Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Institute For Watershed Studies Lake Whatcom Project Intern, Joey (Christopher Adam) Lane

College of the Environment Internship Reports

Over the course of my internship at the WWU Institute for Watershed Studies I worked on the Lake Whatcom project, a long-term water quality monitoring program for the City of Bellingham. We focused on the Lake Whatcom watershed, sampling the lake and tributaries monthly and analyzing water samples to determine seasonal and long-term water chemistry and biological changes. My role as a research assistant included collecting water samples from the lake and tributaries, performing extensive laboratory analysis to generate water quality data, conducting hydrological monitoring, and maintaining lab safety and functionality through weekly chores.

Antibiotic Resistance In A Coastal River In Mississippi, Usa – Potential Drivers, Shuo Shen, Wei Wu, Eric A. Saillant, Darrell Jay Grimes

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are major sources of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in water bodies. Most studies on the impact of WWTPs on antibiotic resistance have focused on freshwater systems, with little information on coastal and estuarine waters with variable salinity. This study monitored seasonal levels of ARGs at the effluent and downstream of the Pascagoula— Moss Point WWTP in the lower Pascagoula River, a coastal river in southeastern Mississippi, USA. Surface water samples were collected seasonally at upstream, outflow, and 3 downstream sites from February to November 2016. Bacterial resistance to sulfamethazine, tetracycline, and …

Using Environmental Dna Methods For Estimating Juvenile Chinook Salmon Abundance, Jacqueline Marie Bridegum

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In the Central Valley of California, stocks of Chinook Salmon are declining, and two out of the four ecotypes of Chinook Salmon within the Sacramento River system are federally listed. A monitoring network has been developed to estimate the abundances of downstream migrating Chinook Salmon smolts, but there is high uncertainty in these estimates due to low catch rates. Environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring, which involves capture of genetic material that organisms release into their surrounding environment, has shown promise for estimating abundance of salmonids and could complement existing monitoring efforts and potentially reduce uncertainty in abundance estimates. This research project …

Eluquant: Event-Level Uncertainty Quantification In Deep Inelastic Scattering, Cristiano Fanelli, James Giroux

Arts & Sciences Articles

We introduce a physics-informed Bayesian neural network with flow-approximated posteriors using multiplicative normalizing flows for detailed uncertainty quantification (UQ) at the physics event-level. Our method is capable of identifying both heteroskedastic aleatoric and epistemic uncertainties, providing granular physical insights. Applied to deep inelastic scattering (DIS) events, our model effectively extracts the kinematic variables x, Q2, and y, matching the performance of recent deep learning regression techniques but with the critical enhancement of event-level UQ. This detailed description of the underlying uncertainty proves invaluable for decision-making, especially in tasks like event filtering. It also allows for the reduction of true inaccuracies …

Synthesis Of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes Of Coinage Metals And Their Application In The Activation Of Hydrogen, Maryam Akramova

Honors Projects

The main cause of the ongoing global climate crisis is the emission of greenhouse gases, and current climate reports emphasize the need to transition to low-emission renewable energy sources. Urgently needed are methods for storing renewable energy, such as synthetic fuels like hydrogen (H₂) gas; however, a challenge to the widespread implementation of hydrogen fuel is its low volumetric energy density. This thesis describes an effort to synthesize a catalyst that takes advantage of hard-soft acid-base (HSAB) mismatches to activate H₂ and facilitate its reaction with CO₂ to form hydrocarbon fuels, thereby providing a sustainable means …

Modeling The Development & Expression Of Political Opinion: A Zallerian Approach, Avery C. Ellis

Honors Projects

Research focused on John Zaller's famous RAS model of political opinion formation and change from "The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion" (1992). Analyzed the mathematical and psychological underpinnings of the model, the first paper to do so in over fifteen years and the first to do so through an analysis of motivated reasoning and Bayesian reasoning. Synthesized existing critiques of Zaller's model and other literature to suggest ways to build on Zaller, utilizing fundamental reunderstandings of opinions and messages from political and mathematical perspectives. Found verification for Zaller's model, confirming its value, but also found support for the proposed …

The Future Of International Climate Change Litigation, Heloise S. Evins-Mackenzie

Honors Theses

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are increasingly seeking justice from international courts to address their significant climate change impacts, which are disproportionate to their minimal historical emissions. The Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS), an internationally recognized legal body, has requested an advisory opinion on the obligations of all member states to protect and preserve the marine environment and prevent pollution related to climate change and its impacts. The present study aims to predict the future landscape of climate litigation if the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) specifies that states’ …

Investigating The Effects Of Three Trace Metals On The Viability, Embryonic Development, And Locomotor Behavior Of The Seminole Ramshorn Snail At Environmentally Relevant Concentrations, Talia Tanner, Leanna Giancarlo, Tyler Frankel

Earth and Environmental Sciences

Trace metal contamination is a widespread issue due to its many natural and anthropogenic sources and known carcinogenic, teratogenic, and reproductive effects. As previous invertebrate trace metal research has primarily focused on model species (Daphnia magna, Chironomidae, etc.), our understanding of effects on non-model invertebrate species remains relatively poor. As such, this study assessed the exposure effects of cadmium, arsenic, and lead on viability, locomotor behavior, and embryonic development of the Seminole ramshorn snail (Planorbella duryi). Exposure treatments of CdCl₂, Na₂HAsO₄ • 7H₂O, or Pb (NO₃)_{2 …}

Cover And Content

Turkish Journal of Physics

No abstract provided.

Lithography-Free Highly Sensitive Detection Of Glucose Based On Colloidal Spheres, Habibe Durmaz

Turkish Journal of Physics

Diabetes has emerged as a global health crisis, with a substantial increase in prevalence and associated healthcare costs. The urgency for early diagnosis to prevent complications has fueled research into advanced biosensing technologies. Plasmonic sensors, leveraging localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), have gained prominence for their sensitivity. This study explores a metamaterial-based sensor platform comprising nanospheres fabricated through colloidal lithography. A comprehensive numerical and experimental analysis of the designed metamaterial-based perfect absorber is presented, focusing on the spectral response at the resonance frequency of 525 nm. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations reveal the field and charge distributions, enabling a systematic exploration …

Creative Technologies: A Conversation With Roy Magnuson, Roy Magnuson, Maureen Russell

Faculty Publications - Music

[In lieu of an abstract, the introduction is provided.] Today I am speaking with Roy Magnuson, Associate Professor Creative Technologies in the School of Music at Illinois State University (ISU). (see Figure 1) His music has been performed throughout the United States and Europe at venues such as the World Saxophone Congress, WASBE, CBDNA, the RED NOTE New Music Festival, and the Robb Composers’ Symposium. Magnuson is also the creator of the virtual reality composition software solsticeVR and the conducting software RibbonsVR. He is a member of ASCAP, and his music is recorded on Albany Records and NAXOS.

Symmetry Analysis Of The Canonical Connection On Lie Groups:Co-Dimension Two Abelian Nilradical With Abelian And Non Abelian Complement, Nouf Alrubea Almutiben

Theses and Dissertations

We consider the symmetry algebra of the geodesic equations of the canonical
connection on a Lie groups. We mainly consider the solvable indecomposable four,
five and six-dimensional Lie algebras with co-dimension two abelian nilradical, that
have an abelian and not abelian complement. In this particular case, we have only
one algebra in dimension four namely; A4,12 , and three algebras in dimension five
namely; A5,33, A5,34, and A5,35 In dimension six, based on the list of Lie algebras in
Turkowski’s list, there are nineteen such algebras namely; A6,1- A6,19 that have an
abelian complement, and there are eight algebras that …

Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment And Dye Trace Of War Fork River In Daniel Boone National Forest, Will Hemenover

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Daniel Boone National Forest plays a key role in preserving much of Kentucky’s karst regions, natural resources including timber, mineral deposits, and biodiversity, including over 300 species of concern. The health of these environments is determined by surface and groundwater streams in the forest, and karst systems are an integral environment where these systems are active. War Fork, a tributary to the Kentucky River in Jackson County, Kentucky, is a remote and understudied hydrologic system in the Daniel Boone National Forest that contains recreational and logging land uses. Due to karst areas being susceptible to contamination because of rapid water …

Formulating An Efficient Statistical Test Using The Goodness Of Fit Approach With Applications To Real-Life Data, S. A. Qaid, S. E. Abo Youssef Prof., Mahmoud Mansour

Basic Science Engineering

Statistical tests are very important for researchers to make decisions. In particular, when the tests are non-parametric, they are of greater importance because they can be applied to a wide range of data sets regardless of knowing the distribution of these data. Researchers are therefore racing to obtain efficient tests for making good decisions based on the results of these tests. In this study, NBU (2)L was used based on the goodness of fit approach to present an efficient statistical test. The efficiency of the proposed test was computed, and the results were compared to those of other tests. Critical …

Implementing Interdisciplinary Sustainability Education With The Food-Energy-Water (Few) Nexus, C. B. Romulo, S. Venkataraman, S. Caplow, S. Ajgaonkar, C. R. Allen, A. Anandhi, S. W. Anderson, C. B. Azzarello, K. Brundiers, E. Blavascunas, J. M. Dauer, D. L. Druckenbrod, E. Fairchild, L. R. Horne, K. Lee, M. Mwale, J. Mischler, E. Pappo, N. S. Patel, N. D. Sintov, C. S. Ramsdell, S. G. Vincent

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Imputation Strategies For Different Categories Of Missing Data, Karthik Chalumuri

Honors Theses and Capstones

Addressing missing data in research is crucial for ensuring the reliability and validity of study findings, yet it remains a significant challenge. This study investigates the impact of missing data on research outcomes and explores the underutilization of existing tools for managing missingness, potentially leading to gaps in critical information with tangible implications for decision-making processes (Dziura et al.).

Focusing on the different categories of missing data—Missing Completely At Random (MCAR), Missing At Random (MAR), and Missing Not At Random (MNAR)—this research examines various imputation strategies tailored to each category. Specifically, we compare the efficacy of several model-based imputation methods, …

Defensive Impact Wins: Developing A New Method To Rate Individual Defense In Nba Games, Dylan J. Stiles

Honors Theses and Capstones

With the analytics revolution in sports in the past 20 years, it seems that everything that can be quantified is. In basketball though, trying to break the game down into a set of numbers comes with a unique problem. While we've come up with a good set of advanced numbers to measure offensive efficiency, defense is fundamentally harder to quantify. The game is played five on five, but it has often been popular or convenient to model defense as a set of five one on one games. As defenses became more complex into the 2010s, this methodology became more insignificant. …

Cataloging And Locating Icequakes On The Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica To Determine Long Term Rift Behavior, Simon F. Eisl

Honors Theses and Capstones

This report provides an introduction to the ARROW project and seismic behavior on ice shelves. We catalogged icequakes using seismic analysis code (SAC) and located prominent icequakes using WAVES from a seismic dataset collected from December 2nd, 2023 and January 5th, 2024. The analysis of this dataset will be used to model similar deformation systems found in icy ocean worlds in the outer Solar System like the Tiger Stripe rifts found on Enceladus. We looked into the deformation of rift zone WR4, why and how these icequakes occur along WR4, and the rift's interior material make up. Particular hotspots of …

Phenanthrene Jamboree, Alexander D. Roth

Honors Theses

Using cyclopropanated and cyclobutanated phenanthrene precursors, our hero embarks on a mission to find as many reactive intermediates as possible. Fraught with danger, romance, and mangosteens, Anderson calls this work 'monstrous' and 'alarming.'

Stealthy Control Logic Attacks And Defense In Industrial Control Systems, Adeen Ayub

Theses and Dissertations

Industrial control systems (ICS) play a crucial role in monitoring and managing critical infrastructure, including nuclear plants, oil and gas pipelines, and power grid stations. Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are a fundamental component of ICS, directly interfacing with physical processes and implementing control logic programs that govern operations. Due to their significance in controlling critical infrastructure, PLCs often become prime targets for attackers seeking to disrupt these systems. Exploitable vulnerabilities in PLCs render them susceptible to such attacks. While many attacks on PLCs leave a large footprint in network traffic and are detectable by intrusion detection systems (IDS), this dissertation …

Assessing Performance Optimization Strategies In Cloud-Native Environments Through Containerization And Orchestration Analysis, Daniel E. Ukene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis comprises three distinct, yet interconnected studies addressing critical aspects of web infrastructure management. We begin by studying containerization via Docker and its impact on web server performance, focusing on Apache and Nginx hosted on virtualized environments. Through meticulous load testing and analysis, we provide insights into the comparative performance of these servers, adding users of this technology know which webservers to leverage when hosting their webservice along alongside the infrastructure to host it on. Next, we expand our focus to examine the performance of caching systems, namely Redis and Memcached, across traditional VMs and Docker containers. By comparing …

Characterization Of Carbon Nanotube/Polystyrene Composites Prepared Via Microwave-Induced Polymerization, Hubert Agamasu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), with their excellent mechanical properties, are well suited to the production of composites with good strength-to-weight ratio. However, the use of nanotubes as reinforcement is hampered by the lack of interaction between their inert surfaces and matrices. This, coupled with the van der Waal’s interactions between individual nanotubes, leads to agglomeration of CNTs in media. Functionalization is an efficient means to disperse nanotubes as well as increase their reactivity. The irradiation of CNTs with microwaves generates instantaneous, localized heating, being used in this work to trigger the rapid, thermal, free radical polymerization of styrene. Under microwaves, olefin-functionalized …

Machine Learning Based Three-Limb Core-Type Transformer Core Aspect Ratios Identification, Ananta Bijoy Bhadra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Power transformers are considered one of the key elements of electric grids. Transient studies include transformer transient analysis which is required for the continuous power supply. However, to perform the transient analysis, the details of the internal structure of the transformer are required which are unobtainable and considered as confidential information. Therefore, the application of topological-based transformer models is limited although the models can accurately represent the transformers. To address this concern, a novel approach utilizing Machine Learning (ML) to identify the core aspect ratios of the three-limb core-type transformer is introduced. The proposed approach, using only the voltage and …

Adaptive Multi-Label Classification On Drifting Data Streams, Martha Roseberry

Theses and Dissertations

Drifting data streams and multi-label data are both challenging problems. When multi-label data arrives as a stream, the challenges of both problems must be addressed along with additional challenges unique to the combined problem. Algorithms must be fast and flexible, able to match both the speed and evolving nature of the stream. We propose four methods for learning from multi-label drifting data streams. First, a multi-label k Nearest Neighbors with Self Adjusting Memory (ML-SAM-kNN) exploits short- and long-term memories to predict the current and evolving states of the data stream. Second, a punitive k nearest neighbors algorithm with a self-adjusting …

Optimizing Deep Inspiration Breath Hold Technique For Personalized Breast Cancer Radiotherapy, Srinidhi Rajagopalan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is entrenched in advancing the practice of 3D Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D CRT) for breast cancer patients by meticulously evaluating the impact of different Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) techniques on dosimetric parameters. This study aims to ascertain the quantitative benefits of varied breathing techniques, primarily focusing on the 'Ultimate DIBH' method's efficacy in sparing critical organs such as the heart and lungs.

The comprehensive analysis of different DIBH techniques in this research is not merely an academic exercise but is geared towards substantiating the hypothesized advantages of these techniques with empirical data. By generating …

On The Links Between Sea Level And Temperature Variations In The Chesapeake Bay And The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc), Tal Ezer, Teresa Updyke

CCPO Publications

Recent studies found that on long time scales there are often unexplained opposite trends in sea level variability between the upper and lower Chesapeake Bay (CB). Therefore, daily sea level and temperature records were analyzed in two locations, Norfolk in the southern CB and Baltimore in the northern CB; surface currents from Coastal Ocean Dynamics Application Radar (CODAR) near the mouth of CB were also analyzed to examine connections between the CB and the Atlantic Ocean. The observations in the bay were compared with daily Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) observations during 2005–2021. Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) analysis was used …

Special Issue Editorial: Business Innovation For The Sustainable Development Goals, Mohamed Saleem Nazmudeen, Fadzliwati Mohiddin, Stephen Singaraju, Seyed M Buhari

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Welcome to this special issue of the ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development (AJSTD), focused on “Business Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." This collection features a robust ensemble of 30 papers that not only highlight innovative business practices across the ASEAN region but also align these innovations with the Sustainable Development Goals. These contributions span a diverse range of disciplines, grouped into five broad categories: Management and Strategy, Financial Innovations, Marketing and Consumer Behavior, Information Technology and Systems, and Environmental and Social Impact.

Smes’ Perspectives On The Benefits And Challenges Of Halal Certificate Application In Brunei Darussalam, Kamariah Ismail, Syahnur Farhana Haji Shahlehi, Vivi Nabilah Shaya

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

The knowledge and research on SMEs and Halal-related studies in Brunei Darussalam are scant. Guided by the principles of Resource-Based View theory, this qualitative study aims to identify the benefits and challenges of Halal certificate application from the perspectives of Bruneian Halal food SMEs, as they obtain the Brunei’s Halal certificate and label. Based on the purposive and snowball sampling, four semi-structured interviews were conducted with business owners and managers in the Halal food industry. Government officials were also in-terviewed to enhance the findings. Thematic analysis, supplemented by secondary data, was employed for a comprehensive understanding. Four themes emerged, covering …

Fostering Corporate Resilience: Assessing Risk Management Committee Effectiveness In Malaysia’S Telecommunication And Media Sector Pre- And During The Covid-19, Flicia Rimin, Siti Rahayu Beli, Anastasiah Harbi, Imbarine Bujang, Jamaliah Said

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted organizations, underscoring the critical role of financial factors in determining performance. Maintaining a healthy financial stance during crises necessitates effective risk management, prompting the exploration of a Risk Management Committee (RMC) as a focal point for addressing risk issues and managing internal controls. A study spanning 2017 to 2021 assessed 11 listed companies in the Telecommunication and Media Sector, revealing that a combined RMC did not enhance financial performance, indicating its ineffectiveness during the crisis. The study advocates for a separate risk management committee due to the audit committee’s limitations in performing both functions. …

Creation Of A Digital Storage System For Genome Sequencing Metadata, Jacquelin W. Olexa

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

As the field of computational genomics continues to expand in both potential and application, it is now more imperative than ever to ensure that massive genetic sequencing datasets are properly stored in an accessible manner. This project sought to establish a practical, user-friendly, secure system for a genomics research lab (the Good Lab; thegoodlab.org) at the University of Montana. A MySQL database and connected web application was ruled the best configuration to maximize utility and accessibility for the lab’s researchers. Building the logical framework for the database, creating the server, and sourcing data occurred over several months. The dataset ranged …