Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Exploration And Statistical Modeling Of Profit, Caleb Gibson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

For any company involved in sales, maximization of profit is the driving force that guides all decision-making. Many factors can influence how profitable a company can be, including external factors like changes in inflation or consumer demand or internal factors like pricing and product cost. Understanding specific trends in one's own internal data, a company can readily identify problem areas or potential growth opportunities to help increase profitability.

In this discussion, we use an extensive data set to examine how a company might analyze their own data to identify potential changes the company might investigate to drive better performance. Based …

(R2066) New Results Of Ulam Stabilities Of Functional Differential Equations Of First Order Including Multiple Retardations, Merve Şengün, Cemil Tunç

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this study, we pay attention to a functional differential equation (FDE) of first order including N-variable delays. We construct new sufficient conditions in relation to the Hyers-Ulam stability (HUS) and the generalized Hyers-Ulam-Rassias stability (GHURS ) of the FDE of first order including N-variable delays. By using Banach contraction principle (BCP), Picard operator and Gronwall lemma, we confirm two new theorems in relation to the HUS and the GHURS. The results of this study are new and extend, improve some earlier results of the HUS and the GHURS.

(R2056) Convergence Criteria For Solutions Of A System Of Second Order Nonlinear Differential Equations, Akinwale Olutimo

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper, we investigate the convergence of solutions of certain nonlinear system of two differential equations using a suitable Lyapunov functional with sufficient conditions to establish our new result. An example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the result obtained and geometric argument to show that the solutions of the system are better rapidly converging under the criteria obtained.

(R2054) Convergence Of Lagrange-Hermite Interpolation Using Non-Uniform Nodes On The Unit Circle, Swarnima Bahadur, Sameera Iqram, Varun .

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this research article, we brought into consideration the set of non-uniformly distributed nodes on the unit circle to investigate a Lagrange-Hermite interpolation problem. These nodes are obtained by projecting vertically the zeros of Jacobi polynomial onto the unit circle along with the boundary points of the unit circle on the real line. Explicitly representing the interpolatory polynomial as well as establishment of convergence theorem are the key highlights of this manuscript. The result proved are of interest to approximation theory.

Green Analytical Methods For The Determination Of Perfluorocarboxylic Acids (Pfcas) And Fluorotelomer Alcohols (Ftohs) In Water, Ahsan Habib

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic organic compounds manufactured for their heat, water, and stain-resistant properties. PFAS can be found ubiquitously in the environment because they are widely used in everyday consumer products such as fast-food wrappers, non-stick cookware, stain-resistant products, cosmetics, aqueous film-forming foams, etc. As a result, PFAS are commonly detected in surface water, wastewater, and biosolids from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). These are the direct sources of PFAS contamination in drinking water supplies, which are substantial sources of human exposure. Among these PFAS chemicals, two major groups are perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) …

Co2-Dependent Nanoscale Organization In Bulk And Interfacial Carbon Dioxide Capture Liquids Elucidated Using X-Ray Scattering, Daniel Eduardo Moran

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The pressing need to control carbon dioxide emissions has propelled extensive research efforts employing a variety of approaches across the globe. In flue-gas recovery of CO2, the water-lean amine-based solvent N-(2-ethoxyethyl)-3-morpholinopropan-1-amine (2-EEMPA), has shown exceptional performance. Recent studies show that 2-EEMPA exhibits intermediate-range order (IRO), beyond the first nearest neighbor length scale, consisting of tetrameric clusters. In view of the need to find solutions for direct air capture (DAC) of CO2, this system may represent a critical linkage in a DAC strategy, yet structural insights on EEMPA's behavior at solid surfaces are still lacking. To this end, we applied the …

Using Shallow Electromagnetic And Magnetic Techniques To Map Soil Texture And Characterize Salinity And Water Dynamics Below Pecan Orchards, El Paso County, Texas, Kristina Sasser

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Non-invasive, near surface geophysical tools provide a time efficient and cost-effective approach to study the shallow subsurface. Electromagnetic induction (EMI) instruments are a category of these near surface methods that provide spatial and temporal information (2-D to 4-D) about shallow (<6 m) subsurface properties, from which soil salinity, clay content, and water content can be estimated. However, deconstructing soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) from EMI methods into its component parts remains a challenge. This research uses EMI and magnetic geophysical techniques to: (1) compare and contrast the distribution and behavior of ECa, both spatially and temporally, at two flood irrigated agricultural sites (pecan orchards) with different soil layers, properties, and controls on electrical conductivities that lie within the same floodplain in far west Texas; and (2) develop a one-dimensional inversion model using ECa and soil texture data at specified layers from established sites of known high and low ECa to determine soil layer resistivities at various dates during the irrigation season. Data are compared to soil sensor bulk EC and volumetric water content data at corresponding depths to validate results. Soils at both sites exhibit large ECa contributions from textural controls, and irrigation frequency. The combination of these two controls dictate where and how quickly secondary minerals precipitate, clog soil pores, reduce infiltration, and salinize the groundwater. Insight from this research aids in ongoing efforts to characterize vadose zone hydrology in dryland critical zones with high infiltration and serves as a guide for locations where future soil sampling will occur.

The Impact Of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage On Operative Outcomes After Single-Level Lumbar Fusion, Grace Y. Ng, Ritesh Karsalia, Ryan S. Gallagher, Austin J. Borja, Jianbo Na, Scott Mcclintock, Neil R. Malhotra

Mathematics Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between socioeconomic status and neurosurgical outcomes has been investigated with respect to insurance status or median household income, but few studies have considered more comprehensive measures of socioeconomic status. This study examines the relationship between Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a comprehensive measure of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, and short-term postoperative outcomes after lumbar fusion surgery. METHODS: 1861 adult patients undergoing single-level, posterior-only lumbar fusion at a single, multihospital academic medical center were retrospectively enrolled. An ADI matching protocol was used to identify each patient's 9-digit zip code and the zip code-associated ADI data. Primary outcomes included 30- and …

Biomolecular Function From Structural Snapshots, Roshanak Etemadpour

Theses and Dissertations

Biological molecules can assume a continuous range of conformations during function. Near equilibrium, the Boltzmann relation connects a particular conformation's free energy to the conformation's occupation probability, thus giving rise to one or more energy landscapes. Biomolecular function proceeds along minimum-energy pathways on such landscapes. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of biomolecular function often involves the determination of the free-energy landscapes and the identification of functionally relevant minimum-energy conformational paths on these landscapes. Specific techniques are necessary to determine continuous conformational spectra and identify functionally relevant conformational trajectories from a collection of raw single-particle snapshots from, e.g. cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) …

The Broadwater Formation (Pliocene) Of Nebraska And Southeastern Wyoming, Robert F. Diffendal Jr., James B. Swinehart

Robert F. Diffendal, Jr., Publications

The Broadwater Formation, initially defined in 1945, is a Pliocene-aged coarse-grained alluvial deposit in Nebraska and southeastern Wyoming. It is characterized by a complex stratigraphic history and debated geologic interpretations. The formation is a rich resource of groundwater for the citizens of Nebraska and the Central Great Plains. We aim to synthesize and redefine the Broadwater Formation, shedding light on its distribution, geological characteristics, and paleoenvironmental significance. While historical hypotheses on Broadwater Formation paleovalley trajectories suggested northwest-southeast trending valleys, later investigations proposed wind-driven erosional patterns to explain the unique topographic features observed. The Broadwater is divided into an unnamed Upper …

Aquaculture Governance: Five Engagement Arenas For Sustainability Transformation, Darien D. Mizuta, Stefan Partelow

VIMS Articles

A greater focus on governance is needed to facilitate effective and substantive progress toward sustainability transformations in the aquaculture sector. Concerted governance efforts can help move the sector beyond fragmented technical questions associated with intensification and expansion, social and environmental impacts, and toward system-based approaches that address interconnected sustainability issues. Through a review and expert-elicitation process, we identify five engagement arenas to advance a governance agenda for aquaculture sustainability transformation: (1) setting sustainability transformation goals, (2) cross-sectoral linkages, (3) land–water–sea connectivity, (4) knowledge and innovation, and (5) value chains. We then outline the roles different actors and modes of …

Models Of Shared Care For The Management Of Psychotic Disorder After First Diagnosis In Ontario., Joshua C. Wiener, Rebecca Rodrigues, Jennifer N S Reid, Kelly K. Anderson

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

OBJECTIVE: To describe the provision of care for young people following first diagnosis of psychotic disorder.

DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using health administrative data.

SETTING: Ontario.

PARTICIPANTS: People aged 14 to 35 years with a first diagnosis of nonaffective psychotic disorder in Ontario between 2005 and 2015 (N=39,449).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Models of care, defined by psychosis-related service contacts with primary care physicians and psychiatrists during the 2 years after first diagnosis of psychotic disorder.

RESULTS: During the 2-year follow-up period, 29% of the cohort received only primary care, 30% received only psychiatric care, and 32% received both primary and …

Why We Should Have More Walkable Cities, Alexander Huddleston

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

The walkable city is something that is seen all over Europe but is a rarity in the United States. The rise of cheap oil in the first half of the 20th century led to the expansion of the suburbs and a car culture that we just can’t get away from. Our cities are now so spread out, causing more and more pollution and damage done to our environment. There is a lot that we know about this issue and the solutions that we can get done to fix it. America is stuck in a car culture that is so hard …

Eminent Domain: Unconstitutional, Unjust, And Unnecessary, Ashley Norris

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Perhaps the most important undertaking of our time is the ubiquity of sustainable energy vital for the continuation and improvement of living conditions worldwide. The utmost care must be taken with the means used to achieve this feat. The fossil fuel industry has used and abused eminent domain since its inception. Ironically, environmental advocates now propose the same means to a cleaner, greener end. The taking of private land for private development, regardless of intent, is unconstitutional, unjust, and unnecessary. The Fifth Amendment states: “…nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

As stated by the …

Sound Energy Could Change The World, Tyler Bugiel

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

The energy crisis is a problem that has been growing more concerning for many years, and yet there has not seemed to be a good solution to the problem. That being said, I think that there is a solution that has not been explored thoroughly enough, that solution being sound energy. Solar and wind are both energy systems that use natural resources and things that occur on a day to day basis to convert those things into energy, but sound has not been explored as much.

Neutrino Self-Interactions: A White Paper, Jeffrey M. Berryman, Nikita Blinov, Vedran Brdar, Thejs Brinckmann, Mauricio Bustamante, Francis-Yan Cyr-Racine, Anirban Das, André De Gouvêa, Peter B. Denton, P.S. Bhupal Dev, Bhaskar Dutta, Ivan Esteban, Damiano Fiorillo, Martina Gerbino, Subhajit Ghosh, Tathagata Ghosh, Evan Grohs, Tao Han, Steen Hannestad, Matheus Hostert, Patrick Huber, Jeffrey Hyde, Kevin J. Kelly, Felix Kling, Zhen Liu, Massimiliano Lattanzi, Marilena Loverde, Sujata Pandey, Ninetta Saviano, Manibrata Sen, Ian M. Shoemaker, Walter Tangarife, Yongchao Zhang, Yue Zhang

Physics: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Neutrinos are the Standard Model (SM) particles which we understand the least, often due to how weakly they interact with the other SM particles. Beyond this, very little is known about interactions among the neutrinos, i.e., their self-interactions. The SM predicts neutrino self-interactions at a level beyond any current experimental capabilities, leaving open the possibility for beyond-the-SM interactions across many energy scales. In this white paper, we review the current knowledge of neutrino self-interactions from a vast array of probes, from cosmology, to astrophysics, to the laboratory. We also discuss theoretical motivations for such self-interactions, including neutrino masses and possible …

Game-Theoretic Approaches To Optimal Resource Allocation And Defense Strategies In Herbaceous Plants, Molly R. Creagar

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Empirical evidence suggests that the attractiveness of a plant to herbivores can be affected by the investment in defense by neighboring plants, as well as investment in defense by the focal plant. Thus, allocation to defense may not only be influenced by the frequency and intensity of herbivory but also by defense strategies employed by other plants in the environment. We incorporate a neighborhood defense effect by applying spatial evolutionary game theory to optimal resource allocation in plants where cooperators are plants investing in defense and defectors are plants that do not. We use a stochastic dynamic programming model, along …

On Dyadic Parity Check Codes And Their Generalizations, Meraiah Martinez

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In order to communicate information over a noisy channel, error-correcting codes can be used to ensure that small errors don’t prevent the transmission of a message. One family of codes that has been found to have good properties is low-density parity check (LDPC) codes. These are represented by sparse bipartite graphs and have low complexity graph-based decoding algorithms. Various graphical properties, such as the girth and stopping sets, influence when these algorithms might fail. Additionally, codes based on algebraically structured parity check matrices are desirable in applications due to their compact representations, practical implementation advantages, and tractable decoder performance analysis. …

Unexpectedness Stratified By Codimension, Frank Zimmitti

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A recent series of papers, starting with the paper of Cook, Harbourne, Migliore, and Nagel on the projective plane in 2018, studies a notion of unexpectedness for finite sets Z of points in N-dimensional projective space. Say the complete linear system L of forms of degree d vanishing on Z has dimension t yet for any general point P the linear system of forms vanishing on Z with multiplicity m at P is nonempty. If the dimension of L is more than the expected dimension of t−r, where r is N+m−1 choose …

Effects Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation And Cover Crop On Soil Carbon Dynamics And Microbial Communities In A Mediterranean Lemon Orchard., Anna Rodriguez-Paiatsyka

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Plant-associated fungi such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have the potential to sequester carbon (C), improve soil aggregation, and promote plant health. Due to multiple benefits of AMF to plant and soil health, AMF has gained much attention leading to a rapidly expanding market in mycorrhizal bio-stimulants intended to improve crop yield, root development, and soil health in horticultural crops, including citrus. However, there is limited information on how to inoculate a mature citrus orchard, and how inoculation of a mature orchard with AMF affects C sequestration. In this study, we planted a cover crop inoculated with AMF in a …

Soil Burn Severity And Environmental Covariate Effects On Soil Health Two Years Postfire In The Sierra Nevada, Julie A. Lewis

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Wildfires have been steadily increasing in both size and severity in recent decades. This global trend is most evident in California, especially the North Coast and Sierra Nevada. Although these trends are rising, there is little known about the effects of these wildfires on forest soils. Soil is the 2nd largest C sink on the planet, and the largest terrestrial bank. Without understanding the implication of rising wildfire severities on these soils, we cannot understand how to help protect this resource in the future. Due to the rapid increase in wildfire size and intensity, there is little known about the …

Many-Body Quantum Chaos In Stroboscopically-Driven Cold Atoms, Ceren B. Dağ, Simeon I. Mistakidis, Amos Chan, H. R. Sadeghpour

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

In Quantum Chaotic Systems, The Spectral Form Factor (SFF), Defined As The Fourier Transform Of Two-Level Spectral Correlation Function, Is Known To Follow Random Matrix Theory (RMT), Namely A 'ramp' Followed By A 'plateau' In Late Times. Recently, A Generic Early-Time Deviation From RMT, So-Called The 'bump', Was Shown To Exist In Random Quantum Circuits As Toy Models For Many-Body Quantum Systems. We Demonstrate The Existence Of 'bump-Ramp-Plateau' Behavior In The SFF For A Number Of Paradigmatic And Stroboscopically-Driven 1D Cold-Atom Models: Spinless And Spin-1/2 Bose-Hubbard Models, And Nonintegrable Spin-1 Condensate With Contact Or Dipolar Interactions. We Find That The …

Toward A Greater Comprehension Of The Paraná Epicontinental Sea During The Late Paleozoic Ice Age: The Glacial And Postglacial Record In The Western Paraná Basin (Brazil) And The Kaokoveld Fjord Network (Namibia), Eduardo Luiz Menozzo Da Rosa

Theses and Dissertations

The late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA; 362 to 255 Ma) was an icehouse interval that drove substantial changes in Earth’s surficial systems. Numerous paradigms regarding aspects of the LPIA were established throughout ~150 years of research based primarily on the evolving state of knowledge in sedimentology. The near-field lithological evidence for widespread glaciation across sedimentary basins of Gondwana are the building blocks for comprehensive paleoclimatic, biologic, paleogeographic, and ice volume models. Nevertheless, the embodied glacial record from several late Paleozoic Gondwanan depocenters still rely on insufficient and/or outdated sedimentologic and stratigraphic studies, which can lead to misinterpretations in models built …

Short Range Correlation Measurements In The Quasielastic Region With An 11 Gev Beam, Casey Morean

Doctoral Dissertations

Electron scattering is a significant means of studying internal high momentum
nucleon and quark distributions in nuclei. Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator
Facility (JLab) with its 11GeV beam is capable of studying high momentum nucleons
with unmatched precision. The role of short range nucleon configurations and
quark distributions is significant for understanding the dynamics of nuclei and their
underlying components. Scattering cross section measurements in the kinematic
regime x > 1, where the free nucleon is forbidden, are sensitive to high momentum
nucleons, which are believed to come from short range correlations (SRCs). SRCs are
strongly interacting, high momentum nucleons with a …

Exact Models, Heuristics, And Supervised Learning Approaches For Vehicle Routing Problems, Zefeng Lyu

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents contributions to the field of vehicle routing problems by utilizing exact methods, heuristic approaches, and the integration of machine learning with traditional algorithms. The research is organized into three main chapters, each dedicated to a specific routing problem and a unique methodology. The first chapter addresses the Pickup and Delivery Problem with Transshipments and Time Windows, a variant that permits product transfers between vehicles to enhance logistics flexibility and reduce costs. To solve this problem, we propose an efficient mixed-integer linear programming model that has been shown to outperform existing ones. The second chapter discusses a practical …

Changes In Physico-Chemical Properties Of A Sandy Loam Soil Depending On The Particle Size Of Hazelnut Shell-Derived Biochar, Damla Bender Özenç, Ceyhan Tarakçioğlu, Funda Irmak Yilmaz, Selahattin AygüN

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study evaluated the effects of hazelnut shell-derived biochar particle sizes on the soil’s physical and chemical properties, and on various nutrient contents present in the sandy loamy soils. For this purpose, an incubation experiment in the plastic high tunnel has been performed under sixteen treatments (control-only soil), and at four incubation times (30, 60, 90, and 120 d), by using three different biochar sizes (≤ 1, 1 - 2, and 2 - 4 mm). The addition of 1 - 2 and 2 - 4 mm biochar during the incubation time decreased the bulk density in the soil by 26%. …

Big Data Applications And Challenges In Giscience (Case Studies: Natural Disaster And Public Health Crisis Management), Amir Masoud Forati

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the application and significance of user-generated big data in Geographic Information Science (GIScience), with a focus on managing natural disasters and public health crises. It explores the role of social media data in understanding human-environment interactions and in informing disaster management and public health strategies. A scalable computational framework will be developed to model extensive unstructured geotagged data from social media, facilitating systematic spatiotemporal data analysis.The research investigates how individuals and communities respond to high-impact events like natural disasters and public health emergencies, employing both qualitative and quantitative methods. In particular, it assesses the impact of socio-economic-demographic …

Province-Wide Tapping Of A Shallow, Variably Depleted, And Metasomatized Mantle To Generate Earliest Flood Basalt Magmas Of The Columbia River Basalt, Northwestern Usa, Martin J. Streck, Luke James Fredenberg, Lena M. Fox, Emily B. Cahoon, Mary J. Mass

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Miocene Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) of the Pacific Northwest of the United States is the world’s youngest and smallest large igneous province. Its earliest formations are the Imnaha, Steens, and now the Picture Gorge Basalt (PGB), and they were sourced from three different dike swarms exposed from SE Washington to Nevada to northcentral Oregon. PGB is often viewed to be distinct from the other formations, as its magmas are sourced from a shallow, relatively depleted, and later subduction-induced metasomatized mantle, along with its young stratigraphic position. It has long been known that the lowermost American Bar flows (AB1&2) …

Agricultural Groundcover Update November 2023, Justin Laycock

Natural resources published reports

Summary

• About 98% of the grainbelt had adequate (more than 50%) vegetative groundcover to prevent wind erosion in November 2023. This amount of groundcover is normal for the middle of harvest.
• In the northern half of the grainbelt, a larger-than-average area had 51–60% groundcover, which is expected to decrease to below 50% over summer.
• Just over 2% of the grainbelt (324,000 ha) had less than 50% groundcover, which is inadequate to prevent wind erosion. Mullewa to Morawa Ag Soil Zone had the highest risk of wind erosion and 9.7% of this farmland had inadequate groundcover.
• Less than 0.5% of the …

Data-Driven Optimization Approaches For Dynamic Urban Logistics Operational Problems, Jingfeng Yang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Given the rapid pace of urbanization, there is a pressing need to optimize urban logistics delivery operations for enhanced capacity and efficiency. Over recent decades, a multitude of optimization approaches have been put forth to address urban logistics challenges, encompassing routing and scheduling within both static and dynamic contexts. In light of the rising computational capabilities and the widespread adoption of machine learning in recent times, there is a growing body of research aimed at elucidating the seamless integration of data and machine learning within conventional urban logistics optimization models. Additionally, the ubiquitous utilization of smartphones and internet innovations presents …