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Evolution As Spatial Projection, Charles H. Smith, Ngoc Nguyen

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

A theory combining explanations for the nature of three-dimensional systems and evolutionary processes is advanced, set to a geometric simulation, and then discussed in the context of several empirical studies bearing on its validity. The concept “evolution” is first discussed, then related to Baruch de Spinoza’s ideas on natural philosophy, including his concept of the conatus. These ideas are then extended by posing the possible existence of a general form of natural systems subsystemization leading to the extended space condition. A geometrical/topological simulation study projecting spatial relations among subsystem structures interpretable through entropy maximization and multidimensional scaling methods is presented, …

Columnas: The Honors Program Newsletter At Bentley University, Amanda Li, Wilson Jan, Michael Raphael, Alexandra Rieckehoff, Karina Wu, Michael Shehata, Nilufar Noorian, Eloise Weintraub

Honors Program

INSIDE THE MODERN WORLD

Page 2: Stepping Out by Amanda Li

Page 3: Inside the Corporate Slop Bowl by Wilson Jan

Page 4: The Silencing: An Evaluation of the Global Attacks on the Right to Protest by Michael Raphael

THE SOUND OF CHANGE

Page 5: The Social, Cultural, and Economic Impact of Bad Bunny by Alexandra Rieckehoff

Page 6: Streaming Changed Music, But Is It Fair to Artists? by Karina Wu

Page 7: Feeling the Music: How Haptic Wearables Are Changing the Way We Experience Sound by Michael Shehata

SHIFTING SYSTEMS

Page 8: The Story Behind Davos, One of the …

Imidacloprid Effects On The Survival And Cutaneous Microbiome Of Northern Leopard Frogs, Evelyn Margaret Osterloo

Honors Thesis

Amphibians are experiencing population declines due to habitat loss, climate change, and diseases, particularly chytridiomycosis caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Protection from this fungal infection stems from the cutaneous microbiome. Pesticides have been shown to affect amphibians in a variety of ways, including reducing survival, locomotor performance, and accumulation in body tissues. Pesticides may also lead to changes in the cutaneous microbiome affecting amphibians who rely on these organisms as an anti-Bd defense mechanism. To investigate the effect of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, Northern Leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens) were subjected to sublethal concentrations (control = …

Storycomposerai: Supporting Human-Ai Story Co-Creation Through Decomposition And Linking, Shuo Niu, Dylan Clements, Marina Margalit Nemanov, Hyungsin Kim

Computer Science

GenAI's ability to produce text and images is increasingly incorporated into human-AI co-creation tasks such as storytelling and video editing. However, integrating GenAI into these tasks requires enabling users to retain control over editing individual story elements while ensuring that generated visuals remain coherent with the storyline and consistent across multiple AI-generated outputs. This work examines a paradigm of creative decomposition and linking, which allows creators to clearly communicate creative intent by prompting GenAI to tailor specific story elements, such as storylines, personas, locations, and scenes, while maintaining coherence among them. We implement and evaluate StoryComposerAI, a system that exemplifies …

Write Free Or Die: Vol. 12, No. 02, Unh Writing Programs

Writing Program Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Numerical Study Of Nutrient Mixing In Trabecular Bone In Microgravity, Disuse And Normogravity, Sagar Gharti

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Mechanical loading is known to regulate bone remodeling by driving interstitial fluid flow which stimulates cells and drives nutrient transport within the trabecular network. In microgravity, the absence of mechanical stimulation or loading suppresses convective flow processes, causing diffusion-driven nutrient mixing and renewal, and accelerated bone loss. This thesis investigates how oscillation frequency and trabecular bone density jointly control nutrient mixing and wall shear stress within trabecular cavities.

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) framework is developed in STAR-CCM+ using a soft-cap oscillation model that mimics cyclic compression. Three idealized trabecular morphologies are simulated across different frequencies to represent microgravity or …

Numerical Investigation Of Rotor-Gust Acoustic Interactions Using The Overflow Cfd Solver, Jordan Mills

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The rapid expansion of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) necessitates high-fidelity modeling to predict and mitigate the noise signatures of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft within dense urban landscapes. A critical unknown in community-noise certification is the aeroacoustic response of rotors to unsteady inflow conditions. This research addresses this gap by investigating the aerodynamic and acoustic behavior of a representative rotor subjected to time-harmonic inflow disturbances. By establishing a robust numerical framework, this thesis quantifies the relationship between periodic atmospheric gusts and their impact on rotor performance, unsteady blade loading, and subsequent sound radiation. The research consists of a …

Scenarioxp: A Complete Scenario-Based Testing Framework For The Exploration And Exploitation Of Autonomous Vehicle Validation Scenarios, Quentin Goss

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Today is an age of exciting emerging technology where cutting-edge research in autonomous vehicles (AVs) reduces the active human participation in driving and extends awareness beyond human limitations of perception and reaction, improving driving safety and quality of the user experience as a result. The ever-increasing complexity of these autonomous systems poses many challenges towards the validation and verification (V\&V) of these complex systems under time and resource constraints, as the use of artificial intelligence and also the intricacy of the operating environment means that these systems are also black-box and non-deterministic. Scenario-based V\&V testing of such systems, which involves …

Intelligent Flight Control Systems Using Adaptive Deep Neural Networks And Concurrent Learning-Based Design Methods, Maddox C. Morrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis investigates deep neural network (DNN)-based adaptive control strategies for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating under aerodynamic uncertainty and complex actuator dynamics.

The first contribution presents a control strategy employing a concurrent learning (CL)-based DNN training algorithm, which combines online adaptive DNN weight adaptation with offline batch-like training updates using a recorded data stack. The analysis focuses on the closed-loop performance improvements resulting from the use of optimum CL data-selection algorithms, which ensure that the recorded data stack maintains sufficient data diversity to provide a statistically meaningful representation of the operating conditions using a reduced data set. Specifically, this …

Study Of Output And Behavior Of Llms Using Confidence Framing In Prompt Engineering, Micah Parrilla

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

While prompt engineering is pivotal for shaping Large Language Model (LLM) outputs, the impact of confidence framing on behavioral calibration remains underexplored. This study investigates the ways in which psychological framing, utilizing techniques such as capability praise, role amplification, and doubt induction, affects linguistic tone, objective accuracy, and internal calibration. A 1,080-trial experimental matrix evaluated six diverse models across factual, logical, coding, and cyber security domains. Analysis using the Kruskal-Wallis H-test revealed highly significant behavioral shifts across all measured dimensions, providing conclusive evidence that the applied frames exert a substantial influence on model performance.

The findings identify a distinct cognitive …

Quantification Of The Depth-Of-Field In A Self-Aligned Focusing Schlieren System, Alexander Ephraim

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis investigates self-aligned focusing schlieren (SAFS) as a step toward future volumetric and quantitative measurements of three-dimensional compressible flows. Conventional schlieren imaging provides valuable visualization of density gradients, but it records only a line-of-sight projection and therefore does not directly resolve the spatial distribution of structures through the depth of the flowfield. SAFS addresses part of this limitation by introducing depth sensitivity, but its depth response has not been well characterized quantitatively. To help lay the foundation for future volumetric and quantitative SAFS methods, this work addresses two related problems. First, calibrated quantitative schlieren imaging is applied to an …

Developing A Multi-Band Gnss Remote Sensing Station To Measure Precipitable Water Vapor For Flash Flood Nowcasting, Madison Gleydura

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Flash flood nowcasting in Central and Southern Appalachia is particularly challenging due to steep terrain, narrow valleys, highly localized rainfall patterns, and limited measurement coverage. Traditional remote sensing methods, such as Doppler radar and microwave radiometry, suffer from reduced resolution at long range and signal blockage by mountains. GNSS-meteorology offers an established alternative for measuring precipitable water vapor and is currently integrated into several numerical weather models. Recent research demonstrates that commercial-grade GNSS receivers can produce tropospheric products comparable to those from geodetic-grade equipment. The gaps in mountain coverage can be addressed by developing a low-cost, self-contained embedded system that …

Quantum Dot Solar Cells: Background, Progress, And Perspective, Kumar Neupane, Jeff Kabel, Join Uddin, Raksha Dubey, Rojina Ojha, Dongyan Zhang, Yoke Khin Yap

Michigan Tech Publications

The discovery of quantum dots (QDs) earned a Nobel Prize and has led to widespread applications in research and technology. In this review, we focus on the use of QDs in solid-state solar cells (QDSCs). We begin with an overview of the basic principles of SCs. Then, we discuss how device architecture has developed over recent decades, setting the stage for the final section on fourth-generation solar cells (Perspective section). We also highlight progress in material development, starting with lead- and cadmium-based QDs and progressing to more recent carbon- and perovskite-based QDs. Additionally, we review materials used for electron-transport layers …

Pool Pump Controls For Load Shifting, Andrew Minocha, Angelo Piziali, Cade Benner, Brinley Chrzanowski

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Residential swimming pool pumps represent the second largest source of energy consumption in California homes, and with approximately 1.3 million pools operating across the state, they collectively represent a significant opportunity for grid-level load flexibility. This project presents the design, construction, and commissioning of a proof-of-concept laboratory test rig developed to validate a load-shifting algorithm on a commercially available variable-speed pool pump. The system retrofits a donated Pentair Intelliflo3 VSF pump with an external Raspberry Pi 4 controller that commands pump speed through relay-based digital inputs and logs hydraulic and electrical performance data in real time. A simulated pool filtration …

Data Tracking And Analytics Within Inventory Management: Coffee Shop And Retail Store Optimization, Mateo J. Moyon

Senior Theses

This thesis examines the application of inventory management theory in the small and medium-sized business context, with a specific focus on the food and beverage industry. Drawing on the foundational academic literature spanning from Harris’s EOQ formula in 1913 through stochastic inventory theory, ABC analysis, and just-in-time strategy, this paper establishes the mathematical and operational bases for modern inventory management practice. Although there are proven value to these frameworks, research demonstrates that small to medium sized businesses adopt inventory management systems at lower rates citing cost and implementation as barriers. This thesis argues that the emergence of low-cost inventory and …

Conservation Communication In Web 2.0: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Alveus Sanctuary's Strategies On Twitch.Tv, Hope Denison

Senior Theses

This thesis examines how environmental creators can effectively transmit conservation messages in the evolving Web 2.0 media environment. The case of Alveus Sanctuary, a virtual sanctuary and education center on Twitch.TV, is used to explore the strategies currently used to engage audiences and raise ecological awareness online. Thematic analysis of interviews with the sanctuary’s founder revealed that Alveus combines traditional environmental education with an influencer business model to engage online audiences, leveraging parasocial behavior, interactivity, and collaboration to garner support. A quantitative content analysis of social media posts revealed that these strategies effectively induce parasocial engagement in online spaces. These …

Increased Backbone Rigidity Of Artificial Transcription Factors, Jasmine Glover, Emma Otey, Joanna K. Kwao, Nicholas Truex

Senior Theses

Programming DNA-binding proteins is an effective strategy for developing therapeutics that regulate gene expression. These proteins can directly bind to DNA to activate or repress transcription of specific genes. Zinc finger proteins are a class of DNA-binding proteins commonly found in eukaryotic organisms. Their DNA-binding function is derived from unique amino acid sequences within each domain that recognizes specific nucleotides, allowing each finger to selectively recognize three DNA base pairs. Adjoining of multiple domains in tandem allows recognition of a specific DNA sequence. Artificial transcription factors can be made of multiple zinc finger domains arranged in tandem and engineered to …

Electron Microburst Precipitation In Earth's Upper Atmosphere, Kelly Cantwell

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Electron microburst precipitation can be a significant and prevalent source of electron loss from Earth's radiation belts into the upper atmosphere. This precipitation has been of interest since its discovery in the 1960's, and the continued progression of experimental capabilities has allowed for new and comprehensive analysis to be conducted on this phenomenon. The \af{barrel} mission was able to remotely sense microburst precipitation in both Northern and Southern hemispheres. In this thesis, I have written an automated detection algorithm with which 38 microburst events (with each event containing tens to tens of thousands of individual microbursts) were detected in the …

Strategic Resource Management In Pandemics: Integrating Capacity Planning With Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions For Covid-19, Ozlem Cosgun, Eyyub Kibis, Ali Dag, Burak Cankaya

Department of Information Management and Business Analytics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the urgent need for integrated healthcare resource planning to manage patient surges and reduce mortality. This study presents a novel optimization-based framework that jointly considers healthcare capacity planning and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), including mask mandates, social distancing, and quarantining. The framework extends traditional compartmental models by distinguishing patient categories—such as hospitalized non-ventilator patients, ventilated patients, and ICU admissions—within a mixed-integer programming (MIP) structure that remains computationally tractable. Applied to the COVID-19 outbreak in New York City, the model optimizes the allocation of hospital beds and ventilators while minimizing deaths. Results show that combining high-effectiveness NPIs with …

Improving Student Behavior Through Physical Activity Breaks, Raymond Duve

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Students struggle to remain on-task throughout long periods of time in class. This results in off-task behaviors and a lack of focus. As a result, this keeps students from maximizing their achievement. Research has shown that classroom activity breaks can help reduce off-task behaviors and improve on-task behaviors for students. This inquiry-based research study aims to find out if classroom activity breaks can improve on-task behaviors, classroom enjoyment for the students, and student behavior. The study used a quantitative approach via a student survey, a tally chart, and behavior log. The findings showed that students had fewer off-task behaviors and …

Digital Scaffolding Interventions And Self-Regulation For Students With High-Incidence Disabilities, Jessica Brown

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The setting of this study takes place in a rural high school, nestled in the center of corn fields, in a self-contained classroom. I’m the assigned leader of this group, an instructional strategist II, which is just a fancy way of titling a special education teacher with endorsements focused on moderate learning and behavior disabilities. Our classroom environment is a community of close-knit students and adults. The 10 students that have been selected for this study range from 9th to 12th grade. Each of these students are equipped with Individualized Education Programs, in the goal areas of social-emotional behaviors and …

Studying Quantum Optics And Spdc With Single Photon Experiments, Chloe Pistelli

Physics Student Projects

Quantum optics is a specialized area of physics that focuses on using light sources, lenses, mirrors, beam splitters, photon detectors, and other optics equipment to demonstrate the wave-particle nature of light. We take advan tage of the spontaneous down-conversion of photons through a beta-barium borate (BBO) crystal, which splits one higher energy photon into two lower energy photons, conserving energy. We confirm the down conversion in our experiment by precisely aligning two detectors in each of the expected paths of the two down-converted photons and counting the number of coincidences detected, or number of times a photon was detected in …

Trialoguing About Engaging With Communication And Language In Relation To Mathematics And Its Education, David Pimm, Jenni Ingram, Núria Planas

The Mathematics Enthusiast

This is our introduction to the series of eight articles in the first part of the double special issue on the challenges of ‘Engaging with communication and language in relation to mathematics and its education’. In the current article, we think together about ‘communication’ and ‘language’ in relation to mathematics and its education, by turning to reflections and examples from our decades of work as researchers and teacher educators, and in response to the articles in this first part. Following the preamble, most reflections are presented in the form of a fresh trialogue, through which we share some perspectives and …

Equals In The Wild: How Mathematical Equality Is Talked About In Lessons, Robert Ward-Penny, Jenni Ingram, Kirstin Erath, Elizabeth Kimber, Núria Planas

The Mathematics Enthusiast

Equality is a nuanced concept in mathematics, and the equals sign is used and interpreted in different ways. During professional development in language-responsive teaching, a group of teachers discussed the use of ‘equals’ in algebra lessons. This article considers how three of these teachers went on to invoke equality in their classroom interactions when teaching other topics. The cases observed suggest constructive resonances between conceptions of ‘equals’ and geometric relationships, and include examples of teachers balancing precision with fluency. We argue that attention to language in one mathematical topic may extend helpfully to other topics, but this is not automatic.

A Prospective Mathematics Teacher’S Shifts In Tone Of Language From Ineffective To Effective Written Feedback On A Pupil’S Project, Samet Okumus

The Mathematics Enthusiast

In the present study, I analyze data from a prospective mathematics teacher, Oya, and her shift in the tone of language used in self-perceived ineffective and effective written feedback on a real pupil’s mathematics project. The results indicate that, in her ineffective feedback, Oya primarily provides neutral and negative responses, often highlighting the pupil’s mistakes in a harsh and judgmental manner. In contrast, her effective feedback demonstrates a wider range of tones, including a substantial amount of neutral feedback as well as solution-oriented comments. The study underscores the importance of tone in feedback, emphasizing how different language use and word …

An Operational Framework For Integrating Content, Cognition And Language Into Planning For Aen Mathematics Learners Within A Clil Context, Máire Ní Ríordáin, Craig Neville

The Mathematics Enthusiast

The growing diversity in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) classrooms, particularly the inclusion of Additional Educational Needs (AEN) learners, highlights an urgent need for research addressing their unique challenges. These students often face compounded difficulties, navigating the dual demands of mastering subject content and developing proficiency in the instructional language, with limited frameworks to support their needs. This article presents an operational framework for integrating content, cognition, and language into planning mathematics education for AEN learners. Grounded in theoretical approaches such as communicative competence, CAPA, and pluriliteracies, the framework addresses key challenges in developing mathematical literacy. The framework provides …

Teaching Talk Moves To Support The Discussion Of Divisibility Content In A Trilingual Classroom, Miquel Morell, Núria Planas

The Mathematics Enthusiast

In this article, we present our study of teaching talk moves and translanguaging practices used to support the discussion of divisibility in a Catalan–Spanish–English trilingual classroom of a secondary school. We examined a sequence of eleven lessons with a focus on seven talk moves – Switching languages, Revoicing, Recapping, Adding on, Focusing, Funneling and Eliciting. Through this we were able to identify some teaching episodes in which the attention was given to discussing specific mathematical–linguistic challenges involved in the learning and understanding of divisibility content. We illustrate this finding using an episode around the least common multiple and how interconnected …

Genre-Based Socialization Practices In Teaching And Learning Of Geometric Proof In Language Diverse Classrooms, Rabih El Mouhayar, Richard Barwell

The Mathematics Enthusiast

The present study reports on analysis of how two teachers in Lebanon, and their students navigated the learning and teaching of geometric proof in English, in a context in which Lebanese Arabic is the language of home and wider society. One of the teachers taught in a public school, the other in a private school. The study focuses on language socialization practices in the two grade-seven classrooms, in relation to the specific genre of geometric proof. The focus is not directly on proving as a cognitive process; rather, the study explores the interactional process of interpreting and constructing geometric proofs …

Standing Firm On Sustainability, Helge Muenkel

Asian Management Insights

As priorities evolve, sustainability continues to shape key business decisions for organisations.

Revisiting The Hydrostatic Assumption In The Marine Atmospheric Surface Layer, Karina Griffin

Honors Theses

The marine atmospheric surface layer (MASL), defined as the lowest ~100 m of the atmosphere overlying the ocean, is a complicated environment influenced by air-sea interactions and regional  weather patterns. In the absence of air motion, air pressure in the MASL decreases with altitude at  a constant rate due to the reduction in weight of the overlying air column. This relationship is  defined by a linear hydrostatic equation and is applied under the assumption that any dynamic  vertical pressure gradients will be small relative to the hydrostatic pressure gradient. The  hydrostatic assumption is commonly applied in the MASL despite the …