrierës: Ubt Campus, Elhame Krasniqi

Theses and Dissertations

Ueb aplikacionet janë bërë pjesë e rëndësishme e bizneseve dhe institucioneve në përgjithësi pasi janë duke mundësuar shkëmbim dhe menaxhim të informacionit nga të gjitha vendet ku do që ndodhemi, rëndësia e ueb aplikacioneve responsive është një mundësi e mirë për tu përshtatur pajisjeve të ndryshme. Qëllimi i këtij studimi është të ofrojmë njohuri shtesë rreth praktikimit të këtyre aplikacioneve nga institucionet e arsimit të lartë, më saktësisht se si këto ueb aplikacioneve do të mund t’iu ofrojnë studenteve një ambient më të mirë për komunikim me njeri tjetrin e deri tek menaxhimi më i mirë i qendrave të karrierës …

Privatësia Ne Sistemet Rekomanduese, Krist Domgjoni

Theses and Dissertations

Sistemet rekomanduese janë shumë të përdorshme në ditet e sotme. Ato përdoren në internet për të ndihmuar një shfrytëzues të gjej një produkt të deshiruar në kohë sa më të shpejtë. SR pothuajse gjenden në çdo faqe të internetit, sidomos në kompanitë e mëdha siç janë: Facebook, eBay, Amazon, NetFlix etj. Në raste konkrete këto sisteme ndihmojnë që përdoruesi të gjejë një libër, film, artikull, produkt me preferenca të tij, poashtu në rrjetet sociale përdoren për të takuar shokë që kanë interesa të njejta në fusha të ndryshme. Këto kompani I përdorin sistemet rekomanduese sepse sjellin përfitime marramendëse në kohë …

Dizajnimi I Web Faqës Së Shpedicionit “Vjosa”, Fitore Bajrami

Theses and Dissertations

Në këtë temë diplome do të trajtohet krijimi dhe dizajnimi i një Web faqeje të Agjensionit Doganor (shpedicioni) “VJOSA”.

Krijimi i Web faqes është bërë me gjuhët e shënjimit (markup language) siç janë HTML dhe JavaScript po ashtu edhe me programet e Adobe si Photoshop dhe Dreamweaver dhe duke i kushtuar shumë rëndësi dizajnit të Web-it.

Në kapitullin e fundit do të prezentojmë Web faqen e Shpedicionit Vjosa ku demonstrohen disa parime të cilat duhet t’i ketë nje web faqe për të tërhequr vizitorët siç janë: lehtësia për të naviguar, përmbajtja e mirë, informacione relevante dhe të sakta, funksione te …

Efektet E Digjitalizimit Të Shërbimeve Publike Te Bizneset - Rast Studimi Komuna E Ferizajit, Ardit Mehmeti

Theses and Dissertations

Zhvillimi dhe përdorimi i TIK-ut (Teknologjia e Informatave dhe Komunikimit) rezultoi me krijimin e Shoqërisë Informative, në epiqendrën e së cilës është roli i informatave në shoqërinë e sotme. Ky zhvillim aq i hovshëm ka ndikuar në masë të madhe edhe në marrëdhëniet në mes të institucioneve dhe komunitetit të biznesit. Biznesi elektronik është forma më bashkohore e organizimit e cila në masë të madhe varet nga përdorimi i teknologjisë informatike, përkatësisht përdorimi i këtyre aplikimeve, sistemeve apo platformave. TIK ka lehtësuar të bërit biznes duke zgjeruar me lehtë tregun, duke ulur kostot e shpenzimeve, kursimin e kohës, duke ngritur …

C# Implementimi I Capsule Network Në Detektimin E Objekteve Në Imazhe, Bashkim Salihu

Theses and Dissertations

Rrjeti me kapsula apo CapsNet është një qasje e re dhe interesante për zgjidhjen e problemeve në Computer Vision. Me publikimet e fundit është vërtetuar se kjo qasje e re është e saktë në detektimin e objekteve edhe nëse ato objekte janë të shtrembëruara apo pamja është prej një këndi tjetër. Implementimi i CapsNet është realizuar në shumicën e gjuhëve programuese si Python, R, Java etj.

Në këtë temë është bërë implementimi në C# duke përdorur Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit (CNTK), si vegël per krijimin e modelit dhe trajnimin e tij. Rezultatet e fituara pas implementimit na tregojnë se implementimi në …

Arkitektura E Mikroshërbimeve Duke Perdorur .Net Core Dhe Reactjs, Gurakuq Krasniqi

Theses and Dissertations

Në këtë punim diplome do të trajtohet implementimi i arkitekturës së mikroshërbimeve duke përdorur teknologjitë më bashkëkohore si .NET Core dhe React duke u bazuar në sistemin për menaxhimin e temës së diplomës. Mënyra e dizajnimit të arkitekturës softuerike ka evoluar që nga fillimi i përdorimit e deri në ditët e sotme dhe si rezultat i evoluconit kemi dizajne të ndryshme, ku secila nga to përdoret varësisht nga specifikat e sistemit dhe kërkesat që ato i përshtaten në mënyrën më efektive. Qëllimi kryesor i këtij punimi të diplomës është shtjellimi i realizimit dhe implementimit të sistemit për menaxhimin e temave …

Analiza E “Student Response System” Dhe Impakti I Tyre Në Ngritjen E Ndërveprimit Brenda Klasës, Kimete Haxhiu

Theses and Dissertations

Involvimi i teknologjisë po bëhet një komponentë thelbësore e klasës moderne dhe studentët kanë nevojë për mjete të tilla për të rritur interaktivitetin dhe të nxënit e tyre. Student Response Systems apo SRS, kujdesen pikërisht për këtë nevojë dhe përfaqësojnë disa nga teknologjitë më të mira dhe më të reja të arsimit që gjenden sot. Student Response System lejon mësimdhënësit të parashtrojnë pyetje ose të trajtojnë një problem në klasë, ku përmes tyre studentët japin përgjigjet e tyre në një pajisje dhe menjëherë grumbullohen përgjigjet e tyre për mësimdhënësin. Kjo ofron një mbështetje për procesin mësimor, duke marrë parasyshë që …

Qualitative Assay To Detect Dopamine Release By Ligand Action On Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors, Leanna A. Marquart, Matthew W. Turner, Owen M. Mcdougal

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

A pheochromocytoma of the rat adrenal medulla derived (a.k.a. PC12) cell-based assay for dopamine measurement by luminescence detection was customized for the qualitative evaluation of agonists and antagonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The assay mechanism begins with ligand binding to transmembrane nAChRs, altering ion flow into the cell and inducing dopamine release from the cell. Following release, dopamine is oxidized by monoamine oxidase generating hydrogen peroxide that catalyzes a chemiluminescence reaction involving luminol and horseradish peroxidase, thus producing a detectable response. Results are presented for the action of nAChR agonists (acetylcholine, nicotine, and cytisine), and antagonists (α-conotoxins (α-CTxs) MII, …

Ribbon Α-Conotoxin Ktm Exhibits Potent Inhibition Of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors, Leanna A. Marquart, Matthew W. Turner, Lisa R. Warner, Matthew D. King, James R. Groome, Owen M. Mcdougal

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

KTM is a 16 amino acid peptide with the sequence WCCSYPGCYWSSSKWC. Here, we present the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structure and bioactivity of this rationally designed α-conotoxin (α-CTx) that demonstrates potent inhibition of rat α3β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (rα3β2-nAChRs). Two bioassays were used to test the efficacy of KTM. First, a qualitative PC12 cell-based assay confirmed that KTM acts as a nAChR antagonist. Second, bioactivity evaluation by two-electrode voltage clamp electrophysiology was used to measure the inhibition of rα3β2-nAChRs by KTM (IC₅₀ = 0.19 ± 0.02 nM), and inhibition of the same nAChR isoform by α-CTx MII (IC₅₀ = …

An Application Of The Ising Model, Juliano A. Everett

Publications and Research

Understanding how the Ising model works,what it represents, and how it can be applied to neurology. Given that an Ising model is an Entropy model that could be representative of the firing of neurons, some assumptions of the system are made and then the process is simulated through Monte Carlo methods.

The Role Of Sediment Resuspension In Estuarine Inorganic Nutrient Cycling, Kirsten Jo Ayres

Theses and Dissertations

Time-scaling of estuarine inorganic nitrogen cycling contains many assumptions due to biogeochemical interactions. Nitrogen, often a limiting factor for primary production, is transformed and utilized by many estuarine organisms. Inorganic nitrogen is especially high in porewater. High nutrient pore water, contained within the interstitial spaces of sediment, has been assumed to influx high concentrations of inorganic nutrients into surface waters during resuspension events. These short-term resuspension events rapidly introducing high concentration of nutrients into the water column. In order to determine the internal time scale of inorganic nitrogen cycling, a box-model nutrient budget, horizontal in situ transects, and vertical nutrient …

Constructing Associative Rings From Certain Hypergroups, Oscar Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Tight hypergroups give rise to associative rings if the so-called general normality condition holds\cite{ARTICLE:1}. We consider four examples of tight hypergroups which do not satisfy the general normality condition and show that they still give rise to associative rings. Our examples are HM332(24),HM10353(32), HM10933(32) and HM10941(32)[1].