Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Geologic Controls On 137cs Cycling By Terrestrial Vegetation In The Eastern U.S., Kathleen Chellman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

¹³⁷Cs is a radioactive trace metal (T_1/2 = 30 y) that was dispersed globally by nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s-1960s. Prevailing winds and precipitation systems caused some areas far from the test sites to receive significant fallout, which is still easily measured in soils, sediments and even some vegetation in the Eastern United States. Recent work near Chernobyl and Fukushima indicates that trace levels of ¹³⁷Cs can harm insects, pollination services, and other ecological functions. In areas with low soil potassium, ¹³⁷Cs is cycled in vegetation; however, soil potassium alone doesn't consistently predict the ^{137 …}

One‑Dimensional Arrays Of Optical Dark Spot Traps From Nested Gaussian Laser Beams For Quantum Computing, Travis Frazer, Katharina Gillen

Physics

Quantum computing is rapidly becoming a practical technology, driven by new and advanced quantum systems, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. For neutral atoms as a host system, the natural advantage of long lifetimes is limited by decoherence mechanisms like light scattering. In this work, we computationally investigate a blue-detuned one-dimensional optical dipole trap array to reduce light scattering by holding atoms in minimum light intensity regions. The array consists of two counter-propagating Gaussian beams of differing widths, such that light walls from the larger beam radially confine the standing wave generating the dipole traps. We find this system …

How Does Fico Score Discriminates People?, Stephana Lim '22

Posters

The FICO Score, the standard credit score, is used as a weapon of mathematical destruction as its algorithm creates a systematic discrimination against a disadvantaged racial group.

New Measurements Of The Beam-Normal Single Spin Asymmetry In Elastic Electron Scattering Over A Range Of Spin-0 Nuclei, D. Adhikari, (...), David S. Armstrong, Et Al.

Arts & Sciences Articles

We report precision determinations of the beam-normal single spin asymmetries (An) in the elastic scattering of 0.95 and 2.18 GeV electrons off 12C, 40Ca, 48Ca, and 208Pb at very forward angles where the most detailed theoretical calculations have been performed. The first measurements of An for 40Ca and 48Ca are found to be similar to that of 12C, consistent with expectations and thus demonstrating the validity of theoretical calculations for nuclei with Z≤20. We also report An for 208Pb at two new momentum transfers (Q2) extending the previous measurement. Our new data confirm the surprising result previously reported, with all …

The Analysis And Remediation Of Excess Fluoride In Drinking Water In Isle Of Wight County, Va, Kaleigh Beale

Longwood Senior Theses

Excess fluoride in drinking water can cause fluorosis or brown and yellow staining of the enamel of teeth. In extreme cases, severe damage to teeth and bone structure can develop. In 1993, the World Health Organization set a limit of 1.5 ppm as acceptable for drinking water; however, in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, recent water quality reports detected levels of fluoride as high as 4 ppm. The purpose of this study was to investigate several detection and remediation methods of fluoride in drinking water. Detection methods included an ion selective electrode (ISE), dye-based colorimetric methods, and an at-home testing …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Gallate Esters As Alternatives To Traditional Parabens, Marcia Reeves

Longwood Senior Theses

Parabens are esters of p-hydroxybenzoates that are commonly found in everyday consumer products as well as pharmaceuticals. They are often used in commercial products to prevent bacterial growth as well as to provide extended shelf life, but they have been shown to activate estrogen receptors in vivo, a contributing factor in human breast cancer proliferation. Our lab has previously generated a multitude of paraben derivatives that do not exhibit estrogenic activity. Many of these derivatives may have other safety concerns, but gallate esters appear to have the least hazardous properties. The estrogenic, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties of the gallate ester …

Machine Learning In Healthcare: Improving The Diagnosis Of Pulmonary Embolism In Covid-19 Patients, Soheb Osmani

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has created new challenges for clinicians diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE). Clinicians currently rely on D-Dimer levels in conjunction with clinical prediction scores to rule out and diagnose PE. However, patients with COVID-19 (the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2) often present with elevated D-Dimer levels. D-Dimer levels in COVID-19 patients have been found to be positively correlated with the severity of disease. Symptoms of COVID-19 also often align with symptoms of PE. Therefore, it becomes more difficult for clinicians to identify which COVID-19 positive patients should undergo further testing for PE. This study evaluates …

Few-Shot Object Detection Via Baby Learning, Anh-Khoa Nguyen Vu, Nhat-Duy Nguyen, Khanh-Duy Nguyen, Vinh-Tiep Nguyen, Thanh Duc Ngo, Thanh-Toan Do, Tam Nguyen

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Few-shot learning is proposed to overcome the problem of scarce training data in novel classes. Recently, few-shot learning has been well adopted in various computer vision tasks such as object recognition and object detection. However, the state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods have less attention to effectively reuse the information from previous stages. In this paper, we propose a new framework of few-shot learning for object detection. In particular, we adopt Baby Learning mechanism along with the multiple receptive fields to effectively utilize the former knowledge in novel domain. The propoed framework imitates the learning process of a baby through visual cues. The …

Towards Improved Inertial Navigation By Reducing Errors Using Deep Learning Methodology, Hua Chen, Tarek M. Taha, Vamsy P. Chodavarapu

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Autonomous vehicles make use of an Inertial Navigation System (INS) as part of vehicular sensor fusion in many situations including GPS-denied environments such as dense urban places, multi-level parking structures, and areas with thick tree-coverage. The INS unit incorporates an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to process the linear acceleration and angular velocity data to obtain orientation, position, and velocity information using mechanization equations. In this work, we describe a novel deep-learning-based methodology, using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), to reduce errors from MEMS IMU sensors. We develop a CNN-based approach that can learn from the responses of a particular inertial sensor …

Application Of U.S. Sanction Laws And Ransomware Payments, Trinity Woodbury

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

Ransomware is a major threat that widely affects individuals and organizations, including businesses. Ransomware victims face the situation of potentially paying ransom payments to threat actors, some of whom might be foreign-based criminals. Ransomware affects victims from all sectors and industries.

Giant Director Fluctuations In Liquid Crystal Drops, A. De La Cotte, O. Stenull, S. Ettinger, Peter J. Collings, T. C. Lubensky, A. G. Yodh

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

We report the discovery and elucidation of giant spatiotemporal orientational fluctuations in nematic liquid crystal drops with radial orientation of the nematic anisotropy axis producing a central “hedgehog” defect. We study the spatial and temporal properties of the fluctuations experimentally using polarized optical microscopy, and theoretically, by calculating the eigenspectrum of the Frank elastic free energy of a nematic drop of radius R₂, containing a spherical central core of radius R₁ and constrained by perpendicular boundary conditions on all surfaces. We find that the hedgehog defect with radial orientation has a complex excitation spectrum with a single critical …

A Second Planet Transiting Ltt 1445a And A Determination Of The Masses Of Both Worlds, J. G. Winters, R. Cloutier, A. A. Medina, J. M. Irwin, D. Charbonneau, N. Astudillo-Defru, X. Bonfils, A. W. Howard, H. Isaacson, J. L. Bean, A. Seifahrt, J. K. Teske, J. D. Eastman, J. D. Twicken, K. A. Collins, Eric L.N. Jensen, S. N. Quinn, M. J. Payne, M. H. Kristiansen, A. Spencer, A. Vanderburg, M. Zechmeister, L. M. Weiss, S. X. Wang, G. Wang, S. Udry, I. A. Terentev, J. Stürmer, G. Stefánsson, A. Shporer, S. Shectman, R. Sefako, H. M. Schwengeler, R. P. Schwarz, N. Scarsdale, R. A. Rubenzahl, A. Roy, L. J. Rosenthal, P. Robertson, E. A. Petigura, F. Pepe, M. Omohundro, J. M. Akana Murphy, F. Murgas, T. Močnik, B. T. Montet, R. Mennickent, A. W. Mayo, B. Massey, J. Lubin, C. Lovis, P. Lewin, D. Kasper, S. R. Kane, J. M. Jenkins, D. Huber, K. Horne, M. L. Hill, P. Gorrini, S. Giacalone, B. Fulton, T. Forveille, P. Figueira, T. Fetherolf, C. Dressing, R. F. Díaz, X. Delfosse, P. A. Dalba, F. Dai, C. C. Cortés, I. J. M. Crossfield, J. D. Crane, D. M. Conti, K. I. Collins, A. Chontos, R. P. Butler, P. Brown, M. Brady, A. Behmard, C. Beard, N. M. Batalha, J.-M. Almenara

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

LTT 1445 is a hierarchical triple M-dwarf star system located at a distance of 6.86 pc. The primary star LTT 1445A (0.257 M_⊙) is known to host the transiting planet LTT 1445Ab with an orbital period of 5.36 days, making it the second-closest known transiting exoplanet system, and the closest one for which the host is an M dwarf. Using Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite data, we present the discovery of a second planet in the LTT 1445 system, with an orbital period of 3.12 days. We combine radial-velocity measurements obtained from the five spectrographs, Echelle Spectrograph for Rocky …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Enantioenriched Deuterated And Fluorinated Small Molecules, Mitchell D. Mills

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The development of novel deuterated and fluorinated bioisosteres has significantly impacted the pharmaceutical and agricultural industry and created a growing demand for new synthetic methodology. Both deuterated and fluorinated small molecules exist at the forefront of drug discovery due to their unique ability to attenuate the pharmacokinetic properties of new and currently existing drugs. Selective, high-throughput methods for deuteration and fluorination are scarce in the literature, especially methods that introduce D or F atoms asymmetrically. Benzylic CH bonds are oftentimes key sites for enzymatic manipulation in metabolic processes, alteration of CH bonds to CD or CF bonds at the benzylic …

Measurement Errors In Range-Based Localization Algorithms For Uavs: Analysis And Experimentation, Francesco Betti Sorbelli, Cristina M. Pinotti, Simone Silvestri, Sajal K. Das

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Localizing Ground Devices (GDs) is an Important Requirement for a Wide Variety of Applications, Such as Infrastructure Monitoring, Precision Agriculture, Search and Rescue Operations, to Name a Few. to This End, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or Drones Offer a Promising Technology Due to their Flexibility. However, the Distance Measurements Performed using a Drone, an Integral Part of a Localization Procedure, Incur Several Errors that Affect the Localization Accuracy. in This Paper, We Provide Analytical Expressions for the Impact of Different Kinds of Measurement Errors on the Ground Distance between the UAV and GDs. We Review Three Range-Based and Three Range-Free …

Load Balancing Algorithms For Parallel Spatial Join On Hpc Platforms, Jie Yang

Dissertations (1934 -)

Geospatial datasets are growing in volume, complexity, and heterogeneity. For efficient execution of geospatial computations and analytics on large scale datasets, parallel processing is necessary. To exploit fine-grained parallel processing on large scale compute clusters, partitioning of skewed datasets in a load-balanced way is challenging. The workload in spatial join is data dependent and highly irregular. Moreover, wide variation in the size and density of geometries from one region of the map to another, further exacerbates the load imbalance. This dissertation focuses on spatial join operation used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial databases, where the inputs are two …

Dark Patterns: How Interaction Design Turned To Deception, Ian Bansenauer

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This essay examines the influence of human computer interaction design history on the current practice of deceptive “dark patterns” in interface design. It traces the design evolution of the computer from its initial use as a mathematical tool to the creation of the internet, and towards the current focus on user retention and profitability through the rise of growth hacking and deceptive design practices. Examples of past and current research on interaction design and dark patterns are used to determine that design choices have a measurable effect on user actions. After reviewing the types of dark patterns and their modes …

Software As A Tool Not A Master, Dalton Leif Lange

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Modern Software takes advantage of users, by designing their software to prey upon the user. Through a historical analysis this paper hopes to better understand what has been done in the past to protect user's liberties, and what we can do going forward to ensure that software can be used as a tool, and not a master.

Indel Mapping, Lilu Martin

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Insertion and deletion mutations (InDels) are an understudied dynamic of protein structure. Little real world data exists for these types of mutations. Computational modeling can help fill in these gaps and support researchers in obtaining and analyzing data. In this paper, we present a unique approach to gathering exhaustive data on InDel mutations to create heat maps and other visualizations useful in analysis. Every possible InDel in a set of proteins is modelled in silico, rigidity data is obtained for all of those computational InDels, and the rigidity data of each is then compared to that of the wildtype, providing …

Period Doubling Cascades From Data, Alexander Berliner

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Orbit diagrams of period doubling cascades represent systems going from periodicity to chaos. Here, we investigate whether a Gaussian process regression can be used to approximate a system from data and recover asymptotic dynamics in the orbit diagrams for period doubling cascades. To compare the orbits of a system to the approximation, we compute the Wasserstein metric between the point clouds of their obits for varying bifurcation parameter values. Visually comparing the period doubling cascades, we note that the exact bifurcation values may shift, which is confirmed in the plots of the Wasserstein distance. This has implications for studying dynamics …

On The Generalized Hardy-Littlewood Maximal Operator, Namarig Hashim Hassan

Theses

No abstract provided.

Molecular Cloud Properties In High-Mass Star Forming Regions, Mohammed Essa Abdulla Ali Ahli

Theses

Using high spatial resolution observation of ¹²CO (2−1) and ¹³CO (2−1) emissions, I present the molecular cloud properties of N42 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. The observations were taken using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array observations. I conducted a thorough analysis of molecular gas properties to understand how the cloud properties of N42 differ from those of Galactic clouds. My analysis shows that, in N42, the majority of CO emission appears clumpy, while molecular cores with YSOs exhibit greater linewidths and masses. Massive clump cores are associated with YSOs. Virial analysis of the ¹²CO and ¹³CO …

Numerical And Theoretical Investigations Of Fractional Differential Equations, Sara Rafiq Al Fahel

Theses

Fractional calculus has been recently received huge attention from Mathematicians and engineers due to its importance in many real-life applications such as: fluid mechanics, electromagnetic, acoustics, chemistry, biology, physics and material sciences. In this thesis, we present numerical algorithms for solving fractional IVPs and system of fractional IVPs where two types of fractional derivatives are used: Caputo-Fabrizio, and Atangana-Baleanu-Caputo derivatives. These algorithms are developed based on modified Adams-Bashforth method. In addition, we discuss the theoretical solution of special class of fractional IVPs. Several examples are discussed to illustrate the efficiency and accuracy of the present schemes.

Casting Pearls Before Swine: Why The Public's Darling Right To Pollute Should Have Been Overturned In Recent Scova Decision, Thummim Park

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

This Note calls for the Virginia Supreme Court to recognize that a city’s right to freely pollute the public waterways is no longer valid under the Virginia Constitution, and to recognize that the line of Darling cases granting municipalities the public right to pollute waterways should have been overturned.

Part I will set out the foundation for this Note. It will discuss the background of Johnson v. City of Suffolk, laying the context for this Note’s discussion. Part II will engage in an analysis of the rationale for Darling. It will contextualize and compare it to current understandings …

Design And Development Of Distributed Lower Atmospheric Instrumentation Packages, Julio Guardado

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The recent miniaturization of embedded electronics and widespread availability of low-cost sensors, microcontrollers and transceivers has enabled development of sensor suites that can be used for high temporal and spatial resolution measurements of atmospheric parameters such as temperature, pressure, humidity, particulate counts, wind velocity and much more. This thesis presents the development of both airborne and ground based distributed atmospheric instrumentation suites. First, we present a low-cost radiosonde platform capable of simultaneous multipoint launches or high cadence back-to-back continuous launches. This radiosonde platform can do wind measurements on an approximately 60 m scale up to a minimum of 25 km. …

A Meshless Approach To Computational Pharmacokinetics, Anthony Matthew Khoury

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The meshless method is an incredibly powerful technique for solving a variety of problems with unparalleled accuracy and efficiency. The pharmacokinetic problem of transdermal drug delivery (TDDD) is one such topic and is of significant complexity. The locally collocated meshless method (LCMM) is developed in solution to this topic. First, the meshless method is formulated to model this transport phenomenon and is then validated against an analytical solution of a pharmacokinetic problem set, to demonstrate this accuracy and efficiency. The analytical solution provides a locus by which convergence behavior are evaluated, demonstrating the super convergence of the locally collocated meshless …

Zoo Education Efficacy In The Context Of The Modern-Day Zoo: A Study Of Aza-Accredited Zoos And Education Models, Taylor L. Ruscitti

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

Zoos have become a built-in component of society and play many roles. One of the roles includes being facilitators of education. Education serves to increase the positive public perception of zoos and works to continue to gain funds and support for a zoo’s overall purpose. Through a literature review and analysis, this thesis explores the modern-day context of zoos and analyzes how education can drive the zoo’s mission. The focus will be on Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA) accredited zoos. While many other facilities that house an array of animals, AZA …

Foam-Based Floatovoltaics: A Potential Solution To Disappearing Terminal Natural Lakes, Koami Soulemane Hayibo, Joshua M. Pearce

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

Terminal lakes are disappearing worldwide because of direct and indirect human activities. Floating photovoltaics (FPV) are a synergistic system with increased energy output because of water cooling, while the FPV reduces water evaporation. This study explores how low-cost foam-based floatovoltaic systems can mitigate the disappearance of natural lakes. A case study is performed on 10%–50% FPV coverage of terminal and disappearing Walker Lake. Water conservation is investigated with a modified Penman-Monteith evapotranspiration method and energy generation is calculated with an operating temperature model experimentally determined from foam-based FPV. Results show FPV saves 52,000,000 m3/year of water and US$6,000,000 at 50% …

Estimation Of Pure B Power In Polarized Cmb Data Via Gibbs Sampling., Joseph Sterling

Honors Theses

In the search for effective processes to estimate E and B spectra from polarized data, Gibbs Sampling has proven to be a powerful method. In the search for B modes, it is essential to avoid a false positive detection due to contamination from the larger E component. It is therefore of interest to combine Gibbs sampling with methods to “purify” the B modes, ensuring that a B-mode detection is robust. This goal can be achieved by compelling the Gibbs Sampler to estimate a pure B spectrum. The method we chose to implement involves an artificially inflated E spectrum, which “forces” …

Psychological Effects Of Video Games, Myles Johnson

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

Through the birth of the computer, our world has seen a rapid advancement in the multi-faceted use of this technology. The advancements in computers brought about the invention of video game consoles. Basically a different type of computer. Game consoles today are all basically computers, they contain a hard drive and operating system just like a computer (Daniel, 2012). Without even looking into the harmful effects of what a regular computer has on the brain and eyes of a person, one can assume that it is not beneficial to spend hours on one every day or even every other day. …

The Social Problems And Benefits Of Video Games, Steven Ly

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

In today’s society, video games have improved and increased alongside technology. Many games have made many communities increase their social media intake and gaming addiction. In the uprise of video games, multiple genres of video games have been created to contain the gamer. This paper will discuss the number of negatives and positives that affect a video gamer. We will also discuss other factors that could correlate to games involving people. The downsides and upsides of video gaming will primarily revolve around social problems that gamers develop and or positive outcomes from gaming. We will dive into the topics such …