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Missouri State University

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Beach Erosion And Recovery Since Hurricane Ivan In 2004 Along A Headland-Bay Coast In Treasure Beach, Jamaica, Elandé Engelbrecht Jan 2024

Beach Erosion And Recovery Since Hurricane Ivan In 2004 Along A Headland-Bay Coast In Treasure Beach, Jamaica, Elandé Engelbrecht

MSU Graduate Theses

Anthropogenic climate change is causing sea-level rise and shoreline changes that threaten the environment and economy of coastal communities in Caribbean Island nations. To assess this risk, this study quantifies shoreline changes at Treasure Beach in St. Elizabeth Parish on the south coast of Jamaica from 2001 to 2023. The effects of storm events on erosion were also assessed. Over 10 km of shoreline are assessed with about half being sandy pocket beaches ranging from 300 to 900 m in length, separated by rocky headlands and beach rock outcrops. Sand beach erosion trends since 2001 are assessed for seven sandy …


Gas Evolution Of A Nickel-Zinc Cell, Niklas Landgraf Jan 2024

Gas Evolution Of A Nickel-Zinc Cell, Niklas Landgraf

MSU Graduate Theses

Batteries are a foundational technology in some of the industries most essential to humanity. Often, their advancement to achieve better performance impacts human lives positively. There are a wide variety of battery chemistries that have been utilized, and the differences in their properties have caused them to be used in many distinct niche applications. Nickel-Zinc (NiZn) batteries are desirable because of their recyclable materials, high cell voltage, and high cycle-life. However, it experiences undesirable shape-change of its electrode materials and gas production due to the electrolysis of the aqueous electrolyte. These can lead to a decrease in capacity over many …


Inorganic Chemical Reasoning Skills: An Exploratory Study Into Understanding Students’ Choices And Thought Processes, Hannah P. Thompson Jan 2024

Inorganic Chemical Reasoning Skills: An Exploratory Study Into Understanding Students’ Choices And Thought Processes, Hannah P. Thompson

MSU Graduate Theses

Predicting the products of reactions is a fundamental skill for practicing inorganic chemists. However, the current knowledge of the strategies that students use to solve them is limited. Presumably, instructors of inorganic chemistry courses give complete-the-reaction assessment items hoping that students will use their knowledge of inorganic concepts to solve them; but it is conceivable that a successful student could use heuristics or domain general problem-solving methods. I proposed this study to determine which strategies were used by students when solving complete-the-reaction tasks in inorganic chemistry, and also to make qualitative connections between strategy and accuracy. This was done in …


Assessing Interatomic Potentials For Molecular Dynamics Simulation Of Soybean Oil Pyrolysis, Tanner Garrett Rust Jan 2024

Assessing Interatomic Potentials For Molecular Dynamics Simulation Of Soybean Oil Pyrolysis, Tanner Garrett Rust

MSU Graduate Theses

The world today relies on hydrocarbon combustion for many reasons, including its high energy density that provides ease of transportation. However, hydrocarbons sourced from fossil fuels are not expected to last forever. Biodiesel, a renewable alternative, has many attractive benefits but comes with other downsides. Biodiesel can gel in cold environments and may leave residue in an engine. Pyrolysis of biodiesel has shown promise in addressing these common detriments. Inducing pyrolysis on biodiesel feedstock (commonly soybean oil in the USA) would be an attractive option presuming it continues to produce fossil fuel analogs similar to biodiesel pyrolysis. Herein, Langevin molecular …


Thermochronology And Exhumation Dynamics Of Metamorphic Units In The Salmon River Suture Zone, Jonathan J. Cone Jan 2024

Thermochronology And Exhumation Dynamics Of Metamorphic Units In The Salmon River Suture Zone, Jonathan J. Cone

MSU Graduate Theses

The Salmon River suture zone in western Idaho records the Jurassic-Cretaceous (160-90 Ma) accretion of amalgamated volcanic arc terranes onto the North American continent. Rocks exposed at the surface record burial to depths of more than 20 kilometers, with unclear drivers for uplift and exhumation. Two competing hypotheses have been proposed to explain the transport of deep crustal rocks to the surface: (1) delamination of a dense lithospheric root resulted in rapid isostatic uplift of the crust and (2) exhumation of crustal blocks along thrust faults. To test these models, I present temperature-time (T-t) paths for mid-crustal metamorphic rocks constructed …


Development Of Interatomic Potential Of High Entropy Diborides With Artificial Intelligence Approach To Simulate The Thermo-Mechanical Properties, Nur Aziz Octoviawan Jan 2023

Development Of Interatomic Potential Of High Entropy Diborides With Artificial Intelligence Approach To Simulate The Thermo-Mechanical Properties, Nur Aziz Octoviawan

MSU Graduate Theses

The interatomic potentials designed for binary/high entropy diborides and ultra-high temperature composites (UHTC) have been developed through the implementation of deep neural network (DNN) algorithms. These algorithms employed two different approaches and corresponding codes; 1) strictly local & invariant scalar-based descriptors as implemented in the DEEPMD code and 2) equivariant tensor-based descriptors as included in the ALLEGRO code. The samples for training and validation sets of the forces, energy, and virial data were obtained from the ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, including the simulation data from the ultra-high temperature region (> 2000K). The study …


Impact Of Sample Conditions On Dna Phosphodiester Backbone Bi/Bii Conformational Equilibrium Dynamics, Autumn C. Pilarski Jan 2023

Impact Of Sample Conditions On Dna Phosphodiester Backbone Bi/Bii Conformational Equilibrium Dynamics, Autumn C. Pilarski

MSU Graduate Theses

DNA damage, such as single base lesions and mismatches, is highly prevalent within cells. If these DNA damage events are not repaired, they could lead to mutations and thus disease and cancer. Intricate repair mechanisms are in place to fix these damage events, one such being Base Excision Repair (BER) and associated enzyme: Thymine DNA Glycosylase (TDG). The first step of this repair process, recognition of the lesion by TDG, is not well understood. The following thesis presents results to better understand the fundamental biophysical question of how a DNA lesion within a mismatch context is recognized in a million …


Small Mammal Community Structure And Bait Preference In Missouri Prairie Patches, Sofia L. Orlando Jan 2023

Small Mammal Community Structure And Bait Preference In Missouri Prairie Patches, Sofia L. Orlando

MSU Graduate Theses

Ecological community studies provide insights on how species interact with biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem. Community assembly is dynamic and often mediated by stochastic processes or deterministic properties. Establishing patterns in community composition could help to predict the suitability of a patch, which is crucial in endangered ecosystems. Small mammals are a model indicator for community change as their populations experience perplexing fluctuations. Many mechanisms have been proposed to drive small mammal species composition, but inconsistencies in past studies warrant further investigation. A previous study on prairie patches in Missouri revealed that there was an unknown catalyst for …


Recent Climate Change Influence On Flood Magnitude And Frequency, Channel Widening, And Bar Deposition In Big River, Missouri Ozarks, Patrick Saulys Jan 2023

Recent Climate Change Influence On Flood Magnitude And Frequency, Channel Widening, And Bar Deposition In Big River, Missouri Ozarks, Patrick Saulys

MSU Graduate Theses

Climate and land use can control the flood regime of a river and regulate channel form and size over periods of decades to centuries. Recent climate change has increased rainfall intensity and flood magnitude/frequency in many watersheds in the midwestern United States. Thus, river channels affected by more frequent and larger floods are expected to respond by increasing width (or depth) by fluvial erosion to accommodate larger peak discharges. This hypothesis was evaluated along 186 km of the Big River in southeast Missouri by analysis of historical aerial photography, precipitation studies, and United States Geological Survey (USGS) flow gage records. …


Investigating The Structural Properties Of Licoo2 Through Annealing In A Reducing Atmosphere And Characterization Using Raman Spectroscopy And X-Ray Diffraction, Mathew A. Boeser Jan 2023

Investigating The Structural Properties Of Licoo2 Through Annealing In A Reducing Atmosphere And Characterization Using Raman Spectroscopy And X-Ray Diffraction, Mathew A. Boeser

MSU Graduate Theses

The electrochemical performance of lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries is strongly influenced by their structural and chemical characteristics. Annealing in a reducing atmosphere is able to modify the crystal structure of LiCoO2 by inducing oxygen vacancies, ideally enhancing its electrochemical performance. This master's thesis presents an investigation into the effects of low to mid-range annealing temperatures in a reducing atmosphere on bulk LiCoO2 powder, utilizing Raman spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction (XRD).


Reflective Freewriting As A Strategy To Improve Pre-Service Teacher’S Physics Content Knowledge And Overall Attitude Toward Physics And Physics Teaching, Kali Ann Shoaf-Laughlin Jan 2023

Reflective Freewriting As A Strategy To Improve Pre-Service Teacher’S Physics Content Knowledge And Overall Attitude Toward Physics And Physics Teaching, Kali Ann Shoaf-Laughlin

MSU Graduate Theses

A pilot study conducted in the pre-service teacher (PST) physics classroom at Missouri State University sought to validate a tool for learning. A writing treatment, in which students were asked to participate in reflective freewriting exercises over the course of the semester was administered to one lab group. The Physics Attitude Scale was used to determine whether a positive impact was made on pre-service teacher attitudes about physics and teaching physics. Classroom exams and lab reports were used to determine whether or not aptitude was affected. This action research study used qualitative data to assess content knowledge and overall shift …


Dynamics And Timescales Of Magmatic Processes At Cerro Uturuncu, Bolivia, Sarah Jane Rasor Jan 2023

Dynamics And Timescales Of Magmatic Processes At Cerro Uturuncu, Bolivia, Sarah Jane Rasor

MSU Graduate Theses

Between 12-25°S latitude there is prolific volcanism fueled by the Altiplano-Puna Magmatic Body (APMB), a mid-crustal magma body above the 30° angle subduction of the Nazca plate and within 60-70 km thick South American crust. Cerro Uturuncu, a stratovolcano constructed above the center of the APMB, can provide insight to the evolution of the APMB over time. Previous research suggests that the APMB is more homogenous near its center as opposed to its edges. However, the processes that led to greater homogenization as well as the structure of the magma body below Cerro Uturuncu remain unknown. This research contributes greater …


The Future Of Alternative Energy? Simulating Methyl Stearate Pyrolysis Via Molecular Dynamic Processes, Sarah J. Adeoye Jan 2023

The Future Of Alternative Energy? Simulating Methyl Stearate Pyrolysis Via Molecular Dynamic Processes, Sarah J. Adeoye

MSU Graduate Theses

The process of extracting and refining crude oil is both expensive and environmentally hazardous. The synthesis of biodiesel sourced from vegetable oils is a renewable process and less hazardous to the environment. Therefore, we seek to understand the pyrolysis procedure at an atomic level in hopes of optimizing future fuel viability. Herein, I analyze methyl stearate (a component of biodiesel) using an in-house database of ab initio trajectories, each simulating 1.0 ps (with 1.0 fs resolution). These jobs were observed for significant bond-breaking/forming events, the type of fragments produced, and the exact position and time for each event. Statistical analysis …


Sc-Matrl: Semi-Centralized Multi-Agent Transfer Reinforcement Learning, Ayesha Siddika Nipu Jan 2023

Sc-Matrl: Semi-Centralized Multi-Agent Transfer Reinforcement Learning, Ayesha Siddika Nipu

MSU Graduate Theses

Distributed decision-making in multi-agent systems (MAS) poses significant challenges for interactive behavior learning in both cooperative and competitive environments. While reinforcement learning (RL) has shown great success in single-agent domains like Checkers, Chess and Go, researchers are motivated to extend RL to MAS. However, as the number of agents increases, effectively dealing with each agent becomes increasingly complex. To mitigate the resulting complexity, a semi-centralized Multi-Agent Influence Dense Reinforcement Learning (MAIDRL) algorithm was previously developed, enhancing agent influence maps to facilitate effective multi-agent control in StarCraft Multi-Agent Challenge (SMAC) scenarios. While MAIDRL shows improved performance in homogeneous multi-agent scenarios, it …


Computational Comparison Of Platinum, Base Metals, And Binary Intermetallic Compounds’ Efficiency In Hydrogenation Catalysis, Lauren M. Sayler Jan 2023

Computational Comparison Of Platinum, Base Metals, And Binary Intermetallic Compounds’ Efficiency In Hydrogenation Catalysis, Lauren M. Sayler

MSU Graduate Theses

In the petroleum industry, platinum is used as a catalyst in hydrogenation reactions during petroleum refining. Although platinum is extremely effective as a catalyst, it is expensive. This is an investigation into platinum and what characteristics make it so efficient, with the end goal of finding intermetallic compounds composed of base metals that are as effective in hydrogenation catalysis. The metals used in this investigation are Fe, Co, Ni, Mo, and W. The research performed here is computational and used to support and direct decisions made in the laboratory. The computation is first-principle, which is accomplished using Vienna Ab initio …


Renewable Fuels: Molecular Dynamics Investigations Into Pyrolysis Of Methyl Linoleate, Elson Osakpolor Eguaosa Jan 2023

Renewable Fuels: Molecular Dynamics Investigations Into Pyrolysis Of Methyl Linoleate, Elson Osakpolor Eguaosa

MSU Graduate Theses

With the rapid depletion of the world’s supply of fossil fuels, especially petroleum products, petroleum prices have risen by approximately 800% between the 1970s and now and are projected to continue rising. It is also expected that the world’s consumption of energy will increase commensurate with its growing population. Although biodiesel is a good renewable alternative, it has its limitations including high production costs and poor low-temperature performance. We seek to improve conventional biodiesel with pyrolysis to produce low molecular-weight compounds with high energy densities. Understanding the pyrolysis path on the atomic scale is key as it will allow us …


Sensor Relationship Inference In Single Resident Smart Homes Using Time Series, Samuel Nack Jan 2023

Sensor Relationship Inference In Single Resident Smart Homes Using Time Series, Samuel Nack

MSU Graduate Theses

Determining sensor relationships in smart environments is complex due to the variety and volume of time series information they provide. Moreover, identifying sensor relationships to connect them with actuators is difficult for smart home users who may not have technical experience. Yet, gathering information on sensor relationships is a crucial intermediate step towards more advanced smart home applications such as advanced policy generation or automatic sensor configuration. Therefore, in this thesis, I propose a novel unsupervised learning approach, named SeReIn, to automatically group sensors by their inherent relationships solely using time series data for single resident smart homes. SeReIn extracts …


Structural Engineering Of Thermostable Fluorescent Proteins Tgp-E And Ytp-E And Crystal Structure Of Tgp-E, Matthew Ryan Anderson Jan 2023

Structural Engineering Of Thermostable Fluorescent Proteins Tgp-E And Ytp-E And Crystal Structure Of Tgp-E, Matthew Ryan Anderson

MSU Graduate Theses

Thermostable fluorescent proteins, such as thermal green protein (TGP) and yellow thermal protein (YTP), could be used as biosensors to monitor cellular activity and as a fusion tag to monitor a protein of interest. The use of fluorescent proteins can sometimes be limited in certain organelles with low pH and in thermophilic organisms. This research aims to improve the thermal stability of TGP and YTP. TGP was created from a synthetically derived eCGP123 protein to improve solubility by substituting residues on the positively charged b- barrel surface with negatively charged glutamate (E) at Los Alamos National Lab. YTP was developed …


Modeling Growth And Stress Factors For Converted Silvopasture Systems In The Missouri Ozarks, Bailee N. Suedmeyer Jan 2023

Modeling Growth And Stress Factors For Converted Silvopasture Systems In The Missouri Ozarks, Bailee N. Suedmeyer

MSU Graduate Theses

Silvopasture systems are becoming increasingly popular among sustainable agriculture ranchers, due to the increase in knowledge of benefits to the cattle and ability to grow cool season grasses beneath the canopy. This project focuses on the forest crop aspect of silvopasture systems from monitoring of the health of the trees over time to recommendations for thinning management to keep it functioning as viable silvopasture. The study site consists of five acres of upland hardwood forest area in Southern Missouri with 18 monumented fixed area plots. Arial and ground data was collected at each plot throughout the growing season, along with …


Machine Learning Strategies For Potential Development In High-Entropy Driven Nickel-Based Superalloys, Marium Mostafiz Mou Jan 2023

Machine Learning Strategies For Potential Development In High-Entropy Driven Nickel-Based Superalloys, Marium Mostafiz Mou

MSU Graduate Theses

In this study, I developed Deep Learning interatomic potentials to model a multi-phase and multi-component system of Ni-based Superalloys. The system has up to three major phase constituents, namely Gamma, Gamma Prime, and Transition-metal rich Carbide. I utilized invariant scalar-based and/or equivariant, tensor-based neural network (NN) approach as implemented in DEEPMD, NEQUIP/ALLEGRO codes, respectively, and Moment Tensor Potential (MTP). For the training and validation sets, I employed the ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) trajectory results and ground state DFT calculations, including the energy, force, and virial database from highly diverse compositions, temperatures, and pressures following a “High Entropy Strategy.” The Deep …


An Explainable Deep Learning Prediction Model For Severity Of Alzheimer's Disease From Brain Images, Godwin O. Ekuma Jan 2023

An Explainable Deep Learning Prediction Model For Severity Of Alzheimer's Disease From Brain Images, Godwin O. Ekuma

MSU Graduate Theses

Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have become the go-to method for medical imaging classification on various imaging modalities for binary and multiclass problems. Deep CNNs extract spatial features from image data hierarchically, with deeper layers learning more relevant features for the classification application. The effectiveness of deep learning models are hampered by limited data sets, skewed class distributions, and the undesirable "black box" of neural networks, which decreases their understandability and usability in precision medicine applications. This thesis addresses the challenge of building an explainable deep learning model for a clinical application: predicting the severity of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD …


On Covering Groups With Proper Subgroups, Collin B. Moore Jan 2023

On Covering Groups With Proper Subgroups, Collin B. Moore

MSU Graduate Theses

In this paper, we explore groups that can be expressed as a union of proper subgroups. Using “covering number” to denote the minimal number of proper subgroups required to cover a group, we explore the nature of groups with covering numbers 3 and 4, while also finding covering numbers for p-groups, dihedral, and generalized dihedral groups.


Geometric Dissections, Daniel Robert Martin Jan 2023

Geometric Dissections, Daniel Robert Martin

MSU Graduate Theses

In the study of geometry, the notion of dissection and its mechanics are occasionally over-looked. We consider and trace the history and theorems surrounding geometric dissections in both recreational and academic mathematics. We explore the important advancements in this particular topic from antiquity through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We conclude with an exploration of the Banach-Tarski paradox


Growth And Characterization Of Sm3hfbi5, Patrick Lambdin Jan 2023

Growth And Characterization Of Sm3hfbi5, Patrick Lambdin

MSU Graduate Theses

First found experimentally in 2015, topological Weyl materials are desirable compounds that have garnered much interest due to their ability to conduct electricity via their surface states even though the bulk material is a semimetal. Such a candidate, Sm3HfBi5, was discovered with a flux crystal growth method, following an extensive amount of reaction syntheses. This thesis reports on the discovery, growth, structural characterization via x-ray diffraction, and magnetization measurements on Sm3HfBi5.


Bimee: Blockchain Based Incentive Mechanism Considering Endowment Effect, Jayanth Madupalli Jan 2023

Bimee: Blockchain Based Incentive Mechanism Considering Endowment Effect, Jayanth Madupalli

MSU Graduate Theses

Crowdsensing, a paradigm in modern data collection, harnesses the collective power of mobile users equipped with sensory devices to contribute valuable data based on task-specific criteria. The efficacy of crowdsensing relies on sustained engagement from proficient users over extended periods. Incentivizing long-term participation is crucial, and blockchain technology emerges as a promising framework, providing a decentralized and immutable ledger. However, existing blockchain-based incentive mechanisms for crowdsensing encounter challenges. Firstly, they often overlook users' inherent bias towards loss aversion, a psychological phenomenon where individuals prioritize avoiding losses over acquiring equivalent rewards. Secondly, fairness issues arise, especially concerning newly participating users in …


Understanding And Advancing College Students' Mathematical Reasoning Using Collaborative Argumentation, Rachel Kay Heili Jan 2023

Understanding And Advancing College Students' Mathematical Reasoning Using Collaborative Argumentation, Rachel Kay Heili

MSU Graduate Theses

This study explored students’ mathematical reasoning skills and offered supports to advance them through a collaborative argumentation framework in a college intermediate algebra class. The goals of this study were to make observations about student reasoning, identify specific actions to address those observations, and document student growth in reasoning as a result of those actions. An iterative analysis, mixed method study was conducted in which the researcher engaged students in responding to questions that required conceptual understandings using a collaborative argumentation framework as a tool to identify and code components of their responses—claim, evidence, and reasoning. After coding and analyzing …


Experimental Determination Of Zinc, Potassium And Rubidium Diffusion Coefficients In Olivine, Christopher J. Willingham Jan 2023

Experimental Determination Of Zinc, Potassium And Rubidium Diffusion Coefficients In Olivine, Christopher J. Willingham

MSU Graduate Theses

One of NASAs key strategies is to learn more about the early solar system and its formation. Chondrites were formed from the most primitive materials at the collapse of the solar system and over time have been classified into different categories based on their elemental abundance. These chondrites have fallen to Earth and have even formed entities such as asteroids and planetary bodies. It has been found through studies that one of these chondrites is close to the elemental abundance of the Sun. The other types of chondrites were up to two orders of magnitude less in concentration …


Historical Channel Evolution And Human Modifications Of Blue River Near Kansas City Missouri, Katie Ann Grong Jan 2023

Historical Channel Evolution And Human Modifications Of Blue River Near Kansas City Missouri, Katie Ann Grong

MSU Graduate Theses

Channel form can respond to changes in flood regime and sediment load caused by land use and climate disturbances. In the eastern United States, widespread soil and vegetation disturbances in the 1800s during agricultural expansion increased runoff rates, flood magnitude and frequency, and sediment loads often causing major changes in channel activity and floodplain sedimentation in local streams. Investigating the historical evolution of a stream channel system including its floodplains can help to advance geomorphological theory and benefit environmental managers. This study documents human impacts on historical changes in channel and floodplain widths since the early to middle 1800s in …


Magmatic Evolution Of The Chasca Orkho Lava Series And Its Magmatic Enclaves, Volcán Ollagüe, Central Andes, Nathaniel W. Lenhard Jan 2023

Magmatic Evolution Of The Chasca Orkho Lava Series And Its Magmatic Enclaves, Volcán Ollagüe, Central Andes, Nathaniel W. Lenhard

MSU Graduate Theses

Magma mixing is a common factor in the creation of intermediate composition magmas and a potential instigator of a volcanic eruption. Magmatic enclaves, physical evidence of magma mixing within a volcanic system, are a phenomenon whose mechanisms remain unclear and debated. Common hypotheses explaining the occurrence of magmatic enclaves within a host lava range from the repeated injection of a new magma into a shallow reservoir to the disruption of equilibrium within a stratified magma chamber. Within the Andean Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ), the occurrence of magmatic enclaves yields similar geochemical compositions to their respective host rocks, bringing more difficulty …


Mining-Contaminated Sediment And Metal Storage In Channel Deposits In Turkey Creek, Tri-State Mining District, Missouri And Kansas, Max Quinn Hillermann Jan 2022

Mining-Contaminated Sediment And Metal Storage In Channel Deposits In Turkey Creek, Tri-State Mining District, Missouri And Kansas, Max Quinn Hillermann

MSU Graduate Theses

The Joplin subdistrict, within the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD), was a major producer of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) ore between the 1880s to 1920s. Metalliferous mining wastes are still stored in the channel deposits of local streams raising environmental and health concerns. This study quantifies the volume, sediment size, and metal concentrations in channel bed, bar, bench, and chute deposits to quantify the spatial variability of contaminated sediment storage in Turkey Creek (119 km2). Sample reaches (n=14) contained metal concentrations elevated above the Tri-State Mining District specific probable effects concentration at every site with mean concentrations in …