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Planets Are Not Points: The Profound Effect Of Planetary Structure On Exoplanet System Architectures, Tiger Chen Lu

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

The quantity and quality of astronomical data has advanced to the point in which truly detailed and nuanced theoretical models are necessary. In the field of exoplanetary dynamics, it has become increasingly clear that we must account for the effects of planetary structure when considering the dynamics of the system. In other words, Planets are not Points. This dissertation details my contributions to the field of exoplanet dynamics, split into three subcategories:

• Part I (Chapters 2 - 3): Numerical Methods & the N-Body Problem. These chapters discusses the numerical methods I have developed to study the analytically unsolvable N-Body …

Ole Rna Is A Component Of A Large Particle That Promotes Bacterial Growth Under Diverse Stresses, Seth Eugene Lyon

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Prior to the 1980s, RNA macromolecules were largely viewed as a transient carrier of the genetic code used for protein synthesis, with little chemical versatility beyond Watson-Crick-Franklin base-pairing. The discovery of catalytic RNAs in 1982, however, upended this view and established that RNA was a chemically capable biopolymer. Since then, several classes of RNA with functions independent from protein synthesis have been discovered in all domains of life. Excluding those that have functions relevant to protein translation, noncoding RNAs that are large (> 200 nt) and have a conserved, complex structure are rare in bacteria. However, as more bacteria were …

Computation And Estimation For Neural Networks Via Log-Concave Coupling, Curtis James Mcdonald

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

In this work, we consider a Bayesian method to train single-hidden-layer neural networks with ℓ1 controlled weights by defining posterior distributions using different subsets of the training data, and combining posterior means to form our estimators. We consider both a joint Bayesian model for all parameters of the neural network at once, and a greedy Bayes model training the neurons one at a time based on the residuals of previous fits.

The log-likelihoods of the posterior distributions we define are multimodal and nonconcave, so sampling algorithms such as Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) will not be rapidly mixing to …

Utilizing Graph Theory Algorithms For The Modeling And Analysis Of Covid-19 Infection Dynamics, Ioannis Adamopoulos, Antonios Valamontes, Niki Syrou, Jovanna Adamopoulou, Antonios Bardavouras

Mesopotamian Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

The COVID-19 outbreak has shown how urgently good models are needed to understand and project the dissemination of infectious diseases. Graph theory's excellent basis for presenting and analyzing complex networks helps one to grasp COVID-19 transmission dynamics. This work investigates the simulation and evaluation of the COVID-19 spread using multiple graph theory approaches. We utilize algorithms, including centrality assessments, community detection, and epidemic spreading models, to identify significant transmission channels and viable intervention sites; we also study the usage of network-building strategies to show relationships between individuals and communities. By incorporating real-world data with graph-based models, we demonstrate how these …

Social Justice Unionism: Intersectionality In The Twenty-First Century Workplace, Shirley Lin

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Dangers Of The Current “Global Deregulatory Drive” In Financial Regulation: Written Testimony Submitted To The Uk House Of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee, Arthur E. Wilmarth Jr.

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

This written testimony was submitted to the UK House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee in response to the Committee’s “Call for Evidence” regarding the growth of private credit markets since the global financial crisis of 2007-09 (https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9235/growth-of-private-markets-in-the-uk-following-reforms-introduced-after-2008). This written testimony was tendered in conjunction with the author’s oral testimony before the Committee on July 23, 2025, and addresses the following points:

1. As past deregulatory episodes have shown, the current “global deregulatory drive” to loosen financial regulation is likely to endanger global financial markets by encouraging excessive risk-taking by large banks and further expansion of “shadow banking” …

A "One Health" Approach To Healthy Food, Katya S. Cronin

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at BrooklynWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Brooklyn Law Review by an authorized editor of BrooklynWorks.

Quantum Computing In Discrete- And Continuous-Variable Architectures, Shraddha Singh

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

This dissertation develops a theoretical framework for hybrid discrete-variable (DV) and continuous-variable (CV) quantum systems, focusing on control, state preparation, and error correction. Quantum computing holds the potential to surpass classical computation in tasks such as factorization, secure communication, and quantum simulation. Hybrid CV-DV systems offer a promising path by combining the stability and long coherence times of oscillators with the fast gate operations of qubits.

A central contribution of this work is the development of “non-abelian quantum signal processing” (NA-QSP), a generalization of quantum signal processing (QSP) [1] where the control parameters are non-commuting quantum operators, such as oscillator …

Generational Exposures To Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles And Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid Affect The Performance Of Daughter Plants, Preston Clubb

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The effects of parental stress on the performance of next generation exposed to another contaminant were investigated. Wheat was exposed to cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) in first and second generations and exposed to perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in the third generation. Phenotypic or metabolic responses were assessed at 21-day (short-term exposure) or 90-day (long-term exposure) exposure periods. Biomass production, chlorophyll content, enzyme activity, and membrane damage were measured at short-term exposure, while elemental and PFOS concentrations, and grain metabolites were analyzed in long-term exposure. Results showed that continued exposures to CeO2-NPs and PFOS enhanced chlorophyll content but reduced concentrations of important …

Advancing Natural Resource Management Through Artificial Intelligence, Jonathan Fisk

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Natural aquatic systems are characterized by complex ecological processes and interactions occurring across multiple scales, and quantifying them is essential for proper management. However, managers often face decreasing budgets, increasing responsibilities, and limited staffing, resulting in challenges related to data prioritization, digitization, and management. While modern analytical technologies offer powerful tools, their effectiveness relies heavily on timely and accurate data input from diverse sources, including written, audio, and visual formats. Traditional data management practices are time-consuming, particularly due to the need for manual data verification. To address these challenges, innovative technologies leveraging artificial intelligence (AI)—including deep learning, machine learning, and …

Civilian Manufacturing And National Defense: Strategic Planning For Globalization's Challenges, Izeck Kohler

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis examines the interconnection between civilian manufacturing and national defense within the context of globalization. The study aims to identify the challenges faced by the United States in maintaining its manufacturing capabilities and to propose strategic solutions to address these challenges. Through a comprehensive analysis of historical data, case studies, and policy recommendations, the research highlights the critical role of specialized and process manufacturing sectors towards national defense. The findings suggest that the creation of a federal executive department, strategic investment, diversification, policy re-evaluation, and collaborating with allies are essential for sustaining national defense capabilities. The study concludes with …

The Role Of Sptbn1 Protein In Microglia Cells Actin Structure And Hiv-1 Infection, Rachel Pecka

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) directly attacks the host immune system by infecting and replicating in CD4-presenting immune cells. Like most viral pathogens, HIV utilizes cellular machinery to assist in viral entry, transport, and export. One of the components HIV is known to utilize for replication is the actin cytoskeleton. By directly binding to actin or actin-binding proteins, HIV can manipulate structural dynamics within the cell. The way HIV hijacks actin for replication post-viral fusion isn’t fully understood, especially during viral transport to the nucleus. A 2013 study conducted by Dai et al. found that lowering the expression of the cellular …

Livelihood Adaptive Strategies And Marginalization In Decision-Making: A Study Of Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (Glof) Vulnerable Communities In Northern Pakistan, Sobia Shah

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study examines livelihood adaptation strategies and the dynamics of marginalization in decision-making within communities vulnerable to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in Gilgit-Baltistan, Northern Pakistan. Grounded in a vulnerability framework encompassing exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, it addresses two objectives: identifying household and community-level adaptation strategies to GLOF risks and analyzing structural drivers of marginalization in adaptation decision-making. A mixed-methods design was used, combining a systematic review of GLOF measures in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region with a household survey of 150 respondents in Hassanabad and Hoper valleys. Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) assessed how socio-demographic, economic, institutional, and …

Tricolored Bat (Perimyotis Subflavus) Population Genetic Structure In The Southeastern United States, Laura Henderson

Master's Theses

Tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) have experienced substantial population losses from white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease caused by the pathogenic fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) which infects hibernating bats. Determining population genetic structure helps assess genetic diversity and the impacts of wildlife threats to populations. Pre-WNS data shows weak-to-negligible structure and panmictic P. subflavus populations at core portions of their range. However, current genetic data from their southeastern U.S. range is lacking. I sought to determine whether recent genetic data help resolve genetic structure among southeastern populations and assess genetic differences at two stages of impact: post-WNS and …

2025-2026 Course Catalog, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of The Registrar

University of Montana Course Catalogs, 1895-2024

An annual catalog of courses and course descriptions offered at the University of Montana.

University Faculty Association Collective Bargaining Agreement, 2025-2029, University Of Montana--Missoula. University Faculty Association

University Faculty Association Collective Bargaining Agreements, 1978-2025

Collective bargaining agreement between the University of Montana University Faculty Association [UFA] and the Montana University System.

Parafamily, Christina Mulligan

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Examining Risk Factors, Screening, And Survival Of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer In The United States, Sunny Siddique

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Background: In the United States (US), the incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC), defined as colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosed among individuals < 50 years of age, has been increasing rapidly. Compared to late-onset CRC (i.e., CRC diagnosed among individuals aged 50 years and older), EOCRC is characterized by more aggressive pathology and distinct genetic profiles, indicating that the etiology of EOCRC may be different. There have been a limited number of studies examining the risk factors of EOCRC, and none have focused on early life risk factors, which could be particularly relevant to early-onset diseases. In May 2021, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) reduced the recommended age of CRC screening from 50 years to 45 years, and the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the provision of preventive services across the country. These events could impact the patterns of screening for EOCRC, but no study has systematically assessed such impacts in a large sample of the US population. Furthermore, the role of ecological factors on survival disparities among individuals with EOCRC remains understudied, and prior studies evaluating these factors have not accounted for potential spatial correlation. These knowledge gaps warrant a set of epidemiological studies to clarify the risk factors, screening patterns, and prognostic factors of EOCRC.

Methods: We conducted three innovative research studies to understand EOCRC etiology, screening, and survival using a range of study designs and analytical methods. In the first study, we included 1,221 cases diagnosed with EOCRC at the age of 0-39 years during 1988-2021 and 61,050 controls without cancer matched on year of birth from the California Linkage Study of Early-Onset Cancers, which is a nested case-control study within the California birth cohort. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) …

Guiding Evolutionary Algorithms With Large Language Models To Learn Fuzzy Cognitive Maps, Ryan Schuerkamp, Philippe J. Giabbanelli

VMASC Publications

Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) are interpretable simulation models that represent causal relationships between concepts as a weighted digraph with labeled nodes. They serve to examine a system’s structure (e.g., what concepts are critical to spreading an intervention’s effects?) and long-term behavior (e.g., if we increase fruit availability, how will its consumption change?). When modelers build FCMs by leveraging participants’ knowledge, the resulting participant-built FCMs can be analyzed and interpreted since participants report perceived causality. However, engaging enough knowledgeable participants to construct an FCM can be challenging. Alternatively, machine learning algorithms derive FCMs from data by selecting relationships to maximize a …

A Spine-Specific Lexicon For The Sentiment Analysis Of Interviews With Adult Spinal Deformity Patients Correlate With Sf-36, Sf-36, And Odi Scores: A Pilot Study Of 25 Patients, Ross Gore, Michael M. Safaee, Christopher J. Lynch, Christopher P. Ames

VMASC Publications

Classic health-related quality of life (HRQOL) metrics are cumbersome, time-intensive, and subject to biases based on the patient’s native language, educational level, and cultural values. Natural language processing (NLP) converts text into quantitative metrics. Sentiment analysis enables subject matter experts to construct domain-specific lexicons that assign a value of either negative (−1) or positive (1) to certain words. The growth of telehealth provides opportunities to apply sentiment analysis to transcripts of adult spinal deformity patients’ visits to derive a novel and less biased HRQOL metric. In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of constructing a spine-specific lexicon for sentiment analysis …

Are We Ready For Synchronous Conceptual Modeling In Augmented Reality? A Usability Study On Causal Maps With Hololens 2, Anish Shrestha, Philippe J. Giabbanelli

VMASC Publications

(1) Background: Participatory modeling requires combining individual views to create a shared conceptual model. While remote collaboration tools have enabled synchronous online modeling, they are limited to desktop settings. Augmented reality (AR) offers a new approach by potentially providing the sense of presence found in physical collaboration, which may better support participants in achieving the sense of presence found in physical locations, thus supporting them in negotiating meaning and building a shared model. (2) Methods: Building on prior works that developed technology, we performed a usability study with pairs of modelers to examine their ability at performing key conceptual modeling …

Quantum-Augmented Ai/Ml For O-Ran: Hierarchical Threat Detection For Synergistic Intelligence And Interpretability, Tan Le, Vanessa Le, Sachin Shetty

VMASC Publications

Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN) enhance modularity and telemetry granularity but also widen the cybersecurity attack surface across disaggregated control, user and management planes. We propose a hierarchical defense framework with three coordinated layers—anomaly detection, intrusion confirmation, and multiattack classification—each aligned with O-RAN’s telemetry stack. Our approach integrates hybrid quantum computing and machine learning, leveraging amplitude- and entanglement-based feature encodings with deep and ensemble classifiers. We conduct extensive benchmarking across synthetic and real-world telemetry, evaluating encoding depth, architectural variants, and diagnostic fidelity. The framework consistently achieves near-perfect accuracy, high recall, and strong class separability. Multi-faceted evaluation across decision boundaries, probabilistic …

It's My Data And I'Ll Protect It If I Want To: A Proposal To Standardize Biometric Data Privacy Laws Between The United States And European Union, Haley Rubin

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

No abstract provided.

Nationally Determined Contributions Post-Global Stocktake: The Making Of Prescribed Qualified Unilateral Acts In International Law, Petra Minnerop

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

No abstract provided.

Data Property & Digital Sales, Christina Mulligan

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Mat 2270 : Technology In Mathematics, Mathematics And Computer Science

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

The First Iucn Red List Of Cold-Water Corals Highlights Global Declines, Julia D. Sigwart, A. Louise Allcock, Renata Carolina Mikosz Arantes, Kelsey Archer Barnhill, Narissa Bax, Julia S. Beneti, Saskia Brix, Gudmundur Gudmundsson, Catherine S. Mcfadden, Severin A. Korfhage, Christi Linardich, Declan Morrissey, Pedro De Oliveira Nascimento, Bárbara De Moura Neves, Steinunn H. Ólafsdóttir, Stefán Ragnarsson, Kaveh Samimi-Namin, Íris Sampaio, Mark E. De Wilt

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The most well-known species-based conservation tool is the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The current coverage of species in the Red List is known to under-represent benthic marine species. Cold-water corals (CWCs) are increasingly recognised as key to deep-water biodiversity and integral to protected vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs), but no deep-sea coral species were previously included in the Red List. We selected 22 cold-water coral species in the Northeast Atlantic, including 4 reef-forming stony corals and 18 octocorals including sea pens and gorgonians, and completed the first IUCN Red List global assessments …

A Blueprint To Greener Shorelines: Advancing The Effectiveness, Sustainability, And Widespread Adoption Of Coastal Nature-Based Solutions Through Transdisciplinary Research, Taylor M. Sloey, Sierra Hildebrandt, Rebecca L. Morris, Matthew V. Bilskie, Aaron Bland, David Bushek, Gabriella Dipetto, Daniel Elefant, Vincent Encomio, Ramin Familkhalili, Christine Hladik, Danielle Kreeger, Avery B. Paxton, Cindy M. Palinkas, Latina Steele, Andrew Scheld, Daisuke Taira, Jason D. Toft, Armando J. Ubeda, Christine Whitcraft, Donna Marie Bilkovic

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Coastal nature-based solutions (NbS) have emerged as powerful tools to enhance sustainable development and ecological restoration goals. As a rapidly growing field spanning across social, political, ecological, economic, and engineering disciplines, it is critical that researchers working in coastal NbS regularly attempt to identify emerging focal areas for scientific inquiry. Following the 27th Biennial meeting of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, we provide a transdisciplinary perspective (including biologists, engineers, oceanographers, geoscientists, economists, and facilitators of workforce training programs) of pertinent research questions that, if answered, will advance the effectiveness, sustainability, and widespread adoption of coastal NbS. These suggestions for …

Thermal Tolerance Limits Of Mesophotic Corals In American Samoa, Daniel Barshis, Veronica Z. Radice, Katherine E. Parker, Nicholas Evensen

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We analyzed the thermal tolerances of multiple coral species from an upper mesophotic (38–40m) and a shallow reef (5–10m) with our portable Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS). Depth generalist Montipora grisea (deep and shallow) and depth specialists Pachyseris speciosa and Leptoseris sp. (deep only) were assayed from Leone, located on the western coast of Tutuila in American Samoa. Fragments from 10 genotypes of each species were exposed to a 17-hour thermal stress assay reaching four maximum temperatures ranging from 30–38°C under in situ light conditions (150 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ under a Lee Filters “deep …

Form And Function In Mobulids: A Comparative Analysis Of Filter Morphology With Bioinspiration Applications, 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 …