Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Proton And Neutron As Coaxial Structures, Polievkt Perov

College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Works

We suggest that a proton and a neutron are coaxial spinning structures. It is assumed that an up-quark and a down-quark composing a proton and a neutron each contain three like charges revolving about the axis where one (in the up-quark) or two (in the down-quark) basic fractional charges reside. In the case of particles with more than one charge on the axis of rotation, for example in a down-quark, the distance between the charges on the axis is determined by the requirement of zero net force on each charge on the axis. In a proton, two up-quark and one …

We Think, We Smell, We Remember: The Effect Of Smell On Memory For Chemistry Lab Learning, Michael A. Marino, Francine Wisnewski, Catherine Reilly, Andre Alexis

Faculty Presentations: BCES

The traditional five senses are the primary receptors of external stimuli for the brain. While tactile learning and visual observations are integral to the chemistry laboratory, olfaction is a sense that should be considered part of an educator's repertoire. Previous studies have discovered that our sense of smell plays a significant role in triggering memories. Moreover, specific scents like vanillin can prompt anamneses to recall previous experiences. A sample of 61 college students was employed for a three-week pretest-posttest control group experimental design. In the first week, participants conducted a chemical reaction to synthesize isoamyl acetate, the familiar and nontoxic …

Cap-And-Trade Carbon Pricing In Utah: Challenges And Potential Impact, Katherine Michaels, Kendall Becker, Alexi Elizabeth Lamm, Scott Hotaling

All Current Publications

Cap-and-trade programs are a market-based form of carbon pricing that allows companies to trade with each other using carbon credits. Carbon credits function as permission slips to emit a certain amount of carbon. The “cap” establishes the number of carbon credits an industry or region has available for trading. Companies are incentivized to emit less because they can sell their excess carbon credits to other companies. Several cap-and-trade programs exist in the United States, and these programs are effectively reducing carbon emissions while creating net economic benefits for their regions. A cap-and-trade program could help Utah reduce carbon emissions in …

(Arise) Achievements In Research, Inquiry And Scholarship Exhibition 2024, Office Of Undergraduate Research

(ARISE) Achievements in Research, Inquiry and Scholarship Exhibition

No abstract provided.

Ocean Temperatures Do Not Account For A Record-Setting Winter In The U.S. West, Matthew D. Laplante, Liping Deng, Luthiene Dalanhese, Shih-Yu Wang

Journalism and Communication Faculty Publications

The record-setting winter of 2022–2023 came as an answer to both figurative and literal prayers for political leaders, policy makers, and water managers reliant on snowpacks in the Upper Colorado River Basin, a vital source of water for tens of millions of people across the Western United States. But this “drought-busting” winter was not well-predicted, in part because while interannual patterns of tropical ocean temperatures have a well-known relationship to precipitation patterns across much of the American West, the Upper Colorado is part of a liminal region where these connections tend to be comparatively weak. Using historical sea surface temperature …

Re: Comment Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Butte Treatment Lagoons Stress Test Pre-Design Investigation Work Plan (Dated June 17, 2024), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Identifying The O’Connell Effect In Eclipsing Binary Stars, Nicholas Paolella

Computer Science and Information Technology Faculty

Data science techniques have wide-ranging applications throughout scientific explorations. One, is filtering astronomical data to better understand specific populations, such as binary stars. Specifically, binary stars that exhibit the O’Connell effect are worthy of study as this phenomenon is still not well understood. The O’Connell effect can be defined as the asymmetry of maxima in the light curves, as captured by the instrument, while observing the eclipsing binary system in question. There is significant data captured by NASA and curated by Villanova University, which enabled the investigation of eclipsing binary stars and the attributes of which may help identify the …

2024 July 25 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

The Arbitrariness Of Symmetry In Mathematical Proofs, Melisa Vivanco

Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Symmetry is not an inherent characteristic of mathematical proofs; instead, it is a property that arbitrarily manifests in different modes of presentation. This arbitrariness leads to the conclusion that symmetry cannot be part of the defining or essential properties that characterize proofs. Consequently, contrary to some authors’ claims, symmetry does not significantly contribute to the validity, accuracy, or soundness of mathematical proofs. What is more, it does not even play any critical role in heuristic aspects such as explanatory power. The examples developed in this paper constitute compelling evidence supporting these claims.

Variable Radio Emission Of Neutron Star X-Ray Binary Ser X–1 During Its Persistent Soft State, E. C. Pattie, Thomas J. Maccarone, Alexandra J. Tetarenko, James C. A. Miller-Jones, Manuel Pichardo Marcano, Liliana E. Rivera Sandoval

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ser X–1 is a low-mass neutron star X-ray binary and has been persistently accreting since its discovery in the 1960s. It has always been observed to be in a soft spectral state and has never showed substantial long-term X-ray variability. Ser X–1 has one previous radio observation in the literature in which radio emission was detected during this soft state, which is contrary to the behavior of black hole X-ray binaries. We have recently obtained 10 randomly sampled radio epochs of Ser X–1 in order to further investigate its anomalous soft-state radio emission. Out of 10 epochs, we find 8 …

A Fresh Take: Seasonal Changes In Terrestrial Freshwater Inputs Impact Salt Marsh Hydrology And Vegetation Dynamics (Estuaries And Coasts, (2024), 10.1007/S12237-024-01392-1), Maya S. Montalvo, Emilio Grande, Anna E. Braswell, Ate Visser, Bhavna Arora, Erin C. Seybold, Corianne Tatariw, John C. Haskins, Charlie A. Endris, Fuller Gerbl

School of Earth & Environment Departmental Research

Salt marshes exist at the terrestrial-marine interface, providing important ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration. Tidal inputs play a dominant role in salt marsh porewater mixing, and terrestrially derived freshwater inputs are increasingly recognized as important sources of water and solutes to intertidal wetlands. However, there remains a critical gap in understanding the role of freshwater inputs on salt marsh hydrology, and how this may impact marsh subsurface salinity and plant productivity. Here, we address this knowledge gap by examining the hydrologic behavior, porewater salinity, and pickleweed (Sarcocornia pacifica also known as Salicornia pacifica) plant productivity along …

Resonant Solutions Of The Non-Linear Schrödinger Equation With Periodic Potential, Arein Duaibes, Yulia Karpeshina

Mathematics Faculty Publications

The goal is construction of stationary solutions close to non-trivial combinations of two plane waves at high energies for a periodic non-linear Schrödinger Equation in dimension two. The corresponding isoenergetic surface is described for any sufficiently large energy k2. It is shown that the isoenergetic surface corresponding to k2 is essentially different from that for the zero potential even for small potentials. We use a combination of the perturbative results obtained earlier for the linear case and a method of successive approximation.

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Field Sampling Plan (Fsp) Bres No. 120 – Bonanza Dump., Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Draft Final 2024 Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Brown’S Gulch Borrow Submittal #1, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Transforming Libraries Through Engagement: Lessons From A Library Ai Interest Group, Lily Dubach, Rachel Vacek

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Learn how one academic library is engaging with its employees to explore the latest trends, tools, and topics in AI through an interest group (IG). Through stimulating discussions, webinars, guest speakers, demos, and sharing of experiences with AI, the IG empowers its library community to explore and become more comfortable with AI. This session caters to varying levels of AI expertise. Challenges, successes, and valuable insights for deeper engagement will be shared so you can learn how to establish a similar initiative in your library.

Road Mitigation Structures Designed For Texas Ocelots: Influence Of Structural Characteristics And Environmental Factors On Non-Target Wildlife Usage, Anna Rivera Roy, Kevin W. Ryer, Md. Saydur Rahman, John H. Young Jr., Richard J. Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Roads negatively impact wildlife through habitat fragmentation, loss of habitat connectivity, and wildlife-vehicle collisions, thus road mitigation structures, such as wildlife crossing structures (WCS), wildlife guards (WG), and fencing are commonly used to address this issue all over the world, including in the United States. In South Texas, such structures were built or modified along a State Highway in an effort to address road mortality for the endangered ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and non-target wildlife species. The goal of this study was to examine temporal changes in wildlife interactions with WCS and WG during and after their construction and …

Toxicity Of Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking: The Role Of Flavors, Sweeteners, Humectants, And Charcoal, Nada O F Kassem, Robert M. Strongin, Andrea M. Stroup, Marielle C. Brinkman, Ahmad El-Hellani, Hanno C. Erythropel, Arash Etemadi, Maciej L. Goniewicz, Eleanore G. Hansen, Noura O. Kassem, Multiple Additional Authors

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Waterpipe tobacco (WPT) smoking is a public health concern, particularly among youth and young adults. The global spread of WPT use has surged since the introduction of pre-packaged flavored and sweetened WPT, which is widely marketed as a safer tobacco alternative. Besides flavorants and sugars, WPT additives include humectants, which enhance the moisture and sweetness of WPT, act as solvents for flavors, and impart smoothness to the smoke, thus increasing appeal to users. In the United States (U.S.), unlike cigarette tobacco flavoring (with the exception of menthol), there is no FDA product standard or policy in place prohibiting sales of …

Red Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex Barbatus, Nests Impact Soil Compaction But Not Temperature In Peri-Urban Habitats Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Geovanni Hernandez, Hannah J. Penn, Richard Cano, Lilly Victoria Elliott-Vidaurri, Robin A. Choudhury

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ants are vital ecosystem engineers that can influence soil properties, subsequent soil processes, and associated biota via underground nest construction. Harvester ants consume seeds and are often found in arid areas. They frequently alter the soil chemistry and bulk density of the soils in and around their nest sites. Many species of harvester ants also intentionally remove vegetation around their nest openings, which creates cones or discs of bare soil that may further alter soil temperatures. However, much of the work to study the impacts of harvester ants on soil properties has occurred in shrubland and grassland settings rather than …

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Field Sampling Plan (Fsp) Bres No. 120 – Bonanza Dump., Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Spatial Clustering As A Lunar Crater Classification Method, Annalyse Dickinson

Physics and Astronomy Summer Fellows

Crater identification is important for investigating and determining the age of planetary surfaces. Based on the number of primary craters—which are formed from a bolide impacting a planetary surface—one can determine the surface’s absolute model age, but the secondary craters—which are formed from the many fragments ejected during a primary crater’s creation—contaminate that count. The abundant variability in crater identification methods is a prominent issue in the field of planetary science. In addition, there is no single characteristic that can set these craters apart due to the processes involved in their formation and degradation. This is why we aim to …

Lunar Crater Categorization And Why Accessibility Matters For Planetary Scientists, Gavin Soueidan, Mckenzie Snyder

Physics and Astronomy Summer Fellows

One can determine the absolute model age of any planetary body in the solar system by compiling statistics about primary craters. However, secondary craters contaminate those statistics. Differentiating between primary craters—which are formed from an impact of an object from space onto a planetary surface—and secondary craters—which are formed from the fragments ejected from primaries—is an outstanding question in planetary science literature. No one characteristic can universally distinguish primaries from secondaries, and workers have developed numerous methods for sorting the two classes of craters. This is why we are developing a semi-automated, transparent, reproducible procedure that will compile datasets that …

A New Optimization Approach Based On Neural Architecture Search To Enhance Deep U-Net For Efficient Road Segmentation, Narges Saeedizadeh, Seyed Mohammad Jafar Jalali, Burhan Khan, Parham Mohsenzadeh Kebria, Shady Mohamed

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Neural Architecture Search (NAS) has significantly improved the accuracy of image classification and segmentation. However, these methods concentrate on finding segmentation structures for natural or medical applications. In this study, we introduce a NAS approach based on gradient optimization to identify ideal cell designs for road segmentation. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first application of gradient-based NAS to road extraction. Taking insight from the U-Net model and its successful variations in different image segmentation tasks, we propose NAS-enhanced U-Net, illustrated by an equal number of cells in both encoder and decoder levels. While cross-entropy combined …

Activity: Students Find Conceptual Errors In Ai Output, Janie Brennan

Generative AI Teaching Activities

Instructor asks ChatGPT questions related to a key concept to find one where ChatGPT has conceptual errors. Ask students to find the errors and explain them.

Future Climate Doubles The Risk Of Hydraulic Failure In A Wet Tropical Forest, Zachary Robbins, Jeffrey Chambers, Rutuja Chitra-Tarak, Bradley O. Christoffersen, L. Turin Dickman, Rosie Fisher, Alex Jonko, Ryan Knox, Charles Koven, Lara Kueppers

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Summary

• Future climate presents conflicting implications for forest biomass. We evaluate how plant hydraulic traits, elevated CO2 levels, warming, and changes in precipitation affect forest primary productivity, evapotranspiration, and the risk of hydraulic failure.
• We used a dynamic vegetation model with plant hydrodynamics (FATES-HYDRO) to simulate the stand-level responses to future climate changes in a wet tropical forest in Barro Colorado Island, Panama. We calibrated the model by selecting plant trait assemblages that performed well against observations. These assemblages were run with temperature and precipitation changes for two greenhouse gas emission scenarios (2086–2100: SSP2-45, SSP5-85) and two CO2 levels (contemporary, …

Multi-Symplectic Method For The Two-Component Camassa–Holm (2ch) System, Xiaojian Xi, Weipeng Hu, Bo Tang, Pingwei Deng, Zhijun Qiao

School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, the multi-symplectic formulations of the two-component Camassa–Holm system are presented. Both the multi-symplectic structure and two local conservation laws of the generalized two-component Camassa–Holm model are proposed for its first-order canonical form. Then, combining the Fourier pseudo-spectral method in the spatial domain with the midpoint method in the time dimension, the multi-symplectic Fourier pseudo-spectral scheme is constructed for the first-order canonical form. Meanwhile, the discrete scheme of the residuals of the multi-symplectic structure and two local conservation laws are also provided. By using the multi-symplectic Fourier pseudo-spectral scheme, the evolution of one- and two-soliton solutions for the …

Using Cache Files To Improve The Efficiency Of The Ucgretina Simulation Code, Blake Mcnulty

Physics and Astronomy Summer Fellows

UCGretina is a program that is used to simulate the Gretina gamma-ray tracking array used in experiments at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) to collect gamma rays produced in reactions such as proton scattering. This is done by generating a simulation of the beam particles used and sending them into a simulated recreation that mimics the experimental environment. My job this summer was to tackle a major issue that the program had which is the speed or efficiency at which it ran. The main issue was that it would take days for certain simulation sets to run which …

Memetic Memory As Vital Conduits Of Troublemakers In Digital Culture, Alexander O. Smith, Jordan Loewen-Colón

School of Information Studies - Post-doc and Student Scholarship

Recent fears of data capitalism and colonialism often argue using implicit assumptions about cybernetic technology’s ability to automate data about culture. As such, the level of data granularity made possible by cybernetic engineering can be used to dominate society and culture. Here we unpack these implicit assumptions about the datafication of culture through memes, which both act as cultural data and cultural memory. Using Alexander Galloway’s critical method of protocological analysis and descriptions of media tactics, we respond to fears of cybernetic domination. Protocols – the source by which cybernetic technologies enable automated datafication – enables us to respond to …

2024 July 18 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Study On The Integration Of Artificial Intelligence In Cultural Heritage Conservation, Kholoud Ghaith, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

The widespread adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) technologies heralds an era of expanding possibilities in the domain of cultural heritage conservation. This paradigm shift is marked by a confluence of innovative methodologies, including digital twin mapping, digital archiving, and enhanced preservation strategies, aimed at safeguarding the vestiges of our shared past. The application of AI within this field represents a frontier where technology and tradition intersect, offering new vistas for the preservation of historical structures and artifacts that are at risk of deterioration or oblivion. This article endeavors to elucidate the perspectives of professionals within the conservation domain on …

Gender-Specific Mental Health Outcomes In Central America: A Natural Experiment, Thea Nagasuru

Computer Science Summer Fellows

While COVID lockdown measures have had varying effects on the mental health of different demographics, several bodies of research have noted their disparate effect on women. Why is women's mental health more negatively impacted by lockdown measures, and how much more are they impacted than men? How can we predict and mitigate these negative effects on women? This paper aims to contribute to answering those questions by comparing COVID stringency measures and their effect on the gap in depression rates between men and women in two neighboring countries: Nicaragua and Honduras.