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Green Energy Production Using A Hydro-Generator In An Underground Mine Water Pumping Station – Case Study, Andrzej Chmiela, Beata Barszczowska, Eugeniusz Krause, Arkadiusz Kulawik, Adam Smolinski

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The paper analyses the experience of almost one year of production of “green” electricity by a hydro-generator using a constant water drop in the pits of mine water pumping stations. The main technical, economic and environmental parameters obtained by the applied technical and organisational system are presented. Equipping the mine water pumping station with a hydro-generator proved to be a good investment. The investment offers a relatively low risk with a relatively low initial outlay and a relatively short payback period of about 4 years. The innovative use of typical but modern elements in an atypical operating environment has not …

Machine Learning Techniques For Optimizing The Efficiency And Costs Of Drill Steel In Sandstone And Granodiorite: A Case Study In Peru, Marco Cotrina, Jairo Marquina, Jose Mamani, Solio Arango, Eusebio Antonio, Eduardo Noriega, Teofilo Donaires, Dominga Cano

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This research aims to optimize the efficiency and costs of drilling steel in sandstone and granodiorite rocks using machine learning techniques in a Peruvian mine. Predictive models, including random forest (RF), XGBoost (XGB), decision trees (DT), and artificial neural networks (ANN), were applied, along with optimization algorithms such as genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), ant colony optimization (ACO), and simulated annealing (SA). A dataset of 705 entries was analyzed, focusing on drill bit wear, percussion and rotation pressures, and cost per meter drilled. Model performance was evaluated using R², RMSE, MAE, and MAPE. The ANN model …

Let’S Teach More Accurate And Inclusive History! The Case Of Islamic Contributions To Mathematics And Science, Noah (Nuh) Aydin

Faculty Publications

Schools commonly teach a history of mathematics and science that is Eurocentric. This selective version of the history of science, called Classical Narrative by some, is rooted in colonial times and mindset, and has reinforced certain negative opinions about other cultures. It ignores or downplays contributions to mathematics and sciences from non-western civilizations, and falsely attributes many scientific discoveries to European scholars. Medieval Islamic Civilization, which had strong connections to Renaissance Europe, serves as a clear example of how this narrative is distorted. Based on research on primary sources since the middle of the 20th century, we now know that …

2025 July - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

Hi All,

The main story for July was the high heat and humidity that spread across the state for the second half of the month. Most counties in the state saw at least 1 day with a heat advisory or extreme heat warning issued by the National Weather Service due to a combination of high temperatures and humidity that sent heat index values above advisory/warning criteria. The western half of the state saw higher heat index values and were impacted by the heat wave for a longer period of time than the eastern half of the state. Some part of …

Evaluating The Influence Of Carbon Quantum Dots On Starch-Based Bioplastics: Toward Potential Food Packaging Applications, Shima Jafarzadeh, Mitra Golgoli, Zeinab Qazanfarzadeh, Mehrdad Forough, Peng Wu, Wendy Timms, Colin J. Barrow, Minoo Naebe, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Developing biodegradable food packaging films is crucial for reducing dependence on petroleum-based plastics. In this study, nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (CDs) were synthesized from citric acid and ethylenediamine via hydrothermal treatment and incorporated into sago starch films at concentrations of 0.5 %, 1 %, 3 %, and 4 % w/w of total solids using a solution casting method. The effects of CDs on structural, thermal, antioxidant, optical, and physicochemical properties were systematically investigated. CD addition enhanced the UV-shielding ability of the films. At 4 % CD content, UV transmittance decreased by 56.4 % (UVA), 66.7 % (UVB), and 73.9 % …

Rattler Python, Samer Jabor

Systems Manuals - 2026

The Rattler Python project is an interactive game-based learning system that intends to teach the basic concepts of Python programming through guided instruction, gameplay challenges, and review-based assessments. The document contains a proposal for this system consisting of problem definition, background research, existing solutions, and the proposed product, together with the system scope, assumptions, and the organization of the remainder of this document.

Writing Climate Change: Science Knowledge In Creative Forms; Part Two: From Reading To Writing, Lytton Smith

Climate Change and the Individual, 2025-26

This lesson explores how a short creative piece by Ada Limón, U.S. Poet Laureate, draws on climate science knowledge to engage readers informationally, imaginatively, and emotionally. Students will reflect through discussion and/or writing on both the scientific methodology and the questions of equity and justice her poem raises. Finally, students will engage in a guided writing prompt where they research science knowledge around climate change and use what they find to shape their own short creative pieces (100-300 words), based in that science.

Writing Climate Change: Science Knowledge In Creative Forms; Part One: Understanding Science Stories, Lytton Smith

Climate Change and the Individual, 2025-26

This lesson explores how a short creative piece by Ada Limón, U.S. Poet Laureate, draws on climate science knowledge to engage readers informationally, imaginatively, and emotionally. Students will reflect through discussion and/or writing on both the scientific methodology and the questions of equity and justice her poem raises. Finally, students will engage in a guided writing prompt where they research science knowledge around climate change and use what they find to shape their own short creative pieces (100-300 words), based in that science.

Understanding The Bad Development Practices Of Android Custom Permissions In The Wild, Xiaohan Zhang, Zhiyuan Yu, Xinghua Li, Cen Zhang, Cong Sun, Ning Zhang, Robert H. Deng

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Android system provides application developers with the ability to define custom permissions, which serve to moderate the sharing of resources and interactions with other applications. However, poor development practices of developers can render the permission mechanism ineffective, weakening the system protection. This paper presents a comprehensive examination of the problematic practices surrounding custom permissions employed by developers, referred to as Bad Practices of Custom Permissions (BPCP issues). To accomplish this, we conducted an empirical study and identified nine common BPCP issue patterns that can lead to various adverse consequences, such as installation failures, crashes, or even component hijacking. To automatically …

Being And Becoming In The Algorithmic Age, Bernard E. Harcourt

Faculty Scholarship

To change the world: the prerequisite, most often, is to change our experience of the world, to experience the world differently, to be shaken to our foundations, to have one’s sense of self shattered. That is a process of both being and becoming. In order to turn that process in our favour, in this age of artificial intelligence, it will be crucial to transform data and algorithms into bits of justice.

Exploring Subfield Interest Development In Undergraduate Physics Students Through Social Cognitive Career Theory, Dina Zohrabi Alaee, Benjamin M. Zwickl

Physics and Engineering Science

This study investigates how undergraduate physics majors develop an interest in specific subfields. We examine interest formation through the lens of social cognitive career theory (SCCT) using four SCCT constructs: learning experiences, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and proximal environmental influences. We conducted 27 interviews with physics majors across multiple years of study between 2020 and 2022. Our first research question used SCCT constructs to provide detailed insights into factors affecting interest formation in various subfields of physics. We identified many factors that positively impacted students’ interests, such as positive learning experiences (e.g., coursework, experimental projects, extracurricular clubs, and self-directed learning), high …

Feasibility Of Using Recycled Waste Plastic In Concrete Pavements In Nebraska, Amasi Hajahja

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Waste plastic (WP) is a growing environmental concern due to its non-biodegradable nature, large-scale production, and harmful impact on natural resources. With nearly 75% of WP in the United States ending up in landfills, effective recycling strategies are urgently needed. In parallel, the limited availability of natural aggregates highlights the need for alternative materials in concrete construction. This study investigates the feasibility of using recycled waste plastic (RWP) in concrete mixtures, both as aggregates and fibers for rigid pavement applications in Nebraska. Concrete mixtures were prepared by partially replacing natural fine aggregates with recycled plastic aggregates (RPA) at replacement levels …

Electrochemistry Behind Pfas: Mechanistic And Analytical Approach For Sensing And Degradation Strategies, Jonathan Josue Calvillo Solis

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Understanding the fundamental electrochemistry of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is key to developing effective water remediation and sensing strategies. This work explores the thermodynamics and kinetics of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) electroreduction, focusing on C-F bond cleavage. These insights were applied to design a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for detecting trace levels of PFOA in water. This dissertation focuses on the electrochemical investigation of the reduction reaction of PFOA in aqueous and organic media employing different electrode materials. This exploration allows to understand the defluorination reaction of PFAS to further propose potential strategies for water treatment and PFOA electrosensing. Through electrochemical, spectroscopical …

Chat With The ’For You’ Algorithm: An Llm-Enhanced Chatbot For Controlling Video Recommendation Flow, Shuo Niu, Dikshith Vishnuvardhan, Venkata Sai Reddy Punnam

Computer Science

The rise of short-form video platforms like TikTok, driven by algorithmic recommendations, fosters immersive flow experiences. While users value personalization and engagement, they also seek greater agency over their For You recommendations. This paper designs, prototypes, and evaluates TKGPT, an LLM-enhanced conversational interface that helps users articulate their interests and understand recommendations. Through qualitative interviews and a user study, we examine how the TKGPT influences algorithmic folk theories and the sense of agency. Findings show that users primarily use TKGPT to seek relevant videos, explain preferences, and exert control over the algorithm. The resulting For You videos better reflect user …

Red Forest, Lucas Shilts

Senior Project

Sustaining large numbers of astronauts on Mars will require greenhouses capable of supplementing astronaut dietary needs. Lower solar irradiation and high levels of ionizing radiation on the Martian surface complicate the growth of crops on the red planet. Crops on Mars must be protected from radiation sources while still receiving sufficient illumination to grow. This research seeks to develop a Martian greenhouse illumination and heating design capable of efficiently providing plants the illumination and warmth needed while protecting them from the Martian radiation environment. This research explores a design for a direct-light subsurface Martian greenhouse which employs sun-tracking mirrors, vertical …

Understanding Stellar Element Formation Through Nuclear Reactions, Irena Langer, Mally Panek, Kiyah Young-Wilson, Adam Fritsch

Physics Student Scholarship

Studying nuclear structure has many applications, such as developing a stronger understanding of stellar nucleosynthesis, or how elements are formed inside of stars. Our research focuses on analysis of the proton evaporation nuclear reaction of Carbon-12 on Aluminum-27 in order to extract information about the structure of the nuclei involved. We are studying the cross section, or likelihood, of this reaction, using both experimental and modeled data. Since the cross section of a nuclear reaction depends on the physical characteristics of the nuclei involved, we can use the cross section to analyze our work.

Expanding And Mainstreaming Sociohydrology Toward Transdisciplinary Praxis, Shinichiro Nakamura, Heidi Kreibich, Melissa Haeffner, Jenia Mukherjee, Giuliano Di Baldassarre, Maiko Sakamoto, Mikiko Sugiura, Günter Blöschl, Taikan Oki, Murugesu Sivapalan

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since its development in the early 2010s, sociohydrology has deepened our understanding of the long-term coevolution of humans and water by integrating insights from both the natural and social sciences, while also fostering an interdisciplinary community. Its modus operandi to date has been to focus on emergent phenomena, manifesting as unintended consequences, in a variety of contexts. The compound disaster that struck Japan’s Noto Peninsula in 2024, and similar experiences in other parts of the world, underscore the urgent need for systemic approaches that are co-developed by academia and practitioners and focus on context-specific solutions. This perspective piece thus calls …

Dual-Target Disjointed Cross-Domain Recommendation Mediated Via Latent User Preferences, Dinh Hieu Do, Hady Wirawan Lauw

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Users often navigate multiple platforms online, each characterized by its own set of scarce data. Recommender systems face a significant challenge in such fragmented environments. This paper proposes a novel approach to enhance recommendation systems by leveraging connections across distinct yet conceptually similar datasets from multiple platforms. We introduce a unique scenario of dual-target overlapping-free cross-platform recommendation, presenting a bridging mechanism to mutually improve across platforms and learn latent user preferences. Our approach addresses the data sparsity prevalent in each platform and enhances recommendation quality by harnessing redundant, rich, and similar domain data. Experiments validate the effectiveness of our method, …

Predicting Enzyme-Substrate Association Using Heterogeneous Knowledge Graph, Jannatul Ferdaus

Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are dynamic processes that control many aspects of cellular activity, such as metabolic pathways, cell cycle progression, and signal transduction. Protein activity and interactions are modulated by the reversible addition or removal of phosphate groups, which allows cells to react abruptly to evolving conditions. Although kinase-specific phosphorylation site prediction has advanced, phosphatase-specific dephosphorylation site computational prediction is still a major obstacle that prevents us from fully comprehending the extent of cellular regulation. In this study, we constructed a knowledge graph for the prediction of enzymes (kinases and phosphatases) and their associated substrates with specific phosphosites. As part …

From Palimpsest To Prompt: Rewriting Shakespeare, Creative Authorship, And The Generative Logics Of Large Language Models In Contemporary Theatre, Michael Harding, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the convergence of creative authorship, adaptation, and generative artificial intelligence within contemporary theatre, taking Michael Harding‘s Awake, Young King as a central case study. Through the rewriting of Shakespearean drama, Harding‘s creative process demonstrates how theatrical meaning emerges through ongoing negotiation among playwright, performer, and audience, with scripts historically subject to revision, improvisation, and reinterpretation. Concerns regarding copyright, intellectual property, and the role of AI in the performing arts are reframed as extensions of enduring debates over originality and authorship, rather than novel threats. Tracing the evolution from The Rise of James VI to Awake, Young King, …

Modeling Multiple Tasks In Recommendation Systems, Dinh Hieu Do

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Traditional research in recommendation systems has largely centered on the static offline supervised learning setting. In this paradigm, all available user-item interaction data is collected and partitioned into fixed training, validation, and test sets. Models are developed and evaluated in this controlled environment, where the underlying data distribution is assumed to remain unchanged. This approach offers clear advantages: it simplifies experimentation, enables reproducible benchmarking, and allows for straightforward comparisons between algorithms.

However, this static offline setting does not reflect the realities faced by modern recommendation systems. In real-world applications, data is dynamic and ever-evolving, where new users and items are …

From Disruption To Integration: Cryptocurrency Prices, Financial Fluctuations, And Macroeconomy, Zhengyang Chen

Faculty Publications

This paper examines cryptocurrency shock transmission to financial markets and the macroeconomy using a Bayesian structural VAR with Pandemic Priors from 2015 to 2024. By affecting overall risk appetite, cryptocurrency price shocks generate positive financial market spillovers, accounting for 18% of equity and 27% of commodity price fluctuations. Real economic effects are significant in driving investment but remain limited, contributing only 4% to unemployment and 6% to industrial production variance. However, cryptocurrency shocks explain 18% of price-level forecast error variance at long horizons. Narrative analysis reveals sentiment and technology as primary shock drivers. These findings demonstrate cryptocurrency's deep financial system …

Quinone-Mediated Extracellular Electron Transfer In Escherichia Coli During Glucose Oxidation Metabolism, Megan Danielle Whisonant

Theses and Dissertations

The growing global demand for energy, ongoing reliance on fossil fuels, and increasing water pollution from industrial and anthropogenic sources present significant environmental challenges. In response to these issues, renewable and sustainable energy sources offer substantial potential for reducing dependence on fossil fuels and ensuring access to clean water. Microbial electrochemical systems (MESs) have emerged as promising, eco-friendly solutions for energy-efficient wastewater treatment and bioremediation. A key challenge in MESs development is facilitating effective electron transfer between microorganisms and electrode surfaces. The first chapter of this thesis discusses the fundamentals of MES types, explains mechanisms of extracellular electron transfer, and …

Determination Of Structure-Function Relationships In Hybrid Catalysts On Metal Oxide Supports, Joseph John Kuchta

Theses and Dissertations

Transition metal catalysis has revolutionized chemical synthesis, enabling efficient and selective transformations critical to the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and materials industries. However, traditional methods often rely on expensive, non-sustainable metals and harsh reaction conditions that generate significant waste. This dissertation explores a series of innovations aimed at bridging the gap between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis through the development of hybrid catalysts. These systems combine the molecular precision of homogeneous catalysts with the stability and practicality of heterogeneous supports, offering a pathway to more sustainable and scalable catalytic processes.

The first area of focus investigates nickel-based hybrid catalysts as a cost-effective and …

Quantifying Biomass Burning Impacts On Soil Nox Emissions And Reactive Nitrogen Cycling, Olivia Rae Steinbeck

Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO₂) are trace gases that play a critical role in the atmosphere by influencing air quality, oxidation chemistry, and the deposition of fixed nitrogen. Historically, NOx emissions have been primarily linked to anthropogenic sources such as fossil fuel combustion, industrial activities, and agriculture. However, as successful legislation has significantly reduced these emissions, the relative importance of natural NOx sources has become an increasing concern. Soil NOx emissions are of particular interest due to their strong temperature dependence and their connection to global climate change. Rising global temperatures are expected to accelerate soil NOx emissions …

The Role Of Symmetries In Atomic, Electromagnetic, And Particle Physics, Joshua Martin O'Connor

Theses and Dissertations

Symmetries in atomic, electromagnetic, and weak interaction physics are explored to understand symmetry-breaking extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics. Lorentz-violating field theories are extremely interesting theoretically, since they possess many new features that are absent in Lorentz-invariant models. We outline the formalism and experimental status of the Lorentz- and CPT-violating Standard Model Extension, in both the classical and quantum regimes. Processes such as vacuum Cerenkov radiation, which are kinematically forbidden when Lorentz symmetry is exact may become allowed when this symmetry is weakly broken. Particle decays, such as pion and kaon decays, although allowed in Lorentz-invariant theories, are …

In Vivo Analysis Of Fe-S Cluster Assembly And Iron Homeostasis In Escherichia Coli, Dexter Mclaurin Reasons

Theses and Dissertations

Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are an essential cofactor for a wide range of cellular processes, and their assembly and storage require tight regulation.

In Escherichia coli (E. coli), there are two pathways of Fe-S cluster assembly, the Isc and the Suf pathways. The Isc pathway is used under good growth conditions, and the Suf pathway is used under iron starvation and oxidative stress conditions. Once the cluster has been assembled on the scaffold protein of either pathway, it is transferred to Fe-S cluster trafficking proteins. In E. coli, the monothiol glutaredoxin GrxD and the BolA-type proteins BolA and IbaG …

Explainable Process Recommendation Through Multi-Contextual Grounding Of Dynamic Multimodal Process Knowledge Graphs, Revathy Venkataramanan

Theses and Dissertations

Can I eat this food or not? Is this food suitable for diabetes and why? Which AI pipeline is best suited for a given task and dataset? How should an end-to-end pipeline be constructed? These questions differ from factual question-answering tasks. Recipes and AI pipelines are processes consisting of several entities interacting with each other. A recipe consists of ingredients, cooking methods, and their interactions, while an AI pipeline includes datasets, preprocessing techniques, models, hyperparameters, tasks, and results. Each entity must be analyzed individually, and collective inferencing is performed to derive the final decision. This decision-making process, known as compositional …

Mixed Quantum/Classical Theory Approach To Rotationally Inelastic Molecular Collisions Implemented On A Quantum Computer, Jonathan Andrade-Plascencia, Tamila Kuanysheva, Dulat Bostan, Brian K. Kendrick, Dmitri Babikov

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

All elements of a quantum algorithm for calculations of rotationally inelastic molecule + atom scattering within the framework of a mixed quantum/classical theory are outlined. In this approach, the rotational motion of the molecule is described quantum mechanically using the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, while the scattering process of two collision partners is treated classically. The matrix of potential coupling is precomputed on a classical processor, whereas the quantum hardware is used to propagate the system of coupled equations for the rotational state-to-state transitions. All quantum circuits needed for practical implementation of the algorithm are presented. First, the quantum codes written …

Query Understanding In Llm-Based Conversational Information Seeking, Yifei Yuan, Zahra Abbasiantaeb, Mohammad Aliannejadi, Yang Deng

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Query understanding in CIS involves accurately interpreting user intent through context-aware interactions. This includes resolving ambiguities, refining queries, and adapting to evolving information needs. LLM enhance this process by interpreting nuanced language and adapting dynamically, improving the relevance and precision of search results in real-time. In this tutorial, we explore advanced techniques to enhance query understanding in LLM-based CIS systems. We delve into LLM-driven methods for developing robust evaluation metrics to assess query understanding quality in multi-turn interactions, strategies for building more interactive systems, and applications like proactive query management and query reformulation. We also discuss key challenges in integrating …