Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

From Code To Motion: Adventures With Wall-A Robot, Simon Sarah Mampouya-Balende

A with Honors Projects

This essay is about the author's experience working on a robot and programming, and what they learned from the project.

Artificial Intelligence In Society: Transformations And Ethical Paradigm, Yashoda Urmilla Itwaru

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

The recent advancement and adoption of AI (Artificial Intelligence) make it vital to study the effects it has on individuals and communities. Adopting AI into daily life changes interactions such as the decision-making process and task performance. AI algorithms can shape a user’s online experiences, influence their preferences, beliefs, and behavior. However, people raised concerns regarding privacy, autonomy, and manipulation. For these reasons, debates regarding the ethical aspects of AI arose.

AI provides society with more tools to complete tasks. AI can automate data intensive jobs and physical tasks. This brings a sense of job insecurity, which affects the mental …

Edge-Enhanced Yolo V8 Architecture For Accurate Kl Assessment In Knee Osteoarthritis Imaging, Meghana Arikilla

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA) is a degenerative joint condition characterized by the progressive narrowing of joint space and structural deterioration. The structural degradation of the joint space is evaluated using the Kellgren–Lawrence (KL) grading system, and accurate classification across all grades, specifically in the early stages, remains a challenge owing to subtle radiographic differences. This study presents an automated KL-grade classification framework that integrates joint edge enhancement with deep learning to improve KOA grading using radiographic images.

Edge detection filters, namely Sobel, Scharr, and Canny, were applied to X-ray images to enhance the joint space boundaries and osteoarthritic features. These preprocessed …

Sptiotemporal Changes In Aboveground Biomass, Canopy Cover And Livestock Movements Across Mongolia Grasslands, Abhinav Chandel

Dissertations and Theses

This study presents an integrated geospatial framework for understanding grassland productivity dynamics and livestock movement behavior across the Mongolian steppe. Mongolia’s grasslands constitute one of the world’s largest pastoral ecosystems, yet they face increasing vulnerability due to climate variability, overgrazing, and land degradation. To quantify vegetation change and grazing responses, this research combines multi-decadal remote sensing with high-frequency GPS-based livestock movement tracking. Using Landsat imagery from 1990 to 2023, Aboveground Biomass (AGB) and Canopy Cover (CC) were estimated through Random Forest regression models integrating key spectral vegetation indices (e.g., NDVI, OSAVI, CTVI, TNDVI, IPVI) and climatic predictors such as summer …

Estimating The Amount Of Carbon Dioxide Gas Removed From The Atmosphere By The Bryant Park Tree Population, Edimarlyn Gonzalez

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Impact Of Pfas Contamination On Mental Health, Jihyun Kim

Open Educational Resources

To explore the intersection of environmental injustice, racial disparities, and public health through an examination of PFAS contamination in drinking water and its impact on communities of color. This study will address environmental, social, and health implications of PFAS exposure, with a specific emphasis on promoting equity and advocating for policy changes to rectify systemic inequalities.

Addressing The Computer Science Teacher Shortage: A Case Study Of Wisconsin Public High Schools, Sujeeth Goud Ramagoni, Dennis Brylow

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

Technology is evolving rapidly worldwide, making computational knowledge integral across virtually every field. Consequently, broadening access and promoting equity in computer science (CS) education at the high school level is crucial. Certified CS teachers are critical in creating opportunities to provide equitable CS access to high school students. In recent years, Code.org reports have highlighted a significant increase in student access to CS content across the U.S., particularly in high schools. Therefore, this paper provides a high-level overview of Wisconsin (WI) public high school CS education, examining CS teacher certification and course enrollment data from 2017 through 2023 academic years. …

A Survey On Non-Invasive Computing: Neurological-Hematological Framework For Early Infection And Stroke Detection With Future Directions, Masud Rabbani, Nafi Us Sabbir Sabith, Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

This paper introduces a novel, non-invasive tool for building a holistic neurological-hematological diagnostic framework that can be used for early detection of infection and stroke. We proposed and developed a multimodal sensing approach, where an ear canal–based acoustic system can be used to identify brain activities and a smartphone-based facial video analysis platform to estimate white blood cell (WBC) and hemoglobin (Hb) levels. Our ear-based EEG methodology achieved a remarkable 96% classification accuracy from the low-frequency level (>30hz), with regression models with mean R2 scores above 0.96 across all EEG bands. For hematological diagnostics, the system predicted WBC counts …

Nesting Population Trend Of The Leatherback Sea Turtle In Bocas Del Toro Province And Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, Panama For The Period 2002–2022, Sonia Gutiérrez Parejo, Susan E. Piacenza, Raúl García, Cristina Ordóñez, Roldán A. Valverde

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Sea turtle biologists have made sustained efforts to understand the global status of leatherback sea turtle populations. However, despite progress in assessments, demographics, and ecology, key uncertainties persist in tracking leatherback population trends. Trend analyses have historically focused on nesting beaches, with nest counts providing a widely used index for population abundance. Here, we analysed 20 years of annual nest abundance at four main nesting beaches (Soropta, Bluff, Playa Larga and Chiriquí) in Bocas del Toro province and the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, Panama, which constitute the largest nesting leatherback sea turtle population in Central America. We conducted daily nest counts during …

Isolation And Molecular Identification Of Pathogens Causing Sea Turtle Egg Fusariosis In Key Nesting Beaches In Costa Rica, Keilor E. Cordero-Umaña, Ruth Hernando-Martínez, María Martínez-Ríos, Jaime Restrepo, Roldán A. Valverde, Laura Martín-Torrijos, Pilar Santidrián Tomillo, Javier Diéguez-Uribeondo

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The global rise of fungal pathogens presents an emerging threat to biodiversity, with significant risks to species such as endangered sea turtles. The fungal disease known as sea turtle egg fusariosis (STEF) is associated with high embryo mortality rates and represents a substantial conservation challenge. This disease is caused by two fungal species, namely Fusarium falciforme (Ff) and Fusarium keratoplasticum (Fk), and their identification is essential for guiding future efforts to address potential fungal infections, particularly on important nesting beaches such as those in Costa Rica. In this study, we conducted fungal isolations from sea turtle eggshells …

Knörr Lattices For Elementary Abelian Groups Over Unramified Extensions Of Z_P, Marie Swartz

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, we examine the existence of positive height Knörr RD-lattices for D an elementary abelian p-group and R an unramified extension of the p-adics Zp. Knörr lattices form an important subclass of the absolutely indecomposable lattices and have close connections to modular representation theory’s “local to global” behavior. We generalize many prior results, shown only when p = 2, to odd p when |D| = p3. Further, when p = 3, we show that a positive height Knörr RD lattice must have a projective summand when restricted to any maximal subgroup of D. The proof of this requires …

Applications Of Bayesian Functional Data Analysis, Zhexuan Yang

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Functional Data Analysis (FDA) is a statistical approach used to analyze data that vary across a domain, such as curves or functions. This dissertation investigates Bayesian Functional Data Analysis (BFDA) through three applications. First, we explore the use of BFDA in outcome-dependent follow-up (ODFL) studies. After conducting simulation studies, we apply our model to cardiotoxicity and kidney function data. Second, we extend BFDA to genetic data by modeling DNA methylation levels with a three-parameter skew-normal distribution and an alpha-skew generalized normal distribution. This study also introduces a novel Multistage Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MMCMC) method with the goal of identifying …

Covariance Matrix Forecasting Of Equity Portfolios, Michael Nebor

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two papers. The first paper introduces DCC-SVR, a hybrid Dynamic Conditional Correlation (DCC) and Support Vector Regression (SVR) method of forecasting the covariance matrix. This paper shows that DCC-SVR is able to outperform the traditional methods of DCC and rolling historical on multiple data sets. Performance is shown for both standard GARCH and GJR-GARCH methods. This paper also analyzes performance when dimensions are increased to 49 dimensions and when an application using equal weighted portfolio allocation is used.

The second paper introduces a covariance matrix forecasting method based on copula-GARCH simulated returns. The accuracy of this …

Water Quality And Microplastic Contamination In An Urbanizing City Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, Boonyarak Chuanchit

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Microplastics (MPs) are synthetic polymer particles less than 5 mm in size that originate from both primary manufacturing and the breakdown of larger plastics. Extensive studies have examined their occurrence in other environments, while little is known about their presence and behavior in groundwater, especially in urbanizing regions in Southeast Asia. This study investigates the occurrence and abundance of microplastics within groundwater systems of Nakhon Pathom, an urbanizing province in central Thailand.

Groundwater was collected representing shallow and deep aquifers between May 2023 and May 2025. The analyses included physical-chemical parameters, major ions, heavy metals, and microplastic abundance and composition. …

Geometric Function Theory On Uniformly Quasiconformally Homogeneous Domains, Allyson Mackenzie Hahn

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

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Uniformly quasiconformally homogeneous domains in $\mathbb{R}^n$ carry a transitive collection of $K$-quasiconformal maps for a fixed $K\geq 1.$ In this dissertation we investigate three questions in this setting. The first is to show that quasiconformality and quasisymmetry with respect to the quasihyperbolic metric are equivalent. The second is to study normal quasiregular maps from such a domain into $S^n$ or $\mathbb{R}^n$ and determine they hold geometric properties such as a uniform Hölder condition. The third is to study preimages of a power-type mapping and show they are well-distributed in a precise sense.

Efficient Algorithms For Nearest Correlation Matrix Computation With Missing Data, Ibrahim Eniola Oyeyinka

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis investigates efficient algorithms for computing the Nearest Correlation Matrix (NCM) under incomplete financial data. Correlation matrices are vital in portfolio optimization and risk management, yet empirical estimates often violate symmetry, positive semidefiniteness, and unit diagonal conditions due to missing observations. Two projection-based methods are analyzed: the Modified Alternating Projections (MAP) and Anderson Acceleration (AA). Theoretical analysis using convex optimization and normal cone characterization supports numerical evaluation on synthetic and real-world stock-return matrices (550×550, 2020–2025). Missing data are modeled through Missing Completely at Random (MCAR) and Not Missing at Random (NMAR) mechanisms. The results show that AA converges faster …

Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment Data Caching With Frontier, Alexander Rahe

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is an unprecedented long baseline neutrino experiment that aims to measure various neutrino mixing parameters. With state-of-the-art technology, DUNE will measure neutrino mixing angles (θ13, θ12, θ23) and a Charge-Parity (CP) violating phase (δcp) with precision and will determine the elusive mass ordering. In order to accomplish these goals, scientists all over the world must have quick and reliable access to the data provided by the DUNE detectors. The data caching system known as Frontier is a distributed database caching system that was previously used in other large particle physics experiments for this purpose. …

Bytes, Banter, And The Bible: An Interdisciplinary Account Of Objective Meaning, Cameron Bonin

Senior Honors Theses

The claim that the Bible has objective meaning is contested in a postmodern world. This claim can be more persuasively defended when it is addressed by insights from multiple disciplines. In particular, the field of computer science is apt to illuminate the concept of meaning through its reflection on the nature of languages and its concern with the accurate transmission of information. By synthesizing insights from the field of computer science, such as that of Claude Shannon, with Nicholas Wolterstorff’s use of speech-act theory, the concept of meaning can be understood more clearly. Consequently, this synthesis assists in answering questions …

Interaction Of Cardiac Leiomodin With The Native Cardiac Thin Filament, Madison Little, Cristina M. Risi, Tania M. Larrinaga, Mason D. Summers, Tyler Nguyen, Garry E. Smith Jr., Jennifer Atherton, Carol C. Gregorio, Alla S. Kostyukova, Vitold E. Galkin

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

Every heartbeat depends on cyclical contraction-relaxation produced by the interactions between myosin-containing thick and actin-based thin filaments (TFs) arranged into a crystalline-like lattice in the cardiac sarcomere. Therefore, the maintenance of thin filament length is crucial for myocardium function. The thin filament is comprised of an actin backbone, the regulatory troponin complex and tropomyosin that controls interactions between thick and thin filaments. Thin filament length is controlled by the tropomodulin family of proteins; tropomodulin caps pointed ends of thin filaments, and leiomodin (Lmod) promotes elongation of thin filaments by a “leaky-cap” mechanism. The broader distribution of Lmod on the thin …

Implementing A Chatbot To Promote Hereditary Breast & Ovarian Cancer Genetic Screening In Women's Health: Identifying Barriers And Facilitators To Screening Adoption, Easton N. Wollney, Shireen Madani Sims, Luisel J. Ricks-Santi, Elizabeth Eddy, Daniel Wiesman, Carla L. Fisher

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

To promote genetic screening among women at risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that risk assessment be integrated into practice. Chatbots like the Genetic Information Assistant (Gia®) are increasingly implemented to expand access to hereditary genetic screening. Factors that impact chatbot implementation for HBOC risk screening and women's uptake are not fully realized. To refine implementation strategies prior to full scale implementation, we sought to identify women's perceived facilitators/barriers to adopting Gia screening in a rural population within a large healthcare system in the southern United States.

Methods

We …

Chemoproteomic Profiling Of A Carbon-Stabilized Gold(Iii) Macrocycle Reveals Cellular Engagement With Hmox2, Sailajah Gukathasan, Chibuzor Ngozi Olelewe, Libby Ratliff, Jong H. Kim, Alyson M. Ackerman, J. Robert Mccorkle, Sean Parkin, Gunnar F. Kwakye, Jill M. Kolesar, Samuel G. Awuah

Chemistry Faculty Publications

In this work, we discovered a novel organometallic gold(III) macrocycle, Au-Mac1, that demonstrates anticancer potency in a panel of triple-negative breast cancer cells (TNBC), and based on this complex, a biotinylated-Au-Mac1 probe was designed for target identification via chemoproteomics, which uncovered the engagement of HMOX2 of the heme-energy metabolism pathway. Using orthogonal chemical biology and molecular biology approaches, including immunoblotting, flow cytometry, and cellular thermal shift assays, it was confirmed that Au-Mac1 engages HMOX2 in cells. Downstream effects of Au-Mac1 on the depletion of mitochondrial membrane proteins and bioenergetics point to the potential role of HMOX2 in cancer. Importantly, Au-Mac1 …

Electrochemical Observation And Ph Dependence Of All Three Expected Redox Couples In An Extremophilic Bifurcating Electron Transfer Flavoprotein With Fused Subunits, Debarati Das, Wassim El Housseini, Monica Brachi, Shelley D. Minteer, Anne-Frances Miller

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Bifurcating enzymes employ energy from a favorable electron transfer to drive unfavorable transfer of a second electron, thereby generating a more reactive product. They are therefore highly desirable in catalytic systems, for example, to drive challenging reactions such as nitrogen fixation. While most bifurcating enzymes contain air-sensitive metal centers, bifurcating electron transfer flavoproteins (bETFs) employ flavins. However, they have not been successfully deployed on electrodes. Herein, we demonstrate immobilization and expected thermodynamic reactivity of a bETF from a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (SaETF). SaETF differs from previously biochemically characterized bETFs in being a single protein, representing a …

Functional Utility Of Gold Complexes With Phosphorus Donor Ligands In Biological Systems, Adedamola S. Arojojoye, Samuel G. Awuah

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Metallo-phosphines are ubiquitous in organometallic chemistry with widespread applications as catalysts in various chemical transformations, precursors for organic electronics, and chemotherapeutic agents or chemical probes. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the exploration of the current biological applications of Au complexes bearing phosphine donor ligands. The goal is to deepen our understanding of the synthetic utility and reactivity of Au-phosphine complexes to provide insights that could lead to the design of new molecules and enhance the cross-application or repurposing of these complexes.

Seasonal Variability Of Surface Ocean Carbon Uptake And Chlorophyll-A Concentration In The West Antarctic Peninsula Over Two Decades, Jessica S. Turner, David R. Munro, Amanda Fay, Sharon Stammerjohn, Heather Kim, Oscar Schofield, Heidi Dierssen

OES Faculty Publications

The Southern Ocean plays a vital role in global CO₂ uptake, but the magnitude and even the sign of the flux remain uncertain, and the influence of phytoplankton phenology is underexplored. This study focuses on the West Antarctic Peninsula, a region experiencing rapid climate change, to examine shifts in seasonal carbon uptake. Using 20 years of in situ air-sea CO₂ flux and satellite-derived Chlorophyll-a, we observe that the seasonal cycles of both air-sea CO₂ flux and Chlorophyll-a intensify poleward. The amplitude of the seasonal cycle of the non-thermal component of surface ocean pCO₂ increases with increasing latitude, while the amplitude …

Sandy Subterranean Estuaries Minimize Groundwater Nitrogen Pollution Impacts On Coastal Waters, Xiaogang Chen, Isaac R. Santos, Jinzhou Du, Bochao Xu, Joseph J. Tamborski, Ding He, Neven Cukrov, Christian J. Sanders, Jianan Liu, Peiyuan Zhu, Yan Zhang, Ling Li

OES Faculty Publications

Widespread anthropogenic activities pollute groundwater that eventually seeps out to the coastal ocean. Here, we resolve nutrient transformations and fluxes in 11 sandy subterranean estuaries (STEs) with contrasting nutrient sources and development trajectories. Coastal groundwater nitrogen pollution stems from sewage discharge and land use change. Anthropogenically derived groundwater nutrient fluxes with high N/P ratios (∼170) accounted for 22%–61% of riverine inputs into China's coastal waters, providing an additional source of nutrients that can fuel coastal eutrophication and algal blooms. Sandy STEs remarkably attenuated ∼84% of nitrogen pollution, minimizing the impact of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) on coastal water quality. Hence, …

Pygoscelis Penguins Prefer Different Oceanographic And Terrestrial Habitats During The Austral Summer, Katherine L. Gallagher, Rachel Herman, Katherine Walton, Michael S. Dinniman, Heather J. Lynch

OES Faculty Publications

Pygoscelis penguins interact with both terrestrial and marine environments, especially during the austral summer when they raise their chicks. Accessible ice-free ground spaces serve as locations for penguins to build colonies and successfully raise chicks while the surrounding marine environment serves as the foraging grounds for adult birds. Penguins must be able to navigate through the waters around their colonies to forage for Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), their primary prey during the austral summer. Krill, whose distributions are driven partially by the surrounding physics and partially by their behaviors, must also be plentiful in the waters near the …

Dust Deposition To The Sargasso Sea: A Comparison Of Estimates Using Aluminum In The Surface Ocean Versus Aerosols And Rainwater, T. E. Williams, P. N. Sedwick, B. M. Sohst, K. N. Buck, S. Caprara, R. J. Johnson, D. C. Ohnemus, J. A. Resing, L. E. Sofen, A. Tagliabue, B. S. Twining

OES Faculty Publications

As a major component of mineral aerosol that partially dissolves in seawater, aluminum (Al) has been used to estimate time-averaged dust fluxes to the ocean, based on dissolved aluminum (DAl) concentrations and an assumed replacement time of DAl (tau DAl) in the surface mixed layer, along with the fractional solubility (Als) and mass abundance of Al in dust. We apply this method in the Bermuda region using seasonal water-column DAl concentrations, and compare our results with fluxes estimated from Al measured in Bermuda aerosols and rain. Inventories of DAl over the maximum mixed-layer depth of 200 m and empirically derived …

Evidence Of Mineral Alteration In A Salt Marsh Subterranean Estuary: Implications For Carbon And Trace Element Cycling, J. J. Tamborski, M. J. Eagle, M. T. Thorpe, M. A. Charette, B. L. Kurylyk, S. Rahman, K. D. Kroeger, J. O'Keefe Suttles, A. G. Mann, T. W. Brooks, Z. A. Wang

OES Faculty Publications

Subterranean estuaries (STE) in salt marshes are biogeochemically active zones where interactions between terrestrial groundwater and seawater drive complex cycling of carbon and trace elements, influenced by mineral dissolution. These systems, characterized by fine-grained organic-rich peat overlying permeable coastal aquifers, play a crucial role as a blue carbon sink, yet their geochemical dynamics remain poorly understood. We investigated dissolved trace elements, carbon, silica, and radium isotopes in a salt marsh STE (Sage Lot Pond, Waquoit Bay, MA) over seasonal and annual cycles. Our results reveal that groundwater and estuarine water circulation through marsh peat and aquifer sediments leads to enrichments …

The Δ¹³C Signature Of Dissolved Organic And Inorganic Carbon Reveals Complex Carbon Transformations Within A Salt Marsh, Meagan J. Eagle, Kevin D. Kroeger, John W. Pohlman, Joseph J. Tamborski, Zhaohui Aleck Wang, T. W. Brooks, Jennifer O. Keefe Suttles, Adrian Mann

OES Faculty Publications

Coastal wetlands have high rates of atmospheric CO₂ uptake, which is subsequently respired back to the atmosphere, stored as organic matter within flooded, anoxic soils, or exported to the coastal ocean. Transformation of fixed carbon occurs through a variety of subsurface aerobic and anaerobic microbial processes, and results in a large inventory of dissolved carbon. Carbon source and the roles of aerobic respiration, sulfate reduction, and methane cycling were evaluated within salt marsh peat and the underlying sandy subterranean estuary. There is a large increase in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC, 7,350 ± 3,900 μmol L^-¹), dissolved organic carbon …

Characterization Of Microbial Biofilms On Marine Plastics: Community Development And Density Implications For Vertical Transport Dynamics, Gregory M. Joern, Rut Pedrosa-Pàmies, Xiangtao Jiang, Zhanfei Liu, Alexander B. Bochdansky

OES Faculty Publications

Marine plastic pollution poses a significant and escalating threat to ocean ecosystems, with microbial colonization on plastics playing a critical role in determining their environmental fate. Despite the recognized importance of microbial biofilms, their composition, dynamics, and functional contributions on buoyant plastics remain poorly understood. In this study, we leveraged a novel integrative approach by simultaneously employing 16S, 18S, and ITS sequencing alongside microscopy, lipidomics, pigment analysis, adenosine triphosphate and biogenic silica quantification. This comprehensive methodology allowed for a thorough characterization of microbial growth and community dynamics on plastic debris in a mid-latitude, tidal sub-estuary. Our analyses consistently identified diatoms, …