Digital Commons Network^™

Urbanization Impacts Dissolved Organic Matter Concentration And Quality In A Southeastern United States Watershed, Gwendolyn M. Hopper, Erik M. Smith, Jade Dormoy-Boulanger, Claudia R. Benitez-Nelson

Faculty Publications

Blackwater rivers are named due to their exceptionally high concentrations of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM). They are the predominant lotic ecosystem in the United States Southeastern Coastal Plain, a region experiencing some of the nation’s highest rates of development. This study assessed variability in DOM concentration and composition across forested to urbanized blackwater systems in coastal South Carolina, U.S. Dissolved organic carbon and nutrient concentrations as well as absorbance and fluorescence optical properties reveal that urban sites have lower concentrations, elemental ratios, and less complex DOM. In contrast, forested blackwater sites have concentrations an order of magnitude higher, elevated …

Evaluation Of Physical And Chemical Condition Of A Group Of Waterloggedarchaeological Woods From The Yenikapı 16 Shipwreck, Sedef Hetto, Namik Kiliç, Asli Gökçe Kiliç

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

This study examined the physical and chemical condition of waterlogged archaeological wood (WAW) samples from the Yenikapı 16 shipwreck of plane (Platanus L.), elm (Ulmus L.), pine (Pinus L.), and fir (Abies L.), representing species with different wood properties. The maximum water content (MWC) and basic density (BD) values of 74 WAW samples from the shipwreck were calculated, and 7 of 74 samples were selected for analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The availability of samples, appropriate size, the species of the wood, and the wood’s degradation were all considered. The …

Environmental And Cultural Impacts Of The 8.2 Ka Event In Yenikapı (İstanbul/Türkiye), Ayşi̇n Konak, M. Namik Yalçin

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Neolithic lifestyle, which began in the 12th millennium BP with the emergence of villages in the core region extendingfrom Iran to central and southeastern Anatolia and Syria, began to spread to neighboring geographies, such as the Marmara region,in the 9th millennium BP. During the 8.2 ka event that occurred between 8300 and 7900 BP, cold and dry conditions prevailed in thenorthern hemisphere. During the winter months, the humidity decreased and cooling of about 6 ± 2 °C was observed. In order totest whether the 8.2 ka event was also effective in the İstanbul region, a set of inorganic geochemical …

Coupled Lake-Atmosphere-Land Physics Uncertainties In A Great Lakes Regional Climate Model, William J. Pringle, Chenfu Huang, Pengfei Xue, Jiali Wang, Khachik Sargsyan, Miraj Kayastha, Et. Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

This study develops a surrogate-based method to assess the uncertainty within a convective permitting integrated modeling system of the Great Lakes region, arising from interacting physics parameterizations across the lake, atmosphere, and land surface. Perturbed physics ensembles of the model during the 2018 summer are used to train a neural network surrogate model to predict lake surface temperature (LST) and near-surface air temperature (T2m). Average physics uncertainties are determined to be 1.5°C for LST and T2m over land, and 1.9°C for T2m over lake, but these have significant spatiotemporal variations. We find that atmospheric physics parameterizations alone are the dominant …

Minero-Petrographic, Geochemical, And Multiisotopic Characterization Of The Ancientbanded Travertine Quarries Of The Lycus Valley (Denizli, Türkiye), Tamer Koralay, Nergi̇s İmre

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Lycus Valley in Western Anatolia has been the site of numerous civilizations since ancient times due to historical, geopolitical, and climatological characteristics. Banded travertine is a ubiquitous architectural stone observed in ancient settlements in the Lycus Valley. Banded travertines referred to as “Alabastro Fiorito,” “Alabastro Listato,” and “Alabastro Rossa” in archaeological bibliographies have been extracted from the ancient quarries of Çukurbağ, Hierapolis, Develi-Akköy, Gölemezli, and Tripolis in the Lycus Valley and are characterized by white, yellow, brown, red, and red-burgundy colored bands with thicknesses ranging from a few millimeters to centimeters. The banded travertines have similar mineral compositions and …

Characterization Of Stone Materials From The Roman Caracalla Bath In Ancyra, Zeynep Tanriverdi̇, Ali̇ Akin Akyol, Yusuf Kağan Kadioğlu

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Roman Caracalla Bath was built during the reign of Roman Emperor Caracalla (circa AD 200). Today it exists only inthe form of wall remnants at the foundation level and functions as an open-air museum. It is located on a mound approximately 2.5-mhigh along Ulus’s Çankırı Street in Ankara. This research paper aims to identify the characterization and implications for provenance ofthe stone materials used in the construction of the bath by using mineralogical, petrographic, and geochemical definitions. The resultsobtained from the stone materials also provide guidance for restoration and reinforcement of the bath. In this study, the 13 stone …

Бадхызские Архивы. Том 2, Р. И. Горелова, В. Я. Фет

Open Access Books

Gorelova, RI, Fet V, editors. The Badkhyz Archives, Vol. 2. Huntington, WV: Marshall University Libraries; 2025. 387 p.

This book represents the second volume of the series started in 2021. It compiles memoirs and research information about the unique Badkhyz Natural Reserve, now in Turkmenistan, formerly at the southernmost point of the USSR. Established in 1941, the Reserve—nicknamed a Serengeti of Central Asia— housed many unique and endangered species, with an iconic wild ass, or kulan, preserved only there. The second volume includes unique and otherwise unavailable information about the workers of the Reserve in 1940s-1980s. We continuento publish …

Modeling Covid-19 Spread And Effects Of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions On A College Campus, Jakob Kotas, Priscilla Perey Ratonel

CODEE Journal

We consider an extension to the classical SIR compartmental model from mathematical epidemiology as applied to the spread of COVID-19 on a college campus. While the classical SIR model does not allow for recovered individuals to lose immunity, we alter the equations to allow for such (due to the rise of new variants), leading to a SIRS-type model. We study the system of ODEs analytically and through numerical simulation. Finally we discuss a quantitative approach for how college administrators can decide when to implement stricter non-pharmaceutical interventions (social distancing, mask mandates, quarantine, etc.) to eradicate the infection from the campus …

Terminator: A Software Package For Fast And Local Optimization Of His-Tag Placement For Protein Affinity Purification, Rokas Gerulskis, Shelley D. Minteer

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Although the use of affinity tags can greatly improve purification of expressed enzymes, the placement of affinity tags can significantly impact the expression, solubility, and function of recombinant proteins. To facilitate the optimal design of 6xHis-tagged constructs for protein purification, we developed Terminator, a Python-based software package, which takes a UniProt ID or existing protein sequence as input, identifies related sequences, maps sequence conservation retrieved from ConSurf onto protein 3D structures retrieved from the PDB and SWISS-MODEL, and analyzes proximity to cavities and functional sites to recommend the N- or C-terminus for placement of 6xHis fusion tags 86-100% accuracy in …

A Bibliometric Study Of Astronomy And Geoscience Doctoral Dissertations, Nora Boyle, Mary Schlembach

Faculty Journal Articles

A bibliometric analysis was conducted over the bibliographies of astronomy and geology doctoral dissertations written between 1970 and 2020 in order to review the document types that are utilized and cited. An investigation was made of various cited reference ages and how cited references in dissertations have evolved with the advent of electronic resources and preprint services. Our study examined 50 astronomy and 50 geology dissertations with 10 dissertations selected from each decade (n = 100). Results measured included 13,475 total references and the study found that references to journal articles increased, and book citations have decreased in both …

Multiple Hypothesis Testing Under Dependence, Nabaneet Das

Doctoral Theses

We have examined various aspects of multiple hypothesis testing under dependence. Traditional algorithms designed to control the error arising from multiplicity become severely conservative when the hypotheses exhibit positive dependence, resulting in a loss of power. There is a paucity of literature explicating the behaviour of traditional algorithms when the hypotheses are dependent. In the realm of multiple testing, a popular multiplicity correction is the Bonferroni correction, which is perhaps the oldest classical approach for controlling the Family-Wise Error Rate (FWER) at a desired level, regardless of dependence among hypotheses. However, under the global null and equicorrelated normal model, the …

The Metaphysics Of Time Within Physics, Mohamed Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

The starting point of this thesis is to shed some light on the metaphysical nature of time by reflecting on the physics of time. The aim of this approach is not to [dis]prove or defend a metaphysical position but rather to elucidate the metaphysical position that underlies [or is compatible with] our best scientific theories. This task will be demanding, not only because our best theories may carry different interpretations of their underlying temporal structure but also because there seems to be a conceptual conflict/incompatibility between the notion of time in relativity and quantum mechanics, which are the two major …

Investigating The Relationship Between The Circadian Clock, Age, And Lifestyle, Samuel Park, Amaka Eziakonwa, Amega Nguyen, Madison Payne, Erich Stahmer, Alexis Salinas, Payson Broome, Angel Oliver, Christian Mccormick, Jasmyn Brown, Julie A. Zacharias-Simpson, Jutta Ward, Deborah Bell-Pedersen

Annual Research Symposium

This poster presentation aims to understand how circadian clock strength and phase are affected by age and lifestyle. By analyzing changes in physiological rhythms, the study seeks to develop strategies for promoting healthy aging by optimizing circadian function.

Tracking The Effects Of Time Zone Shift On An Individual’S Circadian Rhythm, Amaka Eziakonwa, Erich Stahmer, Amega Nguyen, Samuel Park, Madison Payne, Alexis Salinas, Deborah Bell-Pedersen, Julie A. Zacharias-Simpson

Annual Research Symposium

This poster presentation aims to understand how a rapid time-zone change can affect an individual’s circadian rhythms. By quantifying changes in physiological rhythms, the study seeks to develop targeted therapeutic interventions to mitigate the negative effects of jetlag.

Can We Eliminate The Negative Consequences Of Circadian Desynchronization Caused By Night Shift Work By Using A Light Therapy Lamp To Simulate A Sunset?, Amega Nguyen, Madison Payne, Amaka Eziakonwa, Erich Stahmer, Alexis Salinas, Samuel Park, Julie A. Zacharias-Simpson, Deborah Bell-Pedersen

Annual Research Symposium

This poster aims to understand the relationship between desynchronosis of circadian rhythms and night-shift work and how light therapy can mitigate some of the issues of desynchronosis. This study seeks to develop therapies for disrupted circadian rhythms from night-ship works.

A Hindered Phenol Containing Pvc/Cuo Nanocomposites; Study On The Mechanical And Thermooxidative Properties, Mohsen Hajibeygi, Alireza Ghasemi

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

The effect of synthesized 5-((4-hydroxy-3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)diazenyl)isophthalic acid (HBA) containing a hinderedphenol derivative on the thermooxidation, hydrochloric acid release time, and mechanical strength of PVC/CuO nanocompositeswas studied. Moreover, 5-((4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethylphenyl)diazenyl)isophthalic acid (HMA) was synthesized for comparison ofcorresponding PVC nanocomposite properties. PVC nanocomposite thin films were prepared through in situ surface modificationof CuO nanoparticles with HBA and HMA, individually, in the PVC solution. The XRD and FE-SEM results clarified the desirabledispersion of CuO nanoparticles. The PVC sample with loading of 5 wt% from each HBA and CuO was found to be the most thermallystable, which was confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis in inert conditions. The …

Nonadhesive Membranes: Preparation And Characterization Of Modified Phbhx Membranes, Funda Alkan, Murat Demi̇rbi̇lek, Oktay Aydin, Berrak Gümüşkaya Öcal, Neli̇sa Laçi̇n Türkoğlu, Mustafa Türk, Mehmet Ali̇ Onur

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

After abdominal surgery, there is a possibility of adhesions between the abdominal organs and the abdominal wall. Theadhesions can lead to problems such as chronic pain, intestinal blockage, and infertility. To prevent adhesion, antiadhesion patchescan be used. In this study, poly hydroxybutyrate-co-hexanoate membranes were fabricated as antiadhesion patches and modified witheither fatty acids or polyethylene glycol. The homogeneity and protein absorption of the membranes were assessed. The effects onblood coagulation factors were determined and the adhesion-proliferation properties of human fibroblast cells on the membranes weredetermined. The results show that myristic acid slightly increases surface free energy (40.7 ± 4.2 mN/m), …

The Magnetic Beads-Based Sandwich-Shaped Immune Complexes For Rapid And Sensitiveamperometric Detection Of Sox2 Protein, Göksu Özçeli̇kay Akyildiz, Mehmet Altay Ünal, Seçi̇l Gülden, Si̇bel Ayşil Özkan

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Sex-Determining Region Y-box 2 (SOX2) is a transcription factor protein. SOX2 expression is related to lymph nodemetastasis and distant metastasis in colorectal carcinomas. SOX2 was determined with the first magnetic disposable immunoplatform.The designed sandwich-shaped immune complexes were formed by a capture antibody, SOX2 protein, and biotinylated secondaryantibodies (dAb/HRP). The sandwich-shaped immune complex was linked to carboxylic acid functionalized magnetic beads (HOOC-MBs). This magnetic bioconjugate was dropped on the surface of the screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). The amperometricmeasurement was performed at –0.20 V in the presence of hydroquinone (HQ) and H2O2 against a silver pseudo-reference electrode.The optimization parameters affecting the immunoassay …

Simultaneous Determination Of Sunset Yellow And Tartrazine In Real Samples On An N-Butylamine-Graphite/Polyaminophenol Composite Electrode, Mürşi̇de Ceren Afşar, Zekerya Dursun

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

A composite electrode was fabricated for simultaneous determination of sunset yellow (SY) and tartrazine (Tz) in foods andsyrup. It is based on n-butylamine intercalation into graphite and then dropped on a poly (4-aminophenol)/glassy carbon electrode(GCE). The electrode surface morphologies, chemistry, and electrical properties were identified by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy (RS), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Thenew composite electrode significantly increased the electrochemical response of SY and Tz relative to a bare GCE. The peak currentof SY and Tz increased linearly depending on their concentrations from 0.006 μmol L–1 to 1.0 μmol L–1 (r = …

Masking Of Iron And Other Interferences During The Spectrophotometric Analysis Of Aluminum From Soil Samples Using Alizarin Red S, Hafiz Zain Ul Aabidin, Muhammad Inam Ul Hassan, Tariq Yasin, Muhammad Zubair Rahim, Ahsan Amin Bhatti, Hamayun Imtiaz, Asif Raza

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

In whole-rock geochemical analysis, the quantification of aluminum in geological samples is performed using differentanalytical techniques including UV-Vis spectrophotometry. During the spectrophotometric analysis of aluminum utilizing AlizarinRed S, iron causes significant interference, leading to inaccurate measurements of the amount of aluminum in the sample. In caseswhere leached or processed samples contain titanium, interference is also observed. However, appropriate masking agents can removethese interferences. In this study, various masking agents including Tiron, oxalic acid, ascorbic acid, and thioglycolic acid were utilizedfor the masking of iron. Among these masking agents, ascorbic acid proved to be the best candidate for masking iron. A …

A New Water-Soluble Silicon Phthalocyanine That Catalyzes The Photodegradation Of Pollutant Dyes, Damla Nur Kaya, Behi̇ce Sebnem Sesalan

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

The removal of color arising from water-soluble dyes in wastewaters is necessary to counter the threat to health. Because of thedifficulty in elimination of these dyes by conventional methods, their photodegradation using photosensitizers such as phthalocyanines(Pcs) has been employed recently. When compared to peripherally substituted derivatives, silicon Pcs are reported to be morebiocompatible with low toxicity. Thus a new silicon Pc substituted with two quaternized dimethylamino phenoxy units (compound 1)and its quaternized derivative (compound 2) were synthesized to test its photocatalytic ability employing the dyes methylene blue (MB),eosin B (EB), erythrosine (ERB), sulforhodamine B (SRB), and brilliant blue FCF (BRB), …

Modelling The Behavior Of Human Crowds As Coupled Active-Passive Dynamics Of Interacting Particle Systems, Thoa Thieu, Roderick Melnik

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

The modelling of human crowd behaviors offers many challenging questions to science in general. Specifically, the social human behavior consists of many physiological and psychological processes which are still largely unknown. To model reliably such human crowd systems with complex social interactions, stochastic tools play an important role for the setting of mathematical formulations of the problems. In this work, using the description based on an exclusion principle, we study a statistical-mechanics-based lattice gas model for active-passive population dynamics with an application to human crowd behaviors. We provide representative numerical examples for the evacuation dynamics of human crowds, where the …

Few-Shot Transfer Learning For Individualized Braking Intent Detection On Neuromorphic Hardware, Nathan A. Lutes, V. Sriram Siddhardth Nedendla, K. Krishnamurthy

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This work explores use of a few-shot transfer learning method to train and implement a convolutional spiking neural network (CSNN) on a Brain Chip Akida AKD1000 neuromorphic system-on-chip for developing individual-level, instead of traditionally used group-level, models using electroencephalographic data. The efficacy of the method is studied on an advanced driver assist system related task of predicting braking intention. Approach. Data are collected from participants operating an NVIDIA JetBot on a testbed simulating urban streets for three different scenarios. Participants receive a braking indicator in the form of: (1) an audio countdown in a nominal baseline, stress-free environment; (2) an …

Tailor-Designed Oxalic Acid-Crosslinked Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)/Chitosan Biodegradable Films For Active Food Packaging Applications, Reem Hazem Fathy Anwar Elaasar

Theses and Dissertations

Food packaging plastic waste is posing great threats to ecosystems, human health, and the planet's overall sustainability; therefore, research has been directed towards the fabrication of biodegradable food packaging materials. In this study, active and biodegradable oxalic acid (OA) crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/chitosan (CS) composite films of different weight ratios were synthesized via the solvent casting technique and their food packaging properties were investigated. Owing to its water resistance and antibacterial superiority, the composite film with the ratio of OA chemically crosslinked PVA/CS 80:20 was elected to be coated with green tea extract (GTE) to ameliorate its antibacterial and antioxidant …

Adapting Biological Mechanisms Into Machine Learning Structures And Gradient Propagation, Hao Yu

Theses and Dissertations

As neuromorphic computing gains traction, researchers look for learning schemes that are more suitable for brain-like structures. Although many algorithms have been discovered, such as surrogate gradient or Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity, those algorithms are either unsuitable for on-chip training or not biologically aligned. The goal of this thesis is to discover a learning algorithm which is biologically aligned and suitable for on-chip training. Through the discoveries of our two papers, we are able to introduce the concepts of synaptic clefts and neurotransmitters into a common spiking neuron network. We also designed an error propagation method aligning with biology. With …

An Algorithm For Cloud-Based Web Service Combination Optimization Through Plant Growth Simulation, Qiang Li, Huawei Qin, Bingqin Qiao, Ruifang Wu

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In order to improve the efficiency of cloud-based web services, an improved plant growth simulation algorithm scheduling model. This model first used mathematical methods to describe the relationships between cloud-based web services and the constraints of system resources. Then, a lightinduced plant growth simulation algorithm was established. The performance of the algorithm was compared through several plant types, and the best plant model was selected as the setting for the system. Experimental results show that when the number of test cloud-based web services reaches 2 048, the model being 2.14 times faster than PSO, 2.8 times faster than the …

Super-Resolution Imaging Reveals Resistance To Mass Transfer In Functionalized Stationary Phases, Ricardo Monge Neria, Muhammad Zeeshan, Aman Kapoor, Tae Kyong John Kim, Nichole Hoven, Jeffrey Pigott, Burcu Gurkan, Christine Duval, Lydia Kisley

Faculty Scholarship

Chemical separations are costly in terms of energy, time, and money. Separation methods are optimized with inefficient trial-and-error approaches that lack insight into the molecular dynamics that lead to the success or failure of a separation and, hence, ways to improve the process. We perform super-resolution imaging of fluorescent analytes in five different commercial liquid chromatography materials. Unexpectedly, we observe that chemical functionalization can block more than 50% of the material’s porous interior, rendering it inaccessible to small-molecule analytes. Only in situ imaging unveils the inaccessibility when compared to the industry-accepted ex situ characterization methods. Selectively removing some of the …

Super-Resolution Imaging Reveals Resistance To Mass Transfer In Functionalized Stationary Phases, Ricardo Monge Neria, Muhammad Zeeshan, Aman Kapoor, Tae Kyong John Kim, Nichole Hoven, Jeffrey S. Pigott, Burcu Gurkan, Christine E. Duval, Lydia Kisley

Faculty Scholarship

Chemical separations are costly in terms of energy, time, and money. Separation methods are optimized with inefficient trial-and-error approaches that lack insight into the molecular dynamics that lead to the success or failure of a separation and, hence, ways to improve the process. We perform super-resolution imaging of fluorescent analytes in five different commercial liquid chromatography materials. Unexpectedly, we observe that chemical functionalization can block more than 50% of the material’s porous interior, rendering it inaccessible to small-molecule analytes. Only in situ imaging unveils the inaccessibility when compared to the industry-accepted ex situ characterization methods. Selectively removing some of the …

Evaluating The New Nd: Yag Laser Method In Phytosynthesizing Silver Nanoparticles And Assessing Their Medical Applications., Arshad Mahdi Hamad, Qanat Mahmood Atiya

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized via an innovative green synthesis method using amygdalin (Am) as a reducing agent and the Nd: YAG laser as a catalyst. We studied the properties of the nanoparticles using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. All the results of the examination demonstrate excellent structural and optical properties. In addition, the molecular docking of the complex composed of amygdalin and AgNPs was tested on three proteins concerned with the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and …

Influence Of Oil Density On Self-Propelled Motion Of Belousov-Zhabotinsky Reaction Droplet, Vivek Bharat Meshram, Anupama Sebastian, Puthiyapurayil Sibeesh, T K Shajahan

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction serves as an example of the nonlinear chemical oscillator in which the reacting substance undergoes sequential oxidation and reduction. A droplet containing the BZ reaction, when placed within the oily environment, can self-propel. In this experimental work, we explore the effect of oil medium density on the BZ reaction droplet dynamics. In an oil medium with lower density, the BZ droplet exhibits higher speed and effective diffusivity but a shorter lifetime. Both the distance and speed of the droplet initially increase with droplet volume. However, beyond a critical volume, the distance decreases while the speed stays constant. Interestingly, …