Digital Commons Network^™

Riemannian Manifold-Coupled Joint Sparse Graphical Models For Spatially Structured Precision Matrix Estimation, Abdul Rahman Adam

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis introduces a novel geometry-aware framework for joint precision matrix estimation in spatially structured data. Unlike existing joint Gaussian graphical model estimators that rely on Euclidean coupling mechanisms such as fused or group graphical lasso, our approach incorporates intrinsic Riemannian geometry through geodesic distance penalties on the symmetric positive definite manifold.

The method measures similarity between precision matrices of adjacent spatial regions using the affine-invariant Riemannian distance, capturing deformations of concentration ellipsoids rather than entrywise differences. This is particularly suited for spatial transcriptomics, where regions may share dependence structures despite differences in scale or composition.

An efficient Alternating Direction …

From Covid-19 To Influenza: Transforming Public Health Surveillance Through Freeze-Drying Innovations, Rui Dong

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Public health surveillance increasingly relies on wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as a non-invasive, community-level early warning system for infectious diseases like COVID-19 and influenza. However, detecting minute viral concentrations in complex wastewater matrices remains a significant analytical challenge. Traditional concentrating methods, such as ultrafiltration, are limited by high performance variability and significant viral signal loss due to necessary pretreatment steps, such as pre-clarification, which inadvertently discard solid-associated viral fractions. To address these limitations, this dissertation introduces and evaluates freeze-drying as a novel, pretreatment-free concentrating method for wastewater viral surveillance. By sublimating water, freeze-drying uniquely retains both liquid and solid-phase viruses within …

A Diagnostic Test For Confounding Under Collapsibility In Generalized Linear Models (Glms), Samuel Dela Gadah

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis develops and validates a diagnostic framework for assessing potential confounding in generalized linear models (GLMs) with collapsible link functions. Under collapsibility and effect homogeneity, the absence of confounding implies equality between marginal and covariate-adjusted treatment effects on the link scale, which motivates the change-in-estimate parameter δ = γ − γ(c) as the target of a formal hypothesis test. Two complementary inferential routes are developed: a nonparametric bootstrap and an independent estimating equation (IEE) procedure based on a stacked-data construction that yields a closed-form sandwich variance and is implementable in standard generalized estimating equation software. A backward elimination procedure …

Computational Studies Of Alpha-Lactalbumin Binding To Perfluorodecanoic Acid, Randhal Smith Ramirez Orozco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis investigates the structural and thermodynamic interactions between Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) and bovine alpha-lactalbumin (ALAC), a critical milk protein essential for infant nutrition. The primary objectives were to computationally determine the most probable binding sites of PFDA to ALAC and to quantify the strength of these interactions alongside the structural changes they induce. This study addresses a critical gap in understanding how persistent environmental contaminants like PFDA are recruited and transported by nutritional proteins within the milk matrix. The methodology integrated high-throughput molecular docking with long-range, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to provide a dynamic characterization of the ALAC-PFDA complex. …

Uncertainty Handling In Stock Market Prediction: A Fuzzy Markov Chain Approach, Alpa Singh Rajput, Arpan Singh Rajput

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Predicting the stock market is never easy because it is influenced by many uncertain and constantly changing factors such as economic conditions, investor behaviour, and global events. Traditional models like the Crisp Markov Chain (CMC) try to predict market movements by using fixed probabilities for different states like bullish, bearish, or stagnant. However, real markets do not behave in such a strict way—they often move gradually between states, which these models fail to capture. To overcome this limitation, this study introduces a Fuzzy Markov Chain (FMC) model, where fuzzy logic is used to handle uncertainty and allow smoother transitions between …

Creating A Unique Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carrier, Clayton Fuller

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

The purpose of this thesis is to explain the current state of alternative oxygen carriers and propose a new hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC) as a blood substitute/ blood therapeutic. Blood donation has drawbacks: risk of spread of infection, short storage time, and blood typing, and the current shortage. There are several possible modifications for hemoglobin to create a carrier (HBOC) which address specific issues related to allowing free hemoglobin to exist extra cellularly. One issue to address is vasoconstriction caused by nitric oxide scavenging, which has been solved by increasing the molecular weight of the HBOC via (co)polymerization, or by …

A Comparative Study Of Traditional Training And Xr-Based Simulation In Healthcare Professional Education, Fazal Qudus Khan, Gohar Khan, Ibrar Ahmad, Owais Khan, Suleman Shah

All Works

Immersive Virtual Reality or VR/VX stands poised to revolutionize healthcare education through interactive learning modules, overcoming current deficiencies in existing methodologies for instruction. This research compared the effectiveness of VR/VX-based training to traditional CT scanner operator training using a within-subjects design, involving 30 subjects, and concluded the effectiveness of using VR/VX in enhancing knowledge retention, task accomplishment, and engagement, and proved it by showing significant enhancement in immediate knowledge acquisition scores (Δ = 8.87, t(29) = 6.71, p < .0001), relative to delayed knowledge retention scores (Δ = 11.03, t(29) = 6.85, p < .0001), procedural achievement scores (Δ = 5.40, t(29) = 4.45, p = .0001), reduced overall task completion time using VR/VX for increased speed of execution (t(29) = 10.74, p < .0001), as well as reduced task errors for lower error rates using VR/VX in comparison to existing methodologies, as testified by the results, t(29) = 8.14, p < .0001, respectively, while showing no significant difference in usability, although assessed superior in terms of engagement and relative usefulness by the involved subjects.

Exploring Gender As An Analytical Framework In The 2018-2019 Revolution And Ongoing Civil War: The Role Of Gendered Violence And Sudanese Women's Resistance, Ami John

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper will interrogate the intersection of gender, war, and political upheaval within Sudan while focusing on the role of women in both the 2019 resistance and the ongoing conflict and revolution. By the end of 2018, mass protests had called for the ousting of Omar al-Bashir, the long-standing Sudanese president. This event set off a chain reaction which led to events that fueled the long-standing rivalry between the two militant groups that were active in Sudan, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The tension caused by this rivalry created unforeseen circumstances for the local …

Research On The Accessibility Elements Of Rural Public Digital Cultural Services Based On Aism-Fmicmac, Lihui Peng, Banruo Gu, Chuang Hong, Xisheng Hu

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance] A structural analysis of the stratified dependencies among accessibility determinants in rural public digital cultural ecosystems enables identification of pivotal developmental nodes, thereby establishing theoretical foundations for optimizing service delivery mechanisms and achieving spatial equilibrium in digital cultural provision. [Method/process] This study applies grounded theory to conduct a comprehensive coding analysis of policy documents related to China's rural public digital cultural services. Through this process, five dimensions and fifteen sub-components of accessibility are identified. An index system for accessibility factors is then developed using the AISM approach. The identified elements are classified into three hierarchical levels. To further validate …

Rosenzweig's Elements And Universal History, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper uses Rosenzweig’s conception of the three elements of God, World, and Human from The Star of Redemption in a model of universal history. The model also has some relation to Rosenzweig’s geopolitical essay, Globus, which is very different from the meta-historical Star. Based on a systems-theoretic schema of events and processes, the model views human history in terms of three linked processes: a primary process labeled “World” – the origin and development of human society embedded in nature, a secondary process labeled “God” – the origin and development of the Axial religions and philosophies, and a …

Theoretical Study Of Electronic Properties Of Functionalized Monolayers: Cu, Ag, Au, And Pt Atomic Wires On Graphene, H-Bn Monolayer, Silicene, And Phosphorene, Mythreyee T. Aasuri, Mukesh K. Choudhary, Narender Kumar, Ravindra Pandey

Michigan Tech Publications

The structural and electronic properties of graphene, h-BN monolayer, silicene, and phosphorene monolayers functionalized with Cu, Ag, Au, and Pt atomic wires were investigated using van der Waals─corrected density functional theory. These atomic wires form stable, functionalized monolayers that exhibit physisorption on planar monolayers and chemisorption on nonplanar ones. This results in either linear or bent configurations of the atomic wires, depending on the interface strength, leading to distinct electronic states. A weaker interface induces metal-induced gap states near the Fermi level, whereas a stronger interface results in covalently hybridized states farther from the Fermi level. Analysis of the electron …

Finiteness Of Torsion Loci And Normal Functions Arising From Cycles On Hadamard Products, Devin Akman

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The unifying theme of this dissertation is normal functions. In the first chapter, we study an invariant of knot exteriors and similar manifolds called the A-polynomial through the lens of vanishing loci of normal functions. Using a special case of the Zilber-Pink conjecture, proven in the second chapter, we show that only finitely many irreducible Laurent polynomials of bounded overgenus appear as factors of A-polynomials. In the third chapter, we construct normal functions from hypergeometric variations of Hodge structure and compute their regulators. Finally, we determine under which conditions incomplete motivic cohomology cycles on families complete to cycles on their …

Exactly Solving One-Dimensional Models For The Fractional Quantum Hall Effect, Joseph R. Cruise

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Nearly fifty years after its experimental debut, the quantum hall effect has produced perhaps more unique descriptions than any other subject of condensed matter physics. From topological band theory to non-commutative geometry, topological and conformal field theories, random matrix models and more, each approach captures a subset of the essential features, and compliments the others to produce a beautiful mosaic description. In this thesis, we revisit the fractional quantum hall (FQH) effect from its oldest vantage point, that of the trial wavefunctions and the parent Hamiltonians which stabilize them. Laughlin's observation of the importance of the theory of holomorphic functions …

Cognition Is Not Content: A Structural Account Of Processing Conditions, Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

Human cognition has been described in terms of content. This description becomes insufficient once artificial systems make output observable apart from subject attribution, intention, and relational context. Under this contrast condition, what becomes visible is a layered structure in which output, reconstruction, evaluation, and termination do not necessarily coincide. The same input may register as complete under one processing condition while remaining unresolved under another. This separability means that content-based description does not merely omit an additional variable: it can mislocate a processing difference as a difference in meaning, personality, intention, ability, or attitude. This is not a proposal for …

Isolation, Identification And Antibiotic-Resistance Profiling Of Bacteria Isolated From Mobile Phone Surfaces In Karbala., Kawkab Abdullah Alsaadi, Zahraa Raheem Murshidy, Dhuha Ali Hussein, Sura Abd Ali Kadhim, Kawakib Aboudi Hanoon

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Due to the diverse environments that mobile phones are exposed to via human handling they become reservoirs of microorganisms. The objective of the current study was to determine the level and character of bacterial contamination on mobile phones by identifying bacterial strains, and the degree of antimicrobial susceptibility. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to July 2025 where phones belonging to 115 individuals were randomly chosen from various departments and units at Kerbala University and swabbed. The VITEK 2 automated system was used to identify bacterial taxa and test for antimicrobial susceptibility, and 50 of the swabs exhibited bacterial …

An Infinite Set Of One-Range Addition Theorems Without An Infinite Second Series, For Slater Orbitals And Their Derivatives, Applicable To Multiple Coordinate Systems, Jack C. Straton

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Addition theorems have been indispensable tools for the reduction of quantum transition amplitudes. They are normally utilized at the start of the process to move the angular dependence within plane waves, Coulomb potentials, and the like, into a sum over spherical harmonics that allows the angular integration to be carried out. These have historically been “two-range” addition theorems, characterized by the two-fold notation r>=Max[r1,r2] and r< =Min[r1,r2] and comprising a single infinite series. More recently, “one-range” addition theorems have been created that have no such piecewise notation, but at the cost of the introduction of another infinite series. We use a very different approach to derive an infinite set of addition theorems for Slater orbitals, hydrogenic and Hylleraas wave functions, and so on, that retain the one-range variable dependence but have, at worst, a finite second series rather than an infinite one. In addition, unlike previous addition theorems, they are applicable to more than one coordinate system. One of these addition theorems may also be used for Yukawa-like functions that may appear late in the reduction of amplitude integrals, and we show its utility for an integral that has stubbornly defied reduction to analytic form for nearly sixty years. Finally, we craft indefinite integrals of 15 half-integer Macdonald functions multiplied by (inverse) powers and negative exponentials containing squares of the integration variable.

Developing A Framework To Improve Phishing Response After Detection, Kevin Umba

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Phishing belongs to the most prevalent attack vectors in the cybersecurity industry. Academia, industry, and government resources offer a wealth of information on the subject. However, insights on phishing techniques and remediations are scattered across those sources. Most governmental and academic literature focuses on user awareness, policy guidelines, or phishing training. This leaves the security practitioners underserved. Furthermore, actionable information for security operations is often unstructured or vendor-specific. The goal of the thesis is to provide a preliminary framework to guide security professionals through indicators of compromise and remediation, using a vendor-neutral approach.

Development Of New Technical Approaches To Speed The Search For Axion Dark Matter With Haloscopes, Jonah Harper Hoffman

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The axion is a hypothetical particle that may solve two major problems in physics: the strong CP problem in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and the unknown particle nature of the dark matter. Axion haloscopes like the Axion Dark Matter eXperiment (ADMX) are capable of probing the region of parameter space where axions could constitute the dark matter. These experiments use a microwave resonant cavity in a strong magnetic field to convert axions into detectable photons when their Compton wavelength matches the resonant mode of the cavity. By moving a metal rod within the cavity volume, the resonant frequency can be tuned, …

Programmable Metal−Organic Complex Arrays With Precisely Controlled Metal Sequences As Tunable Multinuclear Scaffolds, Ahmed Alzamly, Sajid Ali

Faculty Scholarship

Metal−Organic Complex Arrays (MOCAs) offer a modular framework for creating multinuclear systems with precise control over metal ion identity and sequencing at the molecular scale. This structural accuracy allows researchers to investigate how specific metal arrangements dictate cooperative phenomena, such as catalytic efficiency, electronic interactions, and photophysical responses. Recent breakthroughs in synthetic strategies  including orthogonal protection and periodic metalation have enabled the fabrication of highly predictable heterometallic structures. This Review explores the fundamental principles of MOCAs’ sequence control, contemporary fabrication techniques, and the relationship between metal placement and emergent properties. Additionally, it examines applications of MOCA in catalysis, sensing, and …

Writing As A Process Of Inquiry In Autoethnography For Meaning-Making: Reflections And Some Points For Consideration, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

This article explores writing as a process of inquiry and meaning-making in the autoethnographic tradition, offering reflections on the recursive, emergent, and dialogical/dialectical nature of writing, along with some points for consideration. Drawing on perspectives from qualitative research and narrative inquiry (Riessman, 2008), I argue that autoethnographic writing serves as a method of inquiry and/or discovery, generating ontological, epistemological, and axiological-driven cultural meaning that functions as a site of reflection, interrogation, and re-storying of lived experiences. This recursive, often messy, and reflexive act allows researchers to excavate, analyze, and interpret their lived experiences. Rather than viewing writing as a final-stage …

2026 - The Thirtieth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the 30th Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 22-24, 2026. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Joint Inversion For Heat Transfer Parameters Of Porous Media With Geothermal-Seepage Coupling Based On A Physics-Informed Neural Network, Zhang Xiao, Yang Duoxing, Cong Lin, Cheng Yimei, Zhang Lianzhong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The thermal diffusivity and vertical seepage velocity of porous media are critical to characterizing the mechanisms underlying subsurface heat transfer. These two parameters are typically determined through inversion using temperature data since they are difficult to measure directly. Fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) can yield high-resolution, continuous temperature profiles, providing data for parameter identification. However, conventional numerical inversion suffers from limitations such as mesh dependency and sensitivity to initial values when used to process continuous monitoring data. Methods This study proposed a joint geothermal parameter inversion method that integrates FO-DTS data with a physics-informed neural network (PINN). Specifically, the …

Parameter Optimization And Field Application Of Roof Volume Fracturing Using Horizontal Wells For Coalbed Methane Extraction From Broken-Soft Coal Seams, Zhang Qingli, Sun Siqing, Li Haozhe, Wu Xiaoxuan, Yang Fan, Zheng Yuqi, Li Wenbo

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Method To achieve rapid coalbed methane (CBM) extraction from broken-soft coal seams using surface horizontal wells, this study proposed a volume fracturing technology for coal seam roof using horizontal wells. Focusing coal seam 4-1 in a mining area, this study established a numerical model using finite element analysis (FEA) software Abaqus Using this model, the impacts of in-situ stress on the cross-layer propagation characteristics of multiple fractures were investigated. Through true triaxial hydraulic fracturing experiments, the multi-fracture propagation patterns under varying injection rates of fracturing fluids, perforation cluster numbers, and cluster spacings were analyzed. Using 3D fracturing design …

An Analysis Of Surface-Level Macro And Microplastics Along Western Central Leyte, Philippines, Graham B. Morrison-Plumley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

With the pervasive use of plastics worldwide, their environmental effects can reach even the most remote ecosystems. This study examines both macro and microplastic pollution in the Greater Baybay region in western Leyte, Philippines. Samples from 10 separate sites within Baybay and its adjacent communities represent the unique environmental and geologic diversity of the central Visayan region of the Philippines. At each of the 10 sampling sites, 3 excavations were conducted, yielding 30 samples. Macroplastics were collected in the field, immediately around microplastic digs. Microplastic samples were analyzed in Florida Atlantic University’s Environmental Change Lab. It was determined that spatial …

High Performance Ae-Cnn Model Enhanced Via Gaussian Augmentation For Rssi-Dependent Indoor Positioning In Wireless Sensor Networks, Kahlaa K. Al-Nassrawy, Ghaidaa A Al-Sultany

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Precise indoor positioning system remains a significant challenge within Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) due to the instability and noise sensitivity of Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) data. This paper proposes an advanced hybrid deep learning framework designed for 2D indoor localization, utilizing RSSI measurements to predict human or object position. Furthermore, to enhance the robustness of the model against signal variance and promote its generalization capability under this uncertainty, a data augmentation strategy is applied using three methods: Gaussian Noise Injection (GNI), Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), and Bayesian Gaussian Mixture Model (BGMM). The purpose of data augmentation is to simulate …

Spot Scanning Proton Beams Characterization Via Plastic Scintillator Detector, Saad Bin Saeed Ahmed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

In spot scanning proton therapy, the machine steers magnetically a narrow pencil beam across the target volume, delivering highly conformal dose distributions layer by layer. As beam size is very small, this introduces a dosimetry problem. The beam is dynamic and the dose gradients are steep — conditions that push conventional ionization chambers beyond their reliable operating range. Plastic scintillation detectors offer a potential solution. Their sub-millimeter active volumes avoid the volume-averaging effects over larger chambers, and their very high temporal resolution making real-time monitoring feasible. This thesis characterizes the Blue Physics plastic scintillation detector in spot scanning proton fields …

Investigation Of The Enzyme-Inhibitory, Antibacterial, And Anticancer Properties Of Metal Phthalocyanines, Meryem Topal, Fevzi̇ Topal, Firat Yilmaz, Esra Bulut Atalay, Ümi̇t Muhammet Koçyi̇ği̇t, Emre Güzel

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

In this study, the enzyme inhibitory, antibacterial, and anticancer activities of a phthalonitrile derivative and its metal phthalocyanines (Pcs; indium, zinc, copper, cobalt, and manganese; 1–6) were investigated. The cobalt and manganese Pcs were synthesized for the first time in this study. The inhibitory activities of the symmetric Pcs, which were expected to interact with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) via their 4-(isopropylbenzyl)oxy substituents through host–guest interactions, were investigated. More selective inhibition of AChE than BChE was observed for these compounds. For AChE, CoPc was identified as the most potent inhibitor (IC50 = 14.81 nM), whereas for BChE, InPc was …

Templating Effect Of Neutral Dithiane Ligands On The Self-Assembly Of Cationic Au(I)-Phosphine Units, Farzane Osanlou, Abdollah Neshat, Mohammad Reza Yousefshahi, Vaclav Eigner, Michal Dusek, Shahram Seidi

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

The interactions between the dinuclear Au(I) precursor (dppm)Au2Cl2 and neutral sulfur-containing dithianes (specifically 1,3- and 1,4-dithiane) were examined in the presence of NH₄PF₆. Although these sulfur-based ligands were initially employed to facilitate the formation of mixed phosphine/sulfur Au(I) complexes, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the unexpected generation of multinuclear Au(I) assemblies exclusively coordinated by phosphine ligands. When 1,3-dithiane was present, a trinuclear Au(I) complex was isolated, characterized by a central four-coordinate Au(I) center exhibiting a distorted see-saw geometry, flanked by two terminal Au(I) centers with T-shaped coordination environments. Importantly, the dithiane ligand did not coordinate directly to the gold centers …

Sensitive Stripping Voltammetric Determination Of An Anthracene–Isatin Schiff Base In Biological Samples, Gökçe Öztürk, İrem Gökgöz, Emi̇ne Arslan, Eli̇f Şi̇şman, İnci̇ Seli̇n Doğan, Di̇lek Kul, Fatma Ağin

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

​In the present study, the electrochemical behavior and quantitative determination of the Schiff base 3-[(anthracen-2-yl)imino]-5-nitro-1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one (ANT) were investigated for the first time using voltammetric techniques at a glassy carbon electrode. The effects of solvent composition, pH, and scan rate on the redox behavior of ANT were systematically evaluated. The compound exhibited an irreversible oxidation process governed by adsorption-controlled kinetics. Quantitative analysis was conducted using differential pulse stripping voltammetry (AdS-DPV) and square-wave stripping voltammetry (AdS-SWV) under optimized conditions. Both methods exhibited linear responses over the concentration range of 0.2–8.0 μM, with limits of detection of 0.0366 μM and 0.0433 μM for …

Detection Of The Presence And Growth Of E. Coli Bacteria In A Droplet-Based Microfluidic System Using Laser Induced Fluorescence, Oshira Peiris

Theses and Dissertations

Antimicrobial resistance is a biomedical event, wherein an infectious microbe becomes non-responsive to the dosage of a particular antibiotic due to previous overuse or overexposure. Currently, agar plate disc diffusion is used as the gold standard for detecting antimicrobial resistance. The possibility of miniaturizing and speeding up detection techniques for antimicrobial resistance is investigated in this thesis. Microfabrication techniques were used in developing two droplet microfluidic systems interfaced with laser induced fluorescence detection. Microfluidic devices were manufactured with different droplet generating geometries using poly-dimethyl siloxane, soft lithography and hydrophobic surface treatment. The microfluidic devices were tested for droplet quality using …