Digital Commons Network^™

A Plausible Resolution To Hilbert’S Failed Attempt To Unify Gravitation & Electromagnetism, Florentin Smarandache, Victor Christianto, Robert Neil Boyd

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In this paper, we explore the reasons why Hilbert’s axiomatic program to unify gravitation theory and electromagnetism failed and outline a plausible resolution of this problem. The latter is based on Gödel’s incompleteness theorem and Newton’s aether stream model.

Heteroleptic Nickel Complexes Of A Bulky Bis(Carbene)Borate Ligand, Jorge L. Martinez, Wei-Tsung Less, Maren Pink, Chun-Hsing Chen, Jeremy M. Smith

Chemistry: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Bis(carbene)borate ligand transfer to the nickel nitrosyl synthon Ni(NO)(PPh3)2Br provides the new nickel nitrosyl complex Ph2B(t BuIm)2Ni(NO)(PPh3). The solid state structure reveals a trigonal pyramidal nickel ion with a very long bond to the apical PPh3 ligand. The complex reversibly dissociates PPh3 in solution to afford three‐coordinate Ph2B(t BuIm)2Ni(NO), with NMR data providing evidence for PPh3 binding at low temperatures. Ligand transfer to Ni(PMe3)2Cl2 provides the square planar complex, Ph2B(t BuIm)2Ni(PMe3)Cl, which shows no evidence for rearranging to the form a homoleptic complex with two bis(carbene)borate ligands. This complex is a suitable synthon for the [Ph2B(t BuIm)2Ni]+ fragment, as demonstrated …

A Comparative Study Of The Global-Mindedness Of Freshmen And Senior Students At Northern Michigan University, Anthony Barnes

All NMU Master's Theses

Our global society has become increasingly interconnected. It is therefore necessary, no matter who you are or where you live, to be globally-minded and understand that now more than ever the consequences of our actions will have global implications. Although studies have been done to measure the global-mindedness of university students, and more specifically pre-service teachers, research was needed to compare the global-mindedness between freshmen and senior pre-service teachers. This quantitative study measured the global-mindedness of freshmen and senior university students at Northern Michigan University using the global-mindedness survey (GMS) designed by Hett (1993). The results showed no statistically significant …

Wavelength Stability In A Hybrid Photonic Crystal Laser Through Controlled Nonlinear Absorptive Heating In The Reflector, Andrei P. Bakoz, Alexandros A. Liles, Alfredo A. Gonzalez-Fernandez, Tatiana Habruseva, Changyu Hu, Evgeny A. Viktorov, Stephen P. Hegarty, Liam O'Faolain

Cappa Publications

The need for miniaturized, fully integrated semiconductor lasers has stimulated significant research efforts into realizing unconventional configurations that can meet the performance requirements of a large spectrum of applications, ranging from communication systems to sensing. We demonstrate a hybrid, silicon photonics-compatible photonic crystal (PhC) laser architecture that can be used to implement cost-effective, high-capacity light sources, with high side-mode suppression ratio and milliwatt output output powers. The emitted wavelength is set and controlled by a silicon PhC cavity-based reflective filter with the gain provided by a III–V-based reflective semiconductor optical amplifier (RSOA). The high power density in the laser cavity …

Physio-Chemical Degradation Of Concrete: A Ramification Of Coupled Freeze-Thaw And Sulfate Attack, Md Aminul Islam

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Concrete structures experience damage due to Sulfate Attack (SA) and Freeze-Thaw (F-T) in cold regions containing ample amount of sulfate species. The combined effect of SA and F-T is a multiscale multiphysics damaging process for cementitious materials involving complicated chemical reactions and phase transition inside concrete pores. This thesis is a compilation of two theoretical models describing the SA induced damage in an unsaturated cementitious medium and damage due to the combined effect of SA and F-T. The classical theory of phase change and a diffusion-reaction process is utilized in the development of the models. The validity of the proposed …

Privacy-Preserving Genomic Data Publishing Via Differential Privacy, Tanya Khatri

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Privacy-preserving data publishing is a mechanism for sharing data while ensuring the privacy of individuals is preserved in the published data and utility is maintained for data mining and analysis. There is a huge need for sharing genomic data to advance medical and health research. However, since genomic data is highly sensitive and the ultimate identifier, it is a big challenge to publish genomic data while protecting the privacy of individuals in the data.

In this thesis, we address the aforementioned challenge by presenting an approach for privacy-preserving genomic data publishing via differentially-private suffix tree. The proposed algorithm uses a …

Multi-Resolution Analysis Using Wavelet Basis Conditioned On Homogenization, Abibat Adebisi Lasisi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation considers an approximation strategy using a wavelet reconstruction scheme for solving elliptic problems. The foci of the work are on (1) the approximate solution of differential equations using multiresolution analysis based on wavelet transforms and (2) the homogenization process for solving one and two-dimensional problems, to understand the solutions of second order elliptic problems. We employed homogenization to compute the average formula for permeability in a porous medium. The structure of the associated multiresolution analysis allows for the reconstruction of the approximate solution of the primary variable in the elliptic equation. Using a one-dimensional wavelet reconstruction algorithm proposed …

Climate Change Perceptions And Adaptation Among Small-Scale Farmers In Uganda: A Community-Based Participatory Approach, Thomas Derr

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Climate change in the East African country of Uganda is causing severe variations in the once predictable seasonal weather patterns that farmers had come to depend on. This, in combination with social and economic challenges, has significantly increased the vulnerability of farmers who make up the majority of Uganda’s population. Previous knowledge and observations suggest that Ugandan farmers may be reluctant or slow to change their practices in response to the changing climate. Strategies are therefore needed to identify challenges and sustainable solutions. This research used qualitative data collection methods known as participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and participatory action research …

Toward Real-Time Flip Fluid Simulation Through Machine Learning Approximations, Javid Kennon Pack

Theses and Dissertations

Fluids in computer generated imagery can add an impressive amount of realism to a scene, but are particularly time-consuming to simulate. In an attempt to run fluid simulations in real-time, recent efforts have attempted to simulate fluids by using machine learning techniques to approximate the movement of fluids. We explore utilizing machine learning to simulate fluids while also integrating the Fluid-Implicit-Particle (FLIP) simulation method into machine learning fluid simulation approaches.

The Development Of A Reliable Change Index And Cutoff For The Score-15, Cara Ann Nebeker Adams

Theses and Dissertations

The Systemic Clinical Outcome and Routine Evaluation version 15 (SCORE-15) is an assessment used to assess for clinical change in family functioning. The SCORE-15 has been demonstrated in the past to be a reliable and valid measure for assessing for clinical change and is largely used throughout the UK. However, the SCORE-15 lacks the ability to determine whether an individual's change in family functioning is clinically significant. This study aims to establish a reliable change index and clinical cutoff score based on a US sample so that researchers and clinicians can determine clinically significant change. A sample of 63 clinical …

Property Localization For Grain Boundary Diffusivity Via Inverse Problem Theory, Christian Kurniawan

Theses and Dissertations

The structure and spatial arrangement of grain boundaries strongly affect the properties of polycrystalline materials such as corrosion, creep, weldability, superconductivity, and diffusivity. However, constructing predictive grain boundary structure-property models is taxing, both experimentally and computationally due to the high dimensionality of the grain boundary character space. The purpose of this work is to develop an effective method to infer grain boundary structure-property models from measurement of the effective properties of polycrystals by utilizing the inverse problem theory. This study presents an idealized case in which structure-property models for grain boundary diffusivity are inferred from a noisy simulation. The method …

Methanogens, Plausible Extraterrestrial Life Forms On Mars, And Their Tolerance To Increasing Concentrations Of Illite Clay, Chandler Kern

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Methanogens, some of Earth’s most primitive prokaryotic organisms, are candidates for possible life forms capable of inhabiting Mars. Specifically, four different species (Methanobacterium formicicum, Methanococcus maripaludis, Methanosarcina barkeri, Methanothermobacter wolfeii) were analyzed for their tolerance to the presence of illite clay. Illite is a crystalline mineral that has been identified from regions of Mars’s surface. Results indicated that all four species grew with some success in the illite at different concentrations. This experimentation with methanogens’ abilities to survive and reproduce in the presence of illite allows for a more accurate understanding of the potential capability of microbial …

First Steps In Retrofitting A Versatile Software Testing Infrastructure To Android, Carol Anne Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

Are existing software testing technologies satisfying the needs of mobile software testing practitioners? This dissertation provides evidence that the existing technologies fall short of practitioner’s actual needs and analyzes some reasons why this is so. The first contribution presents a framework for analyzing the software testing needs of practitioners, which is then used to assess the existing software testing tools and body of research, revealing significant gaps. The second contribution proposes a vision for a new software testing technology for mobile apps, which is then applied to a real-world problem causing problems for software testing practitioners (namely, the verification of …

Collection And Analysis Of Digital Forensic Data From Devices In The Internet Of Things, Raed Alharbi

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the abundance articles that have been written about the Internet of Things (IoT), little attention has been given to how digital forensics approaches can be utilized to direct advanced investigations in IoT-based frameworks. As of yet, IoT has not completely adjusted to digital forensic strategies given the fact that current digital forensic tools and functions are not ready to tackle the complexity of IoT frameworks for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and testing potential evidence from IoT environments that might be utilized as permissible evidence in a court. Hence, the issue addressed is that; currently, there is no accepted …

Human-Centered Design Of The Enhanced Pilot Learning Interface For The Aviation Community, De Vere Michael Kiss

Theses and Dissertations

he purpose of this research is to introduce a new device to help pilots navigate aircraft manuals. This informational navigational tool is designed to improve learning by reducing the time it takes a pilot candidate to retrieve aircraft system information within an aircraft manual. The device is called the Enhanced Pilot Learning Interface, an Advanced Interactive Media. The research project is based on human-centered design and consists of participatory design, modeling and simulation, human-in-the-loop simulation (HITLS), and expert user experience. Additionally, a traditional research experimentation was conducted to collect supporting statistical data. Preliminary tests of four current professional airline pilots …

Effective Measures Of Weight Gain Five Years Post-Kidney Transplantation, Tara Calico Cherry

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

BACKGROUND: Weight gain is commonly observed post-kidney transplantation and is associated with unfavorable health outcomes, such as graft loss, new onset diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the most effective measure for assessing body composition after kidney transplantation.

DESIGN: The study was a descriptive correlational follow-up study from a single kidney transplant site.

SUBJECTS: A total of 45 eligible patients from a 2007-2011 parent study were selected, ages of 37 to 78.

MEASUREMENTS: Body composition was obtained 5–8 years posttransplant via anthropometric measures (waist circumference, body mass index, and dual energy X-ray …

Limited By Design: Expanding The Boundaries Of Schooling Policies From Demanded Passivity To Transformative Practice, Natalia T. Carvalho-Pinto

Masters Theses

Schooling is often imagined as the great equalizer and the primary venue towards personal and collective liberation. However, hegemonic ideals and practices have limited the ability for educators to craft and utilize policy in a way that best benefits their students. In this thesis, I utilize the state of Michigan’s Common Core curriculum to examine the limits beyond policy and practice. Specifically, I argue that the demands for student passivity and institutional measurable as signs of success, prohibit student growth. Throughout the document, I describe hope in the ability to instill a variety of transformative educational theories and practices that …

Revolution In Crime: How Cryptocurrencies Have Changed The Criminal Landscape, Igor Groysman

Student Theses

This thesis will examine the ways in which various cryptocurrencies have impacted certain traditional crimes. While crime is always evolving with technology, cryptocurrencies are a game changer in that they provide anonymous and decentralized payment systems which, while they can be tracked in a reactive sense via the blockchain, are seen by criminals as having better uses for them than traditional fiat currencies, such as the ability to send money relatively fast to another party without going through an intermediary, or the ability to obscure the origin of the money for money laundering purposes. Every week there are new cryptocurrencies …

Early-Childhood Computer-Based Testing: Effects Of A Digital Literacy Intervention On Student Confidence And Performance, Benjamin-David Christopher Legrand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early-childhood digital students grow up in a fast-evolving age of technology requiring them to use and create with technologies and demonstrate core content knowledge. Although third grade students are mandated to master a new language of standardized testing, a large percentage must also learn a language of technology to complete new computer-based tests to measure content mastery. Krashen (1982) defines high affective filter as negative emotional/motivational factors interfering with understanding and cognition. This high affective filter reduces confidence and negatively impacts measuring content mastery on new computerbased tests. Two third grade classrooms at a high-poverty metropolitan school participated in a …

Expectations Of Student Achievement Among Primary School Teachers In Togo, West Africa: An Analysis Of Beliefs And Cultural Values, Andrew Paul Ward

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to analyze and explore the beliefs and cultural values that influence teacher expectations of student achievement in Togo, West Africa. A census was conducted of 93 teachers from the faculties of 15 Christian primary schools partnered with a U.S. based Baptist missions organization. Among partnered schools at the time of this study, teacher training in the area of expectations was often generalized due to the absence of scientific research and published data regarding teacher beliefs and expectations in West Africa. A case study approach was used with multiple data collection methods. The The …

Improved Computations Of The Voltage Collapse Point Using The P-Index, Siddig Mohammed

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Online voltage stability assessment of power system is important to ensure reliability and security. Over the years, many voltage monitoring indices have been documented in the literature. These indices are designed to quantify proximity to voltage collapse. However, they all have inaccuracies when predicting the voltage collapse point. A recent research project resulted in a new robust voltage stability monitoring tool called the P-index. A method that utilizes linear approximation of Voltage-Load relationship was introduced alongside the P-index, providing enhanced precision compared to most recognized indices. However, this method generates a high level of inaccuracy because the actual Voltage-Load behavior …

A Comparison Of Exact And Heuristic Algorithms To Solve The Travelling Salesman Problem, Matthew Chatting

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This article provides an overview to the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) and the relevant aspects of graph theory and computational complexity theory to understand the TSP. Beyond this, two algorithms capable of solving the TSP are introduced, explained and analysed in terms of their efficiency. The first algorithm is a random search heuristic ‘hill climber’ and the second is an exact ‘branch and bound’ algorithm. The benefits and drawbacks of each algorithm are discussed alongside their performance on distinct instances of the TSP. Consideration is also given to current research on the factors contributing to the complexity of instances.

Algebraic Number Theory And Fermats Last Theorem, Edward Evans

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The project aims to deliver sufficient mathematical background to understand a partial proof, due to Ernst Kummer, of Fermat’s last theorem for a specific class of primes called regular primes. In doing so, we also develop some theory that is applicable to a wide range of scenarios in modern number theory, a few of which are discussed in somewhat more superficial detail in the final section.

The Use Of Nanosensors For Monitoring Civil Structures, Mousaied Farhoud

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Nano-sensors were tested to demonstrate whether nanotechnology could be obtained efficiently in the civil engineering field. The objective of the experiment was to reach a specific amount of resistance and electric conductivity produced by the sensors, which were later compared to other researches. The sensor was fabricated using carbon nanotubes (CNT) more specifically multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT’s) as a conductive material and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a polymer. Three samples were made with different CNT percentages. The material was then coated on a compact tension specimen and tested in tension. The results obtained were positive. The coating materials contained a good …

The Reduction Of Wave Overtopping By Means Of Rubble Mound Revetment (At The Dawlish Coastline), Steffan Henson

The Plymouth Student Scientist

To evaluate the performance of an additional rubble mound breakwater to the Dawlish Coastline sea wall defence, a number of 2-dimensional physical model tests were undertaken at the Plymouth University Coast Laboratory. The subsequent results of the tests are presented and analysed in this paper. The research found that the most significant influencing factors on overtopping were the significant wave height and the crest freeboard.

Solar Domestic Hot Water Design And Optimisation In The United Kingdom, Edward Hunt

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Solar energy is being increasingly implemented for domestic uses, such as hot water systems. However, the poor economic gains, particularly in cold climates and winter months, make this environmentally beneficial technology a less attractive investment. So far, research into optimising these designs have focussed on warmer climates and optimising the gains made during the summer months. Furthermore, most high budget research is geared towards industrial implementation which has limited use at the domestic, home-owner scale. To investigate an economically and energetically optimal domestic hot water system design for cold climates, mathematical methods and TRNSYS simulations were used to experiment with …

Scour From Bidirectional Current Flows Around Offshore Monopoles, Thomas Mackinnon

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Two tests for a unidirectional and bidirectional current were applied to a 100mm, cylindrical Perspex monopile and the surrounding bathymetries were measured using an industry standard laser profiler traverse system. It was observed the maximum scour depths for a bidirectional current were 47% larger the unidirectional current. The equilibrium scour depth was also predicted by four previously derived equations by other researchers. This found all four significantly over predicted the unidirectional maximum scour depth; however, the bidirectional current was more accurately predicted, with only a 1.5% error against a modern unidirectional prediction. Results identify bidirectional temporal scour development requires further …

Investigation And Identification Of Dye Structure As A Function Of Solvent And Temperature, Caroline Fiona Uncles

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Triarylmethane dyes have absorption spectra that contain two peaks which overlap in polar solvents. The second peak being described as a shoulder peak. The body of work recorded in this dissertation aims to discover which of the theories behind the shoulder present on these absorbance spectra holds most precedence. Stock solutions of 5 different dyes with a range of steric factors and symmetries were prepared to a concentration of 10-3 M in 5 different solvents. These were primary, unbranched alcohols with chain lengths of C1 to C4 and water. The stock solutions were diluted to a concentration of 10-5 M, …

Multiple Coulomb Scattering In The Lariat Detector, Dalton Sessumes

Physics Theses - Archive

LArIAT is a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) deployed in a dedicated charged particle test beam line at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility. LArIAT aims to measure an interaction process known as multiple coulomb scattering, which describes the process of a charged particle passing through a slab of material. As it passes, it will experience millions of scatters due to the Coulombic interactions with the nuclei of the material. This work presents a characterization of charged particle multiple coulomb scattering as a function of incoming momentum and particle type as it passes through the LArIAT detector. Employing data collected …

Breeding For Resilience To Increasing Temperatures: A Field Trial Assessing Genetic Variation In Soft Red Winter Wheat, Kathleen Russell, David Van Sanford

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Breeding for resilience to climate change is a daunting prospect. Crop and climate models tell us that global wheat yields are likely to decline as the climate warms, causing a significant risk to global food security. High temperatures are known to affect crop development yet breeding for tolerance to heat stress is difficult to achieve in field environments. We conducted an active warming study over two years to quantify the effects of heat stress on genetic variation of soft red winter (SRW) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Forty SRW cultivars and breeding lines were chosen based on marker genotypes at …