Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Sustainable Accounting: The Benefits And Challenges Of Its Implementation, Collin Eckstein

University Honors College

This thesis is centered around the idea that sustainability is a necessary component within the world. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are key components of analyzing sustainable practices. Although accountants have historically focused on financial reporting, they now have the added function of sustainable accounting as environmental implications are an area of concern for companies. A substantial component of this thesis centers around analyzing how ESG factors contribute to an organization’s financial performance. It also observes how comprehensive sustainability reports impact investor decisions and examines the challenges that auditors face when providing assurance for sustainability initiatives. Furthermore, it examines …

The Effects Of Using Machine Translators On The Performance Of Second Language Learners, Kasey Myer

University Honors College

With the rise of technology has also come the development of various online language translators and artificial intelligence that are often utilized by individuals learning a second language. However, there is a wide range of quality between the different machine translation tools, and many people tend to be under the impression that it is inferior to the quality of interpretations provided by human translators. This paper considers the positives and negatives of machine translation as a tool for second language learning. Variations between the input and output languages on a grammatical and cultural level are analyzed. Machine translation is compared …

Ai: Is The Future Robots?, Ruthanne Fischer

University Honors College

The goal of this thesis is to analyze how Artificial Intelligence is actively changing. The newly developed technology that is known as Artificial Intelligence can potentially have implications that are not yet known. Artificial Intelligence impacts the business world in many ways. Things such as ChatGPT and Deepfakes are some of the biggest forms of Artificial Intelligence today. It is important to know how Artificial Intelligence is changing every day because no one knows the true implications of a technology like this. It is crucial for companies to understand how this technology can potentially be harmful to their employees. Artificial …

Cybervictimization And Depression: A Cultural Standpoint, Paige Heagy

University Honors College

The author’s aim was to investigate the relationship between cybervictimization and depression, as well as using peer attachment and culture as moderators by giving questionnaires to 1347 participants (age range = 11-15 years) from India and the United States. Through four questionnaires, adolescents reported their levels of endorsement in either individualism or collectivism culture, levels of cybervictimization, levels of depression/depressive symptoms, and their levels of peer attachment. Adolescents reported that there is a significantly positive correlation between cybervictimization and depression. Differences were found according to culture and peer attachment, as well. Cybervictimization has begun to erupt worldwide as internet usage …

An Evaluation Of Spectroscopic Databases: Content, Structure, Toolsets, Usability, And Documentation, Joseph William Braker

Masters Theses

Spectroscopic databases provide a critical service in the greater field of spectroscopy. Many subdisciplines of spectroscopists use the data contained within, whether calculating theoretical models, evaluating the atmosphere of a planet in the furthest reaches of the galaxy, or monitoring the emission levels of a chemical process. The intention of this research is to seek a deeper level of understanding of spectroscopy and the resources available while providing a comparison of the databases, the content within, and their peripheral tools and features. An experimental effort was derived to utilize existing experimental data from multiple sources and determine which data source …

In-Between Frame Generation For 2d Animation Using Generative Adversarial Networks, Francisco Arriaga Pazos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Traditional 2D animation remains a largely manual process where each frame in a video is hand-drawn, as no robust algorithmic solutions exist to assist in this process. This project introduces a system that generates intermediate frames in an uncolored 2D animated video sequence using Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN), a deep learning approach widely used for tasks within the creative realm. We treat the task as a frame interpolation problem, and show that adding a GAN dynamic to a system significantly improves the perceptual fidelity of the generated images, as measured by perceptual oriented metrics that aim to capture human judgment …

Monero: Powering Anonymous Digital Currency Transactions, Jake Braddy

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Cryptocurrencies rely on a distributed public ledger (record of transactions) in order to perform their intended functions. However, the public’s ability to audit the network is both its greatest strength and greatest weakness: Anyone can see what address sent currency, and to whom the currency was sent. If cryptocurrency is ever going to take some of the responsibility of fiat currency, then there needs to be a certain level of confidentiality. Thus far, Monero has come out on top as the preferred currency for embodying the ideas of privacy and confidentiality. Through numerous cryptographic procedures, Monero is able to obfuscate …

Analysis Of Additively Manufactured Inconel 718 Combustion Behavior In Promoted Oxygen Environments, Dominic George Dieguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Promoted combustion testing is a vital tool for engineers to establish the combustion and flammability characteristics of materials (metallic or otherwise) in oxygen enriched environments. Historically, much of the established data for metallic promoted combustion has been with regards to materials in their cast and wrought forms. However, with the emergence of additive manufacturing as a preferred method of fabrication, the need exists to evaluate how metals in that form behave. Recent testing has demonstrated that even if a metal or alloy is nominally the same with regards to chemistry, flammability between samples in the wrought form can differ significantly …

Study Of Morphology, Structure, And Magnetic Properties Of High Entropy Alloy Systems, Matthew G. Guerrero

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Abstract:This thesis presents an investigation into the magnetic properties of high entropy alloy (HEA) samples, focusing primarily on compositions within the FeNiCoMn system and their gallium/chemically doped derivatives. High entropy alloys represent a promising class of materials with unique properties resulting from their complex composition and structural arrangements. The behavior of these alloys, particularly in their magnetic properties, remains an area of significant interest due to their potential applications in magnetic storage, sensing, and other technological domains. The study encompasses an examination of seven distinct HEA samples: FeNiCo, FeNiCoMn0.2, FeNiCoMn0.4, FeNiCoMn0.6, FeNiCoMn0.2Ga0.1, FeNiCoGa0.2, FeNiCoMn0.2Ga0.3. Furthermore, three samples of FeNiCoMn0.2 and …

Microwave Emission Model Parameter Tuning For Surface Soil Moisture Retrieval Using Uav-Mounted Dual Polarization L-Band Radiometer, Santiago Hoyos Echeverri

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Surface soil moisture retrieval from L-band brightness temperature has been developed for the past decades due to multiple beneficial characteristics of 1-2 GHz frequency bands for remote sensing of the environment. Numerous microwave emission models have been proposed for tower and satellite-based operations with successful retrieval of surface soil moisture and vegetation water content. As a result of the development of cost-effective and low-mass microwave L-band radiometers such as the Portable L-band Radiometer (PoLRa), surface soil moisture surveying traditionally developed by satellite missions SMOS and SMAP can now be developed at local scales, bringing these operations to commercial small unmanned …

Synthesis Of Neoglycoproteins As Potential Biomarkers For Chagas Disease And Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Caused By Leishmania (Viannia) Braziliensis, Eileni Rodriguez Gil

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Protozoan parasites are responsible for causing numerous diseases in humans and mammals worldwide. Among them are Chagas disease (CD), caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), and tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL), caused by the parasite Leishmania (Viannia). Both diseases coexist in many regions of Latin America, and current hurdles to differentially diagnose them and determine chemotherapy success need to be overcome. CD can be diagnosed by traditional serological tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), but disadvantages of these methods are that they may produce false negatives because the antigens used in commercial CD kits are not conserved across all T.cruzi …

Formation Of Diazirine Functionality For Propellant Applications, Abby Mock

Poster Presentations

Overall, this research focuses on a cost-effective approach which minimizes synthetic overhead when assembling compounds with diazirine functionality. The goals are to prevent the surplus use of ammonia in the formation of the diaziridines and use electrochemistry to perform the oxidation of diaziridines. In addition, this project will evaluate the efficiency of different diazirine molecules as propellants.

A Revised Synthesis Of The Cationic Lipids Dmri And Mlri, Benjamin A. Kostic

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are an increasingly utilized method of intracellular delivery for nucleic acids. The COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have used LNP technology to combat the recent global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, saving millions of lives.^1,2 These vaccines consist of a lipid formulation that binds to the anionic phosphate groups of mRNAs and serves as an effective way to transport the nucleic acid across membranes into cells.⁹The mRNA encodes a viral protein. When introduced to cells, the viral protein is produced so that the immune system then can generate an appropriate antibody response.³ However, this approach …

Creating Interpretable Deep Learning Models To Identify Species Using Environmental Dna Sequences, Samuel Waggoner

Honors College

This research aims to develop an interpretable and fast machine learning (ML) model for identifying species using environmental DNA (eDNA). eDNA is a technique used to detect the presence or absence of species in an ecosystem by analyzing the DNA that animals naturally leave behind in water or soil. However, there can be millions of sequences to classify and the reference databases are sizeable, so traditional methods such as BLAST are slow. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been shown to be 150 times faster at classifying sequences. In this work, we create a CNN that achieves 92.5% accuracy, surpassing the …

Effects Of Ecologically Relevant Concentrations Of Nitrate On Behavior In Betta Splendens, Sarah Janson

Honors College

Nitrate is a ubiquitous pollutant that is becoming more prevalent in both fresh and saltwater environments. Short term effects are often studied, but an organism’s response to stress can change due to whatever the stressor is. In order to research this, a study was run using environmentally relevant nitrate treatments (0 mg/L, 10 mg/L NO3-N, and 100 mg/L NO3-N) to see the effect of nitrate on scototaxis behaviors, a measure of anxiety. This study used Betta splendens because they are easy to rear and have very well documented behaviors. In addition to the scototaxis, the effect of temperature on mortality …

Development And Investigation Of Children's Manuscripts On Sustainable Agriculture And Place Based Interactions With The Land, Isabella Oliveira

Honors College

The goal of this project was to develop an illustrated educational manuscript for children, on the topic of environmentally sustainable practices and developing an interactive relationship with the environment around them. The decision-making of the contents of the manuscript was based in research on environmental pedagogy, the history of land use, place-based identity and environmentalism, and sustainable land practices. All of the illustrations and photography in the manuscript were taken in Maine over my time spent here in college. This manuscript is meant to engage children with the environment around them by introducing them to simplified scientific concepts using references …

Development Of Novel Immobilized Copper–Ligand Complex For Click Chemistry Of Biomolecules, Rene Kandler, Yomal Benaragama, Manoranjan Bera, Caroline Wang, Rasheda Aktar Samiha, W.M.C. Sameera, Samir Das, Arundhati Nag

Chemistry

Copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition click (CuAAC) reaction is widely used to synthesize drug candidates and other biomolecule classes. Homogeneous catalysts, which consist of copper coordinated to a ligand framework, have been optimized for high yield and specificity of the CuAAC reaction, but CuAAC reaction with these catalysts requires the addition of a reducing agent and basic conditions, which can complicate some of the desired syntheses. Additionally, removing copper from the synthesized CuAAC-containing biomolecule is necessary for biological applications but inconvenient and requires additional purification steps. We describe here the design and synthesis of a PNN-type pincer ligand complex with copper (I) …

Comparing The Regulatory Effects Of Overexpressed Micrornas And Xenobiotic Drugs On Cell Cycle And Apoptotic Regulators In Pc-3 Cells, Tommie Johnson

Dissertations (2016-Present)

MicroRNA was first discovered in C. elegans as small temporal RNA (stRNA) that does not code for protein. Since being discovered they have played a significant role in regulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. miRNAs are found in various organisms, and they bind to the 3' untranslated regions to inhibit translation and cause mRNA degradation. Some drugs are involved in cell cycle regulation such as Palbociclib, Ribociclib (LEE011), and Abemaciclib (LY2835219), that causes G1 arrest impeding cell proliferation. Cyclin D1 (CCND1) is supported by the cell cycle making it into a functional product. When undergoing a chemical reaction, the …

Murmurations And Root Numbers, Alexey Pozdnyakov

University Scholar Projects

We report on a machine learning investigation of large datasets of elliptic curves and L-functions. This leads to the discovery of murmurations, an unexpected correlation between the root numbers and Dirichlet coefficients of L-functions. We provide a formal definition of murmurations, describe the connection with 1-level density, and provide three examples for which the murmuration phenomenon has been rigorously proven. Using our understanding of murmurations, we then build new machine learning models in search of a polynomial time algorithm for predicting root numbers. Based on our models and several heuristic arguments, we conclude that it is unlikely for …

An Educational Resource For Particle Identification (Pid) In Experimental Particle Physics Data, Richard Dube

University Scholar Projects

Although particle physics research is typically reserved for advanced undergraduates, algebra-based physics students can readily develop the foundational skills necessary to conduct particle physics research. Despite this, there is a shortage of educational resources that introduce particle physics to algebra-based physics students. This project, Particle Identification Playground, is a collection of Python-based activities that teach students about several fundamental topics in experimental particle physics research. Through these activities, students will learn about the common detectors used in particle physics, how they work, and how we can use these detectors to identify particles. Students are able to interact with 3D models …

Side Channel Detection Of Pc Rootkits Using Nonlinear Phase Space, Rebecca Clark

Poster Presentations

Cyberattacks are increasing in size and scope yearly, and the most effective and common means of attack is through malicious software executed on target devices of interest. Malware threats vary widely in terms of behavior and impact and, thus, effective methods of detection are constantly being sought from the academic research community to offset both volume and complexity. Rootkits are malware that represent a highly feared threat because they can change operating system integrity and alter otherwise normally functioning software. Although normal methods of detection that are based on signatures of known malware code are the standard line of defense, …

Factors Influencing Performance Of Students In Software Automated Test Tools Course, Susmita Haldar, Mary Pierce, Luiz Fernando Capretz

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

Formal software testing education is important for building efficient QA professionals. Various aspects of quality assurance approaches are usually covered in courses for training software testing students. Automated Test Tools is one of the core courses in the software testing post-graduate curriculum due to the high demand for automated testers in the workforce. It is important to understand which factors are affecting student performance in the automated testing course to be able to assist the students early on based on their needs. Various metrics that are considered for predicting student performance in this testing course are student engagement, grades on …

A Conceptual Understanding Of Concepts In Organic Chemistry, Timerra Chisham

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

As students continue to make the transfer into organic chemistry from general chemistry, they will have to adjust to the new type of thinking required so that they will not fall behind in understanding material and will have success in the course. For this research project, I explored which concepts taught in organic chemistry are the most difficult for students to grasp. I had two main goals for this project. The first one is the central idea that I focused on, which was to see which concepts that have been taught in Organic Chemistry 1 the students are most confident …

Analysis Of Circular Design Principles For The Sustainable End-Of-Life Management Of Renewable Energy Assets: Investigation Of Illinois And Germany Renewable Energy Policies And Programs., Samuel N. Nimaful

2024 Student Research and Creativity Conference

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of circular design principles applied to the sustainable end-of-life management of renewable energy assets, focusing on the comparative study of renewable energy policies in Illinois, USA, and Germany. As the deployment of renewable energy technologies like solar panels and wind turbines expands globally, the question of their sustainable disposal becomes increasingly critical. This research delves into how circular economy approaches can be integrated into policy frameworks to ensure that these technologies are sustainable not only in their operation but also at the end of their lifecycle.

The study methodically reviews existing policies and programs …

The Effects Of Free Volume And Processing On The Development Of Gas Separation Membranes, Jacob Schekman

Dissertations

Structure, thermal, mechanical, gas transport, and free volume properties of thiol-ene based systems are investigated and discussed. In the pursuit of generating low energy-cost polymer membranes for gas separation, it became apparent that UV-curing of thiol-ene materials presented several routes toward achieving this goal. Network structure plays a vital role in determining the gas transport properties of membrane materials. UV photopolymerization techniques provide a means to rapidly vitrify network morphologies which can be tuned depending on choice of monomer. Thiol-ene monomers offer a broad range of precursor materials from which to choose for the design of functional membrane materials.

Chapter …

Why Evidence-Based Hope Is Crucial To Salish Sea Recovery And Beyond, Dr. Elin Kelsey, Ginny Broadhurst

Institute Publications

In April 2023 and March 2024, the Salish Sea Institute engaged hope scholar and thought-leader Elin Kelsey, for events with the common theme of sharing information about evidence-based hope and helping the audience apply that thinking to combat the pervasive doom and gloom narrative that persists about climate change and the environment in general.

The first event was a 2 ½ day Hope for the Salish Sea (HSS) intensive environmental leadership workshop specifically co-designed and led by Elin, Ginny Broadhurst, Director of the Salish Sea Institute, and Mavis Underwood of Tsawout Community, WSANEC Nation. The Salish Sea Institute also organized …

The Kruger Collection Reimagined: A Case Study In 3d Scanning And Interactive Exhibit Design, Annissa Davis

Anthropology Department: Theses

This thesis examines the use of 3D modeling in museum exhibition to create exploratory exhibits that facilitate unique relationships between the visitors and the collection beyond what is provided by the collection’s in person counterparts. Typical use of 3D modeling in museums is currently often representative rather than exploratory. By employing a Digital Humanities lens to approach the development of a digital exhibition utilizing 3D technology and interactive elements created in a video game engine (Unity), this thesis project evaluates these potential new relationships. Using the Eloise Kruger Collection of Miniatures as a case study, the following text details the …

Ethical Imperatives In Ai-Driven Educational Assessment: Framework And Implications, Ming Soon Tristan Lim

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation embarks on an extensive exploration of the ethical challenges emerging from the integration of AI in educational assessments. It uncovers the complex interplay between AI and the ethical imperatives these technologies pose within educational assessments.

Amidst the rapid development of AI-enabled educational technologies, such as Ubiquitous, Adaptive, and Immersive technologies, this research identifies a notable gap in literature specifically concerning the ethical imperatives and implications of AI in educational assessments. Addressing this gap, the dissertation has three primary objectives: to comprehend and analyze the underpinning educational technologies driving assessments, to elucidate the intricate relationship between AI, ethics, and …

Selective Transfection Of A Transferrin Receptor-Expressing Cell Line With Dna-Lipid Nanoparticles And Synthesis Of Parasite-Derived Glycans As Biomarkers For Leishmaniasis, Irodiel Vinales Lozano

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Despite notable progress in lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-mediated gene delivery, achieving selective transfection of specific cell types, such as cancer cells, remains a significant hurdle, hindering the advancement of innovative gene therapies. In this study, we engineered an LNP formulation encapsulating plasmid DNA (pDNA) encoding the monomeric Green Lantern (mGL) fluorescent reporter protein. The DT7 peptide ligand targeting human transferrin receptor 1 (hTfR1) was also conjugated to the LNP surface for targeted delivery to hTfR1-expressing cells. Optimization of LNP composition yielded favorable particle diameter, ζ-potential, yield, and pDNA encapsulation efficiency. Evaluation of transfection selectivity using a panel of two engineered cell …

Dynamic Storytelling Algorithms Using Contextual Aspects Of A Large Language Model, Alireza Pasha Nouri

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Storytelling is a set of algorithms used to create narratives by connecting documents in a sequencethat accurately reflects the evolution of events and entities within a particular topic or theme. Early storytelling algorithms face challenges in encoding the progression and interconnections of information between consecutive texts, given that the conventional approaches rely primarily on connecting document pairs based on content overlap. They often neglect critical linguistic features, such as word contexts, semantics, the roles words play across different documents, and attention to the historical contexts of the underlying documents. Many existing storytelling models frequently produce story chains that, while connected …