Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Artificial Intelligence In The Medical Field: Medical Review Sentiment Analysis, Nicholas Podlesak

Honors Capstones

In this research project, natural language processing techniques’ ability to accurately classify medical text was measured to reinforce the relevance of artificial intelligence in the medical field. Sentiment analyses (analyses to determine whether the text was positive or negative) were performed on the prescription drug reviews in an open-source dataset using four different models: lexical, a neural network, a support vector machine, and a logistic regression model. Each model’s effectiveness was gauged by its ability to correctly classify unlabeled drug reviews (i.e., a percentage representing accuracy). The machine learning models were able to accurately classify the text, while the lexical …

Jlootbox: An Agent-Based Model Of Social Influence And Gambling In Online Video Games, Lila Zayed

Honors Capstones

Loot boxes are digital treasure chests that players spend real money to purchase, wherein the contents are randomly generated. Since players spend money on the pretense they might receive something valuable, many comparisons have been drawn to gambling behavior as the reward is up to chance. To explore this phenomenon, agent-based modeling will be used to simulate this behavior. Agent-based modeling allows us to create heterogenous agents who follow simple rules so that we may observe emergent behavior in a population. An agent-based model was created using Repast Simphony for this end.

Parameters included the player’s internal decision strategy around …

Comparative Transcriptomic Study Between Cyanobacteria That Contain Chlorophyll D And Those That Lack Chlorophyll D, Fernanda Montoya

Honors Capstones

All cyanobacteria, which perform oxygenic photosynthesis on Earth, contain the photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll a (Chl a) that absorbs light in the violet and red region of the visible spectrum. Cyanobacteria of the Acaryochloris species, however, contain the rare photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll d (Chl d) that absorbs light in the far-red region. Chl d’s ability to absorb light in this region allows it to avoid competing with other photosynthetic organisms for light. Creating a photosystem that uses Chl d in plants would be of great use for agricultural land optimization, but requires knowledge of the biosynthetic pathways of …

Factors Affecting Time To Recovery: A Covid-19 Survival Analysis, Fernanda Montoya

Honors Capstones

This project is focused on the recovery rates of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 after different clinical trial drug treatments. Data for the clinical trial studied was obtained from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for the primary purpose of a survival analysis on patient time to recovery under a placebo and therapeutic drug treatment. Specifically, patients in this clinical trial were randomly selected to receive remdesivir, an antiviral drug, in combination with a placebo or baricitinib, a janus kinase inhibitor drug. Cox PH models were used to identify how the different treatment drugs affect time to recovery and …

Simulation, Optimization, And Economic Assessment Of Pelamis Wave Energy Converter, Hana Ghaneei, Mohammadreza Mahmoudi

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Wave energy and power is accessible on almost any body of water. One of the most widely known floating structures to generate renewable energy from the seas and the ocean is wave energy converter Pelamis. In this study, an attempt was made to simulate the dynamic behaviour of Pelamis P2 in the software AQWA under the influence of a nonlinear second-order Stokes wave. Pelamis P2 was simulated in different marine conditions including different water depths, wave heights, periods, and angles to assess its optimal operation. With the results in mind, it can be argued that with an increase in water …

Compact Wakefield Accelerator With Advanced Beam Manipulations, Wei Hou Tan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Beam-driven structure wakefield acceleration is an advanced accelerator concept proposedto develop accelerators with much smaller footprints than conventional state-of-the-art accelerators at a similar energy scale. The concept relies on the generation of electromagnetics wakefields through the interaction of a highly charged “drive” beam with a structure, such as a waveguide, to accelerate a following bright “witness” beam with produced wakefields. This dissertation discusses three aspects critical to structure-wakefield accelerators: the manipulation of the drive beam for efficient wakefield acceleration, the development of a photoinjector capable of producing bright witness electron beams, and the investigation of beam instability in a wakefield …

Analysis Of Deformation Near Salt Structures: Geomechanical Modeling And Case Studies From The Paradox Basin, Utah, And Flinders Ranges, South Australia, Mackenzie Anne Wegmann

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis utilizes detailed field studies and numerical simulations to characterize near- salt deformation patterns. Establishing possible deformation patterns and their evolution helps to constrain assumptions within geomechanical models and aids in the evaluation of prospects that rely on trapping at or near the salt-sediment interface. For the field studies, I use a combination of mesoscopic structural analysis, drone photogrammetry, and 3D modeling to analyze variation in deformation patterns at a scale of meters to hundreds of meters along transects moving horizontally away from the salt-sediment interface adjacent to the western end of the Onion Creek salt diapir (OCSD) in …

Analyzing Multistationarity In A Model Of A Dual Phosphorylation Network, Killian Kearney Anderson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Otero-Muras, Banga, and Alonso in [18] state biological reaction systems exhibit multistationarity, a system with at least two positive steady states. According to Otero-Muras,Banga, and Alonso in [18], initial conditions within the system, however, dictate the number of stable states in that system. Furthermore, multistationarity is an important componenet present in biological reaction systems that manage cellular responses [18]. Signal pathways regulating cell maturation, cell replication, and cell death rely on such systems [18]. Given the importance of multistationarity in biological reaction systems, it is necessary to construct a mathematical model, one in which multistationarity will be configured. More importantly, …

Microfabric Analysis Of Mid-Pliocene Amundsen Sea Interglacial Sediments Demonstrates A Link Between Iceberg Melt And Diatom Productivity (Iodp Exp. 379), Heather Leanne Furlong

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Anthropogenically induced climate change in the polar regions has rapidly become an emergent global issue, especially for low-lying coastal communities, which are most affected by sea-level rise. The future of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is of significant concern due to its history of instability and retreat, especially in light of the observed ongoing changes. Establishing rates of retreat is critical to forecasting future behavior of the WAIS, and previous studies have been unable to establish rates of ice sheet collapse in part because Antarctic continental shelf records are impacted by erosional hiatuses. In 2019, International Ocean Discovery Program …

Transport Of Polyethylene Microplastic Spheres In A Sandy Aquifer, Alyssa Marie Graveline

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Microplastic particles are currently listed as a Contaminant of Emerging Concern (CEC) since they are in much of Earth’s water systems and recent studies indicate plastic particles can sorb toxic contaminants. Microplastics (MP) are defined as plastic particles under 5 mm in length. Currently, there is a paucity of data on the transport of MP in the subsurface. This study investigated the transport, filtration, retardation, and influence of 5-100ߎm plastic polyethylene spheres in a shallow sandy aquifer over a distance of 1m by utilizing two forced hydraulic gradient tracer studies. Slug tests were used to estimate hydraulic conductivity prior and …

Comparison Of Topsoil Moisture In E3sm Model Simulations And In-Situ Observations Over Illinois, Jacinda Lee Mayer

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Soil moisture stimulates land-atmosphere interactions by modifying energy and water fluxes in the boundary layer and it plays an important role in climate change studies. The objective of this research is to quantify the spatial and temporal variations of the Illinois Climate Network’s (ICN) observed topsoil moisture, as well as evaluate how accurately the new climate model, E3SM, is simulating soil moisture compared to the observed data during 2003-2014. Observed topsoil moisture averaged over growing season during the 12-year period indicates a general dry-north and wet-south pattern in Illinois, and northeast and southwest become drier with the progression of the …

Engagement Detection Using Prosodic Cues: An Approach For Measuring Child Emotional Engagement Level In Child-Robot Interaction Scenario, Mustafa Oztoprak

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The ultimate goal of advanced child-robot interaction is to develop a high-level intelligencecommunication channel in a closed-loop configuration with the child as the focal point of the instructional scenario. This goal can be met by establishing efficient sensing mechanisms on the robot’s side, such as automatic engagement measuring, which will allow the robot to alter its behavior or even the instructional scenario’s execution.Recent researches, regarding engagement recognition systems mostly based on facial or multi-modal features.We would like to investigate this topic using prosodic cues only. We believe speech characteristics are more likely to be related to child speaker engagement level.This …

Search For Charged Higgs Bosons In The Tau+Nu Final State With 139 Inverse Fb Of Pp Collision Data At Sqrt(S)=13 Tev With The Atlas Experiment, Elliot Wesley Parrish

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation uses 139 inverse fb of pp collision data collected at a center of mass energy of sqrt(s)=13 TeV by the ATLAS detector to search for charged Higgs bosons decaying to a tau lepton and a neutrino in association with a top quark. Two subchannels are defined based on the leptonic decay (tau+lepton) or hadronic decay (tau+jets) of the associated top quark. Parameterized Neural Networks are investigated and optimized to improve signal separation from background in both subchannels across a wide charged Higgs boson mass range of 80 GeV to 3000 GeV. Expected exclusion limits at 95% confidence on …

Synthesis And Advanced Characterization Of Energy Materials, Erik Sarnello

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Catalysts are used in an extremely broad range of systems including everything from biological systems to industrial processes. An ideal catalyst offers robust stability and high activity. This work focuses on the synthesis and characterization of materials that show promise in the field of catalysis. Advanced synchrotron characterization techniques and unique experimental design are highlighted to provide foundation work that will provide the necessary information to aid in designing and fabricating catalytic materials. Supported metal nanoparticle (SMN) catalysts are enormously crucial for many catalytic applications. However, catalyst deactivation, caused by sintering and coke formation, is a ubiquitous problem that significantly …

Covidalert - A Wristwatch-Based System To Alert Users From Face Touching, Mrinmoy Roy

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Worldwide 219 million people have been infected and 4.5 million have lost their lives in ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Until vaccines became widely available, precautions and safety measures like wearing masks, physical distancing, avoiding face touching were some of the primary means to curb the spread of virus. Face touching is a compulsive human behavior that can not be prevented without constantly making a conscious effort, even then it is inevitable. To address this problem, we have designed a smartwatch-based solution, CovidAlert, that leverages Random Forest algorithm trained on accelerometer and gyroscope data from the smartwatch to detect hand transition to …

Conductors For Maximal Orders Of Group Rings Over Local Fields, Brooke Randazzo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines conductors for maximal orders of group rings, $FD$, contained in integral group rings, $\mathcal{O}_F D$, where $D$ is a finite group, $F$ a local field, and $\mathcal{O}_F$ its discrete valuation ring. (Given two rings $R \subseteq S$, the conductor of $S$ in $R$, if it exists, is the largest ideal of $S$ contained in $R$.) First, we use a theorem of Jacobinski to make this conductor explicit where $F$ is a particular extension of $\mathbb{Q}_p$ of varying ramification index and $D$ is any elementary abelian $p$-group. Next, we examine this conductor problem for this same $F$ within …

Impact Of Public And Private Investments On Economic Growth Of Developing Countries, Faruque Ahamed

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This paper aims to study the impact of public and private investments on the economic growth of developing countries. The study uses panel data from 39 developing countries covering the periods 1990-2019. The study is based on the neoclassical growth models or exogenous growth models in which land, labor, capital accumulation, etc., and technology proved substantial for economic growth. The paper uses the impact on overall GDP growth and GDP per capita growth. The study used a mixed-effect regression model and a Bayesian logistic regression model to derive the findings. For private investments, domestic credit has a positive association, but …

Impact Of Type And Shape On The Transport Of Microplastics In Column Experiments, Cheyanne Amanda Schenkel

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The pervasive nature of plastic and the longevity of plastic compounds leaves a legacy of plastics and microplastics (MPs) that contaminate our environment, including drinking water sources. Although MPs have been well documented in every environmental setting, a paucity of research has focused on the transport and fate of MPs in groundwater systems. Previous field and lab studies have shown that MPs can migrate through aquifer material and that their retention and retardation are influenced by changing environmental factors. This study used coarse, well-sorted sand in controlled column experiments to investigate the influence of polymer type (PA, PE, PP, PEST) …

Evaluating Holocene Precipitation Variability In The Baltic Region Using Oxygen Isotopes Of Lacustrine Carbonate From Estonia, Maxwell Gordon Boes

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A high-resolution Holocene record of groundwater isotopic composition from eastern Europe enhances the current understanding of ocean atmosphere interactions and moisture transport dynamics. In the modern system, it has been established that the amount of regional winter precipitation is driven by the strength and direction of the sea level atmospheric pressure gradient over the Atlantic Ocean. This is defined by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, that shows a positive correlation with precipitation amount during the cold season. This study aims to discover the link between atmospheric dynamics and the ratio of warm season to cold season precipitation through the …

Perceived Social And Environmental Impacts Of The Maya Train Project On The Yucatan Peninsula Of Mexico: A Case Study Of Puerto Morelos, Emely Hernandez Yac

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Maya Train Project (MTP) is a new national megaproject in Mexico, meant to connect the perimeter of the Yucatan Peninsula, and facilitate easier transportation for tourism, industry, and agriculture. Given the region’s dependence on tourism, the train will accelerate the growth, as well as the social and environmental impacts of tourism in the region. Globally, the tourism industry has resulted in inequitable social and environmental impacts for the local communities and there is concern that this new Maya Train Project will serve to accelerate uneven development in the region. This project focused on the coastal tourist city of Puerto …

Measuring The Diphoton Production From Higgs Boson Decays And In Association With Heavy Flavor Jets, Brianna Lynn Dwyer

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, two important measurements are presented related to diphoton production, the differential cross-section measurement of the Higgs boson in the diphoton decay channel as well as a measurement on inclusive diphoton production with associated heavy-flavor jets. Selections between the two analyses are complimentary, making them a natural pairing in the context of this dissertation. The cross-section measurement is performed in a fiducial region of phase space to closely matches experimental selections. This allows for a largely model-independent measurement, providing a meticulous test of the Standard Model as well as other theoretical predictions. The production of diphoton + heavy-flavor …

The Role Of Health Expenditure On Health Outcomes: Evidence In West Africa Countries., Festus Efosa Eriamiatoe

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates the role of health expenditure on health outcomes in West Africa countries. Using the Grossman theoretical framework, other variables that affect health outcomes were also examined. Sixteen countries of West Africa with yearly data spanning between the period of 19 years (2000-2019) was used in this study. The health outcomes examined include life expectancy and neonatal and under-5 mortality rates. The regressors used in the study include domestic government health expenditure per capita, domestic private health expenditure per capita, external health expenditure per capita, carbon-dioxide emission metric ton per capita, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), unemployment, GDP per …

Analysis Of Sunscreens And Antibiotics In Groundwater During The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Riviera Maya, Mexico, Jackie Cooney

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Sunscreens and antibiotics are contaminants of emerging concern in groundwater, especially in areas with high tourism. The Riviera Maya in Quintana Roo, Mexico, is an international travel destination with a popular aquatic tourism industry. The region experienced a significant decrease in tourist visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, setting up a natural experiment to characterize the baseline contamination of groundwater in the absence of tourists. Additionally, municipalities installed new sewage disposal systems to combat the poor water quality due to inadequate septic systems and wastewater treatment plants. Water samples were collected during the pandemic from March 2020 to July 2021 from …

Grassland Bird Responses To Bison And Prescribed Fire Disturbances At Nachusa Grasslands And Kankakee Sands, Antonio Del Valle

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Grazing from native herbivores such as bison (Bison bison), in combination with prescribed fire, are applied to tallgrass prairies by managers to recreate important disturbance patterns in this ecosystem. Bird communities may be indirectly impacted by these disturbances through their direct impact on plants that provides critical breeding habitat for grassland birds. The objectives of this research are to determine the impacts that bison and prescribed fire have on grassland breeding birds in two tallgrass prairie preserves, Kankakee Sands and Nachusa Grasslands. Birds, vegetation structure, and bison activity were surveyed systematically at these two preserves in 2020 and 2021. Prescribed …

An Upgraded Photoinjector For The Argonne Wakefield Accelerator, Emily Frame

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Argonne Wakefield Accelerator (AWA) is planning an upgrade of the drive-beam accelerator’s photoinjector, the driving force of electron generation. The upgrade’s main goal is to improve beam brightness using linear accelerating cavities and a radiofrequency-gun cavity. In the process of this upgrade, one of the beam focusing solenoids is being redesigned. A beam dynamics optimization is performed for two new solenoid designs, with considerations for producing low-charge (∼ 1 nC) electron bunches as well as operations at higher charges (∼ 50 nC). This project focuses on the optimization study for both the low- and high-charge regimes, exploring the impact …

Methods For Computing The Global Optimum Of Non-Convex Objectives, Isaac Michael Hawn

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

\begin{abstract}In this thesis, we concern ourselves with solving the unconstrained optimization problem % \begin{gather*} \text{Minimize}\; f(x)\\\text{subject to}\; x\in X \end{gather*} % where $f\colon\mathbb{R}^N\to \mathbb{R}$ is a non-convex function, possibly with infinitely many local minima. Solving such a problem, especially in higher dimensions often proves to be an extraordinarily difficult task, either in time complexity or in the methodology itself. Indeed, mathematicians must often resort to algorithms which make use of problem structure and which may not generalize well. In this thesis, we present two algorithms which solve this problem, albeit with their own shortcomings.

First, we present a new, $N$-dimensional …

Forecasting Bitcoin, Ethereum And Litecoin Prices Using Machine Learning, Sai Prabhu Jaligama

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This research aims to predict the cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum using Time Series Modelling with daily data of closing price from 16th of October 2018 to 9th of September 2021for a total of 1073 days. Augmented Dickey Fuller test was first used to check stationarity of the time series, then two forecasting algorithms called ARIMA, and PROPHET were used to make predictions. The findings show similar results for both the models for each of Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin. The results achieved show modelling cryptocurrencies which are volatile using a single variable produces satisfying results.

Counterexample To Eremenko's Conjecture, Paradise Low

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Eremenko’s Conjecture is a long-standing problem in complex dynamics that asks whetherevery connected component of the set of escaping points of a transcendental entire function is unbounded. It was finally proven false in a paper by Mart ́ı-Pete, Lasse Rempe, and James Waterman that constructs a counterexample to the conjecture. This thesis seeks to pro- vide a background on Eremenko’s Conjecture, discuss the partial results surrounding it, and explain the construction of the counterexample in Mart ́ı-Pete, et al.’s paper.

Gas Phase C-H And C-C Bond Activation By Ternary Metal Complexes, Kevin Parker

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The activation of relatively inert C-H bonds has remained a challenge in organic chemistry for over a century. Metal catalysts have been deployed to overcome the labile reactivity of these bonds and through gas-phase studies, detailed mechanisms can be elucidated for this important class of chemistry. The powerful combination of ion-molecule reactions, collisional activation of ions, and density functional theory calculations allows for structural elucidation, intermediate determination, and as shown throughout this work, a complete picture of catalytic processes. Modified linear ion-trap mass spectrometers were used to trap and generate reactive intermediates of the form [(L)(M)(X)]+ (L= auxiliary ligand; M= …

Modeling And Visualization Of Long-Term Public Opinion On Covid-19 Vaccine, Ashiqur Rahman

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The coronavirus pandemic created significant dependence on social media. While the social web was crucial in spreading timely information and informing the public, misinformation has also spread with little to no oversight. Several works have focused on identifying misinformation and topic analysis in COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) tweets. While most of the previous studies focus on a shorter time frame, we analyzed a larger dataset starting from the beginning of the pandemic until the end of December 2021. Our work focuses on a novel area that identifies the motivating and demotivating topics of COVID-19 vaccination and analyzes these topics based on time, …