Digital Commons Network^™

Some Results On F-Simultaneous Chebyshev Approximation, Sh. Al-Sharif, Kh. Qaraman

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Let X be Hausdorff topological vector space and f be a real valued continuous function on X: In this paper we introduce and study the concept of f-simultaneous approximation of a nonempty subset K of X as a generalization to the problem of simultaneous approximation. Further we present some results regarding f-simultaneous approximation in the quotient space.

An Evaluation Of Blogging As An Educational Tool For Interprofessional Education As Part Of University Experiential Learning, Kelley Robb

Graduate Theses

Since the inception of the Internet, much of our society’s communication has become paperless and instantaneous. The speed at which information can be disseminated has not only changed the way in which we communicate with each other but it has also increased the collaboration between professions, particularly the health sciences. As society shifts to a more virtual environment, it is imperative to assess these online tools to determine whether they elevate our research, educational methods and/or work environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether blogging can be used as an educational tool for interprofessional education in a …

Research News Newsletter, Winter 2016, Research News Newsletter, Stony Brook University.

Research News

Quarterly newsletter from the Office of the Vice President for Research

Ua66 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Newsletter, Wku Ogden College Of Science & Engineering

Ogden College of Science & Engineering Publications

Newsletter created by and about WKU Ogden College of Science & Engineering.

• Ogden College Hall Taking Shape on TIme & on Budget
• Alumni Focus: Dr. Talia McKinney Collins
• WKU Research Foundation Launches New Website
• French, Jackson. Stemshot Rocketry Competition
• Agriculture
• Architectural & Manufacturing Sciences
• Grants & Publications
• Dr. Noah Ashley Receives NIH Grant
• Biology - News & Notes
• WKU Chemistry Welcomes Dr. Lawrence Hill & Dr. David Wolfgang
• Gary Kwong Receives McNally Award
• Student Teams Compete in National Engineering Contests Over the Summer
• Geology Major Conducts Research in Ethiopia - Deborah Flynn
• Geography & Geology
• WKU Meterology Launches White Squirrel …

Data Profiles-Rhode Island-Providence, John C. Brown, Richard A. Ramsawak, James R. Gomes

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

We continue support the Federal Bank of Boston “Working Cities” challenge which aims to support social and economic recovery of underperforming small and mid-sized cities in the New England region. We continue to extend our data profiles of these cities located in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and now Connecticut. It is our hope that these data ‘rich” profiles which includes key indicators on health, population and demographic changes, industrial growth, and educational performance can not only support policy development in these targeted areas, but also help in monitoring the progress these cities make over time.

Grading That Takes Into Account The Need To Learn From Mistakes, Francisco Zapata, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

It is well known that the best way to learn the new material is to try it, to make mistakes, and to learn from these mistakes. However, the current grading scheme, in which the overall grade is a weighted average of the grades for all the assignments, exams, etc., does not encourage mistakes: any mistake decreases the grade on the corresponding assignment and thus, decreases the overall grade for the class. It is therefore desirable to modify the usual grading scheme, so that it will take into account -- and encourage -- learning by mistakes. Such a modification is proposed …

Structure Of Filled Functions: Why Gaussian And Cauchy Templates Are Most Efficient, Vyacheslav Kalashnikov, Vladik Kreinovich, José Guadalupe Flores Muñiz, Nataliya Kalashnykova

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

One of the main problems of optimization algorithms is that they often end up in a local optimum. It is, therefore, necessary to make sure that the algorithm gets out of the local optimum and eventually reaches the global optimum. One of the promising ways guiding one from the local optimum is prompted by the filled function method. It turns out that empirically, the best smoothing functions to use in this method are the Gaussian and Cauchy functions. In this paper, we provide a possible theoretical explanation of this empirical effect.

When Invading, Cancer Cells Do Not Divide: A Geometric (Symmetry-Based) Explanation Of An Empirical Observation, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In general, malignant tumors are known to grow fast, cancer cells that form these tumors divide and spread around. Tumors also experience the process of metastasis, when cancer cells invade neighboring organs. A recent experiment has shown that, contrary to the previous assumptions, when cancer cells are invading, they stop dividing. In this paper, we provide a geometric explanation for this empirical phenomenon.

Birth Mass Is The Key To Understanding The Negative Correlation Between Lifespan And Body Size In Dogs, Rong Fan, Gayla R. Olbricht, Xavior Baker, Chen Hou

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Larger dog breeds live shorter than the smaller ones, opposite of the mass-lifespan relationship observed across mammalian species. Here we use data from 90 dog breeds and a theoretical model based on the first principles of energy conservation and life history tradeoffs to explain the negative correlation between longevity and body size in dogs. We found that the birth/adult mass ratio of dogs scales negatively with adult size, which is different than the weak interspecific scaling in mammals. Using the model, we show that this ratio, as an index of energy required for growth, is the key to understanding why …

A Laboratory Facility To Study Gas-Aerosol-Cloud Interactions In A Turbulent Environment: The Π Chamber, K. Chang, J. Bench, M. Brege, Will Cantrell, K. Chandrakar, David Ciochetto, Claudio Mazzoleni, Lynn Mazzoleni, Dennis Niedermeier, R. A. Shaw

Department of Physics Publications

A detailed understanding of interactions of aerosols, cloud droplets/ice crystals, and trace gases within the atmosphere is of prime importance for an accurate understanding of Earth’s weather and climate. One aspect that remains especially vexing is that clouds are ubiquitously turbulent, and therefore thermodynamic and compositional variables, such as water vapor supersaturation, fluctuate in space and time. With these problems in mind, a multiphase, turbulent reaction chamber—called the Π chamber because of the internal volume of 3.14 m³ with the cylindrical insert installed—has been developed. It is capable of pressures ranging from 1,000 to –60 hPa and can sustain …

The Peec Experiment: Native Hawaiian And Native American Engineering Education, Suzette R. Burckhard, Joanita M. Kant

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Books

PART I: Context
1. Engineering for Native nations: Origins and goals of the Pre-Engineering Education Collaboratives (PEECs)
PART II: Culture matters
2. Recognizing history: Indigeneity matters
3. Moving beyond cultural sensitivity: Developing culturally responsive programs for and with Native engineers
4. Invoking cultural relevance at tribal colleges: Grandmother’s way is important
5. Discovering what works: STEM pedagogy and curriculum development for Native Americans
6. Exploring indigenous science and engineering: Projects with indigenous roots
PART III: Providing support for Natives in Engineering
7. Finding an Engineering identity: A Native American PEEC leader’s experience
8. Outreaching to K-12 and tribal schools in …

Going For Gold In The International Math Olympiad, Queena N. Lee-Chua

Mathematics Faculty Publications

In July 2016, two high school students in the Philippine team garnered gold at the 57th International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) in Hong Kong, capping a three-decade long quest for the top prize in the most prestigious high school math competition in the world. The four other team members also brought home honors, boosting our country to its highest rank ever, 17th out of 109 countries. This article discusses the history of the Philippine participation in the IMO, and examines the critical factors that have led to the victory. For Philippine team participants in general, these include: institutionalized and refined search …

Characterization Of Wy 14,643 And Its Complex With Aldose Reductase, Michael Sawaya, Malkhey Verma, Vaishnavi Balendiran, Nigam Rath, Duilio Cascio, Ganesaratnam Balendiran

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

The peroxisome proliferator, WY 14,643 exhibits a pure non-competitive inhibition pattern in the aldehyde reduction and in alcohol oxidation activities of human Aldose reductase (hAR). Fluorescence emission measurements of the equilibrium dissociation constants, Kd, of oxidized (hAR•NADP+) and reduced (hAR•NADPH) holoenzyme complexes display a 2-fold difference between them. Kd values for the dissociation of WY 14,643 from the oxidized (hAR•NADP+•WY 14,643) and reduced (hAR•NADPH•WY 14,643) ternary complexes are comparable to each other. The ternary complex structure of hAR•NADP+•WY 14,643 reveals the first structural evidence of a fibrate class drug binding to hAR. These observations demonstrate how fibrate molecules such as …

Evolution Of Immiscibly Blended Functionalized Polymers With Respect To Cure Parameters And Formulation, Nicholas Walter Heller

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Powder coatings are becoming ubiquitous in the coating marketplace due to the absence of solvents in their formulation, but they have yet to see implementation in low-reflectance outdoor applications. This demand could be met by utilizing polymer blends formulated with low loadings of matting agents and pigments. The goal of this research is a thorough characterization of prototype low-reflectance coatings through several analytical techniques. Prototypical thermoset blends consist of functionalized polyurethanes rendered immiscible by differences in polar and hydrogen bonding characteristics, resulting in a surface roughened by droplet domains. Analysis of both pigmented and control clear films was performed. This …

Light-Induced Self-Assembly And Diffusion Of Nanoclusters, Wenxuan Lian

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Novel methods to build multiple types of three-dimensional structures from various nanoscale components are the most exciting and challenging questions in nano-science. The properties of the assembled structures can be potentially and designed, but the development of such approaches is challenging. In order to realize such rational assembly, a tunable interaction medium is often introduced into the system. Soft matter, such as polymers, surfactants and biomolecules are used to modify the surfaces of the nanoscale building blocks. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) strands are known as polynucleotides since they are composed of simpler units called nucleotides. There are unique base pairing rules …

An Investigation Into The Effects Of Process Parameters On The Quality Of Laminates, Haomin Liu

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

In this work curing process for glass fiber reinforced polymer composite laminates is studied. Curing temperature, time and pressure were selected as the cure parameters for optimization. Central composite design (CCD) of design of experiment (DOE) approach was adopted for conducting the experiments. Flexural strength and flexural modulus of the composite laminate were the response measures to select the final cure parameters. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), surface plots and contour plots clearly demonstrate that temperature, time and pressure contribute greatly to the response functions. This establishes two models that can be used to predict the mechanical properties of composite laminated …

Understanding The Dielectric Properties Of Water, Daniel C. Elton

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Liquid water is a complex material with many anomalous properties. Three of these anomalies are an abnormally high dielectric constant, an abnormally high boiling point, and a solid phase which is less dense than the liquid phase. Each of these anomalies is known to have been critically important in the development of life on Earth. All of water's special properties can be linked to water's unique ability to form hydrogen bonds. Water's hydrogen bonds form a transient network. Understanding the average structure of this network and how it changes through the phase diagram remains the focus of intense research. In …

Topics In Statistical Physics: Protein Stability, Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics, And, Michael John Hazoglou

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

This dissertation will cover three distinct topics of protein stability, non-equilibrium thermodynamics and scientometrics. In senescent organisms aging is correlated with oxidative damage of proteins. The damage done to proteins destabilizes them inhibiting their function. The implications of a simplified model based on side-chain modification of charged residues using Debye-H\"{u}ckel theory will be presented. Short length and highly charged proteins are susceptible to destabilization from oxidative damage. Among these proteins already studied in aging several proteins fit this description of being short and highly charged. There is a noticeable enrichment of short-highly-charged proteins in categories of proteins known to be …

Some Applications Of Superspace, Chia-Yi Ju

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Supersymmetry is a very popular topic in recent high energy physics theories. Especially, in order to make sense of string theory, we have to impose supersymmetry. Superspace method is proven to be a very useful approach to supersymmetric theories by treating supersymme- try as part of the geometry. In this dissertation, we use superspace method to investigate superconformal field theory and string/brane theory. The first part of the dissertation, we rewrite semi-shortening con- ditions using superspace approach. The rewritten expression is co- variant under superconformal transformation. We found that all the known semi-shortening condition are part of the covariantized ones …

Anomalous Transport In Chiral Systems, Gustavo Machado Monteiro

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The experimental realization of Dirac and Weyl semimetals in 2014 and 2015 respectively has increased the interest in the topic. Similarly to graphene, the discovered materials are characterized by massless quasiparticles. In three dimensions these quasiparticles can be described by the Weyl Hamiltonian which exhibits so-called chiral anomaly at low energies. The chiral anomaly has a transport signature, namely, the enhancement of longitudinal conductivity along the direction of external magnetic field. This effect in new materials is the condensed matter version of the chiral magnetic effect (CME) predicted to happen in heavy ion collisions. Due to its topological nature the …

New Designs And Characterization Techniques For Thin-Film Solar Cells, Yutong Pang

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

This thesis presents a fundamentally new thin-film photovoltaic design and develops several novel characterization techniques that improve the accuracy of thin-film solar cell computational models by improving the accuracy of the input data. We first demonstrate a novel organic photovoltaic (OPV) design, termed a ``Slot OPV", in which the active layer is less than 50 nm; We apply the principles of slot waveguides to confine light within the active layer. According to our calculation, the guided-mode absorption for a 10nm thick active layer equal to the absorption of normal incidence on an OPV with a 100nm thick active layer. These …

Studies Of Entanglement Entropy, And Relativistic Fluids For Thermal Field Theories, Michael Spillane

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

In this dissertation we consider physical consequences of adding a finite temperature to quantum field theories. At small length scales entanglement is a critically important feature. It is therefore unsurprising that entanglement entropy and Renyi entropy are useful tools in studying quantum phase transition, and quantum information. In this thesis we consider the corrections to entanglement and Renyi entropies due to addition of a finite temperature. n this dissertation we consider physical consequences of adding a finite temperature to quantum field theories. At small length scales entanglement is a critically important feature. It is therefore unsurprising that entanglement entropy and …

The Study Of Nonequilibrium Dissipative Quantum Dynamics And Its Applications To Energy Transport And Quantum Information Processes, Zhedong Zhang

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Nonequilibrium quantum physics is of fundamental importance and interest. It is still an extremely hard issue even in today's theoretical physics because of the lack of the knowledge on the basic theories, like the nonequilibrium quantum statistical mechanics. The recent advances on theory and experiments reveal the essentiality of nonequilibrium quantum dynamics on explaining as well as understanding many interesting phenomenon, i.e. | the ultrafast energy transfer \& long-survived quantum coherence in organic molecules, quantum phase transition and the novel transport properties of superfluid gas at low temperature. Here we will focus on the nonequilibrium quantum dynamics relaxing towards the …

Light-Induced Self-Assembly And Diffusion Of Nanoclusters, Wenxuan Lian

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Novel methods to build multiple types of three-dimensional structures from various nanoscale components are the most exciting and challenging questions in nano-science. The properties of the assembled structures can be potentially and designed, but the development of such approaches is challenging. In order to realize such rational assembly, a tunable interaction medium is often introduced into the system. Soft matter, such as polymers, surfactants and biomolecules are used to modify the surfaces of the nanoscale building blocks. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) strands are known as polynucleotides since they are composed of simpler units called nucleotides. There are unique base pairing rules …

Evolution Of Immiscibly Blended Functionalized Polymers With Respect To Cure Parameters And Formulation, Nicholas Walter Heller

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Powder coatings are becoming ubiquitous in the coating marketplace due to the absence of solvents in their formulation, but they have yet to see implementation in low-reflectance outdoor applications. This demand could be met by utilizing polymer blends formulated with low loadings of matting agents and pigments. The goal of this research is a thorough characterization of prototype low-reflectance coatings through several analytical techniques. Prototypical thermoset blends consist of functionalized polyurethanes rendered immiscible by differences in polar and hydrogen bonding characteristics, resulting in a surface roughened by droplet domains. Analysis of both pigmented and control clear films was performed. This …

Estimation Of Stable Distribution And Its Application To Credit Risk, Hua Mo

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

To capture the heavy tails and the volatility clustering of asset returns is always an important topic in nancial market. We studies two projects related to the Alpha Stable distribution and Classical Tempered Stable(CTS) distribution respectively which both have desired properties to accommodate heavy-tails and capture skewness in nancial series. (1) In the major part of the rst project, we introduce the algorithm of indirect inference method. By using the skewed-t distribution as an auxiliary model which is easier to handle, we can estimate the parameters of the Alpha Stable distribution since these two models have the same numbers of …

Dilation Behavior Of Thermal Spray Coatings, Miryan Lorena Bejarano

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Thermal Spray (TS) is a very versatile manufacturing process to deposit thick coatings on a variety of substrates. Coatings are used in protective (i.e. wear, chemical attack, high temperature, etc.) and functional (i.e. sensors) applications. TS coatings have a unique lamellar microstructure as a result of the overlapping of millions of molten and partially-molten particles. During processing, high deformation by impact, high temperature, and rapid solidification lead to a complex hierarchical material system that contains a high amount of microstructural defects. The presence of defects in the microstructure contribute to differences in property values in comparison to bulk materials. Thermal …

Molar Topographic Shape As A System For Inferring Functional Morphology And Developmental Patterning In Extant Cercopithecoids, Julia Mackay Winchester

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

New imaging technologies are rapidly changing the nature of morphological data by making possible the creation and sharing of large samples of digital scan data, creating a need for high-throughput morphometric methods. A promising example of this can be found in morphological topographic analysis, a suite of algorithms for describing surface shape properties. Topographic methods have been used effectively to address dietary functional morphology of molars in a number of mammal radiations. These methods may be also useful for answering other questions concerning molar shape. Empirical models of mouse molar morphogenesis include predictions concerning molar shape variation that could apply …

Development Of The Simplified Land Model (Slm) And Its Application To The Diurnal Cycle Of Precipitation Over Land, Jungmin Lee

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The diurnal cycle of convection is a key to understanding the climate and weather in the context of the Earth’s energy and water cycles. Yet, the well-observed late afternoon to early evening precipitation maximum over most of inland regions still remains one of the poorly understood features of continental convection. Many numerical weather and global climate models (GCMs) have had difficulty capturing the correct diurnal cycle of convection over land. Not only does this deficiency create a concern regarding the consistency of GCMs’ physical parameterizations, but it also requires a better understating of physical processes that control the land-atmosphere interactions. …

Mentoring Women In Stem: A Collegiate Investigation Of Mentors And Proteges, Nicole Jeanne Leavey

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States lags behind that of other industrialized nations. Despite national efforts to enhance the quality of STEM education for students, progress remains elusive. Underperformance is evident in measures of outcomes, participation, and retention. In particular, inequity persists in the attraction and retention of women to STEM fields. Mentoring is heavily cited as a means to improve our national efforts to fortify STEM education. This research explores mentoring styles, gender preferences, and differential impact on outcomes. The results challenge conventional wisdom that women prefer and benefit from a style of mentoring …