Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Creasing In Thick Hemispherical Shells As A Model For Foveal Formation, Indigo Skye Peppard

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research experimentally investigates creasing behavior on the inner surface of hemispherical shells with the ultimate goal of modelling the formation of the foveal pit, a sharp surface deformation present in the retina of the eye of many animals. Creasing is a phenomenon observed in hyperelastic materials and is characterized by sharply localized surface deformations that appear at ~35% compressive strain. The foveal pits of anoles (small iguanian lizards) are funnel-shaped and resemble creases when cut along the central axis. Furthermore, during foveal pit formation the anole eye contracts around 35% along this same axis. Given these similarities we believe …

A Modified Sir Model Used To Investigate The Relationship Between Congenital And Adult Syphilis, Kaleesta R. Waysman

Honors Thesis

A complex SIR model integrating the relationship between adult and congenital syphilis was developed. The goal of the project was to determine the specific population(s) or control strategies that should be enforced, altered, or removed to decrease the number of children experiencing clinical sequelae due to congenital syphilis. Early clinical sequelae include hydrops fetalis, preterm birth, central nervous system infection, hepatosplenomegaly, hyperbilirubinemia, cholestasis, hemolytic anemia, snuffles, osteochondritis, and lesions or rashes in the palms and soles. Late clinical sequelae include interstitial keratitis, hearing loss, Hutchinson teeth, saber shins, Clutton joints, mulberry molars, and saddle nose. After implementing real-world data into …

Characterization Of Microplastic Pollution In Intentionally Flooded Fields In The Mississippi Delta, Edward G. Heinen

Honors Theses

Microplastic (MP) pollution in agricultural environments is spread throughout soil and water due to plasticulture, the use of plastic materials for agricultural applications. In the Mississippi Delta, shallow habitat management for migratory birds involves flooding agricultural fields to resting grounds for birds during migration, as well as to improve soil parameters. In this study, MP concentrations, polymer IDs, and polymer sizes in Delta flood and source water samples were quantified using a Bruker Lumos II μ-FTIR instrument. Average concentrations (MPs/L) in floodwater (n=18) were 72 ± 66, while average concentrations in source water (n=4) and runoff (n=3) were 169 ± …

Effects Of Structure Of Mepegn Polymers On Hydroxide Conductivity In Anhydrous Anionic Exchange Membranes, Athan M. Gregory

Honors Theses

Anhydrous hydroxide ion (OH-) conducting polymer electrolytes composed of a 1-methyl-pyrrolidinium (1mp) head group linked to various MePEGn (n = 3, 7, 12) backbones were prepared. We have examined the structure of these anion exchange membranes to observe how the structure of the electrolyte affects the observed ionic conductivity. The structural parameters investigated were polymer length, viscosity, fractional free volume (FFV), and volume fraction of PEG (Vf,PEG), and each polymer varied in these properties. Through a comparison of the conductivity and structural parameters in the MePEGn-based anion electrolytes, we have shown that each of these structural properties weakly affects the …

Phishy Pages - The Design Of A User-Interactive Website For Phishing Attack Evaluation, Evan C. Gregory

Honors Theses

Phishing attacks are a widespread, malicious phenomenon. These attacks steal people’s personal information, causing them ruin and lining the pockets of criminals. What makes them so dangerous is that they come in a variety of forms, including emails, websites, phone calls, and social media can be vectors for attackers. Fortunately, these attacks can be stopped by informing potential victims of common signs to look out for. Training is one of the best methods people use to teach web-users how to protect themselves. To train them, however, users must be taken through many examples of phishing attacks to learn the characteristics …

Evolving Enemy Behavior In Video Games, Hermie H. Adams Iii

Honors Theses

The video game I developed for my senior project lacked complex and engaging enemy artificial intelligence. The standard implementations of AI systems such as finite state machines and behavior trees felt like side-steps rather than innovative solutions. Upon seeing the 'magic' of machine learning in perfecting games such as Snake, Super Mario, and Flappy Bird, I was inspired to seek my answer in the field of evolutionary computation. However, my challenge differed in that the problem space would be defined by dynamic player strategies, making it not well-defined or static. As such, my evaluations are based on enemies exhibiting emergent …

Feasibility Analysis For The Implementation Of An Anaerobic Digestion System In The City Of Pittsburgh, Pa, Gianna L. Kolencik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study is investigating the feasibility of an anaerobic digestion system

in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the old State Correctional Institute (SCI-Pittsburgh)

located at 1922 Westhall St. This location is immediately upstream of the Allegheny

County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) along the Ohio River. Municipal solid waste

from ALCOSAN may be used as the main form of feedstock. ALCOSAN produced

roughly 36,500 tons of dry sludge in the reporting year 2023-2024. Based on the volume

of dry sludge from ALCOSAN it is estimated that an anaerobic digestion system could

yield approximately 29,930,000 kWh of energy, which is enough to power over …

Direct Computations Of Spatially Resolved Viscoelastic Moduli Of Biomolecular Condensates, Liwen Gu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Biomolecular condensates are viscoelastic materials formed by liquid-liquid phase separations (LLPS) of biopolymers. In this study, we develop a modified graph Laplacian-based collective model to characterize viscoelastic heterogeneity within condensates based on results of lattice-based Metropolis Monte Carlo (MMC) simulations. By integrating random graph models and simulations of A1-LCD, a type of intrinsically disordered protein, we examine how network topology influences storage modulus, loss modulus, crossover frequency, and relaxation time spectra. Our results reveal a strong correlation between topological features and mechanical response, with the condensate interior exhibiting higher stiffness and faster relaxation than the interface. The relaxation spectra provide …

From Fables To Facts: Discovering The World Through Stories And Science, Lucille Helen Vanek

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

From Fables to Facts: Discovering the World Through Stories and Science examines the integration of narrative storytelling and hands-on scientific exploration as a means of cultivating environmental literacy, ethical reflection, and sustained engagement with the natural world. Grounded in environmental philosophy, aesthetics, and ethics, the project draws on theoretical insights from Holmes Rolston III, Marcia Muelder Eaton, Allen Carlson, Arnold Berleant, and C. Thi Nguyen to develop a multidimensional model of education that unites imagination, cognition, and participatory experience. Implemented in diverse Montana community settings—including libraries, early learning centers, science museums, and faith-based organizations—the program paired fables, parables, and literary …

Prevalence Of Well Water Contaminants In Georgia From 2010-2022, Angelique B. Willis, Suhasini Ramisetty-Mikler, Christine E. Stauber, Uttam Kumar Saha

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Safe, reliable, and clean drinking water sources are a basic necessity. More than 1.7 million individuals rely on private wells for drinking water in Georgia and are confronted with water quality challenges stemming from chemical contamination as private wells are not under mandated regulations as public water supplies. In Georgia, previous studies suggested that the variation of soil and rock in a physiographic province (region) plays an essential role in the quality of private well water. There is a need to understand the distribution of these chemical contaminants above the federal Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) and how different geologies …

Tidal Heating In Gas Giant Ice Moons, Sage Benz-Narveson

Senior Seminars and Capstones

This presentation is on the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, Europa and Enceladus. They are both known for being relatively large moons of gas giants made of a lot of water ice with silicate cores. Both are also suspected to harbor liquid oceans underneath their icy surfaces, sustained by salinity and tidal heating. Liquid water is of extreme interest to astrobiologists, which this paper will address, but it is primarily about tidal heating and its implications for the size of the subsurface oceans.

Impact Of Unconventional Gas Extraction On Tributaries Of Tenmile Creek, Greene County, Pennsylvania: A 12-Year Perspective, Christian L. Beall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Much of southwestern Pennsylvania has been central to a rapid increase in development for unconventional natural gas extraction in the past two decades. The continued monitoring of streams over their lifetime as extraction sites is pivotal to understanding the effects of fracking on local waterways and their ability to provide for wildlife and human use. Here, using multiple indices of biotic integrity (IBI), I perform analyses of fish and macroinvertebrate communities as well as water chemistry on two streams, Bates Fork (with shale wells) and Fonner Run (without), as part of a follow-up to work performed there from 2010-2012. Fish …

Bridging Cattle Farming And Technology: The Development Of Moomanager, Matthew Hayes

Honors College Theses

Small-scale cattle producers face persistent challenges in adopting digital tools for herd management, often due to barriers such as limited digital literacy, software complexity, and poor alignment with practical workflows. Existing literature highlights the potential benefits of mobile applications in agricultural contexts, yet adoption rates remain low among smaller operations. This thesis investigates how a streamlined, mobile-first application can address these adoption barriers while supporting essential farm management tasks. The study details the design and development of MooManager, a mobile application built with React Native and Supabase and structured around core features such as cattle tracking, beef sales logging, and …

Structure Determination Of Mg2tihn And Mg3tihn (N=1-25) Clusters, Meagan Dobbs

Honors College Theses

Fossil fuels are a resource that is used in everyday life. A major problem with the reliance on fossil fuels lies in their major contributor to global warming. When fossil fuels are burned, they release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and warm the Earth. In order to decrease the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted new fuel sources are being considered, and a leading candidate is hydrogen. This project looks at magnesium hydride clusters doped with a titanium atom. Specifically, the Mg₂TiH_n (n =1-25) and Mg₃TiH_n (n =1-25) clusters are considered. The …

Understanding Student And Teacher Perceptions Of A Checking For Accuracy Method In Algebra Class, Abigail A. Jameson

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Mathematics encompasses learning from one’s mistakes and developing accuracy with problem-solving. This action research study analyzed the classroom teacher’s and students' perceptions of a checking for accuracy math method that was implemented in an eighth-grade algebra classroom. Additionally, the researcher wanted to understand how the participants felt about the accuracy method and its influence on students’ attitudes toward math and mastery of math concepts. Student surveys, individual teacher (with student artifacts) and student interviews and focus groups (with individual artifacts) were the qualitative data collected using the constant comparative method. Descriptive statistics was used to collect quantitative data with calculated …

Optimized Student Grouping For Enhanced Classroom Performance, Kathryn E. Reardon

Honors Theses

Effective grouping methods enhance classroom collaboration and allow for a student-centered teaching approach; however, traditional grouping methods are time-consuming, subjective, and can create inconsistent group dynamics. This project addresses these challenges by employing a data-driven approach to optimize student groups based on academic performance, behavior, attendance, language barriers, and teacher preferences. The minimum viable product is a web application with an algorithm-driven system to group students and a database storage for group results. During the initiation phase, a problem was defined with a proposed solution. During the planning phase, potential design choices and grouping methods were researched and assessed. During …

Derived $P$-Adic Heights And The Leading Coefficient Of The Bertolini–Darmon–Prasanna $P$-Adic $L$-Function, Francesc Castella, Chi-Yun Hsu, Debanjana Kundu, Yu-Sheng Lee, Zheng Liu

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Let E/Q be an elliptic curve and let p be an odd prime of good reduction for E. Let K be an imaginary quadratic field satisfying the classical Heegner hypothesis and in which p splits. The goal of this paper is two-fold: (1) we formulate a p-adic BSD conjecture for the p-adic L-function LBDP p introduced by Bertolini–Darmon–Prasanna [Duke Math. J. 162 (2013), pp. 1033–1148]; and (2) for an algebraic analogue F BDP p of LBDP p , we show that the “leading coefficient” part of our conjecture holds, and that the “order of vanishing” part follows from the expected …

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) 2025 Monthly Progress Report. Consent Decree For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit. Civil Action No. Cv 89-039-Bu-Seh, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Crystallization Of The Quantized Function Algebras Of Suq(N + 1), Manabendra Giri

Doctoral Theses

The $q$-deformation of a connected, simply connected Lie group $G$ is typically studied through two Hopf algebras associated with it: the quantized universal enveloping algebra $\mathcal{U}_q(\mathfrak{g})$ and the quantized function algebra $\mathcal{O}(G_q)$. If $G$ has a compact real form $K$, one can use the Cartan involution to give a $*$-structure on $\mathcal{O}(G_q)$. The QFA $\mathcal{O}(G_q)$ with this $*$ structure is denoted by $\mathcal{O}(K_q)$ and its $C^*$-completion by $C(K_q)$. Here we study the crystal limits of $\mathcal{O}(SU_q(n+1))$ and $C(SU_q(n+1))$ and classify all irreducible representations of the crystallized algebras. We also prove that the crystallized algebra carries a natural bialgebra structure.

Detection, Analysis, And Modeling Of Time-Scale Separated Modulatory Brain Dynamics: Methods And Applications In Neurocritical Care, Maren Elizabeth Loe

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Clinical monitoring of patients with neurological disease generates large volumes of data, including electrophysiology (e.g. EEG), heart rate, blood pressure, and other physiological measures. The use of these data to generate actionable prognostic measures is a long-held goal in clinical neurophysiology. In this regard, the use of engineering theory, including signal processing methods and computational modeling paradigms, is providing new ways of interpreting neurological data and yielding new insights into brain mechanisms and disease pathophysiology. This research focuses on the analysis and modeling of aberrant brain dynamical phenomena that occur over hours-long temporal epochs. Particularly, we consider time-scale separated electrophysiological …

Effective And Efficient Graph Foundation Model, Lecheng Kong

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Graph data has emerged as a central component in numerous real-world applications, spanning recommender systems, drug discovery, social networking, and traffic forecasting. While traditional and modern graph learning techniques—ranging from graph kernels to Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) and graph transformers—have achieved significant success, their task-specific nature and reliance on supervised learning limit their adaptability to new, unseen tasks. This rigidity becomes especially problematic in dynamic environments where retraining for every new task is costly and often infeasible. Inspired by the transformative impact of foundation models in natural language processing, this thesis explores the feasibility of developing a graph foundation model—a …

Scaling Quantum Systems: Quantum Networks, Distributed Quantum Computing, And Security, Zebo Yang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Recent advancements in quantum computing have opened up new possibilities across various fields, offering significant potential to enhance computation, communication, cryptography, and applications in areas like sensing, medicine, and chemistry. However, the capabilities of individual quantum devices are still limited, and scaling quantum hardware monolithically presents substantial challenges. Interconnecting quantum systems offers a promising alternative by aggregating capabilities across a network, thereby enabling quantum advantages for larger and more practical problems. This interconnection is achieved through quantum networking, which links external quantum systems, and Distributed Quantum Computing (DQC), which connects quantum processors within a system, such as in quantum data …

System Security Foundations For Ai-Enabled Systems, Yuhao Wu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

AI is being deployed broadly, from conventional computing systems like IoT systems to more advanced agentic systems. It is shifting from being a specialized component responsible for specific functions to becoming the core of agentic systems, where it drives autonomous decision-making and task execution. These AI-enabled systems bring tremendous benefits. For example, large language models can interpret user intent, select appropriate tools, and access data to complete tasks with minimal human guidance. However, they also introduce new security, privacy, and safety risks. These risks arise not only from the models themselves but also from the broader system design and integration. …

Towards Secure And Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning Systems, Han Liu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, machine learning (ML) has advanced at an unprecedented pace, driving the widespread adoption of increasingly sophisticated models across a broad range of real-world applications, including healthcare, finance, autonomous systems, and critical infrastructure. While these models have delivered remarkable benefits and transformed numerous industries, they remain inherently vulnerable to a variety of security and privacy threats. Given their growing role in safety-critical domains, ensuring their security and privacy has become imperative. Systematically addressing these vulnerabilities requires comprehensive adversarial analyses to uncover weaknesses and inform the design of robust defenses. This dissertation systematically investigates ML vulnerabilities in adversarial settings …

Trustworthy Autonomy Through Robust Control And Alignment, Junlin Wu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

As artificial intelligence systems are increasingly applied in safety critical domains such as robotics, autonomous driving, and decision making under uncertainty, ensuring their trustworthiness has become a central challenge. This dissertation addresses two major facets of trustworthy AI: reliable control through formal guarantees and alignment against adversarial manipulation. The first part of the dissertation focuses on provably stable, robust, and safe control for nonlinear systems using learning based methods. We introduce the first general framework for synthesizing neural Lyapunov controllers in discrete time systems. This method combines a sound verifier based on mixed integer linear programming with gradient based counterexample …

Understanding And Mitigating Timing Issues In Autonomous Systems, Ao Li

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Autonomous systems, such as self-driving cars and drones, have become a part of our daily lives. Since these systems operate in and interact with the physical world, their correctness depends on both functional and temporal aspects. However, the increasing complexity of modern computing hardware and software often leads to unpredictable timing behavior in these systems, making temporal properties particularly challenging to ensure. This dissertation proposes novel approaches to specify and enforce temporal properties based on a comprehensive empirical study of real-world issues. The first half of this dissertation presents an empirical study that dissects the timing issues. The dissection begins …

Architecture Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Glutamyl-Trna Synthetase Defines A Subfamily Of Dimeric Class Ib Aminoacyl-Trna Synthetases, Michael K. Fenwick, Stephen J. Mayclin, Steve Seibold, Amy E. Derocher, Sandhya Subramanian, Isabelle Q. Phan, David M. Dranow, Donald D. Lorimer, Ariel B. Abramov, James M. Bullard

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AaRSs) are an ancient family of structurally diverse enzymes that are divided into two major classes. The functionalities of most AaRSs are inextricably linked to their oligomeric states. While GluRSs were previously classified as monomers, the current investigation reveals that the form expressed in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a rotationally pseudosymmetrical homodimer featuring intersubunit tRNA binding sites. Both subunits display a highly bent, “pipe strap” conformation, with the anticodon binding domain directed toward the active site. The tRNA binding sites are similar in shape to those of the monomeric GluRSs, but are formed through an approximately 180-degree rotation …

Synthesis Of Sensitive Oligodeoxynucleotides Containing Acylated Cytosine, Adenine, And Guanine Nucleobases, Komal Chillar, Rohith Awasthy, Marina Tanasova, Shiyue Fang

Michigan Tech Publications

Background/Objective: Oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing base-labile modifications such as N4-acetyldeoxycytidine (4acC), N6-acetyladenosine (6acA), N2- acetylguanosine (2acG), and N4-methyoxycarbonyldeoxycytidine (4mcC) are highly challenging to synthesize because standard ODN synthesis methods require deprotection and cleavage under strongly basic and nucleophilic conditions, and there is a lack of ideal alternative methods to solve the problem. The objective of this work is to explore the capability of the recently developed 1,3-dithian-2-yl-methoxycarbonyl (Dmoc) method for the incorporation of multiple 4acC modifications into a single ODN molecule and the feasibility of using the method for the incorporation of the 6acA, 2acG and 4mcC modifications into ODNs. Methods: …

Preparation, And Characterization Of Gypsum-Levan Composites And Evaluation Of Their Preliminary In Vitro And Antibacterial Characteristics, Jamileh Sultan El Arab

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Orthopedic surgery has to contend with a myriad of issues with bones, injuries such as fractures as well as chronic ailments, like osteoporosis. There is a widespread understanding and execution of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement and calcium phosphate cements (CPCs), however their drawbacks like being non-biodegradable, generating heat, low bioactivity, and other issues reserve the development of better substitutes This study intends to develop and incorporate microbial levan squaring as a β-2,6-linked fructan polysaccharide into gypsum-based formulations of bone cements to make them biodegradable, bioactive and amplify their mechanical properties. The research aims to address the performance drawbacks of traditional …

2025 May 8 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.