Other Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Climatic Range Filling Of North American Trees, Benjamin Seliger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the degree to which species distributions are controlled by climate is crucial for forecasting biodiversity responses to climate change. Climatic equilibrium, when species are found in all places which are climatically suitable, is a fundamental assumption of species distribution models, but there is evidence in support of climate disequilibria in species ranges. Long-lived, sessile organisms such as trees may be especially vulnerable to being outpaced by climate change, and thus prone to disequilibrium. In this dissertation, I tested the degree to which North American trees are in equilibrium with their potential climatic ranges using the ‘range filling’ metric, which …

Stability Of Delayed Virus Infection Model With A General Incidence Rate And Adaptive Immune Response, Zhimin Chen, Xiuxiang Liu, Zhongzhong Xie

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

We present the dynamical behaviors of a virus infection model with general infection rate, immune responses and two intracellular delays which describe the interactions of the HIV virus, target cells, CTL cells and antibodies within host. Three factors are incorporated in this model: (1) the intrinsic growth rate of uninfected cells, (2) a nonlinear incidence rate function considering both virus-tocell infection and cell-to-cell transmission, and (3) a nonlinear productivity and removal function. By the method of Lyapunov functionals and LaSalle’s invariance principle, we show that the global dynamics of the model is determined by the reproductive numbers for viral infection …

Three-Dimensional Bedrock Channel Evolution With Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics, Nick Richmond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bedrock channels are responsible for balancing and communicating tectonic and climatic signals across landscapes, but it is difficult and dangerous to observe and measure the flows responsible for removing weakly-attached blocks of bedrock from the channel boundary. Consequently, quantitative descriptions of the dynamics of bedrock removal are scarce. Detailed numerical simulation of violent flows in three dimensions has been historically challenging due to technological limitations, but advances in computational fluid dynamics aided by high-performance computing have made it practical to generate approximate solutions to the governing equations of fluid dynamics. From these numerical solutions we gain detailed knowledge of the …

Parameter Estimation And Optimal Control Of The Dynamics Of Transmission Of Tuberculosis With Application To Cameroon, A. Temgoua, Y. Malong, J. Mbang, S. Bowong

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

This paper deals with the problem of parameter estimation and optimal control of a tuberculosis (TB) model with seasonal fluctuations. We first present a uncontrolled TB model with seasonal fluctuations. We present the theoretical analysis of the uncontrolled TB model without seasonal fluctuations. After, we propose a numerical study to estimate the unknown parameters of the TB model with seasonal fluctuations according to demographic and epidemiological data from Cameroon. Simulation results are in good accordance with the seasonal variation of the new active reported cases of TB in Cameroon. Using this TB model with seasonality, the tuberculosis control is formulated …

Effectiveness Of Prescribed Fire On Meeting Fuel Load And Wildlife Habitat Management Objectives In East Texas National Forests, Trey Wall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using standardized methodology outlined by the United States Forest Service and the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas’ Fire Monitoring Program for data collection, the efficacy of current Forest Service prescribed burn regimes were analyzed for 24 study sites in East Texas National Forests. Study sites were located within Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and Angelina/Sabine National Forests. Efficacy was determined by comparing defined management objectives established by the Forest Service to the data collected at the study sites. The results conclude that most objectives, as outlined by the Forest Service, are not being met with the current practices. Re-visitation of …

Electromagnetic Wave-Matter Interactions In Complex Opto-Electronic Materials And Devices, Raj Kumar Vinnakota

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the fundamentals of light-matter interaction towards applications in the field of Opto-electronic and plasmonic devices. In its core, this dissertation attempts and succeeds in the the modeling of light-matter interactions, which is of high importance for better understanding the rich physics underlying the dynamics of electromagnetic field interactions with charged particles. Here, we have developed a self-consistent multi-physics model of electromagnetism, semiconductor physics and thermal effects which can be readily applied to the field of plasmotronics and Selective Laser Melting (SLM). Plasmotronics; a sub-field of photonics has experienced a renaissance in recent years by providing a large …

A Complete Characterization Of Near Outer-Planar Graphs, Tanya Allen Lueder Genannt Luehr

Doctoral Dissertations

A graph is outer-planar (OP) if it has a plane embedding in which all of the vertices lie on the boundary of the outer face. A graph is near outer-planar (NOP) if it is edgeless or has an edge whose deletion results in an outer-planar graph. An edge of a non outer-planar graph whose removal results in an outer-planar graph is a vulnerable edge. This dissertation focuses on near outer-planar (NOP) graphs. We describe the class of all such graphs in terms of a finite list of excluded graphs, in a manner similar to the well-known Kuratowski Theorem for planar …

Effects Of Fabrication Errors On The Focusing Performance Of A Sector Metalens, S. S. Stafeev, A. G. Nalimov, Liam O’Faolain, M. V. Kotlyar

Cappa Publications

Using e-beam lithography, a 16-sector spiral metalens was fabricated in an amorphous silicon, capable of converting linearly polarized incident light into an azimuthally polarized optical vortex. When illuminated by a 633-nm linearly polarized laser beam, the metalens generated a near-surface subwavelength focal spot equal to 0.75 of the incident wavelength at full-width of half-maximum intensity. The focusing performance of the spiral metalens was numerically shown to be sensitive to the deviation of the factual microrelief from the calculated height. For the designed microrelief height, a circularly polarized incident beam was focused into a bright ring with a reverse energy flow …

Bipartite Quantum Interactions: Entangling And Information Processing Abilities, Siddhartha Das

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to advance the theory behind quantum information processing tasks, by deriving fundamental limits on bipartite quantum interactions and dynamics. A bipartite quantum interaction corresponds to an underlying Hamiltonian that governs the physical transformation of a two-body open quantum system. Under such an interaction, the physical transformation of a bipartite quantum system is considered in the presence of a bath, which may be inaccessible to an observer. The goal is to determine entangling abilities of such arbitrary bipartite quantum interactions. Doing so provides fundamental limitations on information processing tasks, including entanglement distillation and secret key …

A Data-Driven Model Of Glioma Growth With Explicit Birth And Death Rates, Lifeng Han

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

The Chapman Bone Algorithm: A Diagnostic Alternative For The Evaluation Of Osteoporosis, Elise Levesque, Anton Ketterer, Wajiha Memon, Cameron James, Noah Barrett, Cyril Rakovski, Frank Frisch

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease and goes largely undiagnosed throughout the world, due to the inaccessibility of DXA machines. Multivariate analyses of serum bone turnover markers were evaluated in 226 Orange County, California, residents with the intent to determine if serum osteocalcin and serum pyridinoline cross-links could be used to detect the onset of osteoporosis as effectively as a DXA scan. Descriptive analyses of the demographic and lab characteristics of the participants were performed through frequency, means and standard deviation estimations. We implemented logistic regression modeling to find the best classification algorithm for osteoporosis. All calculations and …

Diffusing Wild Type And Sterile Mosquitoes In An Optimal Control Setting, K. Renee Fister, Maeve L. Mccarthy, Seth F. Oppenheimer

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

This paper develops an optimal control framework to investigate the introduction of sterile type mosquitoes to reduce the overal moquito population. As is well known, mosquitoes are vectors of disease. For instance the WHO lists, among other diseases, Malaria, Dengue Fever, Rift Valley Fever, Yellow Fever, Chikungunya Fever and Zika. [http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs387/en/ ] The goal is to establish the existence of a solution given an optimal sterilization protocol as well as to develop the corresponding optimal control representation to minimize the infiltrating mosquito population while minimizing fecundity and the number of sterile type mosquitoes introduced into the environment per unit time. …

Safety Implications Of Plasma-Induced Effects In Living Cells – A Review Of In Vitro And In Vivo Findings, Daniela Boehm, Paula Bourke

Articles

Cold atmospheric plasma is a versatile new tool in the biomedical field with applications ranging from disinfection, wound healing and tissue regeneration to blood coagulation, and cancer treatment. Along with improved insights into the underlying physical, chemical and biological principles, plasma medicine has also made important advances in the introduction into the clinic. However, in the absence of a standard plasma ‘dose’ definition, the diversity of the field poses certain difficulties in terms of comparability of plasma devices, treatment parameters and resulting biological effects, particularly with regards to the question of what constitutes a safe plasma application. Data from various …

Masked Instability: Within-Sector Financial Risk In The Presence Of Wealth Inequality, Youngna Choi

Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We investigate masked financial instability caused by wealth inequality. When an economic sector is decomposed into two subsectors that possess a severe wealth inequality, the sector in entirety can look financially stable while the two subsectors possess extreme financially instabilities of opposite nature, one from excessive equity, the other from lack thereof. The unstable subsector can result in further financial distress and even trigger a financial crisis. The market instability indicator, an early warning system derived from dynamical systems applied to agent-based models, is used to analyze the subsectoral financial instabilities. Detailed mathematical analysis is provided to explain what financial …

Book Review: Fundamentals Of International Aviation, Alan Bender

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Not applicable.

Shifting Niche Space In Coastal Landscapes: Spatio-Temporal Patterns Driving Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Across The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Kristin Elise Demarco

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Identifying distributions of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) across the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) coastal landscape necessitates describing ecological processes in estuarine gradients. SAV assemblages are ecological indicators of aquatic ecosystem health; spatial and temporal distributions are strongly correlated to environmental conditions. Many wildlife species, including waterfowl, are dependent on SAV and seeds in NGOM coastal marshes for food and habitat. To understand SAV distributions at multiple spatial and temporal scales a multi-tiered project was designed to collect SAV presence, species assemblage, and cover data, and cores to describe seed food. The first tier sampled inter-annually in the growing seasons …

Slip And Chemical Reaction Effects On Peristaltic Transport Of A Cou-Ple Stress Fluid Through A Permeable Medium With Complaint Wall, Gurunath Sankad, Mallinath Dhange

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In the present article, the effects of slip and homogeneous-heterogeneous chemical reaction on peristaltic pumping of a couple stress fluid through a permeable medium with complaint wall is studied as a model for transport phenomena occurring in the small intestine of human beings during digestion process. The mean effective coefficient of dispersion on simultaneous homo-geneous, heterogeneous chemical reactions has been derived through long wavelength assump-tion, and conditions of Taylor’s limit. The behaviors of key parameters on the mean effective dispersion coefficient have been examined through the graphs. It is found that slip and wall pa-rameters, and amplitude ratio favor the …

Global Stability Of Ebola Virus Disease Model With Contact Tracing And Quarantine, Chinwendu E. Madubueze, Anande R. Kimbir, Terhemen Aboiyar

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

This study considers a deterministic model of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) incorporating contact tracing and quarantine as interventions. The model analyze the existence and stability of Disease-Free Equilibrium (DFE) and Endemic Equilibrium (EE) states. The local stability of EE is established using centre manifold theorem. The global stability of the two equilibrium states are obtained by constructing the Lyapunov function. Numerical simulations are carried out to examine the impact of contact tracing and quarantine measures on the transmission dynamics of EVD. The result indicates that EVD could be eliminated faster when contact tracing and quarantine measures are implemented together.

Player-Response: On The Nature Of Interactive Narratives As Literature, Lee Feldman

English (MA) Theses

In recent years, having evolved beyond solely play-based interactions, it is now possible to analyze video games alongside other narrative forms, such as novels and films. Video games now involve rich stories that require input and interaction on behalf of the player. This level of agency likens video games to a kind of modern hypertext, networking and weaving various narrative threads together, something which traditional modes of media lack. When examined from the lens of reader-response criticism, this interaction deepens even further, acknowledging the player’s experience as a valid interpretation of a video game’s plot. The wide freedom of choice …

Identifying Evidence For Explosive Volcanism On Mars Through Geomorphologic And Thermophysical Observations, Gabriel Cecilio Garcia

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Accurately identifying the products of explosive volcanism on Mars is critical for unraveling the evolution of the martian crust and interior. Recent work using high-resolution datasets suggest explosive volcanic processes may have dominated over effusive activity in early martian history. However, distinguishing the products of explosive volcanism from non-volcanic sediments remains challenging since both are similar in thermophysical and geomorphologic datasets.

The objective of this study is to identify geomorphologic and thermophysical characteristics of possible explosive volcanic deposits on Apollinaris Mons, one of the best-known candidates for explosive volcanism on Mars, using visible and thermal infrared imaging datasets. These geomorphic …

Fm Radio Signal Propagation Evaluation And Creating Statistical Models For Signal Strength Prediction In Differing Topographic Environments, Timothy Land

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Radio wave signal strength and associated propagation models are rarely analyzed across individual geographic provinces. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Radio Mobile model to predict radio wave signal strength in the Blue Ridge and Valley and Ridge physiographic provinces. A spectrum analyzer was used on 19 FM transmitters to determine model accuracy. Statistical analysis determined the significance between different terrain factors and signal strength. Field signal strength was found to be related to test site elevation, transmitter azimuth, elevation angle, transmitter elevation, path loss, and distance. Using 76 signal strength receiver sites, Ordinary Least Square regression models predicted …

Simplicity And Sustainability: Pointers From Ethics And Science, Mehrdad Massoudi, Ashwin Vaidya

Department of Mathematics Facuty Scholarship and Creative Works

In this paper, we explore the notion of simplicity. We use definitions of simplicity proposed by philosophers, scientists, and economists. In an age when the rapidly growing human population faces an equally rapidly declining energy/material resources, there is an urgent need to consider various notions of simplicity, collective and individual, which we believe to be a sensible path to restore our planet to a reasonable state of health. Following the logic of mathematicians and physicists, we suggest that simplicity can be related to sustainability. Our efforts must therefore not be spent so much in pursuit of growth but in achieving …

Lunar Ice Cube: Development Of A Numerical Model For Attitude Control, Alexander Roberts, Benjamin Malphrus, Kevin Brown

Celebration of Student Scholarship Poster Sessions Archive

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Frankenbrew And Traditionally Manufactured Brewing Equipment, Daniel King

Honors Theses

Opening a new business can be a daunting task. Between the legal paperwork, securing the best perceived location, hiring new employees, the investment can require the use of a life savings. In the brewing industry, this investment can be amplified by the cost of purchasing production scale brewing equipment. Because of this, many start-up brewing operations have turned to the use of Frankenbrew equipment within their brewing process. The term “Frankenbrew” was coined by Tom Hennessy of Colorado Boy Pub & Brewery. The term refers to any equipment incorporated into a brewery that was not originally intended for that purpose, …

The Use Of Drones For Creating 3d Models Of Waterfalls And Bedrock Features, With Particular Attention To Process And Teaching Applications, Campbell F. Bortel

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

This study explored the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to model and 3D print waterfalls and bedrock features for use as classroom teaching aids and for possible use in hydrology experiments involving flumes. To achieve the goals of this study, two waterfalls and one bedrock feature were photographed and 3D printed. The waterfalls were Ludlow Falls in Miami County, OH, and Cedar Cliff Falls in Greene County, OH. The bedrock feature was Lizard Head Rock near Sedona, AZ. The UAS platform that was flown was the DJI Mavic Pro quadcopter. A camera mounted on the copter had both videography …

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Nanoscience, Fall 2016, Sandy Avila

Sandy Avila

No abstract provided.

A Literature Review Of Research On The Cosmic Microwave Background, Hayden Webb, Jeremy Evert

Student Research

The objective of this research is to establish a better understanding of the current work available in the field of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB).

Our thesis is that, while the current state of research has created a base for the understanding of the CMB, more work is necessary through the use of computer science methods to expand upon the field. Our method of study is a literature review.

Our preliminary work suggests that NASA holds a wealth of information on this topic and has made it freely available to the public. Through our partnership with the OneOklahomaCyberinfrastructure Initiative (OneOCII), …

Evaluating The Interactive Roles Of Soil Nutrients And Polyploidy On Competitive Outcomes Of Chamerion Angustifolium, Angela Walczyk

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Newly formed polyploids face strong barriers preventing their establishment, but despite these barriers polyploidy is prevalent among angiosperms being a major mechanism of adaptation and speciation. Morphological and phenological differences between diploids and related polyploids often results in different ecological tolerances among cytotypes. Differences in competitive abilities brought on by genome duplication can vary with abiotic and biotic environmental conditions and influence polyploid establishment. In my theses, I test the overall hypothesis that soil nutrient availability and polyploidy interact to affect competition and performance of Fireweed plants (Chamerion angustifolium), which differ in ploidy levels. Additionally, I examined whether …

Meeting Real World Demands Of The Global Economy: An Employer's Perspective, Doreen Mcgunagle, Laura Zizka

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Educational programs prepare students theoretically for the workplace, but many programs are still lacking in the real-world skills that the workplace requires. This is especially evident in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education where today’s graduates hold a fundamental role in advancing science, medicine, sustainability, national security, and the economy, yet the programs to prepare them are falling short of employer expectations. At present, there is a lack of information on the necessary skills for workplace success that is specific to Airline, Aerospace, Defense (A&D) and related Industries’ STEM graduates. This paper attempts to fill this gap by offering …

Encryption And Decryption Using Matricies, Amit Etiel, James Parsons, Shawn Jenkins-Edwards

Math 365 Class Projects

Mathematician Lester Hill developed the Hill Cipher, the first mathematical encryption method ever developed, in 1929. This method was created in order to strengthen the level of security of previous methods and made it possible to encrypt more than three symbols at a time.