Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Proactive Management Of Pneumonia Epizootics In Bighorn Sheep In Montana, Sarah N. Sells

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Pneumonia epizootics are a major challenge for management of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), often causing high mortality and subsequent long-term impacts that may continue for decades. There have been at least 22 epizootics in herds in Montana from 1979‒2013, including 1 that led to a herd’s extirpation, several that appear to be affecting herds up to 3 decades later, and 11 in the last 6 years. The disease is complex and associated risk factors are poorly understood. A lack of tools to help predict and proactively manage risk of pneumonia epizootics in attempt to prevent die-offs has led …

Adaptive Neural Network-Based Optimal Control Of Nonlinear Continuous-Time Systems In Strict-Feedback Form, H. Zargarzadeh, T. Dierks, S. Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper focuses on neural network (NN) based optimal control of nonlinear continuous-time systems in strict-feedback form when the system dynamics are known by using an adaptive backstepping approach. A single NN-based adaptive approach is designed to learn the solution of the infinite horizon continuous-time Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation while the corresponding optimal control input that minimizes the HJB equation is calculated in a forward-in-time manner without using value and policy iterations. First, the optimal control problem is solved for a generic multi-input and multi-output nonlinear system with a state feedback approach. Then the approach is extended to a single-input and …

Effects Of Crop Residue Burning On Aerosol Properties, Plume Characteristics, And Long-Range Transport Over Northern India, D. G. Kaskaoutis, S. Kumar, D. Sharma, Ramesh P. Singh, S. K. Kharol, M. Sharma, A. K. Singh, Atinderpal Singh, D. Singh

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Aerosol emissions from biomass burning are of specific interest over the globe due to their strong radiative impacts and climate implications. The present study examines the impact of paddy crop residue burning over northern India during the postmonsoon (October-November) season of 2012 on modification of aerosol properties, as well as the long-range transport of smoke plumes, altitude characteristics, and affected areas via the synergy of ground-based measurements and satellite observations. During this period, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images show a thick smoke/hazy aerosol layer below 2-2.5 km in the atmosphere covering nearly the whole Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). The air …

Quantum Harmonic Oscillator With Superoscillating Initial Datum, Roman V. Buniy, Fabrizio Colombo, Irene Sabadini, Daniele C. Struppa

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In this paper, we study the evolution of superoscillating initial data for the quantum driven harmonic oscillator. Our main result shows that superoscillations are amplified by the harmonic potential and that the analytic solution develops a singularity in finite time. We also show that for a large class of solutions of the Schrodinger equation, superoscillating behavior at any given time implies superoscillating behavior at any other time.

Ensemble Artifact Design For Context Sensitive Decision Support, Shah Jahan Miah, John G. Gammack

All Works

Although an improvement of design knowledge is an essential goal of design research, current design research predominantly focuses on knowledge concerning the IT artifact (tool) design process, rather than a more holistic understanding encompassing the dynamic usage contexts of a technological artifact. Conceptualising a design in context as an "ensemble artifact" (Sein et al., 2011) provides the basis for a more rigorous treatment. This paper describes an IS artifact design framework that has been generated from the development of several practitioner-oriented decision support systems (DSS) in which contextual aspects relevant to practitioners' decision making are considered as integral design themes. …

Trustworthiness Of Web Services, Britto N. Arockiasamy

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Workflow systems orchestrate various business tasks to attain an objective. Web services can be leveraged to handle individual tasks. Before anyone intends to leverage service components, it is imperative and essential to evaluate the trustworthiness of these services. Therefore, choosing a trustworthy service has become an important decision while designing a workflow system. Trustworthiness can be defined as the likelihood of a service functioning as it is intended.

Selection of a service that satisfies business goals involves collecting relevant information such as security mechanisms, reliability, performance and availability. It is important to arrive at total trustworthiness, which incorporates all of …

A Hybrid Approach To Music Recommendation: Exploiting Collaborative Music Tags And Acoustic Features, Jaime C. Kaufman

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recommendation systems make it easier for an individual to navigate through large datasets by recommending information relevant to the user. Companies such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Netflix, Amazon, Pandora, and others utilize these types of systems in order to increase revenue by providing personalized recommendations. Recommendation systems generally use one of the two techniques: collaborative filtering (i.e., collective intelligence) and content-based filtering.

Systems using collaborative filtering recommend items based on a community of users, their preferences, and their browsing or shopping behavior. Examples include Netflix, Amazon shopping, and Last.fm. This approach has been proven effective due to increased popularity, and …

Synthesis And Properties Of Transition-Metal Arsenide Nanostructures: From Superparamagnetism To Superconductivity, Prachi Desai

Doctoral Dissertations

"This dissertation study focuses on developing new protocols for synthesis of nanostructured transition-metal pnictides including superconducting LiFeAs and studying their structure- property relationship. Nanostructured materials are known to differ in properties compared to their bulk counterparts owing to enhanced surface area and increased packing efficiency in devices. Synthetic chemistry skills and nanofabrication techniques like wet chemistry, electrodeposition, solvothermal, hydrothermal and lithography, are extremely useful for creating nanostructures of these functional materials. This is a challenging task simply because maintaining the phase composition same as that of the bulk material along with achieving nanostructures (nanoparticles, nanowires, nanopillars etc.) simultaneously is not …

Cross-Layer Schemes For Performance Optimization In Wireless Networks, Quanmin Ye

Doctoral Dissertations

"Wireless networks are undergoing rapid progress and inspiring numerous applications. As the application of wireless networks becomes broader, they are expected to not only provide ubiquitous connectivity, but also support end users with certain service guarantees.

End-to-end delay is an important Quality of Service (QoS) metric in multihop wireless networks. This dissertation addresses how to minimize end-to-end delay through joint optimization of network layer routing and link layer scheduling. Two cross-layer schemes, a loosely coupled cross-layer scheme and a tightly coupled cross-layer scheme, are proposed. The two cross-layer schemes involve interference modeling in multihop wireless networks with omnidirectional antenna. In …

Manufacturing Of Vegetable Oils-Based Epoxy And Composites For Structural Applications, Rongpeng Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

"Epoxidized vegetable oil (EVO) is one of the largest industrial applications of vegetable oils (VOs) and is widely used as a plasticizer and as a synthetic intermediate for polyol or unsaturated polyester. However, the utility of EVO as monomer for high performance epoxy thermoset polymer is limited by its reactivity and by the resulting physical properties. Herein, VO-based epoxy monomers, i.e., glycidyl esters of epoxidized fatty acids derived from soybean oil (EGS) or linseed oil (EGL), have been synthesized and were benchmarked against commercial available diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and also epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) controls. EGS and …

Energy Aware And Privacy Preserving Protocols For Ad Hoc Networks With Applications To Disaster Management, Mayank Raj

Doctoral Dissertations

"Disasters can have a serious impact on the functioning of communities and societies. Disaster management aims at providing efficient utilization of resources during pre-disaster (e.g. preparedness and prevention) and post-disaster (e.g. recovery and relief) scenarios to reduce the impact of disasters. Wireless sensors have been extensively used for early detection and prevention of disasters. However, the sensor's operating environment may not always be congenial to these applications. Attackers can observe the traffic flow in the network to determine the location of the sensors and exploit it. For example, in intrusion detection systems, the information can be used to identify coverage …

Enabling One-Phase Commit (1pc) Protocol For Web Service Atomic Transaction (Ws-At), Chirag N. Rana

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Business transactions (a.k.a., business conversations) are series of message exchanges that occur between software applications coordinating to achieve a business objective. Web service has been proven to be a promising technology in supporting business transactions. Business transaction can either be long-running or short-lived. A transaction whether in a database or web service paradigm consists of an “all-or-nothing” property. A transaction could either succeed or fail. Web Service Atomic Transactions (WS-AT) is a specification that currently supports Two-Phase Commit (2PC) protocol in a short-lived transaction. WS-AT is developed by OASIS–a standards development organization. However, not all business process scenarios require a …

Transitions In Line Bitangency Submanifolds For A One-Parameter Family Of Immersion Pairs, William Edward Olsen

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Consider two immersed surfaces M and N. A pair of points (p,q) in M x N is called a line bitangency if there is a common tangent line between them. Furthermore, we define the line bitangency submanifold as the union of all such pairs of points in M x N. In this thesis we investigate the dynamics of the line bitangency submanifold in a one-parameter family of immersion pairs. We do so by translating one of the surfaces and studying the wide range of transitions the submanifold may undertake. We then characterize these transitions by the local geometry of each …

Analysis Of Bfsa Based Anti-Collision Protocol In Lf, Hf, And Uhf Rfid Environments, Varun Bhogal

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the years, RFID (radio frequency identification) technology has gained popularity in a number of applications. The decreased cost of hardware components along with the recognition and implementation of international RFID standards have led to the rise of this technology.

One of the major factors associated with the implementation of RFID infrastructure is the cost of tags. Low frequency (LF) RFID tags are widely used because they are the least expensive. The drawbacks of LF RFID tags include low data rate and low range. Most studies that have been carried out focus on one frequency band only. This thesis presents …

A Hybrid Approach Using Rup And Scrum As A Software Development Strategy, Dalila Castilla

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to some researchers, a hybrid approach can help optimize the software development lifecycle by combining two or more methodologies. RUP and Scrum are two methodologies that successfully complement each other to improve the software development process. However, the literature has shown only few case studies on exactly how organizations are successfully applying this hybrid methodology and the benefits and issues found during the process. To help fill this literature gap, the main purpose of this thesis is to describe the development of the Lobbyist Registration and Tracking System for the City of Jacksonville case study where a hybrid approach, …

Finite Element Spectral Approximation With Numerical Integration For The Biharmonic Eigenvalue Problem, Max Tran

Publications and Research

We investigate the convergence properties of a mixed finite element method approximation to the Biharmonic eigenvalue problem under the presence of numerical integration. We give a brief overview of the results obtained when exact integration is used in a finite element method, then develop related theories and obtained the convergence rates when numerical quadrature is taken into account. The standard approach to obtaining error estimate of variational eigenvalue problems is based on the error estimate of the solution operators of the source problems. The important issues are the rate of convergence of the solution operators and the conditions required for …

Ψ-Epistemic Models Are Exponentially Bad At Explaining The Distinguishability Of Quantum States, Matthew S. Leifer

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The status of the quantum state is perhaps the most controversial issue in the foundations of quantum theory. Is it an epistemic state (state of knowledge) or an ontic state (state of reality)? In realist models of quantum theory, the epistemic view asserts that nonorthogonal quantum states correspond to overlapping probability measures over the true ontic states. This naturally accounts for a large number of otherwise puzzling quantum phenomena. For example, the indistinguishability of nonorthogonal states is explained by the fact that the ontic state sometimes lies in the overlap region, in which case there is nothing in reality that …

Advances In Functionalized Ionic Liquids As Reagents And Scavengers In Organic Synthesis, Manoj Kumar Muthyala, Kavya Velisetti, Keykavous Parang, Anil Kumar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Functionalized ionic liquids (FILs) synthesized with specific desired chemical properties have shown promising results in various areas of organic synthesis. In supported organic synthesis, FILs have become known as a new alternative to commonly used PEG and fluorous soluble supports. This review summarizes the progress of recent development in the synthesis of functionalized ionic liquids with emphasis on their applications as reagents and scavengers in organic synthesis.

A Bayesian Approach To Compatibility, Improvement, And Pooling Of Quantum States, Matthew S. Leifer, Robert W. Spekkens

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In approaches to quantum theory in which the quantum state is regarded as a representation of knowledge, information, or belief, two agents can assign different states to the same quantum system. This raises two questions: when are such state assignments compatible? and how should the state assignments of different agents be reconciled? In this paper, we address these questions from the perspective of the recently developed conditional states formalism for quantum theory [1]. Specifically, we derive a compatibility criterion proposed by Brun, Finkelstein and Mermin from the requirement that, upon acquiring data, agents should update their states using a quantum …

“Spaghetti” Design For Gravitational Wave Superconducting Antenna, Armen Gulian, J Foreman, Vahan Nikoghosyan, Shmuel Nussinov, Louis Sica, Jeff Tollaksen

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

A new concept for detectors of gravitational wave radiation is discussed. Estimates suggest that strain sensitivity essentially better than that of the existing devices can be achieved in the wide frequency range. Such sensitivity could be obtained with devices about one meter long. Suggested device consists of multi-billion bimetallic superconducting wires ("spaghettis") and requires cryogenic operational temperatures (~0.3K in the case considered).

Form Factor Of Pnipam Microgels In Overpacked States, U. Gasser, J. S. Hyatt, J.- J. Lietor-Santos, E. S. Herman, L. Andrew Lyon, A. Fernandez-Nieves

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

We study the form factor of thermoresponsive microgels based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) at high generalized volume fractions, ζ, where the particles must shrink or interpenetrate to fit into the available space. Small-angle neutron scattering with contrast matching techniques is used to determine the particle form factor. We find that the particle size is constant up to a volume fraction roughly between random close packing and space filling. Beyond this point, the particle size decreases with increasing particle concentration; this decrease is found to occur with little interpenetration. Noteworthily, the suspensions remain liquid-like for ζ larger than 1, emphasizing the importance of …

Weekly Gridded Aquarius L-Band Radiometer/Scatterometer Observations And Salinity Retrievals Over The Polar Regions - Part 2: Initial Product Analysis, L. Brucker, Emmanuel P. Dinnat, L. S. Koenig

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Following the development and availability of Aquarius weekly polar-gridded products, this study presents the spatial and temporal radiometer and scatterometer observations at L band (frequency similar to 1.4 GHz) over the cryosphere including the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, sea ice in both hemispheres, and over sub-Arctic land for monitoring the soil freeze/thaw state. We provide multiple examples of scientific applications for the L-band data over the cryosphere. For example, we show that over the Greenland Ice Sheet, the unusual 2012 melt event lead to an L-band brightness temperature (TB) sustained decrease of similar to 5K at horizontal polarization. Over …

Zn(Ii) And Cu(Ii) Adsorption And Retention Onto Iron Oxyhydroxide Nanoparticles: Effects Of Particle Aggregation And Salinity, Rebecca B. Chesne, Christopher S. Kim

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Iron oxyhydroxides are commonly found in natural aqueous systems as nanoscale particles, where they can act as effective sorbents for dissolved metals due to their natural surface reactivity, small size and high surface area. These properties make nanoscale iron oxyhydroxides a relevant option for the remediation of water supplies contaminated with dissolved metals. However, natural geochemical processes, such as changes in ionic strength, pH, and temperature, can cause these particles to aggregate, thus affecting their sorption capabilities and remediation potential. Other environmental parameters such as increasing salinity may also impact metal retention, e. g. when particles are transported …

Closing The Knowing-Doing Gap In Invasive Plant Management: Accessibility And Interdisciplinarity Of Scientific Research, Virginia Matzek, Justin Covino, Jennifer L. Funk, Martin Saunders

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Like many conservation disciplines, invasion biology may suffer from a knowing-doing gap, where scientific research fails to inform management actions. We surveyed California resource managers to evaluate engagement with scientific research and to identify research priorities. We examined managers' access to information, judgment of the usefulness of existing research, ability to generate scientific information, and priorities for future research. We found that practitioners rely on their own experience, and largely do not read the peer-reviewed literature, which they regard as only moderately useful. Less than half of managers who do research carry out experiments conforming to the norms of hypothesis …

Regional Dust Storm Modeling For Health Services: The Case Of Valley Fever, William A. Sprigg, Slobodan Nickovic, John N. Galgiani, Goran Pejanovic, Slavo Petkovic, Mirjam Vujadinovic, Ana Vukovic, Milan Dacic, Scott Dibiase, Anup K. Prasad, Hesham El-Askary

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

On 5 July 2011, a massive dust storm struck Phoenix, Arizona (USA), raising concerns for increased cases of valley fever (coccidioidomycosis, or, cocci). A quasi-operational experimental airborne dust forecast system predicted the event and provides model output for continuing analysis in collaboration with public health and air quality communities. An objective of this collaboration was to see if a signal in cases of valley fever in the region could be detected and traced to the storm - an American haboob. To better understand the atmospheric life cycle of cocci spores, the DREAM dust model (also herein, NMME-DREAM) was modified to …

Chemistry Students’ Attitudes About Peer-Led Team Learning Workshops: Comparison To The Six Critical Components, A.E. Dreyfuss, Janet Liou-Mark, Leo Gafney

Publications and Research

While tracking students’ performance and perseverance is important to determine the effect of the incorporation of workshops in courses, little has been published on students’ attitudes toward workshops: How do students feel about PLTL workshops? One method of examining this question is through a questionnaire developed by Gafney. This paper will present the results of a three-semester study using this questionnaire on how students view workshop in their introductory chemistry courses.

Peer Leaders’ Views On A General Chemistry Workshop Program, A.E. Dreyfuss, Janet Liou-Mark

Publications and Research

How do Peer Leaders feel about their role organizationally? What motivates them to serve? Peer Leaders are the heartbeat of the PLTL instructional model. To improve any PLTL program, feedback from Peer Leaders is necessary and beneficial. Their experiences, ideas, and honest critiques will assist in shaping the program to meet its ultimate goal: To ensure all students are engaged in their learning process through an active community setting.

Numerical Simulation Of “An American Haboob”, A. Vukovic, M. Vujadinovic, G. Pejanovic, J. Andric, M. J. Kumjian, V. Djurdjevic, M. Dacic, Anup K. Prasad, Hesham El-Askary, B. C. Paris, S. Petkovic, W. Sprigg, S. Nickovic

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

A dust storm of fearful proportions hit Phoenix in the early evening hours of 5 July 2011. This storm, an American haboob, was predicted hours in advance because numerical, land–atmosphere modeling, computing power and remote sensing of dust events have improved greatly over the past decade. High-resolution numerical models are required for accurate simulation of the small scales of the haboob process, with high velocity surface winds produced by strong convection and severe downbursts. Dust productive areas in this region consist mainly of agricultural fields, with soil surfaces disturbed by plowing and tracks of land in the high Sonoran Desert …

Is Big Data Enough? A Reflection On The Changing Role Of Mathematics In Applications, Domenico Napoletani, Marco Panza, Daniele C. Struppa

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The advent of computers, and especially high-performance computers, has had a dramatic impact on the way in which mathematics is done and even more on how mathematics is applied, as demonstrated by the growth of computational mathematics as well as what goes under the name of “experimental mathematics”, to which a journal is now devoted. More importantly, computers are now used to perform highly complex computations in order to apply mathematical models to a variety of empirical problems that could never be attacked otherwise.

On Clifford Analysis For Holomorphic Mappings, M. E. Luna-Elizarrarás, M. Shapiro, Daniele C. Struppa

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In the classical theory of several complex variables, holomorphic mappings are just n-tuples of holomorphic functions in m variables, with arbitrary n and m, and no relations between these functions are assumed. Some 30 years ago John Ryan introduced complex, or complexified, Clifford analysis which is, in a sense, the study of certain classes of holomorphic mappings where the components are not independent, and instead obey the relations generated by the Cauchy– Riemann and Dirac-type operators. In this paper, we take a closer look at this theory emphasizing some additional properties that holomorphic mappings satisfy in this context. Our attention …