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An Analysis Of Lichen Presence On Quercus And Non-Quercus In Chicagoland Area, Shelby Johnson

DePaul Discoveries

Both anthropogenic change and the spread of invasive species have led to changes in urban and forest tree diversity. Oak rust, acute oak decline, and emerald ash borer have all had a detrimental effect on tree species in the Chicagoland area. Quercus species are well known habitats for lichen species including Physcia millegrana, Physcia stellaris, Punctelia rudecta, Flavoparmelia caperata, Xanthomendosa, and Candeleria concolor. Due to the decrease in the traditional Quercus habitats for lichen and the increase in nonnative and nontraditional tree species being introduced, particularly in cities, this study aimed to compare the number and diversity of …

Instrument Building For Detection Of Triplet Signal From Quinolinone Molecules, Brooke Weitzel

DePaul Discoveries

Conjugated organic molecules such as the 2-quinolinone family can be used as energy-donor molecules in photocatalysis because of their light absorbing and energy transmitting qualities. Good donor molecules have triplet excited states that are useful for photocatalysis due to their long lifetimes. The goal of this research was to build a near-infrared emission spectroscopy instrument to observe a triplet signal in a set of five previously synthesized 2-quinolinone molecules. A near-infrared absorbance instrument was built successfully with accurate measurements; however, there was no detection of the desired triplet emission signal.

Modeling Exciton Migration In Two-Dimensional Space, Christian D. Etnyre

DePaul Discoveries

Computational analysis through density matrix quantum mechanics was performed to model exciton migration in two-dimensional space for a zinc-substituted tetraazaphthalocyanine. The model produced resembles a two-dimensional sheet of molecules. Energy transport mechanisms, controlled by point dipole couplings, were evaluated while altering the size of the crystal lattice. It was determined that energy transport was much more significant with a decreasing size of the crystal lattice. Likewise, the result of increasing the size of the crystal lattice had the effect of dampening the rate of energy transport. It was of interest to determine, with varying crystal lattice dimensions, the time that …

Calculating And Comparing Bioaccessible Lead Concentrations In Soils From The Garfield Ridge, West Elsdon, And Lakeview Community Areas Using A Pbet And A Mehlich-3 Digestion Method, Emma Sznewajs

DePaul Discoveries

Lead exposure through soil poses potential health risks to those in areas with higher soil-Pb levels, specifically urban areas. The soil-lead concentrations recommended by the EPA are based on measurement of total lead concentration, yet only a percentage of the total lead can actually be absorbed into the body. The percentage of lead in soil that can be absorbed into the blood through ingestion is reffered to as bioaccessible lead and can be a more accurate way of measuring potential dangers of lead in soils. This study measured the amount of bioaccessible lead in the community areas of West Elsdon, …

Particulate Matter Emissions From Prescribed Burns In The Chicagoland Area, Katherine Petralia

DePaul Discoveries

Prescribed burns are a land management tool currently used to aid in fire mitigation and promotion of plant growth of desired species and reduction of undesired species, which are often invasive species. Currently there is public stigma surrounding prescribed burns which limits their use in certain parts of the US. There are also particular challenges of conducting prescribed burns in urban and suburban areas. A better understanding of prescribed burns and their impact on atmospheric chemistry and air quality can allow for better communication with the public about their positive impacts and also acknowledge and quantify any potential drawbacks. This …

The Influence Of Vehicular Traffic And Land Use Typology On The Spatial Patterns And Concentrations Of Soil Lead (Pb) In The Uptown Community Area Of Chicago, Andreas 'Dre' Harris

DePaul Discoveries

Lead (Pb) is a harmful element whose presence threatens the well-being of living organisms and their environments. There are higher concentrations and an increased risk of Pb exposure in areas that provide fewer natural pathways for Pb to accumulate into. In urban areas, the soil is one of the most common and available environmental sinks for Pb accumulation. This study examines the total soil Pb concentrations in relation to land-use types and average daily traffic volumes (cars/day) in each census tract in the Uptown Community Area of Chicago. This study provides insight into how land use and traffic volume may …

Understanding The Effect Of Ranching On Quercus Brandegeei Recruitment In The Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve, Xavier O. Espinoza

DePaul Discoveries

In this study, we attempt to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for Quercus brandegeei’s observed lack of regeneration by identifying which animal species (wild and domesticated) most frequently were observed eating, passing by, or searching for seeds and seedlings. We established 10 paired plots (10 enclosed and 10 immediately outside enclosures) and positioned one motion-activated camera in each plot to observe animal visitations to Quercus brandegeei individuals over the course of several months (October 2019 – March 2020). No seeds and seedlings survived outside of enclosed areas at the end of the study based on their absence. Very …

2023 Chairs’ Welcome, Daniel Moreira, Aparna Bharati, Cecilia Pasquini, Yassine Yousfi

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Welcome to the 11th edition of the ACM Workshop on Information Hiding and Multimedia Security (IH&MMSec ‘23). This year’s workshop continues the tradition of representing one of the prime events in information hiding and multimedia security, attracting researchers and practitioners worldwide. Carrying on with the efforts of the previous edition to overcome the Pandemics and reunite the IH&MMSec community to present and discuss their work, this year’s meeting is held fully in person at the Water Tower Campus of Loyola University Chicago, located right at the heart of the Windy City. Bathed by the fresh waters of Lake Michigan, Chicago …

Synthesis Of Constrained N-Heterocyclic Peptidomimetics And Development Of Strain-Release Reagents, Kyle P. Pedretty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Part 1:The initial portion of this dissertation delves into the enhancement of β-sheet secondary structure stability through modification of the peptide backbone while examining the conformational characteristics of peptides featuring N-amino substituents. The investigation consists of two major studies, presented in separate sections. The first study outlines various approaches to achieve stable β-hairpin folds by introducing N-amino substituents to peptide strands. A novel method utilizing on-resin Mitsunobu cyclization between α-hydrazino acid residues and a serine or homoserine side chain was utilized to incorporate pyrazolidinone and tetrahydropyridazinone dipeptide constraints. To evaluate the impact of cyclic N-amino peptide building blocks on β-hairpin …

A Novel Peptide 'T14' Reflects Age And Photo-Aging In Human Skin, Sheila Rocha, Sara Garcia Ratés, Tumisang Moswete, Kristopher Kalleberg, Anna Villa, Jason P Harcup, Susan A Greenfield

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

T14 is a 14mer peptide derived from the C-terminus of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Once cleaved, it is independently bioactive of the parent molecule and enhances calcium influx in different cell types, in a range of scenarios: it binds to an allosteric site selectively on the alpha-7 receptor, where it modulates calcium influx and is thus a potential trophic agent, as already reported in a range of normal developmental scenarios. However, if inappropriately activated, this erstwhile beneficial effect converts to a toxic one, resulting in pathologies as disparate as Alzheimer’s and various metastatic cancers. Given that epidermal keratinocyte cells have the same …

Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogel From Seeds Of Artemisia Vulgaris: Extraction Optimization By Box–Behnken Design, Ph-Responsiveness, And Sustained Drug Release, Muhammad Ajaz Hussain, Arshad Ali, Tariq G Alsahli, Nadia Khan, Ahsan Sharif, Muhammad Tahir Haseeb, Omar Awad Alsaidan, Muhammad Tayyab, Syed Nasir Abbas Bukhari

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The current research work focuses on the extraction and optimization of the hydrogel (AVM) from the seeds of Artemisia vulgaris using Box–Behnken design-response surface methodology (BBD-RSM). The AVM was obtained through a hot water extraction process. The influence of different factors, including pH (U = 4 to 10), temperature (V = 25 to 110 °C), seed/water ratio, i.e., S/W ratio (W = 1/10 to 1/70 w/v), and seed/water contact time, i.e., S/W time (X = 1 to 12 h) on the yield of AVM was evaluated. The p-value for the analysis of variance (ANOVA) was found …

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Georgia Southern University Launches New School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability

Properties Of Redefined Neutrosophic Composite Relation, Sudeep Dey, Gautam Chandra Ray

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

The notion of single-valued neutrosophic composite relation was redefined by S.Dey and G.C.Ray in the year 2022. In this article, we investigate some basic properties of the redefined neutrosophic composite relation.

Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Park Field Sampling Plan (Fsp) Submittal #9 [Covering Centerville Skating Rink, Belmont Senior Citizens Center, High Altitude Skating Rink, Missoula Gulch Ballfield Play Area, Mac Facilities, Butte Family Ymca, Church Of Christ, And Montana Tech South Campus] (Dated June 22, 2023), Nikia Greene

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Exploring Novel Two Dimensional Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors And Heterostructures For Spintronics Applications, Thi Hai Yen Pham

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) semiconductors hold enormous potential for modern optoelectronic devices, magnetic sensing, and quantum communications. Long-range ferromagnetism can be induced in TMD monolayers by introducing a small amount of magnetic dopants to form diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs), making them promising candidates for applications in ultralow-power and ultracompact spintronic nanodevices. This dissertation research aims to address two contemporary challenges in the fields of nano-magnetism and spintronics: controllability of magnetic dopants in TMD monolayers in the form of MX2 (M = W, Mo; X = S, Se) and understanding the fundamental physical mechanisms that give rise to magnetism …

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Park Field Sampling Plan (Fsp) Submittal #9 [Covering Centerville Skating Rink, Belmont Senior Citizens Center, High Altitude Skating Rink, Missoula Gulch Ballfield Play Area, Mac Facilities, Butte Family Ymca, Church Of Christ, And Montana Tech South Campus] (Dated June 22, 2023), Nikia Greene

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Quaternion Neural Network Backpropagation Algorithms, Jeremiah Bill, Bruce A. Cox, Lance Champaign

Faculty Publications

This research paper focuses on quaternion neural networks (QNNs) - a type of neural network wherein the weights, biases, and input values are all represented as quaternion numbers. Previous studies have shown that QNNs outperform real-valued neural networks in basic tasks and have potential in high-dimensional problem spaces. However, research on QNNs has been fragmented, with contributions from different mathematical and engineering domains leading to unintentional overlap in QNN literature. This work aims to unify existing research by evaluating four distinct QNN backpropagation algorithms, including the novel GHR-calculus backpropagation algorithm, and providing concise, scalable implementations of each algorithm using a …

Intrinsic Point Defects (Vacancies And Antisites) In Cdgep2 Crystals, Timothy D. Gustafson, Nancy C. Giles, Peter G. Schunemann, Kevin T. Zawilski, Kent L. Averett, Jonathan E. Slagle, Larry E. Halliburton

Faculty Publications

Cadmium germanium diphosphide (CdGeP₂) crystals, with versatile terahertz-generating properties, belong to the chalcopyrite family of nonlinear optical materials. Other widely investigated members of this family are ZnGeP₂ and CdSiP₂. The room-temperature absorption edge of CdGeP₂ is near 1.72 eV (720 nm). Cadmium vacancies, phosphorous vacancies, and germanium-on-cadmium antisites are present in as-grown CdGeP₂ crystals. These unintentional intrinsic point defects are best studied below room temperature with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and optical absorption. Prior to exposure to light, the defects are in charge states that have no unpaired spins. Illuminating a CdGeP_{2 …}

A Developmental Study On Video Games In Helping To Educate And Improve Learning Capabilities Of Students In Mathematics, Gabriel Angelo C. Soliman, Jana Maxine S. Cachola, Vince Rylie S. Olarte, Carlo Miguel R. Sambua, Emmielyn Andrea Q. Bardiano

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress

Analyzing the positive impact of mathematical video games is a multifaceted process that extends beyond mere observation of students' gameplay. This research delved into a comprehensive exploration of requirements, objectives, target audience, and specific considerations pertaining to mathematics education. Employing a three-phase methodology, the study aimed to develop an interactive educational video game specifically tailored for mathematics learning. During Phase 1, an extensive analysis of existing educational games and relevant literature was conducted to identify the key factors necessary for designing effective and engaging educational video games. Drawing insights from Phase 1, Phase 2 focused on designing the video game …

Retrospective Evaluation Of Online Laboratory Simulations In Distance Chemistry Courses Based On Experiences And Perceived Learning Of Grade 11 Stem Students From Dlsu-Is, A.Y. 2021-2022, Joshua Immanuel B. Abuyuan, Joeknell Clarence O. De Vera, Gabriel P. Macatangay, Lorenzo Alfred B. Nery

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress

One type of online course design is online laboratory simulations, which are interactive, virtual depictions of actual laboratory processes commonly used in chemistry that are accessible through the internet using devices such as personal computers. The goal of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the usage of the said medium in terms of student experiences and their perceived learning. The researchers achieved this in the context of four Labster simulations used by 85 Grade 11 STEM students in De La Salle University Integrated School in the subject General Chemistry 1 Laboratory last A.Y. 2021-2022. The data collection method of the …

Two Different Approaches To Dry-Land Training Do Not Improve The Water Performance Of Swimmers, Matheus Silva Norberto, Carlos Augusto Kalva-Filho, Guilherme Navarro Schneider, Eduardo Zapaterra Campos, Marcelo Papoti

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(6): 770-790, 2023. Literature diverges about the performance improvement after dry-land training. Thus, the objective of the present study was to compare the effect of two models of dry-land training. Twenty-nine swimmers were divided into three groups, combined strength and power training (PTG), only strength training (STG), and a control group (CG). Measurements were taken for six weeks, before dry-land exposure (M1), after four weeks of specific training with exposure to dry-land training by two groups (M2), and after two weeks of taper without exposure to dry-land training (M3). Strength in specific exercises, jumping tests, …

Student’S Satisfaction And Perceptions: Quality Of School Facilities And Its Influence On Students' Learning Motivation In A Private School, Joseph Lawrence S. Claveria, Peter Samuel P. Leal, Daniel K. Paclibar, Adrienne Venice Austine L. Page, Shekinah Chireen B. Sandigan

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress

The primary benefit of having high-quality facilities for students is that they are inspired to work hard in their studies since they study at a better school. The quality of the facilities at the schools is a key determinant of education quality. It is one of the standards used to evaluate the extent of educational development and growth. The purpose of this study is to assess student satisfaction with school facilities, how this influences their motivation, and generate possible suggestions for the improvement of the institution. This research used a correlational design. The researchers used questionnaires as an instrument for …

Why Atlas Hasn't Shrugged: Review Essay, Ajay K. Mehrotra

Florida Tax Review

Review of Taxing the Rich: A History of Fiscal Fairness in the United State and Europe. By Kenneth Scheve & David Stasavage. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. 2016. Pp. xv, 266.

N–((2–Acetylphenyl)Carbamothioyl)Benzamide: Synthesis, Crystal Structure Analysis, And Theoretical Studies, Akin Oztaslar, Hakan Arslan

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

N–((2–Acetylphenyl)carbamothioyl)benzamide has been synthesized and characterized. The molecular conformation of the investigated compound is stabilized by C16–H16B⋅⋅⋅O2ⁱ (i: 1+x, y, z) intermolecular and C14–H14⋅⋅⋅S1, N2–H2⋅⋅⋅O2, and N2–H2⋅⋅⋅O1 intramolecular H–bonds. All DFT calculations have been implemented at the B3LYP level with the 6–311G(d,p) basis set. The optimized molecular structure parameters have been compared with the experimental one in the solid phase. The energy gap, global chemical reactivity descriptor parameters, MEP, Fukui functions, DoS, NLO, and NBO analysis were also computed and investigated. The intermolecular interactions and their energies are evaluated using Hirshfeld surface and energy framework analyses. To determine …

Eutectic Formation And Cutaneous Wound Healing By Binary Allantoin- Octadecenedioic Acid System, Syed Waqar Hussain Shah, Farah Ali, Iram Bibi, Kashif Ali, Neelam Pervaiz, Mariyum Yousaf

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Eutectic formation in allantoin-octadecenedioic acid system (AOM) has been studied. The binary phase diagram revealed the existence of eutectic at X_allantoin = 0.7. Dioic acid caused disruption of network in allantoin and induced defects, ultimately causing the reduction in crystallinity as shown by XRD and SEM analysis. The thermal stability in TGA graphs of allantoin was negligibly altered after mixture formation. Classical hydrogen bonding and alkyl interactions were predicted using software Avogadro and BIOVIA Discovery Studio. The functionalities involved in interactions taking place in the system were studied through in-depth FT-IR spectroscopy. The eutectic showed efficacy for cutaneous wound …

Applications Of Uavs In Mine Industry: A Scoping Review, Dang Tuyet Minh, Nguyen Ba Dung

Journal of Sustainable Mining

In recent years, a variety of technologies have improved mining operations. One of them is the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), the emerging technology that has been changing the mining process, boosting mining safety and productivity. The main purpose of this paper is to review the applications of UAVs in the mining industry based on the results of 113 research papers over the past twelve years, from 2010 to May 2022. The potential applications of UAVs in the mining industry are broad. Based on the paper identified, eight categories are used to classify UAV applications in the mining sector. The reviewed …

Can You Answer This? - Exploring Zero-Shot Qa Generalization Capabilities In Large Language Models, Saptarshi Sengupta, Shreya Ghosh, Preslav Nakov, Prasenjit Mitra

Natural Language Processing Faculty Publications

The buzz around Transformer-based Language Models (TLMs) such as BERT, RoBERTa, etc. is well-founded owing to their impressive results on an array of tasks. However, when applied to areas needing specialized knowledge (closed-domain), such as medical, finance, etc. their performance takes drastic hits, sometimes more than their older recurrent/convolutional counterparts. In this paper, we explore zero-shot capabilities of large language models for extractive Question Answering. Our objective is to examine the performance change in the face of domain drift, i.e., when the target domain data is vastly different in semantic and statistical properties from the source domain, in an attempt …

Investigating The Corporate Governance And Sustainability Relationship: A Bibliometric Analysis Using Keyword-Ensemble Community Detection, Carlo Drago, Fabio Fortuna

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei Working Papers

Sustainability is a business strategy combining economic, social, and environmental issues. This paper examines the corporate governance and sustainability literature. So we consider a new bibliometric database focusing on the network of keywords appearing in the literature. The quantitative approach is also new: we combine the information from different community detection algorithms to find the most important results and relationships in the literature. The final results show that the literature on corporate governance and sustainability raises an essential strategic question: for long-term sustainability if there needs to be a strong link between stakeholders and corporate social responsibility (CSR). So, considering …

Adversarial Alignment For Source Free Object Detection, Qiaosong Chu, Shuyan Li, Guangyi Chen, Kai Li, Xiu Li

Machine Learning Faculty Publications

Source-free object detection (SFOD) aims to transfer a detector pre-trained on a label-rich source domain to an unlabeled target domain without seeing source data. While most existing SFOD methods generate pseudo labels via a source-pretrained model to guide training, these pseudo labels usually contain high noises due to heavy domain discrepancy. In order to obtain better pseudo supervisions, we divide the target domain into source-similar and source-dissimilar parts and align them in the feature space by adversarial learning. Specifically, we design a detection variance-based criterion to divide the target domain. This criterion is motivated by a finding that larger detection …