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2016

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Articles 1981 - 2010 of 24390

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Cross-Spectral Biometric Performance Analysis On High-Resolution Face Images, Praveen Kumar Pandian Shanmuganathan Dec 2016

Cross-Spectral Biometric Performance Analysis On High-Resolution Face Images, Praveen Kumar Pandian Shanmuganathan

Theses and Dissertations

Biometrics is increasingly being used to authenticate the identity of individuals in critical use case devices like smart phones, laptops, and several other access-control systems in our day-to-day lives. Additionally, biometrics is also used in forensic and security sensitive areas to detect and identify suspects involved in bombings, robberies, and several police investigations. In each of these critical scenarios, the high-quality full-frontal face images of the subjects are not accurately captured as those subjects do not intend to register their identity to the Closed-Circuit Cameras. Hence in such cases, identification of the suspects becomes difficult even though we have the …

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A Self-Organized Approach For Detecting Communities In Networks, Ben Collingsworth Dec 2016

A Self-Organized Approach For Detecting Communities In Networks, Ben Collingsworth

Theses and Dissertations

The community structure of networks reveals hidden information about the whole network structure that cannot be discerned using other topological properties. Yet, the importance of identifying community structure in networks to many fields such as medicine, social sciences and national security, calls for better approaches for performing this identification. The prevalent community detection algorithms, such as the one proposed by Girvan and Newman, utilize a centralized approach that is unlikely to scale to very large networks and does not handle dynamic networks. Further, existing algorithms provide limited information regarding community overlap, where an individual participates in multiple communities. We propose …

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Proactive Approach For The Prevention Of Ddos Attacks In Cloud Computing Environments, Brad Alshehry Dec 2016

Proactive Approach For The Prevention Of Ddos Attacks In Cloud Computing Environments, Brad Alshehry

Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary security systems attempt to provide protection against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks; however, they mostly use a variety of computing and hardware resources for load distribution and request delays. As a result, ordinary users and website visitors experience timeouts, captchas, and lowspeed connections. In this paper, we propose a new multilayer system for protection against DDoS in the cloud that utilizes Threat Intelligence techniques and a proactive approach to detect traffic behavior anomalies. The first layer of the model analyzes the source IP address in the header of incoming traffic packets and the second layer analyzes the speed of requests …

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Effects Of Intelligent Computer-Generated Interactive Mathematics Programs On Students’ Achievement And Affective Domain, Holly Marie Wendel Dec 2016

Effects Of Intelligent Computer-Generated Interactive Mathematics Programs On Students’ Achievement And Affective Domain, Holly Marie Wendel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship each of the mathematics web-based programs, MyMathLab and Assessments and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS), has with students’ mathematics achievement. In addition, the study examined the relationship between students’ affective domain and the type of program as well as student achievement. The affective domain measures were students’ anxiety, self-efficacy as well as their attitudes towards mathematics. The study used a quasi-experimental nonrandomized pretest-posttest control group during the spring 2016 semester. The data were collected using several different instruments including: (a) a questionnaire, (b) a test of prerequisite skills, and (c) …

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Discrete And Continuous Operational Calculus In Stochastic Games, Kenneth Ibe Iwezulu Dec 2016

Discrete And Continuous Operational Calculus In Stochastic Games, Kenneth Ibe Iwezulu

Theses and Dissertations

First, we consider a class of antagonistic stochastic games between two players A and B. The game is specified in terms of two "hostile" stochastic processes representing mutual attacks upon random times exerting casualties of random magnitudes. This game is observed upon random epochs of time and the outcome of the game is not known in real time. The game ends at the time when the underlying fixed threshold of either player is crossed (referred to as the first passage time). The first passage time is then shifted to an epoch, i.e. upon one of the observation instants of time. …

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An Examination Of How Ratings Of Airlines Are Effected By Different Types Of Information: A Mediation Analysis, Abdullah Selim Ozyurek Dec 2016

An Examination Of How Ratings Of Airlines Are Effected By Different Types Of Information: A Mediation Analysis, Abdullah Selim Ozyurek

Theses and Dissertations

Many dynamics directly or indirectly influence the decision-making process. An individual’s demographic features, such as gender, country of origin, and emotions are some of the dynamics. In the aviation domain, air passengers purchase their air travel tickets under those dynamics. The purpose of this study was to determine if the airline type, gender of participants, and participants’ country of origin had an effect on ratings of an individual’s perception of safety and willingness to fly, and which emotions had a mediating effect on this relationship. The study included Lufthansa Airlines and Turkish Airlines from Europe. The affect was the participants’ …

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Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama) : Detection Of Low-Surface-Brightness Galaxies From Sdss Data., Richard P. Williams, I. K. Baldry, L. S. Kelvin, P. A. James, S. P. Driver, M. Prescott, S. Brough, M. J. I. Brown, L. J. M. Davies, Benne W. Holwerda, J. Liske, P. Norberg, A. J. Moffett, A. H. Wright Dec 2016

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (Gama) : Detection Of Low-Surface-Brightness Galaxies From Sdss Data., Richard P. Williams, I. K. Baldry, L. S. Kelvin, P. A. James, S. P. Driver, M. Prescott, S. Brough, M. J. I. Brown, L. J. M. Davies, Benne W. Holwerda, J. Liske, P. Norberg, A. J. Moffett, A. H. Wright

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

We report on a search for new low-surface-brightness galaxies (LSBGs) using Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data within the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) equatorial fields. The search method consisted of masking objects detected with SDSS photo, combining gri images weighted to maximize the expected signal-to-noise ratio, and smoothing the images. The processed images were then run through a detection algorithm that finds all pixels above a set threshold and groups them based on their proximity to one another. The list of detections was cleaned of contaminants such as diffraction spikes and the faint wings of masked objects. From these, …

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Modeling Reef-Coral Response To Climate Change, Christopher William Cacciapaglia Dec 2016

Modeling Reef-Coral Response To Climate Change, Christopher William Cacciapaglia

Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. They provide goods and services to millions of people living in the coastal tropics. Recently, however, rising sea-surface temperatures have been threatening reef corals, causing episodes of thermal stress that lead to coral bleaching, mortality, and changes in reef composition. This increase in ocean temperature, along with the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps, is also causing an increase in sea level, which is threatening to ‘drown’ reefs that cannot keep up with sea-level rise. Some early models predicted that nearly all coral species would be unable …

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The Tolerance Of Benthic Infauna To Fine-Grained Organic Rich Sediments In A Shallow Subtropical Estuary, Daniel Christopher Hope Dec 2016

The Tolerance Of Benthic Infauna To Fine-Grained Organic Rich Sediments In A Shallow Subtropical Estuary, Daniel Christopher Hope

Theses and Dissertations

Fine-grained organic-rich sediments (FGORS) from anthropogenic impacts are a growing concern for bays and estuaries around the world. This study explores the relationships between infaunal community diversity and species’ abundances with FGORS in the Indian River Lagoon and its tributaries. To examine these potential relationships, infauna were collected monthly using a Petit Ponar grab at 16 stations in the central Indian River Lagoon from October 2015 to August 2016. Abundant taxa in these sediments include polychaete worms (e.g., the polychaete Nereis succinea), molluscs (e.g., clam Parastarte triquetra), and arthropods (e.g., the tanaid Leptochelia dubia) with densities as high as 5.3x10⁴ …

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The Role Of Biotic And Environmental Factors In Spatial And Temporal Variability Of Indian River Lagoon Copepod Communities, Hannah G. Kolb Dec 2016

The Role Of Biotic And Environmental Factors In Spatial And Temporal Variability Of Indian River Lagoon Copepod Communities, Hannah G. Kolb

Theses and Dissertations

The role of zooplankton communities as the link between phytoplankton and secondary consumers is dependent on the species make-up of the copepod community. Copepods often dominate zooplankton in numbers and biomass and are frequently the dominant grazers. Species variabilities in behavioral and morphological traits, and seasonal variances in species make-up, have the potential to alter trophic dynamics in planktonic communities. The goal of this study was to identify the driving forces behind copepod community composition and better understand the role of key species in the Northern Indian River Lagoon (N-IRL). Copepods made up 76% of the N-IRL zooplankton community and …

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Benthic Foraminiferal Distributions In A Shallow Subtropical Estuary And The Influence Of Environmental Factors, Maria Angelica Zamora-Durán Dec 2016

Benthic Foraminiferal Distributions In A Shallow Subtropical Estuary And The Influence Of Environmental Factors, Maria Angelica Zamora-Durán

Theses and Dissertations

Benthic foraminiferal communities are potentially useful tools for assessing and monitoring estuarine ecosystems and as bioindicators of water quality and pollution. To evaluate this indicator for the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) benthic ecosystem, the densities and distributions of Foraminifera were measured in Turkey Creek (Palm Bay, Florida), Crane Creek (Melbourne, Florida), and the adjacent IRL. Spatial population patterns were compared with parameters characterizing benthic sediments, including silt and clay content, organic matter (OM), and associated boundary water column conditions including salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen (DO. Samples (n=145) were collected from October 2015 to December 2015 at 12 locations. Four …

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Exploring The Role Of Biofilms In The Transport And Establishment Of Invasive Marine Macrofoulers, Lynn Holly Sweat Dec 2016

Exploring The Role Of Biofilms In The Transport And Establishment Of Invasive Marine Macrofoulers, Lynn Holly Sweat

Theses and Dissertations

Biofilms dominated by bacteria and diatoms universally colonize submerged surfaces and mediate larval recruitment in benthic marine systems. The ability for macrofoulers to be transported by vessels and become globally established is likely affected by cues from the biofilm organisms they encounter. This study investigates how macrofoulers respond to biofilms shaped by local geography, transport processes and relocation. Biofilm assemblages in neighboring ports were largely unique to the site at which they were developed. Bacteria were primary drivers of variations among sites, and overall bacterial richness was an order of magnitude higher than has been reported for other marine environments. …

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Influence Of Ndbc Buoy Design On Sea Surface Temperature Trends In The Coastal United States, Alexander Keith Nickerson Dec 2016

Influence Of Ndbc Buoy Design On Sea Surface Temperature Trends In The Coastal United States, Alexander Keith Nickerson

Theses and Dissertations

The sea surface temperature (SST) record is the one of the oldest climate records, stretching back to 1662. Since that time, voluntary observing ships (VOSs) have been including these data in their ship‘s log. Due to the sparseness of VOS data, moored buoys were created to provide data at regular intervals in order to provide a more continuous record with data collection unaffected by human error. The SST sensor in National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) buoys is inside a hull and not in direct contact with the ocean. Thus, the design of the buoy may subject them to additional biases …

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A Further Analysis Of Commission Errors During Discrete Trial Training, Tavy Alisa Matthews Dec 2016

A Further Analysis Of Commission Errors During Discrete Trial Training, Tavy Alisa Matthews

Theses and Dissertations

Treatment integrity has been manipulated in various ways to evaluate its impact on intervention effectiveness. Studies have compared different types of integrity failures and levels of treatment integrity in various contexts and behavioral interventions. Evaluations include differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, child compliance, and discrete trial training. However, further research is needed to establish the point at which integrity becomes detrimental to intervention effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to conduct a parametric analysis (i.e., 100%, 75%, 50%, & 25%) of treatment integrity to examine the effects of commission errors during discrete trial training. Three participants, ages 35 - …

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Evaluating Computerized Math Performance Using Progressive Ratio Schedules In Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Lauren Stroker Dec 2016

Evaluating Computerized Math Performance Using Progressive Ratio Schedules In Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Lauren Stroker

Theses and Dissertations

One method of assessing reinforcer strength is to use a progressive ratio (PR) schedule of reinforcement, whereby response requirements to access reinforcers gradually increase. PR schedules have been used to assess reinforcer potency in numerous applications with nonhumans in basic research, children and adults with disabilities, and individuals with histories of substance abuse problems. However, the utility of PR schedules to determine robust reinforcers has not been assessed with children with attention deficit – hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) regarding academic tasks, such as mathematics. The inability to remain on task presents a challenge for teachers in schools, and poses detrimental effects …

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Modeling And Analysis Of A Novel Imbedded Organic Thermal Cycle, Joel Maker Faure Dec 2016

Modeling And Analysis Of A Novel Imbedded Organic Thermal Cycle, Joel Maker Faure

Theses and Dissertations

A thermal cycle is a device that converts thermal energy into work energy. There is a strong need in the United States and the world for a cycle that can have viable performances with low-grade temperature heat sources to increase the supply of power generation. There are many cycles with different configurations, however most do not involve mixing. Generally speaking this is due to modeling difficulties with multiple constituents, phases, and the technology available that lose performance under these mixed conditions. The gap in technology for mixed flow and phase components is getting smaller due to the need. Current cycles …

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An Examination Of The 16pf Validity Scales As Predictors Of The Scale Of Accurate Personality Prediction (Sapp), Katherine E. Schmieder Dec 2016

An Examination Of The 16pf Validity Scales As Predictors Of The Scale Of Accurate Personality Prediction (Sapp), Katherine E. Schmieder

Theses and Dissertations

The Scale of Accurate Personality Prediction (SAPP) was derived from the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16-PF) as a measure of self-knowledge by comparing the degree of similarity of a participant’s predicted and obtained 16 PF results. The purpose of this study was to examine the utilization of the16PF validity scales as potential predictors of an individual’s score on the Scale of Accurate Personality Prediction (SAPP). A series of multiple regression analyses were performed on the current database of 641 respondents. Additionally, to provide additional validity, the database was split into two halves, and the multiple regression analyses were run on …

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Supplement: The Rate Of Binary Black Hole Mergers Inferred From Advanced Ligo Observations Surrounding Gw150914, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, Mario C. Diaz, Soma Mukherjee, Volker Quetschke, Malik Rakhmanov Dec 2016

Supplement: The Rate Of Binary Black Hole Mergers Inferred From Advanced Ligo Observations Surrounding Gw150914, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, Mario C. Diaz, Soma Mukherjee, Volker Quetschke, Malik Rakhmanov

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

This article provides supplemental information for a Letter reporting the rate of (BBH) coalescences inferred from 16 days of coincident Advanced LIGO observations surrounding the transient (GW) signal GW150914. In that work we reported various rate estimates whose 90% confidence intervals fell in the range 2-600 Gpc-3yr-1. Here we give details on our method and computations, including information about our search pipelines, a derivation of our likelihood function for the analysis, a description of the astrophysical search trigger distribution expected from merging BBHs, details on our computational methods, a description of the effects and our model for calibration uncertainty, and …

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Investigating The Impact Of Green Exercise On Population Health And Well-Being In A Small Community In Ireland:A Novel Approach Using A Natural Laboratory Ecosystem., Nollaig O'Sullivan, Aoife Donnelly, Tadhg Macintyre, Giles Warrington Dec 2016

Investigating The Impact Of Green Exercise On Population Health And Well-Being In A Small Community In Ireland:A Novel Approach Using A Natural Laboratory Ecosystem., Nollaig O'Sullivan, Aoife Donnelly, Tadhg Macintyre, Giles Warrington

Articles

Green exercise is defined as undertaking physical activity whilst being directly exposed to nature (Pretty et al., 2005; 2007). Pretty et al. (2003) were among the first wave of researchers to investigate the synergistic benefits of incorporating physical activity and exposure to the natural environment to produce positive psychological affect. Over the past decade, investigations into the possible additive effects on well-being of green exercise and how it can be used as an influential tool to help combat the rising rate of both physical inactivity and non –communicable disease has gained prominence in scientific literature. However, there is still a …

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Multi-Axial Fiber Optic Reference Strain Sensor For Flexible Dynamics Of Structures, Gabriel Lapilli Dec 2016

Multi-Axial Fiber Optic Reference Strain Sensor For Flexible Dynamics Of Structures, Gabriel Lapilli

Theses and Dissertations

Launch vehicles are in an ever-decreasing weight trend, with bodies becoming more slender to reduce aerodynamic loading. Mass and stiffness tend to be opposing concepts when designing launch vehicles: a stiffer structure means it is usually heavier. Lower stiffness on launch vehicles may produce excessive vibrations during flight, reducing the performance, operating characteristics and safety margins of the vehicle. It also impacts flight dynamics: as the vehicle flies, the orientation of its thrusters and actuators are impacted by the vibrations, creating potential instabilities in the control schemes. This is currently accounted for by using single-point inertial measurements and feeding the …

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An Improved Fuel Spray Breakup Model For Advanced Internal Combustion Engine Configurations, Chitra Sadanandan Dec 2016

An Improved Fuel Spray Breakup Model For Advanced Internal Combustion Engine Configurations, Chitra Sadanandan

Theses and Dissertations

Lack of oil resources and increasing effects of global warming have emphasized and led to stricter regulation standards. To meet the current demands, the engines need to be highly efficient in terms of fuel efficiency and performance. One of the fundamental ways to achieve this goal is by studying the fuel atomization and the combustion process. However, there are several challenges involved in studying the process of atomization and combustion only through experimental approaches as they involve numerous parameters. A suitable supplement or alternative to the experimental approach is the numerical approach. Advances in high performance computing, have led to …

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Chemical Forms Of Nitrogen In Runoff From Diverse Florida Watersheds, Jessica Emily Voelker Dec 2016

Chemical Forms Of Nitrogen In Runoff From Diverse Florida Watersheds, Jessica Emily Voelker

Theses and Dissertations

Watershed use along the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) on the central east coast of Florida has changed drastically during the past century, bringing with it declining water quality, eutrophication, hypoxia and fish kills. The decline of the lagoon has been directly linked to nutrient overloading; however, the sources and chemical forms of nutrients to the IRL are still not well constrained. This study was designed to determine how watershed land use impacts concentrations and fluxes of the various forms of dissolved nitrogen to the IRL. Five tributaries to the IRL were sampled monthly from July 2015 – September 2016. Storm …

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The Future Of Web Citation Practices, Robin Camille Davis Dec 2016

The Future Of Web Citation Practices, Robin Camille Davis

Publications and Research

Citing webpages has been a common practice in scholarly publications for nearly two decades as the Web evolved into a major information source. But over the years, more and more bibliographies have suffered from “reference rot”: cited URLs are broken links or point to a page that no longer contains the content the author originally cited. In this column, I look at several studies showing how reference rot has affected different academic disciplines. I also examine citation styles’ approach to citing web sources. I then turn to emerging web citation practices: Perma, a “freemium” web archiving service specifically for citation; …

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The Wonder Of A Child, Shraddha Chaplot Nov 2016

The Wonder Of A Child, Shraddha Chaplot

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

A personal piece on the wonder of childhood and the continuation of curiosity into adulthood.

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Fire – The Enigma That Continues To Blaze, Sara Kapadia Nov 2016

Fire – The Enigma That Continues To Blaze, Sara Kapadia

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

How did humans first discover fire? What stories do we pass down to explain the discovery of fire?

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Jaguar Sun, Anya Nadal Nov 2016

Jaguar Sun, Anya Nadal

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Cymatics, is derived from a Greek word, meaning "wave", is a subset of modal vibrational phenomena. The term was coined by Hans Jenny, a Swiss follower of the philosophical school known as anthroposophy. This is a visual representation of the frequency field. I created this piece from acrylic on canvas based on the subtle energies I can see and feel.

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An Interview With The Scorpion: Walter O’Brien, Walter O'Brien Nov 2016

An Interview With The Scorpion: Walter O’Brien, Walter O'Brien

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

An interview with Walter O'Brien (hacker handle: "Scorpion"), known as a businessman, information technologist, executive producer, and media personality who is the founder and CEO of Scorpion Computer Services, Inc. O'Brien is also the inspiration for and executive producer of the CBS television series, Scorpion.

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The Art And Science Of Light Painting, Reid Godshaw Nov 2016

The Art And Science Of Light Painting, Reid Godshaw

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

A short overview of the making of light painting portraits explained by the artist.

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Engaging The Community: Reflections On A Steam Institute, Dennis Doyle, Yat-Long Sam Poon Nov 2016

Engaging The Community: Reflections On A Steam Institute, Dennis Doyle, Yat-Long Sam Poon

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Staff at an elementary school working with artists from a non-profit arts integration professional development organization developed a highly engaging full day STEAM Institute to engage the community in experiential STEAM learning practices and to leverage the experience for systemic impact. This reflection considers the outcomes that went well beyond the original goals.

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Newton’S Third Law In Karmic Warfare, Kazmier Maślanka Nov 2016

Newton’S Third Law In Karmic Warfare, Kazmier Maślanka

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

A work entitled "Newton's Third Law in Karmic Warfare" is a mathematical visual poem which is a perfect example of a technique, that I call The Paradigm Poem. This piece makes a direct connection with the concept of karma and Newton’s Third Law of motion. I will introduce the concept of “The Mathematical Paradigm Poem” to illuminate an example of how metaphor is used in mathematical visual poetry. I will also discuss much of the process in making this aesthetic expression.

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