Digital Commons Network^™

Asymmetric Localization Of Light By Second-Harmonic Generation, Hamed Ghaemi-Dizicheh, Amir Targholizadeh, Bao-Feng Feng, Hamidreza Ramezani

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We introduce a nonlinear photonic system that enables asymmetric localization and unidirectional transfer of an electromagnetic wave through the second-harmonic generation process. Our proposed scattering setup consists of a noncentrosymmetric nonlinear slab with nonlinear susceptibility χ(2) placed to the left side of a one-dimensional periodic linear photonic crystal with an embedded defect. We engineered the linear lattice to allow the localization of a selected frequency 2ω⋆ while frequency ω⋆ is in the gap. Thus in our proposed scattering setup, a left-incident coherent transverse electric wave with frequency ω⋆ partially converts to frequency 2ω⋆ and becomes localized at the defect layer …

Coexistence Of Extended And Localized States In The One-Dimensional Non-Hermitian Anderson Model, Cem Yuce, Hamidreza Ramezani

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

In one-dimensional Hermitian tight-binding models, mobility edges separating extended and localized states can appear in the presence of properly engineered quasiperiodical potentials and coupling constants. On the other hand, mobility edges do not exist in a one-dimensional Anderson lattice since localization occurs whenever a diagonal disorder through random numbers is introduced. Here we consider a nonreciprocal non-Hermitian lattice and show that the coexistence of extended and localized states appears with or without diagonal disorder in the topologically nontrivial region. We discuss that the mobility edges appear basically due to the boundary condition sensitivity of the nonreciprocal non-Hermitian lattice.

Strategic Signaling For Utility Control In Audit Games, Jianan Chen, Qin Hu, Honglu Jiang

Informatics and Engineering Systems Faculty Publications

As an effective method to protect the daily access to sensitive data against malicious attacks, the audit mechanism has been widely deployed in various practical fields. In order to examine security vulnerabilities and prevent the leakage of sensitive data in a timely manner, the database logging system usually employs an online signaling scheme to issue an alert when suspicious access is detected. Defenders can audit alerts to reduce potential damage. This interaction process between a defender and an attacker can be modeled as an audit game. In previous studies, it was found that sending real-time signals in the audit …

Security Simulations In Undergraduate Education: A Review, Joseph J. Simpson, Aaron Brantly

International Business and Entrepreneurship Faculty Publications

Several decades of research in simulation and gamification in higher education shows that simulations are highly effective in improving a range of outcomes for students including declarative knowledge and interest in the topic being taught. While there appears to be a broad array of options to provide education in an undergraduate setting related to security, no previous reviews have explored computer-based simulations covering all facets of security. Given the increasing importance and adoption of interdisciplinary educational programs, it is important to take stock of simulations as a tool to broaden the range of problems, perspectives, and solutions presented to students. …

Encoding Color Sequences In Active Tile Self-Assembly, Sonya Cirlos

Theses and Dissertations

Constructing patterns is a well-studied problem in both theoretical and experimental self-assembly with much of the work focused on multi-staged assembly. In this paper, we study building 1D patterns in a model of active self assembly: Tile Automata. This is a generalization of the 2-handed assembly model that borrows the concept of state changes from Cellular Automata. In this work we further develop the model by partitioning states as colors and show lower and upper bounds for building patterned assemblies based on an input pattern. Our first two sections utilize recent results to build binary strings along …

Effects Of Nutrient Enrichment On Mangrove And Saltmarsh Habitats, Elena A. Flores

Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient over-enrichment is a global threat to coastal and marine environments. Yet, system-specific attributes of estuarine and coastal ecosystems may result in large differences in their sensitivity and susceptibility to such threat. In tropical latitudes, plant species adapted to low-nutrient habitats generally have nutrient-conservation mechanisms that acquire, use, and internally recycle nutrients efficiently. Thus, a major challenge for managers and decision makers is to develop a predictive and holistic understanding of how nutrient loading alters ecosystem functions and therefore ecosystem services. The objective of the present research is to document short and long-term effects of persistent nutrient …

Adjacency And Connectivity Matrices To Airline Connections Among Airports, Alejandra Munoz

Theses and Dissertations

We study how powers of adjacency and connectivity matrices can be used to investigate airline connections among airports. For this study, only matrices with all diagonal elements of “0” are considered (i.e., an airport is not connected to itself) and each matrix must contain at least one entry of “1” in each row and column (i.e., each airport contains at least one inbound and one outbound route). Sets of 3, 4, and 5 airports are discussed in this study, comparing cases with up to 3, 4, and 5 round routes, respectively, in an effort to find the amount of paths …

The Impact Of Distance Learning On Nontraditional High School Students' Attendance And Dropout Prevention, Teresita De Saro

Theses and Dissertations

High school dropout rates have long been a problem for school districts, and various contributing factors have excavated the problem. Most of these students have been plagued by the inability to integrate into the mainstream of school life, due to socioeconomic standing, lack of parental support, and many other problems. This qualitative study examined how distance learning courses have the potential to increase high school graduation rates and attendance rates. The research perspective was conducted at an alternative high school where the primary goal is to ensure nontraditional students' academic and personal support needed to graduate from high school …

Predicting The Remaining Service Life Of Railroad Bearings: Leveraging Machine Learning And Onboard Sensor Data, Leonel Villafranca

Theses and Dissertations

By continuously monitoring train bearing health in terms of temperature and vibration levels of bearings tested in a laboratory setting, statistical regression models have been developed to establish relationships between the sensor-acquired bearing health data with several explanatory factors that potentially influence the bearing deterioration. Despite their merits, statistical models fall short of reliable prediction accuracy levels since they entail restrictive assumptions, such as a priori known functional relationship between the response and input variables. A data-driven machine learning algorithm is presented, which can unravel the nonlinear deterioration model purely based on the bearing health data, even when the structure …

A Principal-Agent Approach For Estimating Firm Efficiency: Revealing Bank Managerial Behavior, Levent Kutlu, Emmanuel Mamatzakis, Mike G. Tsionas

School of Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

We consider agency-theory-based structural and reduced form models of bank performance. In the structural models, we take into account the managerial decision-making processes, and reveal underlying managerial efforts and thereby managerial behavior. In an empirical application, we estimate performance of Eurozone banks using our novel structural and reduced form approaches by Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques. Our findings show, for the first time, that bank underperformance persists in the Eurozone whereas considerable variability across Member States exists. Our agency-theory-based structural modeling would favor cooperation of all interested parties and towards higher financial integration.

Penguin: A Tool For Predicting Pseudouridine Sites In Direct Rna Nanopore Sequencing Data, Doaa Hassan, Daniel Acevedo, Swapna Vidhur Daulatabad, Quoseena Mir, Sarath Chandra Janga

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Pseudouridine is one of the most abundant RNA modifications, occurring when uridines are catalyzed by Pseudouridine synthase proteins. It plays an important role in many biological processes and also has an importance in drug development. Recently, the single-molecule sequencing techniques such as the direct RNA sequencing platform offered by Oxford Nanopore technologies enable direct detection of RNA modifications on the molecule that is being sequenced, but to our knowledge this technology has not been used to identify RNA Pseudouridine sites. To this end, in this paper, we address this limitation by introducing a tool called Penguin that integrates several developed …

Navigating Mathematics Teacher Preparation During A Time Of Crisis, Zareen G. Rahman, Rani Satyam, Younggon Bae

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

In this paper we highlight the experience of a mathematics teacher educator (MTE) and their preservice teachers (PTs) in a middle school mathematics methods course during the 2020 shift to online instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe it is valuable to report how the MTE reflected on their instructional decision-making in response to this massive transition to remote instruction. We also report that PTs needed support and guidance to employ new teaching practices they had learned in the methods course instead of reverting to familiar teaching methods.

Ultrametric Diffusion, Rugged Energy Landscapes And Transition Networks, Wilson A. Zuniga-Galindo

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

In this article we introduce the ultrametric networks which are p-adic continuous analogues of the standard Markov state models constructed using master equations. A p-adic transition network (or an ultrametric network) is a model of a complex system consisting of a hierarchical energy landscape, a Markov process on the energy landscape, and a master equation. We focus on networks where the transition rates between two different basins are constant functions, and the jumping process inside of each basin is controlled by a p-adic radial function. We solve explicitly the Cauchy problem for the master equation attached to this type of …

Analyzing The Impact Of Governance Strategies On Trust And Risk In The Salish Sea Transboundary Fishery Context, Evelyn Roozee

Theses and Dissertations

The Salish Sea is the site of a transboundary fishery whose coastal jurisdiction includes British Columbia, Washington State, the two federal governments, and many Indigenous tribes with sovereign rights. Fishery management becomes increasingly complex when transboundary cooperation is needed. Furthermore, while the Salish Sea region has attempted to facilitate better transboundary collaborative governance, these have generally failed to institutionalize the principles of adaptive management. This research seeks to assess current trust and risk perceptions and analyze the effects of control mechanisms used in the transboundary fishery management network. The data consists of a survey measuring collaborative precursors, barriers, and outcomes …

Assessment Of A Comparative Bayesian-Enhanced Population-Based Decision Model For Covid-19 Critical Care Prediction In The Dominican Republic Social Security Affiliates, Amado A. Baez, Oscar J. Lopez, Maria Martinez, Colyn White, Pedro Ramirez-Slaibe, Leticia Martinez, Pedro L. Castellanos

School of Medicine Publications

Introduction: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a major health concern worldwide. This study aims to develop a Bayesian model to predict critical outcomes in patients with COVID-19.

Methods: Sensitivity and specificity were obtained from previous meta-analysis studies. The complex vulnerability index (IVC-COV2 index for its abbreviation in Spanish) was used to set the pretest probability. Likelihood ratios were integrated into a Fagan nomogram for posttest probabilities, and IVC-COV2 + National Early Warning Score (NEWS) values and CURB-65 scores were generated. Absolute and relative diagnostic gains (RDGs) were calculated based on pretest and posttest differences.

Results: The IVC-COV2 …

Analyzing Computational Components Of Standard Block Encryption Schemes, Chu-Wen Cheng, Miranda Heather Cantu, Sanjeev Kumar

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Encryption is used to secure sensitive computer data which may be at rest or in motion. There are several standard encryption algorithms that have been used to encrypt and protect blocks of sensitive data to ensure confidentiality. The most popular standard block encryption schemes are the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES), and the first standardized encryption scheme, which is no longer the standard scheme now, namely the Data Encryption Standard (DES). AES is the current standard for block encryption used worldwide and is implemented on many processors. In this work, we compare the hardware performance of …

Robust Explainability: A Tutorial On Gradient-Based Attribution Methods For Deep Neural Networks, Ian E. Nielsen, Dimah Dera, Ghulam Rasool, Nidhal Bouaynaya, Ravi P. Ramachandran

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

With the rise of deep neural networks, the challenge of explaining the predictions of these networks has become increasingly recognized. While many methods for explaining the decisions of deep neural networks exist, there is currently no consensus on how to evaluate them. On the other hand, robustness is a popular topic for deep learning research; however, it is hardly talked about in explainability until very recently. In this tutorial paper, we start by presenting gradient-based interpretability methods. These techniques use gradient signals to assign the burden of the decision on the input features. Later, we discuss how gradient-based methods can …

Biomass Residues Improve Soil Chemical And Biological Properties Reestablishing Native Species In An Exposed Subsoil In Brazilian Cerrado, Thaís Soto Boni, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Adriana Avelino Santos, Ana Maria Rodrigues Cassiolato, Kátia Luciene Maltoni

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Revegetation of exposed sub-soil, while a desirable strategy in the recovery processes, often fails due to extreme soil chemical properties, such as low organic matter and pH levels inhospitable to biological activities such as nutrients cycling and plant establishment. This is the case for approximately 800 ha of the Cerrado biome in Brazil, where erecting the embankment of a hydroelectric dam in the 1960’s stripped vegetation, soil, and subsoil layers thereby distorting the soil properties. This work evaluates the effectiveness of restoration management (RM) treatments, to restore the soil quality, including biological activity and chemical attributes. In a factorial scheme, …

Multifunctional Nanomaterials For Energy Applications, Simas Rackauskas, Federico Cesano, Mohammed Jasim Uddin

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

No abstract provided.

A Participatory Assessment Of Nitrified Urine Fertilizer Use In Swayimane, South Africa: Crop Production Potential, Farmer Attitudes And Smallholder Challenges, Benjamin C. Wilde, Eva Lieberherr, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Alfred Odindo, Johan Siz

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Long-term nutrient mining of soil hampers agricultural production across Africa. However, emerging sanitation technologies afford a hygienically safe and ecologically sustainable solution to this development challenge by providing fertilizers derived from human excreta that could facilitate a socio-technical transition toward a more sustainable food system. To evaluate one such technology, nitrified urine fertilizer (NUF), we conducted participatory action research to assess the potential, from both a biophysical and social perspective, of NUF to serve as a soil fertilizer to support smallholder agricultural production in Swayimane, South Africa. To achieve this objective, we formed a stakeholder group comprised of a cooperative …

Narrowband Searches For Continuous And Long-Duration Transient Gravitational Waves From Known Pulsars In The Ligo-Virgo Third Observing Run, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, Teviet Creighton, Mario C. Diaz, Francisco Llamas, Soma Mukherjee, Volker Quetschke, Wenhui Wang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Isolated neutron stars that are asymmetric with respect to their spin axis are possible sources of detectable continuous gravitational waves. This paper presents a fully coherent search for such signals from eighteen pulsars in data from LIGO and Virgo's third observing run (O3). For known pulsars, efficient and sensitive matched-filter searches can be carried out if one assumes the gravitational radiation is phase-locked to the electromagnetic emission. In the search presented here, we relax this assumption and allow both the frequency and the time derivative of the frequency of the gravitational waves to vary in a small range around those …

Quantitative Relationships Between River And Channel-Belt Planform Patterns, Tian Y. Dong, Timothy A. Goudge

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Channel planform patterns arise from internal dynamics of sediment transport and fluid flow in rivers and are affected by external controls such as valley confinement. Understanding whether these channel patterns are preserved in the rock record has critical implications for our ability to constrain past environmental conditions. Rivers are preserved as channel belts, which are one of the most ubiquitous and accessible parts of the sedimentary record, yet the relationship between river and channel-belt planform patterns remains unquantified. We analyzed planform patterns of rivers and channel belts from 30 systems globally. Channel patterns were classified using a graph theory-based metric, …

Differential And Shared Genetic Effects On Kidney Function Between Diabetic And Non-Diabetic Individuals, Thomas W. Winkler, Humaira Rasheed, Alexander Teumer, Mathias Gorski, Bryce X. Rowan, Kira J. Stanzick, Laurent F. Thomas, Adrienne Tin, Anselm Hoppmann, Mikko Kuokkanen

School of Medicine Publications

Reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) can progress to kidney failure. Risk factors include genetics and diabetes mellitus (DM), but little is known about their interaction. We conducted genome-wide association meta-analyses for estimated GFR based on serum creatinine (eGFR), separately for individuals with or without DM (nDM = 178,691, nnoDM = 1,296,113). Our genome-wide searches identified (i) seven eGFR loci with significant DM/noDM-difference, (ii) four additional novel loci with suggestive difference and (iii) 28 further novel loci (including CUBN) by allowing for potential difference. GWAS on eGFR among DM individuals identified 2 known and 27 potentially responsible loci for diabetic …

All-Sky, All-Frequency Directional Search For Persistent Gravitational-Waves From Advanced Ligo's And Advanced Virgo's First Three Observing Runs, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, Teviet Creighton, Mario C. Diaz, Francisco Llamas, Soma Mukherjee, Volker Quetschke, Wenhui Wang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present the first results from an all-sky all-frequency (ASAF) search for an anisotropic stochastic gravitational-wave background using the data from the first three observing runs of the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. Upper limit maps on broadband anisotropies of a persistent stochastic background were published for all observing runs of the LIGO-Virgo detectors. However, a broadband analysis is likely to miss narrowband signals as the signal-to-noise ratio of a narrowband signal can be significantly reduced when combined with detector output from other frequencies. Data folding and the computationally efficient analysis pipeline, PyStoch, enable us to perform the radiometer …

Monotonicity Properties Of Functionals Under Ricci Flow On Manifolds Without And With Boundary, Paul Bracken

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

In this paper, the idea of the Ricci flow is introduced and its significance and importance to related problems in mathematics had been discussed. Several functionals are defined and their behavior is studied under Ricci flow. A unique minimizer is shown to exist for one of the functionals. This functional evaluated at the minimizer is strictly increasing. The results for the first functional considered are extended to manifold with boundary. Finally, two physically motivated examples are presented.

The Estuarine Ecological Knowledge Network Makes Progress: International Project Sites And Potential Ways Forward, Grant S. Mccall, Anthony Akpan, Doru Banaduc, Diego F. Figueroa, Nelson Fontoura, Robert Hitchcock, Sherman Horn, Devashish Kar, Thong Tran

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Estuarine Ecological Knowledge Network (EEKN) brings together scientists and coastal fishing communities in seeking new ways forward for Earth's major river deltas and estuaries, including the Mississippi (United States), Rio Grande (United States), Danube (Romania/Ukraine), Ganges (India/Bangladesh), Niger (Nigeria), and Mekong (Vietnam) river deltas, and the Patos Lagoon (Brazil). Such environments are universally understood as crucial for the biological productivity of oceans and they are home to hundreds of millions of human inhabitants, many of whom directly depend on that marine richness in terms of the operation of their socioeconomic systems. As human-induced climate change and its consequences for …

First Joint Observation By The Underground Gravitational-Wave Detector Kagra With Geo 600, R. Abbott, H. Abe, Fausto Acernese, K. Ackley, N. Adhikari, Michael G. Benjamin, Teviet Creighton, Mario C. Diaz, Francisco Llamas, Soma Mukherjee, Gaukhar Nurbek, Volker Quetschke, Wenhui Wang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We report the results of the first joint observation of the KAGRA detector with GEO 600. KAGRA is a cryogenic and underground gravitational-wave detector consisting of a laser interferometer with 3 km arms, located in Kamioka, Gifu, Japan. GEO 600 is a British–German laser interferometer with 600 m arms, located near Hannover, Germany. GEO 600 and KAGRA performed a joint observing run from April 7 to 20, 2020. We present the results of the joint analysis of the GEO–KAGRA data for transient gravitational-wave signals, including the coalescence of neutron-star binaries and generic unmodeled transients. We also perform dedicated searches for …

Effect Of Drug-To-Lipid Ratio On Nanodisc-Based Tenofovir Drug Delivery To The Brain For Hiv-1 Infection, Caroline R. Garcia, Armin T. Rad, Farnoosh Saeedinejad, Arvind Manojkumar, Deepa Roy, Hansapani Rodrigo, Sue Anne Chew, Ziyaur Rahman, Mu-Ping Nieh, Upal Roy

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Combination antiretroviral therapy has significantly advanced HIV-1 infection treatment. However, HIV-1 remains persistent in the brain; the inaccessibility of the blood–brain barrier allows for persistent HIV-1 infections and neuroinflammation. Nanotechnology-based drug carriers such as nanodiscoidal bicelles can provide a solution to combat this challenge.

Methods: This study investigated the safety and extended release of a combination antiretroviral therapy drug (tenofovir)-loaded nanodiscs for HIV-1 treatment in the brain both in vitro and in vivo.

Result: The nanodiscs entrapped the drug in their interior hydrophobic core and released the payload at the desired location and in a controlled release pattern. …

Solution Of The Reconstruction-Of-The-Measure Problem For Canonical Invariant Subspaces, Raul E. Curto, Sang H. Lee, Jasang Yoon

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

We study the Reconstruction-of-the-Measure Problem (ROMP) for commuting 2-variable weighted shifts W(α,β), when the initial data are given as the Berger measure of the restriction of W(α,β) to a canonical invariant subspace, together with the marginal measures for the 0–th row and 0–th column in the weight diagram for W(α,β). We prove that the natural necessary conditions are indeed sufficient. When the initial data correspond to a soluble problem, we give a concrete formula for the Berger measure of W(α,β). Our strategy is to build on previous results for back-step extensions and onestep extensions. A key new theorem allows us …

On Three-Dimensional Rotating Viscoelastic Jets In The Giesekus Model, Daniel N. Riahi, Saulo Orizaga

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

We investigate three-dimensional nonlinear rotating viscoelastic curved jets in the presence of gravity force. Applying the Giesekus model for the viscoelastic stress parts of the jet flow system and using perturbation methods with a consistent scaling, a relatively simple system of equations with realistic three-dimensional centerlines is developed. We determine numerically the relevant solution quantities of the model in terms of the radius, speed, tensile force, stretching rate, strain rate and the jet centerline versus arc length and for different parameter values associated with gravity, viscosity, rotation, surface tension and viscoelasticity. Considering the jet flow system in full 3-dimensions and …