Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

H-Discrete Fractional Model Of Tumor Growth And Anticancer Effects Of Mono And Combination Therapies, Kamala Dadashova

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this thesis, we focus on h–discrete and h–discrete fractional representation of a pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics (PK-PD) model which describes tumor growth considering time on hNa, where h>0. First, we introduce some definitions, lemmas and theorems on both h–discrete and h–discrete fractional calculus in the preliminary section. In Chapter 3, we work on the PD model with delay by exam ining nabla h–discrete equations and nabla h–discrete fractional equations as well as variation of constants formulas, accordingly. We introduce our model and solve it using theorems we proved in the last section of the indicated chapter. When we do simulation for …

Using Computational Bayesian Statistics To Analyze Parameters In A Differential Equation Model, Jacob Menix

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The purpose of this project is to use Bayesian statistics to analyze values of parameters for a previously developed system of differential equations which describes the healing process of diabetic foot ulcers. The model describes the relationships between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), their inhibitors (TIMPs), and extracellular matrix (ECM). A Bayesian approach is used when the availability of data is sparse, as it is in this case. Delayed Rejection Adaptive Metropolis (DRAM), a MATLAB implementation of a Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, is used to estimate parameters. This approach with the individual patient data allows us to estimate and compare parameters and their pairwise …

Using Mixed Effects Modeling To Quantify Difference Between Patient Groups With Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Rachel French

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

When diabetes progresses, many patients suffer from chronic foot ulcers. In a study described in Matrix Metalloproteinases and Diabetic Foot Ulcers (Muller et al., 2008), sixteen patients with diabetic foot ulcers were examined throughout a twelve week healing period. During this period, levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1), their inhibitors (TIMP-1), and the extracellular matrix in a wound area were measured at distinct time intervals for each patient. The ratios of these healing components are vital in determining whether a wound will heal or become chronic and never properly heal. Connecting Local and Global Sensitivities in a Mathematical Model for Wound …

Mathematical Modeling Of Trending Topics On Twitter, Jonathan S. Skaza

Honors Projects in Mathematics

Created in 2006, Twitter is an online social networking service in which users share and read 140-character messages called Tweets. The site has approximately 288 million monthly active users who produce about 500 million Tweets per day. This study applies dynamical and statistical modeling strategies to quantify the spread of information on Twitter. Parameter estimates for the rates of infection and recovery are obtained using Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. The methodological strategy employed is an extension of techniques traditionally used in an epidemiological and biomedical context (particularly in the spread of infectious disease). This study, which addresses …

Using Optimal Control Theory To Optimize The Use Of Oxygen Therapy In Chronic Wound Healing, Donna Lynn Daulton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Approximately 2 to 3 million people in the United States suffer from chronic wounds, which are defined as wounds that do not heal in 30 days time; an estimated $25 billion per year is spent on their treatment in the United States. In our work, we focused on treating chronic wounds with bacterial infections using hyperbaric and topical oxygen therapies.

We used a mathematical model describing the interaction between bacteria, neutrophils and oxygen. Optimal control theory was then employed to study oxygen treatment strategies with the mathematical model. Existence of a solution was shown for both therapies. Uniqueness was also …

A Proposal For A Problem-Driven Mathematics Curriculum Framework, Judith S. Zawojewski, Marta Magiera, Richard Lesh

Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

A framework for a problem-driven mathematics curriculum is proposed, grounded in the assumption that students learn mathematics while engaged in complex problem-solving activity. The framework is envisioned as a dynamic technologicallydriven multi-dimensional representation that can highlight the nature of the curriculum (e.g., revealing the relationship among modeling, conceptual, and procedural knowledge), can be used for programmatic, classroom and individual assessment, and can be easily revised to reflect ongoing changes in disciplinary knowledge development and important applications of mathematics. The discussion prompts ideas and questions for future development of the envisioned software needed to enact such a framework.

Modeling And Mathematical Analysis Of Plant Models In Ecology, Eric A. Eager

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Population dynamics tries to explain in a simple mechanistic way the variations of the size and structure of biological populations. In this dissertation we use mathematical modeling and analysis to study the various aspects of the dynamics of plant populations and their seed banks.

In Chapter 2 we investigate the impact of structural model uncertainty by considering different nonlinear recruitment functions in an integral projection model for Cirsium canescens. We show that, while having identical equilibrium populations, these two models can elicit drastically different transient dynamics. We then derive a formula for the sensitivity of the equilibrium population to …

An Algorithm For Wavelet–Based Elemental Spectrum Analysis, Bruce Kessler

Mathematics Faculty Publications

At the previous Approximation Theory XII meeting, I discussed some preliminary work with the Applied Physics Institute at Western Kentucky University in using multiwavelets to provide an objective analysis of gamma-ray spectrum generated from fast neutron bombardment of objects, for the purpose of identifying the elemental composition of the object. The method discussed at the time worked moderately well with the limited amount of data provided, but subsequent use with data sets of different compounds and with different detectors brought to light serious flaws with its implementation.

This talk will illustrate those issues and will address how they have been …

Improved Automated Monitoring And New Analysis Algorithm For Circadean Phototaxis Rhythms In Chlamydomonas, Christa Gaskill, Jennifer Forbes-Stovall, Bruce Kessler, Mike Young, Claire A. Rinehart, Sigrid Jacobshagen

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Automated monitoring of circadian rhythms is an efficient way of gaining insight into oscillation parameters like period and phase for the underlying pacemaker of the circadian clock. Measurement of the circadian rhythm of phototaxis (swimming towards light) exhibited by the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has been automated by directing a narrow and dim light beam through a culture at regular intervals and determining the decrease in light transmittance due to the accumulation of cells in the beam. In this study, the monitoring process was optimized by constructing a new computercontrolled measuring machine that limits the test beam to wavelengths reported …

Multiwavelets For Quantitative Pattern Matching, Bruce Kessler

Mathematics Faculty Publications

This was my presentation in Hawaii that accompanied my paper on pattern matching, published in the conference proceedings.

Wavelet Decompositions For Quantitative Pattern Matching, Bruce Kessler

Mathematics Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the concepts of wavelets and multiwavelets, and explain how these tools can be used by the analyst community to find patterns in quantitative data. Three multiwavelet bases are introduced, the GHM basis from \cite{GHM}, a piecewise polynomial basis with approximation order 4 from \cite{DGH}, and a smoother approximation-order-4 basis developed by the author in previous work \cite{K}. The technique of using multiwavelets to find patterns is illustrated in a traffic-analysis example. Acknowledgements: This work supported in part by the NACMAST consortium under contract EWAGSI-07-SC-0003.