Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Info-Cels: Informative Saliency Map-Guided Counterfactual Explanation For Time Series Classifications, Peiyu Li, Omar Bahri, Pouya Hosseinzadeh, Soukaïna Filali Boubrahimi, Shah Muhammad Hamdi

Computer Science Student Research

As the demand for interpretable machine learning approaches continues to grow, there is an increasing necessity for human involvement in providing informative explanations for model decisions. This is necessary for building trust and transparency in AI-based systems, leading to the emergence of the Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) field. Recently, a novel counterfactual explanation model, CELS, has been introduced. CELS learns a saliency map for the interests of an instance and generates a counterfactual explanation guided by the learned saliency map. While CELS represents the first attempt to exploit learned saliency maps not only to provide intuitive explanations for the reason …

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Quality Of Higher Education, Pragati K. Rouniyar

Honors Thesis

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is redefining higher education, captivating scholars with its promise to personalize learning and streamline institutions. However, underneath this assurance exists a network of ethical challenges, disparities in equity, and inquiries regarding academic integrity that require our focus. In pursuit of this goal, this research employs a mixed-methods strategy—through the implementation of surveys and semi-structured interviews—to investigate the transformative effects of AI on higher education, concentrating on its repercussions for teaching techniques, learning results, and institutional processes. This study’s findings indicate that AI can personalize educational experiences to meet individual needs, ease course administrative workload, and assist with …

Context And Interpretability In Affective Computing Applications, Saandeep Aathreya Sidhapur Lakshminarayan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Affective Computing (AC) is a subdomain of AI that primarily deals with recognizing and interpreting human emotions. This field inherently intersects with psychological studies, as the comprehension of human emotions and behaviors necessitates an understanding of their underlying cognitive processes. One such concepts that lends itself from psychology is context. Roughly speaking, context in AC is defined as any meta information (e.g., environment) that can be utilized to describe the interaction between a user and a model to solve a particular application (e.g., emotion recognition). This doctoral dissertation comprises of two distinct yet interconnected components (Part I and II), the …

Differences In Covid-19 Deaths Amongst Cancer Patients And Possible Mediators For This Relationship, Leah Vaidya, Nubaira Rizvi, Xiao Cheng Wu, Lauren S. Maniscalco, Yong Yi, Augusto Ochoa, Qingzhao Yu

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Previous research demonstrated Non-Hispanic Black populations experience higher COVID-19 mortality rates than Non-Hispanic White individuals. Additionally, cancer status is a known risk factor for COVID-19 death. While prior studies investigated comorbidities as exploratory variables in differences in COVID-19 hospitalization, none have explored their role in COVID-19-related deaths. This study aimed to evaluate whether Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and subsequently, individual diseases are potential explanatory variables for this relationship. The analysis focused on Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White cancer patients aged 20 or older, diagnosed between 2011 and 2019, who tested positive for COVID-19 from the start of pandemic through June …

Enhanced Detection Of Apt Vector Lateral Movement In Organizational Networks Using Lightweight Machine Learning, Mathew Nicho, Oluwasegun Adelaiye, Christopher D. Mcdermott, Shini Girija

All Works

The successful penetration of government, corporate, and organizational IT systems by state and nonstate actors deploying APT vectors continues at an alarming pace. Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks continue to pose significant challenges for organizations despite technological advancements in artificial intelligence (AI)-based defense mechanisms. While AI has enhanced organizational capabilities for deterrence, detection, and mitigation of APTs, the global escalation in reported incidents, particularly those successfully penetrating critical government infrastructure has heightened concerns among information technology (IT) security administrators and decisionmakers. Literature review has identified the stealthy lateral movement (LM) of malware within the initially infected local area network (LAN) …

Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (Pfas) Degradation In Water And Soil Using Cold Atmospheric Plasma (Cap): A Review, Victor Somtochukwu Mbanugo, Boluwatife Stephen Ojo, Ta Chun Lin, Yue-Wern Huang, Marek Locmelis, Daoru Han

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent organic chemicals found in numerous industrial applications and everyday products. The excessive amounts of PFASs in water and soil, together with their link to severe health issues, have prompted substantial public concerns, making their removal from the environment a necessity. Existing degradation techniques are frequently lacking due to their low efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and potential for secondary contamination. Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) technology has emerged as a promising alternative, utilizing energized reactive species to break down PFASs under ambient conditions. Therefore, this review examines the efficacy and effectiveness of CAP in degrading PFASs by …

"'For All Its Problems, It's Mine": Writing And Sustaining Queer Appalachian Stories In Youth Literature, Jason Vanfossen

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Dr. Jason Vanfosson, English, presents: "'For All Its Problems, It's Mine": Writing and Sustaining Queer Appalachian Stories in Youth Literature

Fixed Hooks In Arbitrary Columns Of Partitions, Philip Cuthbertson

Michigan Tech Publications

In a paper by the author, Hemmer, Hopkins, and Keith, the concept of a fixed point in a sequence was applied to the sequence of first column hook lengths of a partition. In this paper, we generalize this notion to fixed hook lengths in an arbitrary column of a partition. We establish combinatorial connections between these fixed hooks and colored partitions that have interesting gap and mex-like conditions. Additionally, we obtain several generating functions for hook lengths of a given fixedness by hook length or part size in unrestricted partitions, as well as some classical restrictions such as odd and …

Drug Targets Illumination: An Evidence-Based Data Analytics & Informatics Approach To Hypothesis Generation Through Clinical Trials And Genomic Variants, Jeremiah I. Abok

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

DRUG TARGETS ILLUMINATION: AN EVIDENCE-BASED DATA ANALYTICS & INFORMATICS APPROACH TO HYPOTHESIS GENERATION THROUGH CLINICAL TRIALS AND GENOMIC VARIANTS

Target Illumination Clinical Trial Analytics with Cheminformatics (TICTAC) introduces a scalable data integration pipeline that aggregates multivariate clinical trial evidence to systematically rank disease–target associations. By harmonizing metadata from AACT and employing confidence-scoring techniques, TICTAC facilitates hypothesis-driven target selection for drug discovery, enabling a data-driven approach to therapeutic development. In parallel, a bioinformatics-driven analysis of gnomAD exome mutations in the ZPR1 gene highlights the broader role of genetic variants in disease association. By employing variant effect predictors, protein stability modeling, and …

Explicit Modularity And Moments For Certain Hypergeometric Character Sums, Brian Grove

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A great deal of progress in number theory throughout history has been motivated by trying to solve equations. One of the most famous challenges is to show there are no positive integer solutions to $x^{n}+y^{n} = z^{n}$ for $n > 2$, posed by Fermat around 1637. Special cases, such as the $n = 3$ and $n = 4$ cases, can be established using various algebraic manipulations. However, a general solution was elusive until the late 1990s when the combined work of Wiles \cite{Wiles} and Taylor--Wiles \cite{TaylorWiles} give a full proof.

One of the key insights used in proving Fermat's conjecture involves …

Evaluating Biotic Effecrs Associated With The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum In Mississippi And Alabama: A Palynological And Biostratigraphic Study Of Amoco's Legacy Samples, Sarah Fortin Bancroft

LSU Master's Theses

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was a ~200 ka period of rapid global warming in the earliest Eocene (~56 Ma) involving a roughly 7 °C rise in atmospheric and sea-surface temperatures. The Gulf of Mexico Wilcox Group contains very well-preserved terrestrial and deltaic sediments that contain exploitable hydrocarbons . The Wilcox Group’s Paleocene Tuscahoma and Eocene Hatchetigbee Formations have been roughly dated with calcareous and planktonic foraminiferal assemblages by AMOCO; however, the precise ages of these formations, their palynological assemblages, and their paleo-depositional geosystems are an area of active research.

Through a high-resolution palynological analysis, this study assesses the depositional …

Canal Improvements: Balancing Piping And Automation, Trevor Nielson

Spring Runoff Conference

Factors to Consider 

- Piping 

• Size/Cost 
• Loss saved per mile 
• Longer Lifespan 
• Safety Benefits 

- Automation 

• On-going Cost 
• Cover Existing O&M Costs 
• More Skilled Staff 
• Higher Quality of Life for Field Employees 
• Safety Benefits 

Box Elder County - Countywide Water Master Plan, Quinn Dance

Spring Runoff Conference

Box Elder County Water Master Plan.

Project Background: 

Pre-Project Planning 

• Box Elder County General Plan Update 
• Steering Committee Organization 

Soil Health And Water Conservation, Tony Richards

Spring Runoff Conference

What are Healthy Soils? 

• Stable 
• Functional 
• Productive 
• Resilient 

Stability Criteria For The Generalized El Borhamy-Rashad-Sobhy Equation, Mohamed El-Borhamy Assoc.Prof, Essam Eddin Rashad Prof., Fathi Mousa Dr., Mai Hamouda

Journal of Engineering Research

This article is concerned with the study of stability criteria for one of the generalization form of El Borhamy-Rashad Sobhy equation, which is a linear second-order ordinary differential equation with periodically time varying coefficients. Many engineering applications can be represented by this generalization, for instance, including the modeling of RLC circuit with time varying inductance, resistance and capacitance, and the vibration of a stretched string, whose mass per unit length is periodic, under a periodic motion. An approximate solution is derived by using the Wenhl-Kramers-Brillonin (WKB) approach. A method of constructing Liapunov function is employed to derive extra conditions for …

New View Of Some Propositions On Hesitant Fuzzy Set And Its Application In Selecting The Best Person In Any Job, Manar Mohamed Omran Dr., Arafa A. Nasef A.Dr, Reham Abd El-Aziz Abo Khadra Dr., Mahmoud Arafa Nasef Dr.

Journal of Engineering Research

An essential part of uncertainty is played by the hesitant fuzzy set (HFS). So, it can be utilized when making decisions. The suggested use of HFS to choose the best candidate for any post is thoroughly discussed and introduces new HFS concepts

Great Salt Lake Model Depletion, Katherine Wright

Spring Runoff Conference

When does water leasing make sense? Using New Information to Make Better Leases.

Lease, but only if it makes sense.

• Farmers have a legal right to use water on their farms for agriculture.
• Leasing might be a good economic decision for you, but not your neighbor.
• Leasing is voluntary, the purpose of this presentation is to explain the benefits of leasing and give you the information you need to decide if it is right for you. 

Utah Water Research Lab, David Tarboton

Spring Runoff Conference

The concept of a dedicated water research laboratory evolved over years, with significant contributions from Vaughn E. Hansen, Dean F. Peterson, and George D. Clyde. The UWRL represents the culmination of a long-held vision at USU to advance water research.

Legislative Updates Panel, Casey Snider, Brian Steed, Kelly Pehrson, Joel Ferry

Spring Runoff Conference

Legislative Updates Panel

Water Rights Update, Teresa Wilhelmsen

Spring Runoff Conference

State Engineer's Update:

2024-2025 Strategic Action Plan

2024 Updates by functional section:

• Adjudication
• Applications & Records
• Dam Safety & Stream Alterations
• Data Services
• Field Services
• Technical Services

Northern Utah Gaging And Measurement Infrastructure Needs And Updates, Beth Neilson

Spring Runoff Conference

We can’t manage what we don’t MEASURE. We can’t manage what we don’t UNDERSTAND.

Great Salt Lake: What’S Next?, Brian Steed

Spring Runoff Conference

Water security is key to living in the West.

Snowpack And Water Supply Outlook, Jordan Clayton

Spring Runoff Conference

>95% of the water we use in Northern Utah comes from snow. Therefore, it’s critically important to quantify how much water is stored in our snowpack.

Stochastic Analysis And White Noise Calculus Of Nonlinear Wave Equations With Application To Laser Generation And Propagation, Sivaguru S. Sritharan, Saba Mudaliar

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Western Australia’S Marine Heatwave Update - 27 March 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia, Arani Chandrapavan

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

No abstract provided.

Frozen-Core Analytical Gradients Within The Adiabatic Connection Random-Phase Approximation From An Extended Lagrangian, Jefferson E. Bates, Henk Eshuis

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The implementation of the frozen-core option in combination with the analytic gradient of the random-phase approximation (RPA) is reported based on a density functional theory reference determinant using resolution-of-the-identity techniques and an extended Lagrangian. The frozen-core option reduces the dimensionality of the matrices required for the RPA analytic gradient, thereby yielding a reduction in computational cost. A frozen core also reduces the size of the numerical frequency grid required for accurate treatment of the correlation contributions using Curtis-Clenshaw quadratures, leading to an additional speedup. Optimized geometries for closed-shell, main-group, and transition metal compounds, as well as open-shell transition metal complexes, …

Seepage Evolution Patterns And Self-Sealing Characterization Of Mining-Induced Overburden Fractures In Ecologically Vulnerable Mining Areas, Li Jianwei, Sun Yanchao, Zhang Chuanjiu, Ta Xupeng, Cao Jian, Zhang Jian

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The ecologically vulnerable areas (EVAs) in West China have been significantly affected by coal mining. In these areas, aquifers overlying goaves have been damaged under mining disturbance, being prone to cause water resource loss and desertification. Hence, it is crucial to guide the self-sealing of fractures artificially to preserve and further restore the groundwater level.Methods This study investigated mining face 22108 in the Buertai coal mine in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Based on the physical simulation experiments using similar materials, numerical calculations, and theoretical analysis, this study delved into the seepage evolution patterns of fractures in the …

Thermodynamic Water Activity Explains The Unusual Electrochemical Stability Of Aqueous Deep Eutectic Solvents, Desiree Mae Prado, Aaron Niño Gonzaga, Clemens Burda

Faculty Scholarship

The presence of water in nonaqueous deep eutectic solvent (DES) electrolytes has been debated in recent years, with efforts ranging from its complete removal to willful addition. It was shown that controlled amounts of water can be beneficial, as it not only enhances the physicochemical properties of these electrolytes but also has no significant detrimental effects on their electrochemical stability. Despite these advantages, there is still limited understanding of how water interacts with DES systems at the molecular level. This study examines the water activity in ethylene glycol and glycerol, as well as their binary mixtures with choline chloride to …

Advanced Techniques In Symmetric Key Cryptanalysis, Debasmita Chakraborty

Doctoral Theses

Symmetric key cryptographic primitives are essential tools used extensively in daily digital interactions. These primitives are mainly designed to provide three key services: ensuring data confidentiality, maintaining data integrity, and verifying the authenticity of data sources. The primary types of symmetric key primitives that deliver these services include block ciphers, stream ciphers, hash functions, message authentication codes, and authenticated encryption with associated data. This thesis mainly explores the security analysis of hash functions, several block ciphers, and stream ciphers using some advanced cryptanalytic techniques. We begin by examining the collision security of a hash function, specifically under the assumption that …

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.