Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Feasibility Of Large Language Models For Ceus Li-Rads Categorization Of Small Liver Nodules In Patients At Risk For Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Jiayan Huang, Rui Yang, Xiaotong Huang, Keyu Zeng, Yan Liu, Jun Luo, Andrej Lyshchik, Qiang Lu

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Large language models (LLMs) offer opportunities to enhance radiological applications, but their performance in handling complex tasks remains insufficiently investigated.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the performance of LLMs integrated with Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (CEUS LI-RADS) in diagnosing small (≤20mm) hepatocellular carcinoma (sHCC) in high-risk patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: From November 2014 to December 2023, high-risk HCC patients with untreated small (≤20mm) focal liver lesions (sFLLs), were included in this retrospective study. ChatGPT-4.0, ChatGPT-4o, ChatGPT-4o mini, and Google Gemini were integrated with imaging features from structured CEUS LI-RADS reports to assess their diagnostic performance for sHCC. …

A Topological Route To Engineering Robust And Bright Supersymmetric Laser Arrays, Soujanya Datta, Mohammad Alizadeh Fard, Ramy El-Ganainy, Krishanu Roychowdhury

Michigan Tech Publications

In recent years, several proposals that leverage principles from condensed matter and high-energy physics for engineering laser arrays have been put forward. The most important among these concepts are topology, which enables the construction of robust zero-mode laser devices, and supersymmetry (SUSY), which holds the potential for achieving phase locking in laser arrays. In this work, we show that the relation between supersymmetric coupled bosonic and fermionic oscillators on one side, and bipartite networks (and hence chiral symmetry) on another side can be exploited together with non-Hermitian engineering for building one- and two-dimensional laser arrays with in-phase synchronization. To demonstrate …

Schedulability Analysis Of Multi-Phase Limited-Preemption Tasks, Benjamin Standaert

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

This work addresses hard real-time systems, in which tasks must be scheduled so that they are guaranteed to meet deadlines. In particular, when tasks execute across multiple domains with high preemption costs, the combined cost of these preemptions can cause the system to become unschedulable. The number of preemptions must therefore be bounded to limit the overall task execution time, while ensuring that task blocking times are small enough to allow the system to be schedulable. Prior work introduces the Multi-Phase Secure model, which describes a more exact version of this scenario, and an algorithm to determine schedulability of sporadic …

Safety And Optimality Monitors For Learning-Enabled Systems Using Conformal Prediction, Jackson Cox

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The use of machine learning to create data-driven plant models and controllers has led to an increased need for safety and optimality monitors for model-based systems. System plant models are subject to uncertainty due to learning constraints such as unseen data and overfitting or physical constraints such as unknown dynamics and noise. This uncertainty is detrimental to safety-critical systems and must be properly regulated. To curb this uncertainty, we create prediction sets using the guarantees provided by Conformal Prediction. With a user-specified high probability, these prediction sets contain the true plant system states for an entire prediction horizon, which we …

Invasion Stress Mitigates Climate Stress In A Brackish Marsh Amphipod, Lorna E. Haworth, Sarah Nancollas, Susie N. Landa, Anne E. Todgham, Richelle L. Tanner

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

1. Organisms in coastal brackish ecosystems face not only highly variable environmental conditions, but the intensity and stochasticity of these environmental conditions are anticipated to increase due to climate change. While environmental changes are often presented unilaterally as stressors, there are some anthropogenic environmental transformations, such as the introduction of habitat forming plant species, that may mitigate physiological stress imposed by warming. In Suisun Marsh in the California Delta, native plant canopies allow light and heat to penetrate to the understory yet the canopies of the introduced Phragmites australis reed block out sunlight and heat for organisms living below.
2. We set …

Sensitivity And Application Of Frequency Domain High-Density Diffuse Optical Tomography (Fd Hd-Dot), Weihao Fan

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive imaging technique that measures hemodynamic responses in the brain, similar to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) but with distinct advantages. By utilizing near-infrared light, fNIRS can penetrate biological tissues and detect changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. Additionally, fNIRS is portable, noninvasive and inexpensive. Within the realm of fNIRS, several measurement techniques exist, including Continuous Wave (CW), Frequency Domain (FD), and Time Domain (TD) methods. In this dissertation, we focused on the effects, fundamental principles and applications of FD designs. We provided the introduction in Chapter 1, and discussed the background theory and …

A Search Using Geo600 For Gravitational Waves Coincident With Fast Radio Bursts From Sgr 1935+2154, A. G. Abac, R. Abbott, I. Abouelfettouh, Teviet Creighton, Mario C. Diaz, Francisco Llamas Villarreal, Soma Mukherjee, Volker Quetschke, Wenhui Wang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The magnetar SGR 1935+2154 is the only known Galactic source of fast radio bursts (FRBs). FRBs from SGR 1935+2154 were first detected by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME)/FRB and the Survey for Transient Astronomical Radio Emission 2 in 2020 April, after the conclusion of the LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA Collaborations' O3 observing run. Here, we analyze four periods of gravitational wave (GW) data from the GEO600 detector coincident with four periods of FRB activity detected by CHIME/FRB, as well as X-ray glitches and X-ray bursts detected by NICER and NuSTAR close to the time of one of the …

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Butte Reduction Works (Brw) Phase Ii Interim Demolition Plan Construction Drawings And Floodplain Encroachment Analysis (Dated November 27, 2024), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Understanding Gravitational Lensing Using General Relativity, Sophia Macqueen Pooler

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Gravitational lensing is typically modelled using thin-lens approximations which assume that the effect of the gravitational field of the intervening mass can be adequately described by the physics of an optical lens. In this project we derived equations to model how spacetime curvature alters geodesics available to light rays directly from the principles of general relativity and used these results to produce visualizations of these effects. We began with the Robertson-Walker metric to define a flat, unperturbed space time and determined a suitable mass density model for the galaxy cluster that will act as our gravitational lens. Employing this metric …

The Chinese Room And Creating Consciousness: How Recent Strides In Ai Technology Revitalize A Classic Debate, Thomas Held

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Since 1950, when Alan Turing first posed the question of whether a machine could think, the possibility of artificial consciousness has sparked intense and ongoing debate, and strong positions have been staked out on each side of the argument. On the one hand, the historically popular functionalist school of thought claims that any system capable of producing suitably “conscious” behavior in a given environment should be considered conscious. On the other hand, John Searle’s famous “Chinese Room” argument insists that this cannot be the case, and that consciousness is in all likelihood not artificially reproducible. However, both positions have issues—the …

Artificial Intelligence-Based Methodologies For Early Diagnostic Precision And Personalized Therapeutic Strategies In Neuro-Ophthalmic And Neurodegenerative Pathologies, Rahul Kumar, Ethan Waisberg, Joshua Ong, Phani Paladugu, Dylan Amiri, Jeremy Saintyl, Jahnavi Yelamanchi, Robert Nahouraii, Ram Jagadeesan, Alireza Tavakkoli

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Advancements in neuroimaging, particularly diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and molecular imaging with positron emission tomography (PET), have significantly enhanced the early detection of biomarkers in neurodegenerative and neuro-ophthalmic disorders. These include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease. This review highlights the transformative role of advanced diffusion MRI techniques-Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging and Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging-in identifying subtle microstructural changes in the brain and visual pathways that precede clinical symptoms. When integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, these techniques achieve unprecedented diagnostic precision, facilitating early detection of neurodegeneration and …

Method For Measuring The Rate Of Improvement In Survival Times Of Cancer Patients, Thobani Chaduka

Theses and Dissertations

In clinical settings, technological advancements have facilitated health care improvements in data analytics, artificial intelligence, telemedicine, health information systems, etc. This has furthered our understanding of cancer biology and treatment mechanisms. In this study, we aim to understand whether Moore’s law-like models may derive from historical cancer survival data, and how they can predict survival statistics for newly diagnosed cancer patients. Historically these predictions have previously been done with the diagnosis year as the independent variable and the survival as a dependent variable. In this study we use death year data as an independent variable and from that, we derive …

Microservice Architecture For Social Media Data Collection, Analysis, And Dashboarding, Sai Ram Manohar Koya

Theses and Dissertations

This research presents a novel methodology for the collection, processing, and analysis of social media data using a microservices-based architecture. The proposed system integrates multiple data streams from various social media platforms, transforming this information into a unified, JSON-based DataObject model for seamless processing and analysis. Unlike monolithic architectures, the microservices approach offers scalability and flexibility, allowing the system to handle the high velocity, variety, and volume of unstructured social media data, including text, images, and videos. By leveraging NoSQL databases like MongoDB, the methodology efficiently manages data in a semi-structured format, supporting real-time analytics such as sentiment analysis, toxicity …

Exploration Of The Gap Between The Secure Web Application Development Competencies Needed By Industry And Those Competencies Provided By Graduates Of U.S. Undergraduate Software Engineering Programs, Gary Allen Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Literature demonstrates that threats and attacks on computer systems and networks have been around since the beginning of computing, and the number, severity, sophistication, and costs of attacks and data breaches are continuing to grow. Several studies suggest that one of the most common causes of data breaches is insecure web applications that contain vulnerable application code. These studies suggest that poor secure web application development practices are a prime cause of the susceptible web applications. Additionally, studies suggest that higher education is not meeting industry’s secure software/web application development needs. Employers have reported that they are not getting the …

Existence And Uniqueness Of Solutions Of Fourth Order Iterative Boundary Value Problems, Zach Whaley

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we study the fourth-order iterative differential equation \begin{displaymath} x^{(4)}(t) = \f(t, x(t), x^{[2]}(t), \dots, x^{[m]}(t)) \end{displaymath} where $x^{[2]}(t) = x(x(t))$ and $x^{[j]}(t) = x(x^{[j - 1]}(t))$ for $j > 2$. We consider the above equation with multiple sets of boundary conditions, and we state results on the existence and uniqueness of solutions for each set of boundary conditions. In Chapter 2, the boundary conditions are conjugate boundary conditions, \begin{align*} &x(-a) = -a, \ x'(-a) = b, \ x''(-a) = c, \ x(a) = a \\ &x(-a) = -a, \ x(a) = a, \ x'(a) = b, \ x''(a) …

Brain Endothelial Permeability, Transport, And Flow Assessed Over 10 Orders Of Magnitude Using The In Situ Brain Perfusion Technique, Quentin R. Smith, Haritha Mandula, Jagan Mohan R. Parepally, Jun Oki, Fancy Thomas, Helen R. Thorsheim, Abraham J. Al‑Ahmad, Thomas J. Abbruscato, Per Ask, David S. Hage, Peter J. Robinson

David Hage Publications

Background Cerebral blood flow normally places a limit on the magnitude of brain vascular permeability (P) that can be measured in vivo. At normal cerebral blood flow, this limit falls at the lower end of lipophilicity for most FDAapproved CNS drugs. In this study, we report on two methods that can be used to overcome this limitation and measure brain vascular permeability values that are up to ~1000 times higher using the in situ brain perfusion technique.

Methods Rat brain was perfused with physiological saline at increased flow rate and in the presence of various concentrations of plasma protein, serum …

Optimization Of Construction Scheme Of Ultra‑Large Special‑Shaped Foundation Pit Adjacent To Existing Station And Temporary Steel Bridge, Chen Dengwei

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

With the intensifying development density of urban underground space in China，the impact of ultra-large foundation pit construction on the normal operation of adjacent structures cannot be ignored.Relying on the Huangmugang Comprehensive Transportation Hub Project in Shenzhen，this paper studied the deformation of the envelope structure and soil caused by the excavation of the ultra-large special-shaped foundation pit，as well as the structural response of the deformation of the adjacent existing station and the temporary steel bridge.The paper optimized the construction scheme of the special-shaped foundation pit excavation.The results show that the deformation trend of the envelope structure on the north and south …

Comparison Analysis Of Different Settlement Prediction Models Under Small Post‑ Constructio N Load On Soft Foundation, Han S Hanpeng, Fu Wei, Zhang Junhui, Lin Chen

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Settlement deformatio n is a key conc ern in soft foundation construction.Since there is still a small load applied after the filling of soft foundation in the actual project,based on the settlement monitoring data of the high-fill section of Zhaoyang West Ring Expressway in Zhaotong City,Yunnan Province,three settlement prediction methods,namely the hyperbolic method,the three-point method,and the Hoshino method,were used to predict,compare,and analyze the settlement of the fill foundation,and the fitting characteristics of each model were summarized.By comparing the fitting curves and the actual settlement curves,it was found that the loading on the roadbed will cause large errors in the prediction …

Experimental Study On Deformation Characteristics Of High Liquid Limit Soil Considering The Effect Of Temperature, Li Bangwu, Shen Xuning, Zhang Rui, Chen Yanrong

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In order to study the influence of temperature on the absorbed bound water and deformation characteristics of high liquid limit soil，the high liquid limit soil in Hunan and Hainan provinces were selected for test.The influence of temperature on the content of bound water was measured by a temperature-controlled water bath volumetric flask test.The consolidation test was carried out on the samples with a one-dimensional temperature-controlled consolidometer，and the variation law of high liquid limit soil deformation affected by temperature was analyzed under the modified pore ratio considering the bound water content.The results show that the absorbed bound water in the high …

Research Progress Of Rubber‑Modified Asphalt By Wet Process, Ge Dongdong, Jiang Xiangyang, Lyu Songtao, Zhang Honggang, Song Xiaojin

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

The application of waste tires in asphalt pavements can not only effectively reduce resource consumption but also significantly reduce environmental pollution.Crumb rubber could be obtained by processing waste tires and used as a modifier by mixing with asphalt through the wet process to improve the performance of asphalt.This paper reviewed the research progress of rubber-modified asphalt by wet process and discussed its preparation process，influencing factors of performance，and modification mechanism.By reviewing the relevant studies，the critical conditions in the preparation process and their effects on storage stability were summarized.Furthermore，the effects of rubber dosage，particle size，matrix asphalt type，and preparation parameters on the physical and …

Friction‑ 1d Transformer ： A 1d Vision Transformer Hybrid Model For Skid Resistance Prediction On Asphalt Pavements, Pei Feifei, Nie Zilong, Xu G Uomin, Zhan You, Gong Xianqi, Ai Changfa, Deng Yuan, Ji Zhengyun, Wang Shifa

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

The friction performance of road surfaces is an important indicator of highway safety，which is closely related to road texture.In this paper，a set of three-dimensional denoising methods for road texture data with different noise levels was proposed，which could effectively remove noise while preserving local texture features.In addition，a skid resistance prediction model named Friction- 1D Transformer was developed based on the design concept of Vision Transformer （VIT） for skid resistance evaluation of asphalt pavements.Unlike traditional convolutional neural networks，the Friction- 1D Transformer utilized positional encoding structures and multi-head attention mechanisms to extract global features from one-dimensional （1D） texture signals along the direction of …

Skid Resistance Detection Technology Of Highway Pavement Based On Tie‑Pavement Coupling Noise, Ye Wei, Chen Fei, Hu Xiaoyang, Xu Zhengwei, Li Liguo

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In order to improve the skid resistance detection technology of highway pavement，this paper summarized the advantages and disadvantages of the traditional pavement noise measurement methods，adopted the vehicle-following method to collect the tie-pavement coupling noise，and optimized the specific positional parameters of the microphone.The speed correction of the equivalent continuous A-weighted sound level was realized through the fitting of driving speed and equivalent continuous A-weighted sound level.The characteristic signal of the tie-pavement coupling noise was extracted by the principal component analysis method，and it can effectively suppress interference signals such as traffic noise，wind noise，and engine noise.The envelope noise energy （ENE） was obtained by …

Mechanical Properties Of Alkali‑Activated Slag‑Fly Ash Geopolymers, Liu Yang, Wang Jizhao, Lu Naiwei, Wang Bowen

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In order to respond to the national strategy of energy saving and emission reduction and improve the comprehensive utilization rate of industrial waste，the influence of slag content，alkali equivalent，sodium silicate modulus，and water-cement ratio on the compressive strength of slag-fly ash geopolymers was investigated by single variable and orthogonal experiment method.The compressive strength of geopolymers was analyzed by combining XRD，SEM，and porosity.The results show that the gel formation is promoted with the increase in slag content，and the structure of geopolymers is more compact，which is conducive to the development of strength.After 28 days of standard curing，the influence of various factors on the compressive strength …

Mechanical Properties Of Geopolymer‑Stabilized Recycled Aggregates From Construction Solid Wastes, Yuan Kaixin, He Yongjian, Zhang Laijun, Li Hai, Xu Gewei

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In order to solve the problem of a sharp increase in construction solid wastes and insufficient utilization rate，this paper took slag-fly ash-based geopolymer as an inorganic binder，replaced natural gravels with recycled aggregates from construction solid wastes，and set urban road base layer as the target scene to study the mechanical properties of geopolymer-stabilized recycled aggregates at different contents.The results show that with the increase in geopolymer content，the maximum dry density of the mixture increases.The optimum moisture content increases.The unconfined compressive strength of the mixture increases with the increase in geopolymer content and curing age and decreases with the increase in recycled …

Experimental Investigation On Shrinkage Effect Of Ultra‑High Performance Concrete Under Steam Curing, Li Bing, Yang Tengyu, Fang Changle, Luo Zirun, Li Chuanxi, Tan Ke

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Determining the free shrinkage of U HPC is an important basis for analyzing the shrinkage effect of steel UHPC composite bridge deck.Therefore，based on the UHPC materials to be used in a project，three batches of UHPC free shrinkage specimens were made，and three specimens were made in each batch.By testing the strain and temperature of specimens during curing，the free shrinkage strain-age curve and temperature-age curve of UHPC were obtained.The development and variation law of UHPC shrinkage strain are discussed.Based on the experimental results，the equivalent time is introduced on the basis of Arrhenius empirical formula，and a modified model of free shrinkage is proposed.Finally，based …

Comparative Experimental Study On Deformation Characteristics Of High Liquid Limit Soil Under Different Dry And Wet States, Qin Lingwei, Zhang Rui, Li Lu, Xiao Yupeng

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In order to further reveal the internal mechanism of the influence of solid-like bound water on the deformation characteristics of high liquid limit soil，the difference in the influence of different bound water contents on the deformation of soil samples was analyzed through the comparison of dry and wet sides.Four types of high liquid limit soil with different water contents at the same dry density were used，and a low liquid limit soil was used as a comparison sample to carry out a deformation test.The volumetric flask method was used to test the content of adsorbed bound water in each test soil …

Influence Of Loading Methods On Compression Modulus Of Red Sandstone Soil Solidified With Biological Enzyme And Cement, He Liang, Zhang Haixiang, Guan H Ongxin, Li Huili, Yang Hairong, Liu Hongfu

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

There are various methods to test the modulus of cement-stabilized mixtures.The stiffness performance of cement-stabilized materials will be affected after adding biological enzymes.In order to systematically analyze the influence of loading conditions on the compression modulus of the red sandstone soil solidified with biological enzyme and cement，compressive modulus tests were conducted on the red sandstone soil solidified with biological enzyme and cement by using three static modulus test methods including monotonic loading method of middle section，stepwise loading and unloading method of top surface，and stepwise loading and unloading method of middle section，as well as dynamic modulus method of top surface and …

Mechanical And Vegetative Performance Of Bamboo Fiber‑Reinforced Eco‑Concrete With Recycled Aggregate, Li Tao, Deng Bofan, He Maolin, Liu Ting, Chen Houde

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In response to the current common urban construction waste disposal issue，this study utilized processed recycled construction waste aggregate and bamboo waste materials to produce bamboo fiber-reinforced eco-concrete with recycled aggregate.By adjusting the dosage of bamboo fiber，the effects of the dosage of bamboo fiber on the mechanical and vegetative performance of the concrete were systematically analyzed by means of orthogonal tests and verification methods.The test results indicate that bamboo fiber enhances the toughness of eco-concrete significantly.Particularly，when the dosage of bamboo fiber exceeds 3.0 kg/m3，there is a significant enhancement in the tensile performance of the eco-concrete with recycled aggregate.Due to the spatial …

Effect Of Corn Stover Oil On Rheological Properties Of Aged Asphalt And Its Regeneration Effect, Cheng Peifeng, Bai Yue, Li Yiming, Zhang Zhanming

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Corn stover oil，as a kind of bio-oil，is low-carbon and renewable.At the same time，it may restore the performance of aged asphalt.In order to further promote the application of corn stover oil in road engineering，this study explored the effect of corn stover oil as a kind of regeneration agent on the rheological properties of aged asphalt through laboratory experiments and analyzed the regeneration effect.On this basis，the regeneration mechanism of corn stover oil regeneration agent was revealed by using an infrared spectroscopy test and gel permeation chromatography test.The results show that the addition of corn stover oil changes the proportion of aged asphalt …

Optimization Of Mix Proportion For New Jersey Precast Concrete Safety Barriers And Performance Tests Under Integral Concrete Vibrating, Chen Lin, Li Beian, Li Yuanrui, Zhao Zixiang

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

New Jersey safety barriers are the most commonly used form of guardrails in highway median separators due to their excellent safety protection.In response to the cost reduction and quality improvement，efficient and rapid preparation process，and quality issues of New Jersey precast concrete safety barriers，this article adopted the automation production process of New Jersey precast safety barriers，optimized concrete mix proportion for precast safety barriers，and studied their performance.The experimental results show that in the designed C 30 concrete，the compressive strength of the concrete mixed with 15% fly ash reaches 39.2 MPa，and th e slump reaches 185 mm.The concrete performance meets the requirements of …