Digital Commons Network^™

Comparative Machine Learning Models For Disease Risk Prediction, Mercy Mawusi Agbley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Accurate prediction of disease outcomes is crucial for improving clinical decision-making and enabling early intervention. This study compares the performance of various statistical and machine learning models for clinical risk prediction using two healthcare datasets: diabetic retinopathy and heart disease. The models assessed include Logistic Regression, LASSO, k-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector Machines (SVM), Neural Networks, Random Forests, Gradient Boosting Machines (GBM), and a stacked ensemble model. Prior to modeling, datasets were split into train and test sets. Standardization was applied to numeric features whilst categorical features were one-hot encoded. These transformations were later applied to the test set. Principal …

The Link Fantastic: Detecting And Linking Simulated, Nongravitationally-Accelerating Objects With The Rubin Observatory Pipeline, Ellie White

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) is poised to revolutionize our understanding of the Solar System. After only a few months of regular operations, Rubin has already discovered over 11,000 new Solar System bodies, and is projected to discover millions more. With discoveries pouring in, and with the development of moving object detection pipelines for routine observing, one key question is: how effectively can Rubin detect and identify objects with anomalous trajectories? The answer is of interest not only for natural bodies in our Solar System, but also in the search for technosignatures, which could be identified …

Spatial Temporal Modeling Of Infectious Disease Patterns In Texas, Robert E. Lashbrook

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses

The Texas Department of State Health Services monitors numerous notifiable conditions statewide, including Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Rabies, and West Nile virus (WNV). Given the substantial health, economic, and public health burden associated with these conditions, improving prediction is an important step toward reducing their overall impact. This study evaluated whether external demographic, social, climate, and environmental data could improve prediction of county-year disease activity across Texas. County level data was analyzed using supervised machine learning models, including linear regression, ridge regression, multilayer perceptron, random forest, XGBoost, as well as K-means clustering to identify broader …

Investigating The Viability Of Fully Online Asynchronous Physics Instruction In Formal Education, Clifton W. Massey-Noel

Physics Dissertations

In this dissertation we present results from two consecutive investigations into the fully online asynchronous modality in Physics Education. We first discuss the efficacy of a fully online asynchronous section of Modern Physics held in Fall 2024. The asynchronous section is compared with four prior partially-flipped sections of the same class, two of which were held in-person, and two of which were held synchronously online. Results suggest that all three modalities can be made to be about equally as effective. We also discuss the efficacy of a fully online asynchronous section of Calculus-Based Introductory Mechanics held in Fall 2025. The …

A Hybrid Response Surface Methodology And Machine Learning Framework For Quantifying Effects Of Physicochemical Parameters On Pfas Distribution, Harsh V. Patel, Jazmin Green, Hyoshin Park, Stephanie Luster-Teasley Pass, Renzun Zhao

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Predicting PFAS adsorption across diverse adsorbents and environmental matrices remains challenging because adsorbent physicochemical properties, PFAS molecular descriptors, and operational conditions simultaneously influence adsorption. This study develops and evaluates a unified hybrid modeling framework that integrates Response Surface Model (RSM) with machine-learning algorithms to quantify how six key variables, surface area, Log K_ow, pH_pzc, pK_a, log dose, and log-initial concentration, affect PFAS distribution coefficients (Log K_d). A data set of more than 1000 adsorption observations spanning 15 PFAS compounds, multiple adsorbent types, and a broad operational range was compiled and preprocessed using …

Advancing Lipidomics Through Fluoroalcohol-Induced Multiphase Fractionation And Orthogonal Lc×Lc–Ms Detection, Md Al Amin

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations

Comprehensive characterization of the lipidome remains a significant analytical challenge due to the immense structural diversity, wide dynamic range, and complex physicochemical continuum of lipid species. Conventional extraction methods, such as those by Bligh–Dyer and Folch, and one-dimensional liquid chromatography (1D-LC) often fail to resolve this complexity, leading to chromatographic overlap, severe ion suppression, and limited coverage of low-abundance or highly hydrophobic species. This dissertation addresses these bottlenecks by establishing a separation-driven analytical framework that integrates novel fluoroalcohol-induced multiphase systems (FAiTPS) with orthogonal multidimensional liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC×LC–MS).

The core of this research is the development and physicochemical characterization of …

Evaluating Quahog (Mercenaria Mercenaria) Nursery Methods And Production Costs To Support Diversification Of Maine’S Fisheries And Aquaculture Sector, Hannah G. Wolf

Honors Theses

Populations of wild and farmed quahogs in Maine are expanding, driven by warming waters, declining soft-shell clam populations, and the need to diversify fisheries. The Northern quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria) is a potential species to diversify Maine’s marine sector, as its geographical range is expanding, and they appear more resistant to green crab predation. Enhancing wild quahog stock provides economic and social advantages for both the aquaculture and wild harvest industries. However, there is limited understanding about the commercial viability of producing quahog seed on existing farms for wild shellfish enhancement in Maine. This research, part of a larger NOAA …

Evaluation Of Chromium-Crosslinked Amps-Hpam Copolymer Gels: Effects Of Key Parameters On Gelation Time And Strength, Maryam Sharifi Paroushi, Baojun Bai, Thomas P. Schuman, Yin Zhang, Mingzhen Wei

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Controlling CO₂ channeling in heterogeneous reservoirs remains a major challenge for both enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and secure geological storage. AMPS-HPAM copolymers exhibit high-temperature resistance and brine tolerance compared with conventional HPAM gels, making them well suited for the harsh environments associated with CO₂ injection. Chromium-based crosslinkers (CrAc and CrCl₃) were investigated because sulfonic acid groups in AMPS can coordinate with trivalent chromium ions, enabling dual ionic crosslinking and the formation of a robust gel network. While organic crosslinked AMPS-HPAM gels have been widely studied, the behavior of chromium-crosslinked AMPS-containing systems, particularly their gelation kinetics under …

Concerted Proton Transfer In Homogeneous And Heterogeneous Cyclic Hydrogen-Bonded Clusters Of H2o, Hf, And Hcl, Max R. Tucker, Yuan Xue, Nathan R. Speake, Eden Nickolson, Jeremy M. Carr, Gregory S. Tschumper

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

This work examines various homogeneous and heterogeneous clusters of hydrogen-bonded (HF)x(H₂O)y(HCl)z complexes, where x + y + z = 3 or 4. For each unique cyclic structure associated with the xyz permutations, the geometries of the reactant, product, and transition state (TS) for concerted proton transfer (CPT) were fully optimized using second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) with a mixed basis set consisting of cc-pVTZ for H atoms and aug-cc-pVTZ for O, Cl, and F atoms (denoted haTZ). Harmonic vibrational frequencies were also computed at the same level of theory to verify the nature of the stationary points. Intrinsic …

Scalable Transfer Of Dna Origami–Directed Nanoparticle Arrays Onto Functional Surfaces Using Thermal Release Tape, Yuwei Zhang, Chikadibia Genevieve Edward, Ethan Keuhn, Shelley D. Minteer, Risheng Wang

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Precise integration of DNA origami nanostructures onto functional substrates is essential for advancing electronics, photonics, and biosensing. However, most surface-assembly methods are highly sensitive to substrate type, limiting their broader applications. Here, we introduce a thermal release tape (TRT)-assisted transfer method that enables efficient, large-area printing of DNA origami-guided gold nanoparticle (AuNP-DNA origami) arrays from mica onto diverse surfaces. The method relies on differential adhesion: AuNP-DNA origami arrays form strong electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)-functionalized receiver substrates, while the TRT adhesive weakens upon heating to 120°C, allowing release from the tape. Using this approach, well-ordered AuNP-DNA origami arrays …

Evaluation Of A Novel Re-Crosslinkable Preformed Particle Gel For Conformance Control In Ultra-High Temperature Reservoirs, Yanbo Liu, Tao Song, Caleb Kwasi Darko, Thomas P. Schuman, Mingzhen Wei, Baojun Bai

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Preferential fluid flow remains a major challenge in subsurface energy production and gas storage operations, resulting in excessive water production in mature oil fields, reduced heat extraction in geothermal reservoirs, and low sweep and storage efficiency in CO₂-EOR projects. Polymer gels are widely used to mitigate high-permeability channels; however, conventional systems exhibit limited plugging efficiency and short lifetimes in ultra-high-temperature reservoirs due to poor thermal stability. This study presents a novel ultra-high-temperature-resistant preformed particle gel (UHT-PPG) developed for conformance control in reservoirs with temperatures of 150–275 °C and severe super-K or channeling problems. The material was evaluated in …

Progression Toward Terminal Oxidation Of Starch Via Hybrid Organic–Enzymatic Bioanode For Renewable Carbohydrate Conversion, Adam Milam, Jose Intano, Shelley D. Minteer

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The performance of starch-based biofuel cells is fundamentally limited by inefficient utilization of the fuel's inherent energy density. Sequential oxidation of carbohydrate fuels, such as glucose, the monomeric unit of starch, using minimal catalyst systems has therefore emerged as a promising strategy to improve biofuel cell efficiency. Here, we extend a previously reported three-catalyst, organic–enzymatic glucose oxidation cascade to polymeric carbohydrate fuels by integrating enzymatic starch depolymerization with downstream electrochemical oxidation. To our knowledge, this represents the first demonstration of a defined hybrid organic–enzymatic cascade designed to drive progression of starch-derived glucose equivalents toward terminal oxidation using a minimal catalyst …

Soft-Chemical Scalable One-Pot Aqueous-Medium Synthesis Of Na3(Vo)2(Po4)2f-Based Cathodes: Compositional Tuning And Electrochemical Performance In Na- And Li-Ion Batteries, Prashanth Sandineni, Subal Chandra Manna, Sutapa Bhattacharya, Santhoshkumar Sundaramoorthy, Ramesh Deokate, Milad Aghayi-Anaraki, George E. Sterbinsky, Kartik Ghosh, Amitava Choudhury

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

One of the most important cathode materials for Na-ion batteries, Na₃(VO)₂(PO₄)₂F, and its compositional variants have been synthesized using four different and facile one-step soft chemical routes. The as-synthesized compounds, Na_2.95(VO)₂(PO₄)₂F (I), Na_2.93(VO)₂(PO₄)₂F (II), and Na_2.58(VO)₂(PO₄)₂F (IV), crystallize in the tetragonal crystal system in the P4₂/mnm space group, while Na₃(VO)₂(PO₄)₂F (III) crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system in …

Closing The Nitrogen Loop In Groundwater With Biohybrid Technologies, Linjie Zhou, Biao Li, Jianhua Guo, Shelley D. Minteer, Yifeng Zhang

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nitrate in groundwater should be treated as a nitrogen source rather than a contaminant. Biohybrid technologies coupling microbial selectivity with renewable electro(photo)chemical energy offer opportunities to convert nitrate to value-added ammonium, although challenges remain in scalability, microbial stability, material–microbe integration, process engineering, regulatory compliance, and economic feasibility.

Steiner Coset Partitions For Five Mutually Commuting Subgroups, Fusun Akman, Papa Sissokho

Faculty Publications – Mathematics

A Steiner coset partition of a group G with respect to pairwise distinct subgroups H1 , …, Hr is a collection of pairwise disjoint cosets g1 H1 , …, gr Hr whose union is G. Motivated by the Herzog–Schönheim Conjecture, we have recently started exploring the groups that admit Steiner coset partitions. In previous work, we completely classified such groups for up to r = 4 mutually commuting subgroups. In this paper, we extend the classification to r = 5 mutually commuting subgroups.

Emergent Spin Fluctuation And Structural Metastability In Self-Intercalated Cr1+Xte2 Compounds, Clayton Conner, Ali Sarikhani, Theo Volz, Mathew Pollard, Mitchel Vaninger, Xiaoqing He, Steven Kelley, Jacob Cook, Avinash Sah, John Clark, Hunter Lucker, Cheng Zhang, Paul Miceli, Yew San Hor

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Intercalated van der Waals (vdW) magnetic materials host unique magnetic properties due to the interplay of competing interlayer and intralayer exchange couplings, which depend on the intercalant concentration within the van der Waals gaps. Magnetic vdW compound chromium telluride, (Formula presented.), has demonstrated rich magnetic phases at various Cr concentrations, such as the coexistence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases in (Formula presented.) (equivalently, (Formula presented.)). The compound is created by intercalating 0.25 Cr atom per unit cell within the van der Waals gaps of (Formula presented.). In this work, we report a notably increased Curie Temperature and an emergent in-plane …

Generation Of Wave Turbulence In Dipolar Gases Driven Across Their Phase Transitions, Georgios A. Bougas, Koushik Mukherjee, Simeon Mistakidis

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ultracold quantum gases with long-range anisotropic interactions host novel exotic phases of matter, such as super solids, exhibiting both rigid and superfluid characteristics. The impact of this interplay on the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of dipolar gases, and in particular its connection with universal turbulent behavior, remains highly unexplored. Here, upon considering a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate of dysprosium atoms being dynamically driven across the super solid-superfluid phase transition and vice versa, we unveil the emergence of a robust nonequilibrium quasi-steady state. This state displays self-similar momentum distributions exhibiting algebraic decay at large momenta, with scaling exponents supporting the existence of wave turbulence. …

Sadqn-Based Residual Energy-Aware Beamforming For Lora-Enabled Rf Energy Harvesting For Disaster-Tolerant Underground Mining Networks, Hilary Kelechi Anabi, Samuel Frimpong, Sanjay Madria

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The end-to-end efficiency of radio-frequency (RF)-powered wireless communication networks (WPCNs) in post-disaster underground mine environments can be enhanced through adaptive beamforming. The primary challenges in such scenarios include (i) identifying the most energy-constrained nodes, i.e., nodes with the lowest residual energy to prevent the loss of tracking and localization functionality; (ii) avoiding reliance on the computationally intensive channel state information (CSI) acquisition process; and (iii) ensuring long-range RF wireless power transfer (LoRa-RFWPT). To address these issues, this paper introduces an adaptive and safety-aware deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework for energy beamforming in LoRa-enabled underground disaster networks. Specifically, we develop a …

Physics Alumni Newsletter Spring 2026, Terry Goforth

Physics Alumni Newsletter

Physics Alumni Newsletter

The Physics Alumni Newsletter is produced by the SWOSU Physics Department.

Our Engineering Physics students are recruited in fields such as electronics, aerospace, mechanical engineering, petroleum engineering and software engineering. Graduates also have careers in meteorology, architecture, education and more.

A Data-Driven Framework For Automation Readiness In Minnesota State University, Mankato Course Scheduling, Prisca Bongu Payanzo Maba

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

University course scheduling is one of the most complex optimization problems in higher education institutions. With universities growing in size and offering a broad spectrum of majors and disciplines, the number of possible course scheduling combinations increases exponentially, rendering traditional ways of scheduling ineffective.

Although operations research has extensively studied automated scheduling algorithms, there has been limited investigations into the organization readiness of academic departments to implement such systems. This paper offers a hybrid data science framework that assesses departmental readiness for scheduling automation.

The study combines qualitative Zoom interview data from 19 academic departments with institutional scheduling rules from …

Partially Penalized Anisotropic Trilinear Ife-Pic Methods For Dc Plasma Transport Problems, Jiahui Li, Guangqing Xia, Yajie Han, Ziping Wang, Chang Lu, Xiaoming He

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Implicit and hybrid particle-in-cell methods are widely used for efficient simulation of DC discharge plasma transport. However, their computations require solving anisotropic elliptic equations and face challenges related to mesh geometry, non-axisymmetry, and complex interfaces. Moreover, the accuracy of particle trajectories is critical for plasma etching and erosion studies, where errors near interfaces can significantly impact simulation results. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a three-dimensional anisotropic trilinear partially penalized immersed finite element (ATPPIFE) method, which captures interfaces on Cartesian meshes and effectively reduces discontinuities at interface element faces, ensuring that particle trajectories better align with real-world behavior. Building …

Reply To: S. N. Katkuri Et Al. And H. Liu Et Al. On Early And Sustained Improvements In Sense Of Smell With Tezepelumab Treatment In Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps (Waypoint), Joaquim Mullol, Joseph K. Han, Tanya M. Laidlaw, Claire Hopkins, Anju T. Peters, Oliver Pfaar, Martin Desrosiers, Stella E. Lee, Andrew P. Lane, Claudia Chen, Yun Chon, Sandhia S. Ponnarambil, Andrew Foster, Andrew W. Lindsley, Christopher S. Ambrose

Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) Faculty Publications

[Introduction] We thank Dr. S. N. Katkuri, Dr. H. Liu, and their coauthors [1, 2] for their interest in our recent publication describing the improvements in loss of smell symptoms with tezepelumab versus placebo in patients with uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) in the WAYPOINT trial (NCT04851964) [3]. We are grateful for the authors' feedback on the clinical significance of the data presented and their appreciation of the consistency observed across a range of baseline clinical characteristic and demographic subgroups.

Use Of Tezepelumab For Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps By Eosinophilic Endotype: Waypoint Post-Hoc Analysis, Shigeharu Fujieda, Nobuyoshi Otori, Joseph K. Han, Tadataka Yabuta, Claudia Chen, Claudio Marchese, Andrews Foster, Sandhia S. Ponnarambil, Yun Chan, Brian J. Lipworth

Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) Faculty Publications

Background

The phase 3 WAYPOINT study (NCT04851964) reported that tezepelumab improved outcomes in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), including nasal polyp size, nasal congestion, and sinonasal symptoms, and reduced the need for surgery and systemic corticosteroids (SCS).

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tezepelumab across Japanese Epidemiological Survey of Refractory Eosinophilic Chronic Rhinosinusitis-defined eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS) subgroups.

Methods

Adults with severe CRSwNP were randomized to tezepelumab 210 mg or placebo every 4 weeks. Coprimary end points were the change from baseline to week 52 in total Nasal Polyp Score and the biweekly mean Nasal …

A Framework For Evaluating Riparian Climate Refugia In The Eel River Watershed, California, Farrah Tyler

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Climate change is increasing the need to identify and protect landscapes that support biodiversity through both habitat connectivity and climate refugia. Climate refugia are areas that remain relatively buffered from regional climatic change, enabling species to persist despite shifting environmental conditions. Riparian ecosystems can function as both movement corridors and climate refugia, yet methods for identifying these features and understanding the environmental processes that sustain them remain limited. In California's North Coast region, the identification and conservation of watersheds that may serve as climate refugia for sensitive plant and animal species will be essential for long-term ecosystem management and conservation. …

Development Of The Core Lit Apparatus For Seaweed Hatcheries (Clash) Bioreactor Using A Germplasm Approach, Phillip O. Tahimic

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In comparison to the Asian aquaculture industry, the United States has minimal seaweed production. There are several drivers of the limited industry in the US, such as regulatory constraints and limited market demand, but the ability to scale is a considerable barrier to commercialization. One possible solution is the development of land-based systems that integrate bioreactors, which utilize fewer resources and do not wholly rely on an oceanic flow-through system. This study assessed the application of a modular bioreactor, known as Core Lit Apparatus for Seaweed Hatcheries (CLASH), as a nursery system and open-source project designed to expand land-based seaweed …

Land Cover Classification Using Optimized Imagery Resolution And Machine Learning Algorithms For A Long-Term Monitoring And Restoration Project, Jessica R. Suoja

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Ecosystem services and functions are prone to water resource exploitation resulting in cascading effects that include decrease of biodiversity and loss of riparian vegetation, a keystone habitat in desert riparian ecosystems. Mono Lake is a prime example of overexploitation of water resources leading to legal action and eventually a legally mandated long-term monitoring and restoration project. Monitoring and restoration projects can benefit from techniques such as remote sensing and machine learning algorithms to generate accurate land cover classification maps for calculating land cover change over time. However, the spatial resolution of remote sensing imagery and the machine learning algorithms chosen …

Geochemical And Petrological Observations Of The June Lake Basalt, Eastern California, Daniel Jacob Abel

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The June Lake basalt is a monogenetic cinder cone and 11-km-long lava flow in eastern California located ~10 km NW of the Long Valley caldera. The stratigraphic position of the June Lake basalt between Tahoe and Tioga glacial deposits suggests an eruption age of only ~20-45ka. This age places the June Lake Basalt among the youngest volcanic eruptions in the Long Valley-Mono Basin region, where volcanic activity spans from the late Pliocene to the Holocene. The goal of this study is to use field observations coupled with whole-rock and crystal geochemical analyses to investigate the magma source and pre-eruption magma …

Contribution Of Lagoon-Rearing Juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) To The Adult Spawning Population In The Mattole River, Emma Held

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Bar-built estuaries are rivermouth confluences characterized by periods of disconnection between the river and the ocean due to a sandbar that builds across the mouth. Sandbar timing characteristics vary between years and between systems, but when closed, a lake-like lagoon forms in the estuary footprint. The Mattole River has a bar-built estuary that forms in late spring or early summer, often overlapping with juvenile Chinook salmon outmigration. Juveniles that do not leave the river before the bar closes must remain in the lagoon until the mouth opens in fall. The purpose of this thesis was to understand if lagoon-rearing is …

An Association Test For Ordinal Outcomes In Clustered Data With Informative Cluster Size, Hasika K. Wickrama Senevirathne, Sandipan Dutta

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

In cluster-correlated data, the number of observations in a cluster can be associated with the outcome from that cluster. This phenomenon is known as informative cluster size which can occur in cluster-randomized clinical trial data. Several studies have found that ignoring the issue of informative cluster size can produce biased results in the analysis of clustered data. Most of the existing methods for addressing informative cluster size are suited to continuous outcomes. However, ordinal outcomes and covariates are often encountered in clustered data obtained from large clinical studies. The existing methods for ordinal association testing in clustered data can produce …

Logistic-T Multinomial Mixture Model For Clustering For Microbiome Data, Wenshu Dai, Yuan Fang, Sanjeena Subedi

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

The logistic-normal multinomial distribution has been used for modelling microbiome data obtained from high-throughput sequencing technologies, which are compositional in nature. A logistic-normal multinomial distribution is a hierarchical multinomial distribution that assumes the latent variable which are the additive log-ratio (ALR) transformed proportions in a multinomial distribution follows a Gaussian distribution. Model-based clustering algorithms have also been developed for clustering microbiome data based on the logistic-normal models. However, the Gaussian assumption may violated when the ALR transformed variable exhibit heavy-tailed distributions or has outliers. Our study introduces a novel mixture of logistic-t multinomial models that effectively address these challenges. Utilizing …