Digital Commons Network^™

Humans Among Giants: Urban Vitality And Implications Of Vertical Development In Hong Kong, Laura Jaramillo

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis explores the complex relationship between vertical urbanism and street life, using Hong Kong as a case study to investigate how human-scale urbanism persists and adapts amidst the dominance of skyscrapers. While vertical structures symbolize modernity, economic growth, and global influence, they often overshadow the vibrancy and social connectivity that characterize ground-level spaces. This research draws on the theoretical frameworks of Jane Jacobs, David Harvey, and David Sibley to examine the interplay between vertical urbanism and street life, focusing on how spatial design impacts community engagement and cultural vibrancy. By analyzing the coexistence of modern skyscrapers and traditional street-level …

Demystifying Misconceptions In Introductory Undergraduate Chemistry Education With 3d Printed Molecular Orbitals, Hiwot Endeshaw, Daniel J. O'Leary

Pomona Senior Theses

Spatial abilities are invaluable skills for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. However, women, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and ethnic minorities are more likely to have less developed spatial abilities, which is one of the many contributing factors for the lack of diversity in STEM subjects like chemistry. Teaching spatial skills to undergraduate chemistry students may address this issue and help increase the diversity of students who go on to continue their education in the subject. 3D printing technology in higher education has exploded in recent years, presenting a unique opportunity to teach “hard to grasp” concepts …

The Leaf That Tapped: Literary Still Life In The Novels Of Virginia Woolf, Willa Frank

Pomona Senior Theses

Literary still life is a vital element of Virginia Woolf’s writing which recurs in almost all of her novels. Through these passages, she attends to the object world, portrays the animation of nonhuman entities, and adapts the aesthetic movements of her time present in modernist still life to the page. In this adaptation, Woolf’s literary still life becomes defined not by its stasis but rather by the rhythm she creates through the layering of these passages, one of the gathering and releasing of stillness. In this thesis, I propose literary still life as a way of thinking about the object-focused …

Huchum: The Legacy Of Fire Suppression, Indigenous Land Management, And Media Representation, Carolyn Coyne

Pomona Senior Theses

In my thesis, I examine how various forms of news media from the 1900s to present day in Ohlone territory have framed a particular hegemonic ideology around fire that matches early colonial journal entries – an ideology that is fueled by fear, sensationalism, and exclusion and directly commits violence against the Ohlone people. I investigate this time period because this is when modern news corporations, like The New York Times, rose into prominence. Specifically, I question how media representations of fire inform regulations over controlled burns; what are the similarities in discourse between media framing and policy? What tactics are …

Swimming In Sh*T: Quantifying Lagoon Flushing Impacts On Fecal Indicator Bacteria In Surf Zones Of Three Beaches On The East End Of Long Island, Ny, Brody C. Eggert

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis investigates how lagoon flushing influences fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) concentrations—specifically enterococcus bacteria—in the surf zones of East Hampton and Southampton, New York. Focusing on the coastal lagoons of Georgica Pond, Sagg Pond, and Mecox Bay, the study analyzes how episodic inlet openings and environmental conditions affect enterococcus levels at adjacent recreational beaches. Using over 700 observations from the Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) database, I construct a series of statistical models ranging from ordinary least squares to mixed effects frameworks; this thesis shows my process in developing this model. My analysis reveals that open inlets between …

“Nice To See You”: Addressing Plant Awareness Disparity With Locally Specific Ecological And Cultural Plant Education, Cecilia Muecke

Pomona Senior Theses

Plants form the basis of life on Earth. However, due to the phenomenon of plant awareness disparity, a self-perpetuating cycle whereby plants are overlooked on an individual and global level ensues. Lack of plant awareness leads to a lessened emphasis on plants in sustainability and conservation as well as biology education, resulting in negative impacts on biodiversity and food security. The severity of plant awareness disparity is dependent on cultural context, and Indigenous and/or traditional societies are less likely to experience plant awareness disparity because of they are typically more connected to plants for their everyday needs. Native plants are …

The Chthulucene Is Colonial Ecology: Ontology And Ethics In Anti-Colonial Environmental Theory, Aaron Morgan

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis interrogates the movement from ontology (what things are) to ethics (what one should do) in the context of environmental theory and settler colonialism. From new materialism to posthumanism, theorists within the “ontological turn” aim to overcome the anti-ecological foundations of modern philosophy (e.g., dualisms of nature and society, matter and meaning, body and mind). Contra dualism, critical environmental theorists argue that relational ontologies can produce more ecologically responsible ethical frameworks, affects, and values. In this thesis, I focus on appeals to climate anxiety and ecological urgency as two common discursive formations that function to redirect philosophical accounts of …

Art As Witness: Carrying Christian Iconographies In The Works Of Henry Ossawa Tanner During The Gilded Age To Contemporary Autobiographical Testimonial Art, Ziona King

Pomona Senior Theses

Culminated in a solo exhibition of three works titled the prodigal daughter and The Great High Priest, Baptism, and The Lord of Hosts, this research explores the implications of the Christian methodologies and iconographies in the works of Henry Ossawa Tanner to influence testimonial artwork containing personal Christian iconographies of water baptism, spiritual encounter in everyday life, the lion of Judah, bowls, and more interpretive motifs.

Space Use, Habitat Selection, And Flight Behavior Of Eagles Across Northwestern North America, Stephen Bernard Lewis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Understanding how behavioral strategies shape movement, space use, and risk exposure is essential for conserving long-lived raptors. In this dissertation, I use high-resolution GPS telemetry from bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) to examine how behavioral state, environmental context, and temporal dynamics structure raptor ecology across Alaska, British Columbia, and the western United States.

Chapter 1 used random forest classification of movement data from 43 bald eagles and 94 golden eagles to identify territorial, nesting, and floater seasons with high accuracy. Floaters comprised roughly one-third of all seasons in both species, and many individuals exhibited consistent state-specific …

Florida Scrub Is Nuts (And Drupes): Fruit Production And Consumption In Florida’S Fire-Prone, Xeric Uplands, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii

Faculty Journal Articles

This is a story about how plant size, fire, and climate affect fruit and nut production (i.e., mast) in Florida’s fire-prone, xeric uplands and the importance of mast as food for wildlife. To set the stage, let’s first explore the primary mast-producing plants of Florida’s xeric uplands: oaks, hickory, and palmettos.

Gene Expression Changes In Human Cerebral Arteries Following Hemoglobin Exposure: Implications For Vascular Responses In Sah, Chathathayil M Shafeeque, Arif O Harmanci, Sithara Thomas, Ari C Dienel, Devin W Mcbride, Kumar T Peeyush, Spiros L Blackburn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), characterized by the presence of hemoglobin (Hb) in the subarachnoid space, significantly impacts cerebral vessels, leading to various pathological outcomes. The toxicity of cell-free Hb released from erythrocytes and its metabolites after SAH causes vasoconstriction and neuronal damage, and correlates with delayed ischemic neurological deficits (DIND). While animal models have provided substantial and invaluable data in the research of aneurysmal SAH, the specific effects of subarachnoid blood on cerebral arteries remain greatly understudied. Here, we describe the changes in the genetic profile of human cerebral arteries exposed to free Hb for 48 h. We performed an ex …

Hslic Annual Report Fy2024-25, University Of New Mexico Health Sciences Library And Informatics Center

HSLIC Annual Reports

Annual report for FY 2024-2025.

Some Types Of Hyperneutrosophic Set (1): Bipolar, Pythagorean, Double-Valued, Interval-Valued Set, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The Neutrosophic Set is a mathematical framework designed to manage uncertainty, characterized by three membership functions: truth (T), indeterminacy (I), and falsity (F). In recent years, extensions such as the Hyperneutrosophic Set and SuperHyperneutrosophic Set have been introduced to address more complex scenarios. This paper proposes new concepts by extending Bipolar Neutrosophic Sets, Interval-Valued Neutrosophic Sets, Pythagorean Neutrosophic Sets, and Double-Valued Neutrosophic Sets using the frameworks of Hyperneutrosophic and SuperHyperneutrosophic Sets. Additionally, a brief analysis of these extended concepts is presented.

Some Types Of Hyperneutrosophic Set (7): Type-M, Nonstationary, Subset-Valued, And Complex Refined, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This paper builds upon the foundational advancements introduced in [26,39–43]. TheNeutrosophic Set provides a versatile mathematical framework for addressing uncertainty through its three membership functions: truth, indeterminacy, and falsity [84]. Extensions such as the Hyperneutrosophic Set and the SuperHyperneutrosophic Set have been recently proposed to address increasingly complex and multidimensional problems. Detailed formal definitions of these concepts can be found in [33]. In this paper, we extend the Type-𝑚, Nonstationary, Subset-Valued, and Complex Refined Neutrosophic Sets using the Hyperneutrosophic Set and the SuperHyperneutrosophic Set frameworks.

Some Types Of Hyperneutrosophic Set (6): Multineutrosophic Set And Refined Neutrosophic Set, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This paper builds on the foundational advancements introduced in [22, 29–32]. The Neutrosophic Set pro-vides a flexible mathematical framework for managing uncertainty by utilizing three membership functions: truth, indeterminacy, and falsity. Recent extensions, such as the HyperNeutrosophic Set and the SuperHy-perNeutrosophic Set, have been developed to address increasingly complex and multidimensional challenges. Comprehensive formal definitions of these concepts are provided in [26]. In this paper, we further extend various specialized classes of Neutrosophic Sets. Specifically, we explore extensions of the MultiNeutrosophic Set and the Refined Neutrosophic Set using HyperNeutrosophic Sets and 𝑛-SuperHyperNeutrosophic Sets, providing detailed analysis and examples.

Some Types Of Hyperneutrosophic Set (5): Support, Paraconsistent, Faillibilist, And Others, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This paper builds upon the foundational advancements introduced in [14, 25–27]. The Neutrosophic Set offers a versatile mathematical framework for addressing uncertainty through its three membership functions: truth, indeterminacy, and falsity. Extensions such as the Hyperneutrosophic Set and the SuperHyperneutrosophic Set have been recently proposed to tackle increasingly sophisticated and multidimensional problems. Detailed formal definitions of these concepts can be found in [20]. In this paper, we extend various specialized classes of Neutrosophic Sets—namely, the Support Neutrosophic Set, Neutrosophic Intuitionistic Set (distinct from the Intuitionistic Fuzzy Set), Neutrosophic Paraconsistent Set, Neutrosophic Faillibilist Set, Neutrosophic Paradoxist Set, Neutrosophic Pseudo-Paradoxist Set, Neutrosophic …

Forestfuzzy, Forestneutrosophic, Forestplithogenic, And Forestrough Set, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Concepts such as Fuzzy Sets [30, 72], Neutrosophic Sets [53, 55], Rough Sets [37], and Plithogenic Sets [59] have been extensively studied to address uncertainty, with diverse applications across various fields. Recently, TreeFuzzy, TreeNeutrosophic, TreePlithogenic, and TreeRough Sets have been defined [15]. This work examines their extensions: ForestFuzzy, ForestNeutrosophic, ForestPlithogenic, and ForestRough Sets.

Hyperplithogenic Cubic Set And Superhyperplithogenic Cubic Set, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Concepts such as Fuzzy Sets [23, 47], Neutrosophic Sets [32, 33], and Plithogenic Sets [35] have been extensively studied for addressing uncertainty, with diverse applications across numerous fields. Building on the Plithogenic Set, the HyperPlithogenic Set and SuperHyperPlithogenic Set have also gained recognition [15]. A Plithogenic Cubic Set integrates interval-valued and single-valued fuzzy memberships, augmented by multiattribute aggregation using plithogenic structures. This paper defines the HyperPlithogenic Cubic Set and SuperHyperPlithogenic Cubic Set and explores related concepts such as the HyperPlithogenic Fuzzy Cubic Set, HyperPlithogenic Intuitionistic Fuzzy Cubic Set, and HyperPlithogenic Neutrosophic Cubic Set.

Neutrosophic Treesoft Expert Set And Forestsoft Set, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Concepts such as Fuzzy Sets [28,57],Neutrosophic Sets [42,44], and Plithogenic Sets [48] have been extensively studied to address uncertainty, finding diverse applications across various fields. The Soft Set provides a framework that associates each parameter with subsets of a universal set, enabling flexible approximations [31]. The TreeSoft Set extends the Soft Set by introducing hierarchical, tree-structured parameters, allowing for multi-level data representation [53]. In this paper, we revisit the concept of the Neutrosophic TreeSoft Set, which has been discussed in other studies [8, 34]. Additionally, we propose and examine the Neutrosophic TreeSoft Expert Set by incorporating the framework of the …

Some Graph Parameters For Superhypertree-Width And Neutrosophictree-Width, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Graph characteristics are often studied through various parameters, with ongoing research dedicated to exploring these aspects. Among these, graph width parameters—such as treewidth—are particularly important due to their practical applications in algorithms and real-world problems. A hypergraph generalizes traditional graph theory by abstracting and extending its concepts [77]. More recently, the concept of a SuperHyperGraph has been introduced as a further generalization of the hypergraph. Neutrosophic logic [133], a mathematical framework, extends classical and fuzzy logic by allowing the simultaneous consideration of truth, indeterminacy, and falsity within an interval. In this paper, we explore Superhypertree-width, Neutrosophic treewidth, and t-Neutrosophic tree-width.

Plithogenic Superhypersoft Set And Plithogenic Forest Superhypersoft Set, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Autopoietic Energy Transition Towards Clean And Renewable Energy For Developing Countries, Victor Christianto, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The global economy's reliance on energy supply and distribution necessitates a shift towards clean and renewable energy sources. This article explores how the economies of energy producers and consumers can be better modeled through the lens of autopoiesis, a concept developed by Humberto Maturana and further elaborated by Fritjof Capra (cf. Web of Life). By viewing energy systems as self-producing and self-maintaining entities, we can gain insights into the dynamics of energy transition in developing countries and identify strategies for fostering sustainable and resilient energy ecosystems.

A Critical Evaluation Of The Criticisms Against Neutrosophic Statistical Methods, Muhammad Aslam, Abdulrahman Alaita, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Neutrosophic statistical analysis has gained attention for incorporating the degree of indeterminacy when analyzing imprecise and interval data under uncertainty—an aspect often overlooked by classical statistics, fuzzy statistical analysis, and interval statistics. Recently, critical discussions have emerged regarding the use and applications of neutrosophic statistics, with some questioning its usefulness and validity. In this paper, we present a critical assessment of the existing literature, focusing on areas where misunderstandings and misinterpretations of neutrosophic statistical methods have occurred. We also examine flawed comparisons made between the results of neutrosophic statistics and interval statistics. Furthermore, substantial issues have been identified in the …

A Neutrosophic Approach To Social Phenomena, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Sociology has long sought to understand human societies and the social behaviors within them. It explores the organization, structure, dynamics, and transformations of society over time. However, traditional sociological methods face significant challenges in addressing the complexity and indeterminacy inherent in social data—data that is often ambiguous, incomplete, and contradictory. The Neutrosociology offers a novel approach to studying and modeling social phenomena by employing mathematical and philosophical tools that can accommodate uncertainty.

A Family Of Neutrosophic Estimators For Estimating Mean: An Application To Real Data, Bavita Singh, Abhishek Singh, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In the realm of sample survey research, the classical statistics approach primarily deals with precise and definitive types of data to estimate population parameters when additional information is available. However, this approach fails when faced with data indeterminacies. To address such ambiguities, neutrosophic statistics emerges as an extension of both fuzzy and classical statistics. Thus, in light of the challenges posed by indeterminacy in sampling, we have introduced a proficient neutrosophic class of estimators, with and without Searls technique (optimization tool) for estimating the mean utilizing additional (ancillary) information under neutrosophic simple random sampling (NeSRS). The expression for the Bias …

Traditional And Non-Traditional Behavioral Tests Demonstrate The Attenuation Of Cognitive Deficits By Therapeutic Hypothermia In A Rat Model Of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy, Angela Saadat, Cortney Kaszowski, Haree Pallera, Frank Lattanzio, Richard A. Britten, Asna Sulaiman, Stephanie Newman, Alireza Hosseini, Tushar Shah

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Introduction: Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is neurological disease caused by the deprivation of oxygen and blood flow to the brain during the developmentally-critical perinatal period. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is the standard of care treatment for HIE, though cognitive deficits can persistent throughout life despite treatment. The nature of these deficits, and the impacts of TH and sex are not well understood, and this presents a key barrier in the development of novel therapeutics.

Methods: The goal of this study was to enhance the characterization and measurement of cognitive outcomes with tasks that measure spontaneous behaviors in a rodent models of …

Risk And Protective Factors For Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Sids) In Low-Resource Communities In Kolkata India: A Mixed Methods Exploratory Study Of Semi-Structured Interviews And Survey Data, Susan Samreth, Alexandra Leader, Jillian Kiely, Turja Chakrabarti, Rupa Kapoor

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and infant sleep practices are widely documented and studied in high-resource countries. Knowledge of SUID/SIDS occurrence, risk factors and protective factors in low or middle-resource countries such as India is lacking. This was an exploratory study using a mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) approach to better understand infant sleep practices and the various factors that may influence them amongst caregivers in 5 low-income communities in Kolkata, India. Twenty-eight and 22 caregivers of infants < 12 months old were recruited using a convenience sampling approach to participate in semi-structured interviews (phase 1) and a survey (phase 2), respectively. This research was conducted in partnership with Pratit International, a locally based NGO dedicated to providing comprehensive health care to disenfranchised communities in Kolkata. Analysis of qualitative and quantitative data found that infant caregivers frequently described risk factors (e.g., bedsharing, soft sleep surface, infant sleep position, objects in sleep area, environmental smoke exposure, low rates of pacifier use) and protective factors (e.g., breastfeeding, routine immunization/prenatal care, low rates of caregiver substance use) that have been associated with SIDS in high resource communities. Qualitative data revealed that certain caregivers' reasons for infant sleep position were rooted in cultural beliefs. Prenatal and postnatal sleep education given by a healthcare professional were limited and awareness of safer sleep advice in the community was low. These study findings suggest the need to provide safer sleep education resources in a culturally appropriate manner and can help guide future research on potential interventions such as the baby box.

A Decision-Space Model Explains Context-Specific Decision Making, Dirk W. Beck, Cory N. Heaton, Luis D. Davila, Lara I. Rakocevic, Sabrina M. Drammis, Danil Tyulmankov, Atanu Giri, Shreeya Umashankar Beck, Qingyang Zhang, Michael Pokojovy, Kenichiro Negishi, Alexis A. Salcido, Neftali F. Reyes, Andrea Y. Macias, Serina A. Batson, Paulina Vara, Raquel J. Ibáñez Alcalá, Safa B. Hossain, Graham L. Waller, Laura E. O'Dell, Travis M. Moschak, Ki A. Goosens, Alexander Friedman

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Optimal decision-making requires consideration of internal and external contexts. Biased decision-making is a transdiagnostic symptom of neuropsychiatric disorders. We created a computational model demonstrating how the striosome compartment of the striatum constructs a context-dependent mathematical space for decision-making computations, and how the matrix compartment uses this space to define action value. The model explains multiple experimental results and unifies other theories like reward prediction error, roles of the direct versus indirect pathways, and roles of the striosome versus matrix, under one framework. We also found, through new analyses, that striosome and matrix neurons increase their synchrony during difficult tasks, caused …

Impacts Of Tick Parasitism On The Rodent Gut Microbiome, Robert J. Brinkerhoff, Joshua Pandian, Meghan Leber, Isabella D. Hauser, Holly D. Gaff

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Host microbiota may impact disease vector behavior and pathogen transmission, but little is known about associations between ectoparasites and microbial communities in wildlife reservoir species. We used Illumina metagenomic sequencing to explore the impacts of tick parasitism on the rodent fecal microbiome in both a field and laboratory setting. We found that tick parasitism on wild hosts was associated with variation in the fecal microbiota of both the white-footed deermouse, Peromyscus leucopus, and the southern cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus. In a lab experiment, we detected significant changes to the fecal microbiome after experimental exposure to immature ticks in …

Mobula, Bioinspiration, Filter Feeding, Form And Function, J. B. Teeple, S. R. Kahane-Rapport, K. E. Cohen, L. Hamann, J. A. Strother, E. W.M. Paig-Tran

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mobulas (manta and devil rays) are large-scale ram filter feeders that separate planktonic food particles from large volumes of water with minimal clogging. This contrasts with most human-made filters that can suffer from problematic clogging requiring additional mechanisms for clearing blocked surfaces and maintaining performance. Prior studies have shown that mobulas employ a unique mechanism referred to as ricochet separation to filter feed, whereby captive vortices in filter pores cause particles to bounce off the filter surfaces and away from the filter pores. This mechanism enables the filtration of particles smaller than the pore size and reduced clogging. However, few …