Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Machine Learning And Crime Prevention, Emily Lizewski

Student Theses

Predictive policing uses machine learning to analyze crime patterns and help law enforcement better efficient use their resources. These tools can improve accuracy by highlighting complex trends in large sets of data. While this technology has its advantages, it also raises important ethical and social questions. Within this paper we looks at how predictive policing works, focusing on the machine learning models often used such as decision trees, random forests, gradient boosting, and models that factor in both time and location. It also explores how these tools might unintentionally reinforce biases already present in historical crime data. In reviewing the …

Investigation Of Co-Current And Counter-Current Multiphase Flow In Upstream Drilling And Production Applications, Hazem Fleifel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the domain of upstream Petroleum Engineering, the dynamics of co-current and counter-current multiphase flows present huge challenges, significantly impacting the efficiency of associated processes. This study investigates two specific applications concerning these flow behaviors, involving both laboratory experiments and transient computer simulations. This work investigates two distinct well control and production enhancement processes, involving multiphase flow dynamics: the bullheading kill procedure and liquid-assisted gas lift (LAGL).

The first topic (Topic 1) explores the bullheading process, a type of well control methods, by challenging the traditional understanding that gas removal efficiency increases monotonically with injection pump flow rate. Through 1D …

Effects Of Ambient Temperature On Nox Emissions From Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles Measured In Utah, Amber L. Gurecki Allen, Darrell B. Sonntag, Gary A. Bishop

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

This study investigates the effects of ambient temperature on NOx (NO + NO2) emissions from model year 2011 and later heavy-duty (HD) diesel vehicles. Emission measurements were collected in Perry, Utah, using the Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test (FEAT) remote sensing device. Data were limited to model year 2011 and later to focus on vehicles likely equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, which control tailpipe NOx emissions and are shown to be temperature sensitive. HD diesel vehicles measured in the winter of 2020 had consistently higher NOx emissions than those measured in the summer of 2023, most significantly for vehicles …

Impact Of Mining Activities On Land Use Land Cover (Lulc) Using Geospatial Techniques In The Obuasi Municipality, Jonathan Arthur Quaye-Ballard, Samira Naa Yemoley Nsiah, Jephthah Marfo Nimoh, Titus Tienaah, Tina Dzigbordi Wemegah, Precious Adwoa Okyere

Publications

Introduction: Sustainable development, which balances economic, social, and environmental factors to meet the needs of the present and future generations, is a collective responsibility. Rapid population growth and intensification of socio-economic activities are causing significant changes in Land Use Land Cover (LULC), directly impacting ecosystem services, biodiversity, and climate. The Obuasi community is already facing environmental degradation and health problems due to gold mining.

Methodology: The study assessed the spatial extent and intensity of mining activities in the Obuasi Municipality on the LULC and predicted future LULC changes due to mining activities using geospatial techniques. The LULC changes were analysed …

Not-So-Secret Authentication: The Syncbleed Attacks And Defenses For Zero-Involvement Authentication Systems, Isaac Ahlgren, Rushikesh Shirsat, Omar Achkar, George K. Thiruvathukal, Kyu In Lee, Neil Klingensmith

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Zero-involvement authentication (ZIA) offers a promising solution for autoprovisioning large IoT device networks by enabling devices to extract identical authentication keys from ambient environmental signals without user intervention.

However, we demonstrate that existing ZIA systems leak critical information during key negotiation when they exchange synchronization messages over public wireless channels.

Our novel passive attack, SyncBleed, exploits these leaked messages to reconstruct ZIA-generated keys, successfully cracking approximately 50% of keys in under one second in our testbed experiments.

To address this vulnerability, we introduce TREVOR (Time shift REsistant VEctor ExtractOR), which generates nearly identical bit sequences from environmental signals without exchanging …

Quantum Pseudorandom Primitives Beyond Pseudorandom States, Chuhan Lu

Dissertations and Theses

Quantum pseudorandomness is an emerging research area. Ji, Liu, and Song defined pseudorandom states (PRSs) and pseudorandom unitaries (PRUs) as quantum analogs of pseudorandom generators and pseudorandom functions. A unitary oracle separation result between one-way functions and PRSs/PRUs, established by Kretschmer, suggests that certain quantum primitives may remain secure even if classical cryptography is compromised. This insight has spurred extensive work on quantum pseudorandomness and its applications in quantum cryptography.

Many constructions of PRSs have been established under standard assumptions, yet building a secure PRU was a long-standing open problem. This dissertation aims to narrow the gap between PRSs and …

Montserrat Developments Impacting Local Coral Reefs, Emma I. Bartholomew

2025 Symposium

Montserrat is a small island in the Caribbean, and over half of the island is in the exclusion zone because of the active volcano, Soufrière Hills. In that half was the old capital, Plymouth, which has since been abandoned, and its old port. The old port was getting less reliable and accessible, so they decided to build a new port in Little Bay, closer to the seat of government in Brades. This study explored how the addition of the new port impacted the corals in that area. We explored several different bays and recorded the diversity and health of the …

A Comprehensive Review On Gamification In Neurocybersecurity, Ms. Kritika

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The research investigates gamification methods as it applies to the emerging interdisciplinary domain that brings together cybersecurity with neuroscience and psychology. Neurocybersecurity implements neural concepts to protect digital systems from security threats while targeting the human vulnerabilities that present as the strongest points of attack. Several researchers have examined gamification techniques which incorporate game design elements to enhance cybersecurity training outcomes by improving user participation and knowledge retention and user conduct compliance. The research incorporates Self-Determination Theory along with Cognitive Load Theory to explain the design principles for efficient gamified interventions. The implementation of both cognitive performance improvement and neuroplasticity …

Mechanisms Behind The Cross And Fusion Of Gas Migration And Storage Zones Under The Influence Of The Mining Height Of Fully Mechanized Mining Faces, Zhao Pengxiang, Guo Xu, Wang Chao, Li Shugang, Zhuo Risheng, Chang Zechen, Lei Wen

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The mining height of coal seams along fully mechanized mining faces significantly influences the formation and evolution of fractures in the overburden, as well as the characteristics of gas migration and storage zones. Investigating the influential patterns under varying mining heights will provide guidance for the arrangement of gas extraction boreholes, thus enhancing gas extraction efficiency. Methods This study investigated mining face 203 in the Tianchi Coal Mine in Heshun County, Shanxi Province. By integrating methods such as physical simulation experiments with similar materials, theoretical analysis, and engineering verification, this study systematically examined the developmental characteristics of fractures in …

Fractures And Their Macro-Mesoscopic Mechanical Evolution Pattern In Coals In The Benxi Formation, Ordos Basin, Zhu Boxu, Yang Xu, Li Gaoren, Li Gao, Feng Jiaxin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective This study aims to determine the relationship between multi-scale fracture characteristics and the mechanical behavior of deep coals, thereby helping gain further insights into the mechanisms behind the macro-mesoscopic damage and failure of the coals and providing a scientific basis for the stability assessment and mechanical modeling of deep coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs. To this end, it is necessary to examine the differences in the coals’ mechanical properties under varying scales. Methods This study conducted uniaxial and triaxial mechanical tests, nanoindentation experiments, and CT scanning of the No. 8 coal seam in the Benxi Formation within the Ordos Basin. …

Mechanisms Underlying Responses Of Pore Structures In Continental Oil Shale To Microwave Pyrolysis, Lyu Pengrui, Yuan Shihao, Geng Jishi, Li Delu, Zhang Huiyuan, Ge Zhenlong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods Microwave pyrolysis technology holds great potential to achieve clean energy conversion and efficient energy utilization of oil shale resources. This study investigated oil shale in the Triassic Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin. Through microwave pyrolysis experiments under different power values (600 W, 800 W, and 1000 W) conducted using a microwave equipment monitoring system, this study tested the gas products generated during pyrolysis. Using the nitrogen adsorption method, this study compared and analyzed the pore structure characteristics between the original oil shale and samples after microwave heating under different power values. Additionally, the mechanisms behind damage to oil …

Spatiotemporal Evolution Pattern Of The Inertial Horizontal Displacement Of Mining Overburden And A Surface Prediction Model Considering Inertial Horizontal Displacement, Chen Yuanfei, Wang Lei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Substantial measured data indicate that the along-strike horizontal displacement of the surface tends to be nonzero in the central part of the mining-affected zone. This phenomenon deviates from traditional understanding, leading to systematic deviations in the predicted results of the traditional prediction model for horizontal displacement. Methods This study investigated mining face 1414 of the Guqiao Coal Mine in the Huainan mining area, Anhui Province. Using measured data and numerical simulation methods, this study explored the spatiotemporal evolution of the horizontal displacement within the mining overburden and of the surface. Then, it analyzed the sources, patterns, and distribution characteristics …

Deterioration And Instability Mechanisms Of Water-Rich And Weakly Cemented Open-Pit Slopes, Wang Ming, Wu Zhang, Xu Changyou, Zhao Fu, Meng Xiangchun, Shi Bin, Liu Jingyu, Xu Yongchao, Wang Jingwei, Zhao Lichun

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background During the mining of an open-pit mine, denudated layers contain loose Neogene and Quaternary aeolian, alluvial, and diluvial deposits, facilitating water storage and conduction. This is prone to cause slope degradation and instability, severely threatening mining safety. Methods Based on results from field surveys and laboratory experiments, this study systematically analyzed the impacts of groundwater on the weak layer along a slope of an open-pit mine in the Huolinhe Coalfield, Inner Mongolia, focusing on its softening effect on mudstones. By establishing a mechanical model for unconsolidated strata, this study derived an equation for calculating the seepage force in the …

A Design Method For Timeliness Optimization Of The Round-Trip Actuating Mechanisms Of Rescue Vehicle-Mounted Drilling Rigs, Cao Chao, Mao Bingquan, Zhang Zhonghai, Chang Renqi, Zhao Jiyun, Han Jing, Huang Di

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective In the field of mine accident rescue, creating vertical rescue channels through surface drilling operations using a rescue vehicle-mounted drilling rig (RVMDR) proves the most effective. However, the limitation of the vehicle’s load capacity necessitates balancing the driving speeds and stability of the round-trip actuating mechanisms. Furthermore, establishing an optimization design and configuration system of parameters to maximize the operational capacities of these actuating mechanisms plays a key role in ensuring rescue efficiency. Methods By establishing a multiple spatiotemporal planning model for the round-trip actuating mechanisms of the RVMDR, this study determined the value ranges and design processes of …

Domain Obedient Deep Learning, Soumadeep Saha

Doctoral Theses

Deep learning, a family of data-driven artificial intelligence techniques, has shown immense promise in a plethora of applications, and it has even outpaced experts in several domains. However, unlike symbolic approaches to learning, these methods fall short when it comes to abiding by and learning from pre-existing established principles. This is a significant deficit for deployment in critical applications such as robotics, medicine, industrial automation, etc. For a decision system to be considered for adoption in such fields, it must demonstrate the ability to adhere to specified constraints, an ability missing in deep learning-based approaches. Exploring this problem serves as …

Well Spacing Optimization Technology For Coalbed Methane Horizontal Wells, Wang Yuting, Yang Yanhui, Zhang Cong, Wang Xiuwei, Liu Zhong, Chen Jiale, Dong Qing, Sun Tao, Zhang Wuchang, Li Kexin, Wang Qi

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Well spacing design directly affects the resource utilization and exploitation benefits of blocks. Rational well spacing design plays a significant role in the commercial exploitation of coalbed methane (CBM) fields. Since the beginning of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, blocks for CBM production in the southern Qinshui Basin have experienced a gradual increase in burial depth, a progressive decline in permeability, and a constant update of primary exploitation technology. Consequently, traditional well spacings fail to meet the requirements for field CBM exploitation any longer. Methods This study investigated the western Qinnan – eastern Mabi block by combining numerical simulations with …

Advances In Research On The Activation And Recovery Of Strategic And Critical Valuable Metals From Coal Fly Ash, Wang Yuhao, Dong Zhongbing

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Coal fly ash, a bulk solid waste byproduct from coal-fired power generation, has a global annual output exceeding 0.75 billion tons. Its disordered piling poses severe environmental risks, such as the generation of heavy metal leachate and PM_2.5 emissions. However, coal fly ash is rich in aluminum (Al 100‒200 mg/g), gallium (Ga 10‒300 μg/g), lithium (Li 1 300‒3 700 μg/g), and rare earth elements (REEs 200‒800 μg/g), establishing it as a potential alternative resource of strategic metals. Methods By analyzing the current domestic and international technologies for metal recovery from coal fly ash, this study expatiates on the …

Methodology And Integration For Dynamic Safety Assessment And Early Warning Of Drilling Sites For Emergency Rescue After Underground Space Collapse, Xie Zhongzhi, Zhang Guohua, Wei Xingtong, Zhang Ning, Wang Xiaotian, Ni Xiaoyang, Zhou Zhengwen, Wang Xianze

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective IGiven the lack of methods for dynamic safety assessment related to disasters in drilling site environments for emergency rescue after underground space collapse, this study proposed a multisource data-driven methodology for dynamic safety assessment and real-time early warning. Methods By comprehensively considering the disaster-inducing environment and disaster-causing factors at drilling sites for emergency rescue, this study established the safety assessment indices of the environment and their grading system. By integrating multi-source data on surrounding rock deformation, gas concentration, and drilling rig vibration, this study developed a safety assessment method through combination weighting achieved using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) …

A Study On Webassembly And Its Security, Thomas Crossman

Research from the Berry Summer Thesis Institute, 2025

This project studies WebAssembly, a binary language specification that enables non-native languages, such as C/C++ and Rust, to run efficiently on webpages, supporting complex tasks like gaming or data processing. It functions by translating a non-native language into a WebAssembly binary, which is natively supported by most browsers. Notably, WebAssembly uses a linear memory model, storing all non-code data in a single linear array. Unfortunately, this design compromises some security principles, introducing security risks and complications.

Our overall project goal is to investigate WebAssembly functionality, develop a test program, and address a critical security challenge to enhance the safety of …

Family Ties: Nba Draft Position And Player Performance, Nick Riccardi, Rodney J. Paul

Sport Management - All Scholarship

This study aims to investigate the role, if any, that nepotism plays in the careers of players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Career performance is compared between the 780 players drafted from 2007-2019 with familial relationships considered. Ordinary Least Squares and logistic regression models are specified to estimate the effect of having a relative on the success of an NBA player’s career. We find that siblings of NBA players earn more and reach minimum games played thresholds more often, while sons of NBA players earn more, but generally do not reach games played thresholds more often than similarly-drafted peers.

Digital Rock Modeling And Elastic Simulations Of Fractured-Vuggy Carbonate Reservoirs, Zhu Wei, Zhao Luanxiao, Wang Yirong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The Tarim Basin exhibits extensively distributed deep fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs. Therefore, determining the seismic and petrophysical characteristics of carbonate reservoirs with a fracture and vug system will provide significant guidance for the exploration, discovery, drilling, and exploitation of favorable reservoirs in the basin. Variations in the filling state of dissolution fractures and vugs will lead to significantly different elastic and attenuation characteristics of the reservoirs. Methods Based on geological insights into the geometric structural and filling characteristics of the dissolution fracture-vug system in the outcrop sections of carbonate strata in the Tarim Basin, this study proposed a digital rock …

Using Novel Technology And Sensemaking In The Classroom, Reu/Fri Program Physics And Astronomy, Julio Escobedo

Student Works

This project looked into the usefulness of various new and unique technologies in a science classroom setting to allow for more sensemaking to occur among students. This was done through professional developments or training for multiple educators on how to use these devices in the classrooms. We found that each new technology had a unique set of useful capabilities and drawbacks. These findings suggest that implementation of these technologies can increase sensemaking if done properly and with proper training beforehand.

Ai Is Not The New Dei: Academia’S Addiction To The Next Big Thing, Essraa Nawar

Library Articles and Research

"Every August, as campuses come back to life across the country and the world, I notice the same rhythm: new policies announced, committees formed, webinars scheduled, and fall conferences themed around the latest 'big thing.'

This fall? No surprise. The wave is artificial intelligence.

AI task forces are meeting weekly. Universities are drafting 'responsible AI' policies. New centers and certificates are being launched. Syllabi are being rewritten. Symposia and faculty retreats promise that AI will 'redefine the future of education.'

It is bold. It is ambitious. But it is also deeply familiar."

08.25.2025 Ored Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

• Research Security Required Training
• ORED Research Reception

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.

Pseudo-2d Mt Inversion Technique For Small-Frame Tem And Its Application In Advance Geological Prediction, Han Ziqiang, Wanma Longzhi, Li Xiangfeng, Yang Yongqiang, Zhu Xiaoming, Luo Chengxian, Tang Li

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective To address the bottlenecks of low computational efficiency and impracticality of multi-dimensional inversion in the advance geological prediction based on the transient electromagnetic method (TEM), this study developed a pseudo-two-dimensional (2D) magnetotelluric (MT) inversion technique for small-frame TEM based on time-frequency transformation. Methods First, this study corroborated the significant similarity between the late-time apparent resistivity derived using small-frame TEM and the Cagniard apparent resistivity in the MT method under the parameters commonly used in advance geological prediction. Then, the optimal time-frequency transformation coefficient (C_TF) was introduced to achieve a rapid conversion from the late-time apparent resistivity …

Fracturing Evolution Mechanisms Of Eroded Coals Under The Temperature Effect Of The Co2-H2O System, Lin Baiquan, Shi Yu, Liu Ting, Shen Yang, Huang Tao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Injecting hot flue gas produced and discharged by gas-fired power plants into deep coal seams where gas is difficult to extract enjoys dual benefits: gas production growth and geologic CO₂ sequestration. However, there is an urgent need to determine the impact of the heat-carrying property of hot flue gas on the stability of coal reservoirs. To address this issue, the key is to clarify the fracturing evolution mechanisms of eroded coals under the temperature effect of the CO₂-H₂O system.Methods Using the independently built platform of CO₂-H₂O-coal interactions that consider …

Impacts Of Co2/Ch4/N2 Adsorption/Desorption On The Macromolecular Structure Of Anthracite: Insights From In Situ Raman Spectroscopy, Wang Tian, Pan Jienan, Li Meng, Wang Kai, Tang Zhuyun, Cheng Nannan, Hou Quanlin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods The adsorption/desorption of coalbed methane (CBM) not only induces the macroscopic deformations of coals but also significantly alters their macromolecular structures, with different gases exhibiting greatly varying mechanisms and influence degrees. Utilizing an independently developed in situ laser Raman spectroscopy system, this study revealed the differential structural responses and mechanisms of anthracite under CO₂, CH₄, and N₂ injection. Results and Conclusion Experimental results indicate that gas injection led to notable blue shifts in the D₄, D, D₃, and G peaks characterizing the microcrystalline structures of coals. In contrast, …

Advances In Research On Geological Evaluation Of Compressed Air Energy Storage In Underground Gas Storage Facilities, Jiang Wen, Huang Leqing, Zhang Songhang, Ma Huiying

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Against the backdrop of achieving peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality globally, renewable energy has developed rapidly and is gradually changing the world's energy mix. However, the intermittent and fluctuating nature of photovoltaic and wind power energy is prone to cause grid frequency fluctuations and reduced power supply reliability. Compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology has emerged as the key to the stable operation of the green power grid thanks to its large capacity and low cost.Methods Based on a systematic review of domestic and international literature in recent years, this study organizes the current theoretical and …

Log-Based Identification Of Sedimentary Facies In Coal Measures In The Southern Wuxiang Block, Shanxi Province, China, Jin Yi, Tian Yunqing, Song Huibo, Hu Bin, Yu Zhenfeng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The Carboniferous and Permian coal-bearing strata in the southern Wuxiang block, Qinshui Basin, Shanxi Province, China contain abundant coalbed methane (CBM) resources. To develop intelligent discrimination technology for CBM exploration in this block, it is necessary to establish lithology discrimination criteria based on log data, reveal the response relationships between logging and sedimentary facies, and determine sedimentary patterns. Methods Using a comprehensive analysis of lithologies, sedimentary facies, and logging facies, this study systematically investigated the distributions of logging and sedimentary facies in the Shanxi and Taiyuan formations—the primary coal-bearing strata in the southern Wuxiang block. By comprehensively analyzing the …