Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Survey Of Graph Neural Networks On Synthetic Data, Brigham Stone Carson

Theses and Dissertations

We relate properties of attributed random graph models to the performance of GNN architectures. We identify regimes where GNNs outperform feedforward neural networks and non-attributed graph clustering methods. We compare GNN performance on our synthetic benchmark to performance on popular real-world datasets. We analyze the theoretical foundations for weak recovery in GNNs for popular one- and two-layer architectures. We obtain an explicit formula for the performance of a 1-layer GNN, and we obtain useful insights on how to proceed in the 2-layer case. Finally, we improve the bound for a notable result on the GNN size generalization problem by 1.

The Mceliece Cryptosystem As A Solution To The Post-Quantum Cryptographic Problem, Isaac Hanna

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Theoretical Proposal

Time Dependent Selective Esterification Of Free Fatty Acids For Algae Biofuel Testing, Margaret Tyler, Megan Mccoy

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Novel Tandem Reaction To Synthesize 2-Formalphenylboronic Acids, Sarah Bingham, Chinelo Emmanuela Nnadozie, Destiny Latia Keishara Braynen

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Inhibiting Nitroso Related Methylation Of Guanine Using Dietary Supplements And Flavonoids, Elijah Gocotano, Hannah Klose

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Detection Of Pfoa Using Molecularly Imprinted Polymers, Luke Allen, Joseph Redding, Joshua Kim, Micah Lewis

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Column Chromatography Of An Oxepine Synthesized From Meldrum's Acid, Destiny Latia Keishara Braynen

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Presumptive Color Testing Of Aspirin Using The Marquis Reagent, Lynza Osorio

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Synthesis Of Mn(Co)3[1,2-Csh3(Co-(C4h3s))2] And X-Ray Crystallography Of Re(Co)3[1,2-Csh3(Co-(C4h3s))2 ], Wilmar Janusz, Abbye Morgan, Chloe Vernon

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

Activation Of Nrf2 Pathway By Natural Products, Genesis Schat, Madelyn Sedlachek

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Basic

The Feasibility Of Autoclave-Assisted Water Soluble Carbohydrate Extraction To Distinguish Annual Ryegrass Genotypes At The Seedling Stage, L. P. Passos, F. B. De Sousa, A. Mittelmann, M. C. Vidigal, I. G. Perry, L. O. Cruz, J. A. Magalhães

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) swards are being used increasingly in Southern Brazil as animal forage (Carvalho et al., 2001). As observed elsewhere, reduced forage availability and quality during dry or cold seasons often limits the efficacy of pasture utilisation. As reported by Meissner et al. (1992), this demands breeding efforts to improve forage nutritive value. However, lack of concurrent examination of large number of samples for important nutritional parameters, like water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) levels, which could lead to more precise selection strategies, is a common constraint of those programs. This study aimed to verify the suitability …

A Quantitative Trait Locus Analysis Of Root Distribution In Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne L.), Marty J. Faville, James R. Crush, H. S. Easton

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Root system architecture impacts perennial ryegrass performance, with deeper roots potentially contributing to drought tolerance, nutrient interception, and anchoring of plants. Root mass in a perennial ryegrass sward is typically shallow, concentrated in the top 10 cm of soil (Troughton 1957). Phenotypic selection for deeper root systems in breeding programmes is limited by the inaccessibility of underground plant components. We aim to use quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis to discover genetic factors influencing root architecture traits, including vertical root distribution, in perennial ryegrass. Ultimately, markers linked to root architecture QTL may be used in a marker-assisted selection strategy that would …

Variability And Correlations Of Some Investigated Traits Of Perennial Ryegrass Populations, D. Sokolovic, S. Ignjatovic, Z. Tomic

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is one of the most important perennial forage grasses for temperate climates. It is a highly productive grass with the highest nutritive value (Sokolovi et al., 2002). In Serbia, breeders have developed perennial ryegrass cultivars with high stabile yield and quality with different times of maturity and resistance to drought and frost. The initial breeding material were usually wild populations (Charmet et. al., 1996) with high variability and adaptability. These characteristics lend themselves for selection of superior genotypes. But breeding for some important agronomic traits may influence others. This relationship between traits …

Cattle Production From Native Pastures In The Semi-Humid Grasslands Of Uganda, S. Okello, Elly N. Sabiiti

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The cattle population of Uganda, estimated at 6 million, consists of more than 95% indigenous stock, raised on the semi-arid and semi-humid grasslands that make up 48% of the total land area and which supply over 85% of the marketed milk and meat. Native grassland pastures, which vary seasonal in quantity and quality due to rainfall and temperature variations, are the sole feed resource for cattle (Mbuza et al., 1992). This study examined the effects of seasonal herbage mass (HM), dietary crude protein (CP_d), detergent lignin (ADL_d) and digestibility (DiG) on body condition scores of …

The Seasonal Dry Matter Production And Carrying Capacity Of Kikuyu Oversown With Ryegrass And Clover, Philip R. Botha, Robin Meeske, Hennie A. Snyman

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

In the main milk producing areas of the Southern Cape, kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) is considered an important summer and autumn pasture which is climatologically well adapted. The main problem experienced with kikuyu is that winter and spring production is low and the exclusion of legumes make it dependent of nitrogen fertiliser and that increases the input cost. The aim of the study was to quantify the seasonal dry matter (DM) yield and carrying capacity of kikuyu (K) through treatments involving kikuyu oversown with annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum spp.) (KR), kikuyu oversown with a mixture of perennial ryegrass …

The Seasonal Botanical Composition, Calcium And Phosphorus Content Of Kikuyu Oversown With Ryegrass And Clover, Philip R. Botha, Robin Meeske, Hennie A. Snyman

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) is one of the major grasses used for summer and autumn grazing in the Southern Cape coast area of South Africa. Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum spp.), perennial white (Trifolium repens) and red clover (Trifolium pratense) can be incorporated into an existing kikuyu stand to improve pasture quality and spring production. The aim of this study was to determine the persistence of these species and effects on the calcium and phosphorus content of kikuyu (K), kikuyu oversown with annual ryegrass (KR), kikuyu oversown with a mixture of perennial ryegrass (L. …

Varietal Differences In Perennial Ryegrass For Fructan Metabolism And Their Relationship To Grazing Tolerance, B. Lasseur, J. Lothier, A. Morvan-Bertrand, M. O. Humphreys, M. P. Prud'homme

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is the most important grass in Europe; it often is defoliated. The link between fructan metabolism and defoliation tolerance has been studied in 2 Lolium perenne varieties, Aurora (high sugar perennial) and Perma (low-to-normal sugar perennial) (Turner et al., 2002).

Variability In Quantity And Composition Of Water Soluble Carbohydrates Among Irish Accessions And European Varieties Of Perennial Ryegrass, S. Mcgrath, S. Barth, A. Frohlich, M. Francioso, S. A. Lamorte, T. R. Hodkinson

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The objective of this study was to identify perennial ryegrass accessions displaying high fructose and glucose contents and an improved ratio between fructose and glucose fractions across different time points throughout the year. Fructose and glucose are the main constituents of the water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) fraction in perennial ryegrass. For animal nutrition the amount of WSC is crucial as it is the primary energy source available to metabolise the intake of plant protein. The ratio between fructose and glucose fractions is important since fructosan chains, which are an excellent energy source for ruminants, are built from fructose. Furthermore the …

Breeding Of Cms-F1-Hybrids In Lolium Perenne With Improved Nitrogen Use Efficiency, W. Luesink, B. Ingwersen, L. Wolters, J. De Riek

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The environmental pollution by nitrogen losses from dairy farms can be reduced by improving the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of grass varieties. The main goal is to develop varieties with a better nitrogen utilisation. These low input varieties can produce acceptable yields at a low level of N-fertilisation. High input varieties express their high yield potential only at high N-supply. These varieties are less preferable, because N- losses increase at higher levels of nitrogen application. The breeding of CMS-F1-Hybrids can be a successful strategy for developing varieties with a higher NUE. In F1-Hybrid varieties higher heterosis effects can be achieved …

New Alkyd Resins From Underutilized Indigenous Seed Oils: Synthesis And Characterization, Aliru O. Mustapha, Hakeem B. Ayoku, Halimah A. Amao

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The underutilization of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), sweet almond (Prunus amygdalus), and jatropha (Jatropha curcas) seeds indicates a significant resource waste. Nine different varieties of 25% (short), 40% (medium), and 60% (long) alkyd resins were produced from the cross-section of drying, semi-drying, and non-drying oils. A large amount of conversion occurred, with the extent of the reaction (Pav) decreasing as time progressed and the corresponding increase in alkyds' average degree of polymerization (Dp) showing synthesized alkyds. Surface drying from the set-to-dry and dry-through periods climaxed at 2 hours for all the alkyds. Except for alkali, synthesized alkyd resins demonstrated outstanding …

Using Integral Projection Models To Explore Management Strategies For Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix), Cameron Coles, Elizabeth Balas, James Peirce, Greg Sandland, Richard Erickson

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) are planktivorous fish that were originally introduced to the United States for use in fish production ponds and have since escaped these enclosures and are invading the Mississippi River Basin. The silver carp invasion of the Illinois River has a myriad of negative effects on native ecosystems. In this paper, we introduce key dependencies that are likely important in the population dynamics of silver carp: length-dependent egg production and density-dependent growth. Using movement data between two adjacent pools of the Illinois River, we conduct numerical simulations to explore the theoretical effect of harvesting and …

A Mathematical Model For Mosquito Population Dynamics, Christian Evans, Jemal Mohammed-Awel, Andreas Lazari

Georgia Journal of Science

In this study, a deterministic mathematical model for mosquito population dynamics is presented. The use of chemical insecticide to control population is incorporated into the model. It is assumed that there is insecticide sensitive (sensitive-type) and insecticide resistant (resistant-type) mosquitoes in the environment. Conditions for the existence and stability of four equilibria of the model have been established. Numerical simulations are carried out to confirm the analytical results and the implications, in terms of mosquito control in the environment, are discussed.

A Survey Of European Regional Adaptation In Italian Ryegrass Varieties, T. J. Gilliland, A. J. P. Van Wijk

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Ryegrass is widely adapted to cool temperate eco-zones and breeders often submit individual varieties for testing in a number of EU countries. National testing programmes often combine data from several trial sites that may differ climatically, but not from sites in other member states, despite the possibility of high ecological similarity. Given increasing interest in animal value characters (soluble sugars, lipids, sward geometry), additional testing for these would be valuable but is prohibited by capped or declining funding. Data sharing between EU national authorities could be advantageous but is inhibited by the lack of statistically valid data on the sensitivity …

Milk Production Potential Of Different Dairy Pasture Types In Southern Australia, J. Tharmaraj, D. F. Chapman, Z. N. Nie, A. P. Lane

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The growth rate of traditional perennial ryegrass-based pastures commonly fails to meet herd feed requirements through winter and summer in non-irrigated dairy systems in southern Australia. Alternative pasture species can improve seasonal feed supply in this region (Tharmaraj & Chapman, 2005). However, the feeding value and milk production of these pastures must at least match perennial ryegrass if they are to be adopted successfully on dairy farms. This paper reports results of a comparison of the milk production potential of pasture types similar to those investigated by Tharmaraj & Chapman (2005) for their agronomic performance.

Effect Of Strain Of Holstein-Friesian Cow And Feed System On Reproductive Performance In Seasonal-Calving Milk Production Systems Over Four Years, B. Horan, J. F. Mee, Myles Rath, P. O'Connor, P. Dillon

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

In Ireland most dairy farms operate seasonal calving grass-based milk production systems. Feed demand and supply are matched by having calving highly concentrated in spring. This requires high pregnancy rates within a short time following the start of mating in late April or early May, but has become increasingly difficult to achieve due to declining fertility in Irish dairy herds (Mee, 2004). In New Zealand, cows of North American Holstein-Friesian origin have poorer fertility than New Zealand Holstein-Friesians on pasture-based seasonal calving systems (Harris & Kolver, 2001). The present study sought to determine the effect of strain of Holstein-Friesian (HF) …

Phenotype X Herbage Allowance Interactions In Reproduction Of First Calf Heifers Grazing Semiarid Rangeland, J. W. Holloway, B. G. Warrington, M. K. Owens

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Cattle are differentially adapted to nutritional environments. The most sensitive measure of adaptation is reproduction of first-calf heifers. We studied the role of maturation rate and milk production on reproductive performance of first-calf heifers allowed different levels of herbage in semiarid rangeland.

The Impact Of The Level Of Feed-On-Offer Available To Merino Ewes During Winter-Spring On The Wool Production Of Their Progeny As Adults, Chris Oldham, M. Ferguson, B. Paganoni, A. Thompson, G. Kearney, M. A. Van Burgel

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

New opportunities for developing optimum ewe management systems, based on achieving liveweight and body condition score (CS) targets at critical stages of the reproductive cycle, have emerged from the acceptance that nutrition during pregnancy can have substantial impacts on the lifetime wool performance of the progeny (Kelly et al,. 1996). However, most studies of the impacts of nutrition on foetal growth and development tended to focus on late pregnancy and have also only considered extreme nutritional regimes often outside the boundaries of commercial reality. Hence, the Lifetime Wool team (Thompson & Oldham, 2004) conducted dose-response experiments to determine the …

Effects Of Forage Chicory (Cichorium Intybus) On Farmed Deer Growth And Internal Parasitism, S. O. Hoskin, P. R. Wilson, W. E. Pomroy, T. N. Barry

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Internal parasitism (particularly lungworm - Dictyocaulus sp) significantly limits post-weaning growth of deer. Endoparasite control using anthelmintics may be unsustainable, due to the increasing risk of anthelmintic resistance and the risk or perception of chemical residues in animal products. Chicory has a high feeding value and contains sesquiterpene lactones and low levels of condensed tannins, both with anti-parasitic activity (Molan et al., 2003). Grazing chicory during autumn may reduce the requirement for anthelmintic treatment of young deer compared with grazing ryegrass-based pasture (Hoskin et al., 1999). The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of withholding …

Investigating The Effect Of Medium Chain Triglycerides On The Elasticity Of Pulmonary Surfactant, Maksymilian Dziura, Stuart R. Castillo, Mitchell Dipasquale, Omotayo Gbadamosi, Piotr Zolnierczuk, Michihiro Nagao, Elizabeth G. Kelley, Drew Marquardt

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

In recent years, vaping has increased in both popularity and ease of access. This has led to an outbreak of a relatively new condition known as e-cigarette/vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI). This injury can be caused by physical interactions between the pulmonary surfactant (PS) in the lungs and toxins typically found in vaping solutions, such as medium chain triglycerides (MCT). MCT has been largely used as a carrier agent within many cannabis products commercially available on the market. Pulmonary surfactant ensures proper respiration by maintaining low surface tensions and interface stability throughout each respiratory cycle. Therefore, any impediments to this system …

Magnetic Slime, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

Students learn chemistry and physics by making magnetic slime.