Digital Commons Network^™

Cctfv2: Modeling Cyber Competitions, Basheer Qolomany, Tristan J. Calay, Liaquat Hossain, Aos Mulahuwaish, Jacques Bou Abdo

School of Computing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Cyber competitions are usually team activities, where team performance not only depends on the members’ abilities but also on team collaboration. This seems intuitive, especially given that team formation is a well-studied discipline in competitive sports and project management, but unfortunately, team performance and team formation strategies are rarely studied in the context of cybersecurity and cyber competitions. Since cyber competitions are becoming more prevalent and organized, this gap becomes an opportunity to formalize the study of team performance in the context of cyber competitions. This work follows a cross-validating two-approach methodology. The first is the computational modeling of cyber …

Combining Temperature-Dependent Life Table Data Into Insect Life Cycle Model To Forecast Fall Armyworm Spodoptera Frugiperda (Je Smith) Distribution In Maize Agro-Ecological Zones In Africa, Marian Adan, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Cojdo E.F. Kassa, Klaus Greve, Christian Borgemeister, Georg Goergen

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), an invasive agricultural pest, has significantly impacted crop yields across Africa. This study investigated the relationship between temperature and FAW life history traits, employing life cycle modeling at temperatures of 20, 25, 28, 30, and 32̊C. The development time for eggs, larvae, and pupae varied from 0–3 days, 10–18 days, and 7–16 days, respectively. The optimal temperature range for immature stage survival and female fecundity was identified as 21–25̊C, with the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and gross reproductive rate (GRR) peaking at 25–28̊C. Model validation confirmed the accuracy of …

Characterizing Modulators Of Protease-Activated Receptors With A Calcium Mobilization Assay Using A Plate Reader, Jacob T. Derousse, Chris Dockendorff

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Changes in calcium concentration in cells are rapidly monitored in a high-throughput fashion with the use of intracellular, fluorescent, calcium-binding dyes and imaging instruments that can measure fluorescent emissions from up to 1,536 wells simultaneously. However, these instruments are much more expensive and can be challenging to maintain relative to widely available plate readers that scan wells individually. Described here is an optimized plate reader assay for use with an endothelial cell line (EA.hy926) to measure the protease-activated receptor (PAR)-driven activation of G_αq signaling and subsequent calcium mobilization using the calcium-binding dye Fluo-4. This assay has been used to …

A Revised Synthesis Of The Cationic Lipids Dmri And Mlri, Benjamin A. Kostic

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are an increasingly utilized method of intracellular delivery for nucleic acids. The COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have used LNP technology to combat the recent global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, saving millions of lives.^1,2 These vaccines consist of a lipid formulation that binds to the anionic phosphate groups of mRNAs and serves as an effective way to transport the nucleic acid across membranes into cells.⁹The mRNA encodes a viral protein. When introduced to cells, the viral protein is produced so that the immune system then can generate an appropriate antibody response.³ However, this approach …

Mathematics Majors In Medical School Admissions: A Comparative Evaluation Of Mcat And Gpa Performance, Morgan Baker

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Choosing a major as an incoming undergraduate student can be very stressful. This study investigates the differences in success that come with choice of undergraduate major, particularly focusing on the performance of mathematics majors. A large majority of medical school applicants come from a biological sciences background. Despite this preference, there is evidence that students from nontraditional majors produce higher Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores and superior grade point averages (GPAs). Utilizing data visualization and analysis through R programming, this research examines public data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) to understand the benefits of pursuing a …

The Pawn System: How Procedurally Adaptive Webbed Narratives Create Stories, Steven T. Bordelon

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the design, implementation, and testing of a novel procedural narrative system called the Procedurally Adaptive Webbed Narrative (PAWN) system. PAWN procedurally generates characters and, responding to choices made by the player, produces more responsive characters and relationships involving the player and these narrative agents. Initially, this thesis discusses other interactive narrative types that exist, such as emergent or event-driven narratives, along with their strengths and weaknesses. It then examines each aspect of PAWN, starting with initial actor generation, then moving to the capturing of game events and translating them into logical objects called Occurrences. These Occurrences are …

Characterizing The Role Of Chemo-Mechanical Couplings In The Activation Process Of Proteins That Undergo Conformational Changes, Ugochi Isu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Proteins are not static entities; rather, they are dynamic macromolecules that undergo conformational changes to perform their biological functions. These structural transitions are often coupled to chemical events such as lipid interactions, or changes in the cellular environment. Understanding the intricate interplay between chemical perturbations and the resulting mechanical response is crucial for elucidating the activation mechanisms of proteins. This dissertation aims to characterize the role of chemo-mechanical couplings in the activation process of two G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs): Cannabinoid Receptor 1 (CB1) and Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 1 (mGluR1). We employ molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the conformational landscapes of …

Investigations Into The Expansion Of Breslow-Type Intermediate Reactivity Via Radical C-N Bond Homolysis, Jacklyn J. Kubik

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Breslow intermediate is a key intermediate in catalytic transformations like the benzoin condensation and Stetter reaction. These intermediates were first postulated by Ronald Breslow in 1958. Since then, a number of researchers have sought to prove their existence and expand upon the reactions possible using these intermediates. In the sixty plus years since this intermediate was first postulated the reaction scope has expanded significantly, Breslow and breslow-type intermediates have expanded to encompass benzothiazoles, imidazoles, benzoimidazoles, triazoles, thiadiazoles, diamino type structures, and most recently pyridine structures. The expansion of these reactions has opened up new avenues of exploration and previously …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Black Phosphorus Terahertz Photoconductive Antennae, Katie Michelle Welch

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in terahertz (THz) imaging systems, particularly for applications like post-surgical analysis of breast cancer, have led to the exploration of novel materials such as black phosphorus as the active material for a THz photoconductive antenna (PCA). This thesis, motivated by innovative techniques developed at the University of Arkansas, investigates the potential of black phosphorus as a material to enhance the performance of THz PCAs, focusing on generation efficiency and bandwidth. Previous implementations of BP as THz emitters have shown limitations, highlighting the need for thorough material characterization and optimized fabrication processes. Therefore, we adopted a dual-phase approach to this …

The Water That Will Be: A Qualitative Look Into The Effects Of Visual Imagery On Participation In Water Conservation Initiatives, Shane Martin White

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored the role of visual imagery in water conservation initiatives, focusing on its impact on public understanding, emotional connection, and willingness to participate. Drawing from the Theory of Planned Behavior and Affective Disposition Theory, the study investigated how art interventions can enhance comprehension and engagement with water conservation easements. Utilizing qualitative methods, including interviews, focus groups and PhotoVoice, data was collected from stakeholders in the Illinois River Watershed region. The research examined current levels of understanding regarding conservation easements, evaluated the effectiveness of visual imagery interventions in enhancing public awareness, and identified the potential for collaborative approaches between …

Two Studies: Aromatization-Driven Ring Opening Functionalization Of Unstrained Cycloalkanones Through Visible Light Catalysis, And Synthesis Of Amino Endoperoxides Using Self-Doped Titanium Dioxide (Ti3+@Tio2) As A Photocatalyst, Enoch Kudoahor

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The pharmaceutical industry has been focused on discovering new innovative drugs over the last decade, but the syntheses are either inefficient or the approach to environmental sustainability raises significant concerns. Photochemistry and photocatalysis have found widespread applications in organic synthesis as a result of this pressing issue. Our role as organic chemists is to improve environmental quality by creating a "greener" world through the development of efficient synthetic methods and strategies. Solar energy is now one of the most abundant and renewable natural resources. The emergence of environmental sustainability concerns has led to the development of new techniques for harnessing …

Reviving The Past: Enhancing Language Models With Historical Text Optimization, Heather D. Broome

Honors Theses

Recent advancements in Natural Language Processing (NLP) have brought attention to the significant potential that exists for widespread applications of Large Language Models (LLMs). As demands and expectations for LLMs rise, ensuring efficiency and accuracy becomes paramount. Addressing these challenges requires more than just optimizing current techniques; it urges novel approaches to NLP as a whole. This study investigates novel data preprocessing methods designed to enhance LLM performance by mitigating inefficiencies rooted in natural language, particularly by simplifying the complexities presented by historical texts. Utilizing the classical text The Odyssey by Homer, two preprocessing techniques are introduced: tokenization of names …

Coastal-Ocean And Estuarine Acidification In Long Bay, South Carolina: A Comparison Of In-Situ Water Quality Monitoring With Measured Carbonate System Parameters, Mary Olsen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the major water-quality issues impacting our coast and estuaries is coastal-ocean and estuarine acidification. Due to a relative dearth of data in the southeastern United States it is increasingly difficult to determine the full extent and intensity of this problem. This study provides the first characterization of coastal-ocean and estuarine acidification in Long Bay, SC by attempting to leverage long-term water quality data sets at two coastal-ocean pier sites using in-situ YSI EXO sondes deployed at both the surface and bottom waters along with two estuarine sites sampled by volunteer monitors using Orion star multi-meters. Discrete samples (120) …

Tripeptide-Assisted Gold Nanocluster Formation For Fe3+ And Cu2+ Sensing, Jonghae Youn, Peiyuan Kang, Justin Crowe, Caleb Thornsbury, Peter Kim, Zhenpeng Qin, Jiyong Lee

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) have shown promise as metal ion sensors. Further research into surface ligands is crucial for developing sensors that are both selective and sensitive. Here, we designed simple tripeptides to form fluorescent AuNCs, capitalizing on tyrosine’s reduction capability under alkaline conditions. We investigated tyrosine’s role in both forming AuNCs and sensing metal ions. Two tripeptides, tyrosine–cysteine–tyrosine (YCY) and serine–cysteine–tyrosine (SCY), were used to form AuNCs. YCY peptides produced AuNCs with blue and red fluorescence, while SCY peptides produced blue-emitting AuNCs. The blue fluorescence of YCY- and SCY-AuNCs was selectively quenched by Fe3+ and Cu2+, whereas red-emitting YCY-AuNC …

Public Horticulture: Process And Design Of The Lincoln Botanical Garden, Brad Kindler

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Beginning in 2012, the local non-profit, The Lincoln Botanical Garden, began organizing the conceptual design and creation of a glass conservatory within a botanical garden in Lincoln, Nebraska. These proposed urban enhancements seek to fill a gap in garden amenities in the city by providing year-round access to public horticulture programming and education.

This project, Public Horticulture: Process and Design of the Lincoln Botanical Garden, documents these efforts and makes design recommendations for a themed Glacial Erratic Garden that could be constructed within the botanical garden.

Advisors: Ellen Paparozzi and Sam Wortman

Next-Generation Crop Monitoring Technologies: Case Studies About Edge Image Processing For Crop Monitoring And Soil Water Property Modeling Via Above-Ground Sensors, Nipuna Chamara

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has advanced rapidly in the past two decades. Internet of Things (IoT) technology has advanced rapidly during the last decade. Merging these two technologies has immense potential in several industries, including agriculture.

We have identified several research gaps in utilizing IoT technology in agriculture. One problem was the digital divide between rural, unconnected, or limited connected areas and urban areas for utilizing images for decision-making, which has advanced with the growth of AI. Another area for improvement was the farmers' demotivation to use in-situ soil moisture sensors for irrigation decision-making due to inherited installation difficulties. As Nebraska …

Charge And Strain Engineering Of Ferroic And Correlated Oxides, Yifei Hao

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation presents a comprehensive study of the charge and strain effects on the electronic and magnetic properties of epitaxial ferroic and correlated oxide thin films and heterostructures. We perform the planar Hall effect to quantify the magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) in epitaxial La_1-xSr_xMnO₃ films (x = 0.2 and 0.33) deposited on SrTiO₃ substrates. The biaxial magnetic anisotropy energy of L_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ is about 17% larger than La_0.8Sr_0.2MnO₃. By comparing with the theoretically predicted values, we have decoupled the doping and strain effects on …

A Compilation, Analysis, And Categorization Of 403 Atmospheric And Climate Science Misconceptions, Haeli Leighty

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) has listed the inaccessibility of research related to misconceptions in atmospheric and climate science as a Geoscience Education Research Grand Challenge (Cervato et al. 2018). This project was a direct response to this call for research and consisted of three distinct steps: 1) data gathering, which included reviewing the literature for relevant misconception data, 2) a qualitative analysis, which included compiling, organizing, and categorizing the data collected, and 3) a quantitative analysis, which included determining the prevalence of each misconception across topic categories, demographic categories, and over time. A total of 403 misconceptions …

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Do Heat Waves Drive Natural Selection In Damselflies?, Adam Baranyk

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Climate change has led to changes in both mean temperatures and temperature extremes over the recent years. These changes have had differential effects on animals throughout the world. Ectotherms depend on their external environment for thermal regulation, making them especially susceptible to temperature extremes. It is not yet clear whether there is a relationship between physical traits in ectotherms, and survivorship throughout a heat wave. That is, whether or not temperature extremes driven survival selection. In this study, a heat wave was simulated artificially using thermally regulated mesocosms at different temperatures (18°C, 22° C, 26° C, 30° C) with a …

Affinity-Enhanced Microdialysis Using Covalent Organic Frameworks (Cofs) Applied To Various Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (Nsaids) And Their Metabolites, Kehinde Adedeji Olubanjo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microdialysis is a valuable tool in neurosciences and pharmaceutical sciences, aiding research in drug-related areas. However, it faces a notable limitation in sampling hydrophobic analytes due to their adherence to the probe materials brought about by non-specific adsorption, thereby reducing relative recovery or overall extraction. In this work, two affinity agents, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) beads suspended in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant and covalent organic frameworks I(COFs) were employed as affinity agents in microdialysis for the extraction of hydrophobic drugs. When PDMS beads were employed as affinity agents, at the flow rate of 1 µL/min the relative recovery of both the …

Exploring Binding Pockets In The Conformational States Of The Sars-Cov-2 Spike Trimers For The Screening Of Allosteric Inhibitors Using Molecular Simulations And Ensemble-Based Ligand Docking, Grace Gupta, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Understanding mechanisms of allosteric regulation remains elusive for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, despite the increasing interest and effort in discovering allosteric inhibitors of the viral activity and interactions with the host receptor ACE2. The challenges of discovering allosteric modulators of the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins are associated with the diversity of cryptic allosteric sites and complex molecular mechanisms that can be employed by allosteric ligands, including the alteration of the conformational equilibrium of spike protein and preferential stabilization of specific functional states. In the current study, we combine conformational dynamics analysis of distinct forms of the full-length spike protein trimers and …

Improved Hydrologic Modeling And Geophysical Imaging Of Critical Zones: Incorporating Structural And Temporal Constraints, Hang Chen

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The Earth's critical zone (CZ) is a life-sustaining layer extending from the canopy of the tree to the bottom of the active groundwater circulation, providing valuable resources to terrestrial life, including nutrients, minerals, and fresh water. There are many challenges in studying various processes within and the function of the CZ. This dissertation addresses two common challenges in studying the CZ hydrology and watershed function, which are critical for a predictive understanding of the water dynamics in mountainous terrain and for an informed management of future water resources under rapid climate change. These challenges include (1) accurate quantification of hydrological …

Cyanide Abundance Of Highly Aqueously Altered Cm Chondrites: Insight For Asteroid Bennu, Rachel A. Reichow

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Asteroids, and the meteorites that come from them, retained the composition of the early Solar System and can give us insight to the processes that lead to the origin of life. The current NASA mission, OSIRIS-REx, has returned asteroid samples from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. This asteroid is thought to be similar in composition to highly aqueously altered meteorites including CM1 and CM1/2 meteorites. Cyanide is thought to be an important molecule for prebiotic chemistry. Simple cyanide salts would have been the most accessible form of cyanide for reactions to occur; however, they may have recombined to form different metal-cyanide …

From Metabolites To Flux: Understanding Cellular Metabolism, Cale Thornton

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Metabolomics is a well-established field with the first published mention of the metabolome in 1998 with numerous applications encompassing food science, microbiology, forensics, plant biology, and many others. In this thesis, I will describe how we utilized Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to aid in our understanding of topics ranging from method development, biomass conversion, to food science. In the first topic, we will probe the challenges and successes in understanding how to monitor the real-time metabolism of living cells by NMR. Cells larger can ca. 0.2 μM in diameter tend to settle out of suspension within minutes. Pluronic F-127 …

Agricultural Irrigation Water Quality In The Lower Boise River Basin: A Quantitative Assessment Of Canal Ecosystem Metabolism And Escherichia Coli Spatiotemporal Variability, Reed Chasmar

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Irrigation canals are pervasive in agricultural landscapes. Despite their vast spatial extent and significant volumetric impact on the hydrologic cycle, the role of irrigation canals as intermittent channels within a river network, as well as their various functions (e.g., supporting aquatic ecosystems, transporting microbial communities, altering the carbon cycle), are not well understood. Microbial water quality and aquatic ecosystem metabolism represent two mechanisms to assess stream channels that can provide new insights into the complex dynamics and spatiotemporal patterns that exist in irrigation canals, which has relevance for both human health and for the field of stream ecology. The goal …

Development And Validation Of A Rule-Based Algorithm To Identify Periodontal Diagnosis Using Structured Electronic Health Record Data, Bunmi Tokede, Ryan Brandon, Chun-Teh Lee, Guo-Hao Lin, Joel White, Alfa Yansane, Xiaoqian Jiang, Elsbeth Kalenderian, Muhammad Walji

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIM: To develop and validate an automated electronic health record (EHR)-based algorithm to suggest a periodontal diagnosis based on the 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal Diseases and Conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using material published from the 2017 World Workshop, a tool was iteratively developed to suggest a periodontal diagnosis based on clinical data within the EHR. Pertinent clinical data included clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival margin to cemento-enamel junction distance, probing depth, furcation involvement (if present) and mobility. Chart reviews were conducted to confirm the algorithm's ability to accurately extract clinical data from the EHR, and then …

An Examination Of The Teaching And Learning Of Resonance In General Chemistry I And Organic Chemistry I Using Variation Theory, Sabrina Barakat

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Resonance is a fundamental chemistry concept first introduced to students in General Chemistry I, reintroduced in Organic Chemistry I, and then utilized throughout other higher-level chemistry courses. A molecule or ion can be said to exhibit resonance when it can be represented by two or more chemical structures (i.e., Lewis structures) that differ only in their arrangement of electrons. In other words, resonance represents the electronic structure of a molecule or ion when a single Lewis structure does not adequately depict the true distribution of electrons. The molecule or ion is best represented as a combination of all of the …

Seasonal Climate And Environmental Conditions Associated With Physiological Variations Of Southwestern United States Pines, Taylor Brewer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Juvenile and adult conifers in the southwestern United States are vulnerable to a range of different abiotic and biotic factors, yet it is unclear how their stress tolerance varies across environments. Predicted increases in the frequency and intensity of disturbance as well as greater climate and weather variability across the region highlight the potential for differential physiological responses across tree species and populations. This thesis focuses on two physiologic mechanisms, hydraulic vulnerability and mortality, that could be altered by climate change in two broadly distributed southwestern United States conifers: ponderosa pine and pinyon pine.

In chapter 2, I measured the …

Experiment Development And Validation Of A Granular Jamming Robotic Gripper, Jacob R. Dowd

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A granular jamming gripper (GJG) is widely known as a Universal Gripper because of the wide range of objects that it can grasp and the simplicity of control, design, and manufacturing. Despite multitude of research improving the GJG, here, we focus on the base version of the GJG and attempt to glean the range of objects that it may reliably grasp. Despite the limited range of objects, which were a sphere, rectangular prism, and cylinder, we gleaned geometric properties as it relates to successful and unsuccessful grasping. This was based on the two types of testing: push and pull testing …