Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

An Optimization Framework For Data Enrichment: A First Principles Approach To Designing Optimal Smoothers And Splines, Griffin Michael Kearney

Dissertations - ALL

We develop a general framework for state estimation in systems modeled with stochastic dynamics and noisy measurements. Our approach is based on maximum likelihood estimation and employs a variety of techniques from optimization theory including the calculus of variations and discrete optimization to derive optimality conditions for many different types of problems. We make no rigid assumptions on the form of the mapping from measurements to state-estimate or on the distributions of the random processes, making the framework more general than existing techniques such as splines, Kalman smoothing or Gaussian Process Regressions, which are subject to limiting restrictions and modeling …

Studies Towards The Synthesis Of A Simplified Forskolin Core And Phomactin A, Fortune Ononiwu

Dissertations - ALL

Oxadecalins are privileged scaffolds found in various natural products that show biological activity, such as platelet aggregating factor antagonism and activation of adenyl cyclase. As such, various synthetic methods such as intramolecular substitution reactions and [4+2] cycloadditions have been developed for the construction of these important intermediates. Studies towards the synthesis of a simplified core of the labdane diterpene, forskolin, are described. Forskolin is the only known supplement to naturally raise cAMP levels, thereby displaying important pharmacological properties. The synthetic route described features a Lewis acid catalyzed dihydropyrone Diels-Alder reaction for rapidly assembly of the ABC tricycle. Modified Saegusa-Ito oxidation …

On Physical Processes That Work Like Learning Algorithms, Vidyesh Rao Anisetti

Dissertations - ALL

Adaptive behavior is a widespread phenomenon observed in both living and non-living systems, manifesting in diverse forms such as the directional growth of plants in response to sunlight and the directed aging of materials. Such diversity demands a physics-based approach. Thus, the emerging field of physical learning aims to explain these phenomena by drawing analogies between adaptive processes in nature and learning in neural networks, motivating the central question of this thesis: Can physical processes in nature function like learning algorithms? A typical learning algorithm involves two fundamental steps: signaling and weight up- dating. In the Part I of the …

Enhancing Graph Neural Networks By Editing Graphs, Jiayu Li

Dissertations - ALL

Graphs are pervasive in both the natural world and various domains of science and engineering. Numerous advanced classifiers, such as Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), have been developed to perform node classification on these graphs. However, as graphs become denser with an increasing number of edges, GNNs often suffer from suboptimal generalization performance due to the presence of task-irrelevant connections. These redundant connections can introduce noise, consume excessive computational resources, and degrade performance. Identifying and preserving critical connections in large-scale graphs, while pruning unnecessary ones, is crucial for enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of GNNs in node classification, particularly for GCNs. …

Peptides And Metalloproteins: Evolution, Catalysis And Material Design, Dona Imanga Upamadi Edirisinghe

Dissertations - ALL

Peptide hydrogels are an important class of biomaterials that have gained significant attention in recent years. The stimuli responsive materials change their properties in response to pH, redox, temperature and enzymes and this property allowed us to design the materials with tunable properties based on their end application. This dissertation reports the de novo design, synthesis and characterization of short chain peptide sequences and optimizations of those in order to develop them into potential candidates in wound care and drug delivery applications. The investigation of these novel peptide sequences will open up new possibilities to tailor the properties through simple …

Molten Flux Synthesis Of Plutonium (Iv) Silicates K2Pusi2O7 And Rb2Pusi6O15, Travis K. Deason, Gregory Morrison, Amir Mofrad, Jake Amoroso, David Diprete, Theodore M. Besmann, Shanna L. Estes, Hans Conrad Zur Loye

Faculty Publications

Few plutonium containing silicates have been reported in the literature and only one other tetravalent plutonium silicate structure has been reported using the flux growth method. With the goal of understanding actinide incorporation into silicates, we describe herein two new plutonium (IV) silicates, Rb2PuSi6O15 and K2PuSi2O7, synthesized using a mixed alkali chloride/alkali fluoride flux growth. Both structures crystallize in the C2/c space group with lattice parameters a=24.2980(10) Å, b=7.1466(3) Å, c=17.2025(8) Å and 96.6560(10)° for Rb2PuSi6O15, and a=9.9478(2) Å, b=5.59820 (10) Å, c=13.1848(2) Å, and 105.7400(10)° for K2PuSi2O7. Comparisons to the synthesis of other reported alkali actinide silicates (Ce, U, …

Re: Butte Mine Flooding Operable Unit Berkeley Pit And Discharge Pilot Project – November 2024 Monthly Discharge Monitoring Report, Mark Thompson, Dave Griffis

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Final Bpsou Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Belle Of Butte (Bres No. 8 & Ur-39) Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp) Request For Change Ir-2024-Ra-02 (Dated December 19, 2024), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Mean From Median Estimation In Longitudinal Meta-Analysis Of Quality Of Life In Radiation Oncology Patients, Harlan R. Sayles

Theses & Dissertations

Meta-analysis of longitudinal data, where some of the studies report results with means and standard errors while others use medians and ranges, is a complex analytical problem with several challenges which must be overcome. Existing methods for estimating means from medians and either ranges, interquartile ranges, or both have not previously been evaluated in a longitudinal setting. In this work, a simulation study was used to estimate mean bias, between studies variance bias, and coverage of confidence intervals in a longitudinal setting. A second simulation study estimated the variance of meta-analysis results from a given set of studies that may …

Assembly Of Ppsu-Oligomers, Mariam Nesterov

Student Theses and Dissertations

The development of nanostructures for delivering multiple proteins to targeted antibodies has become a promising avenue in biotechnology, driven by advancements in synthetic polymers like poly(propylene sulfone), PPSU. However, the PPSU polymer faces a major limitation - its high insolubility. To address this challenge, this study investigates whether PPSU oligomers can enhance both the solubility and stability of lysozyme, a model protein that is cost-effective and widely accessible. Using dimer, trimer, tetramer, and hexamer configurations, we analyzed the interactions between PPSU oligomer and lysozyme under varying conditions. Our results show that the dimer and trimer are water soluble (no aggregate …

Influence Of Antibody–Drug Conjugate Cleavability, Drug-To-Antibody Ratio, And Free Payload Concentration On Systemic Toxicities: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Shou Ching Tang, Carrie Wynn, Tran Le, Martin Mccandless, Yunxi Zhang, Ritesh Patel, Nita Maihle, William Hillegass

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

While in theory antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) deliver high-dose chemotherapy directly to target cells, numerous side effects are observed in clinical practice. We sought to determine the effect of linker design (cleavable versus non-cleavable), drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR), and free payload concentration on systemic toxicity. Two systematic reviews were performed via PubMed search of clinical trials published between January 1998—July 2022. Eligible studies: (1) clinical trial for cancer therapy in adults, (2) ≥ 1 study arm included a single-agent ADC, (3) ADC used was commercially available/FDA-approved. Data was extracted and pooled using generalized linear mixed effects logistic models. 40 clinical trials …

A Confidence-Based Knowledge Integration Framework For Cross-Domain Table Question Answering, Yuankai Fan, Tonghui Ren, Can Huang, Beini Zheng, Yinan Jing, Zhenying He, Jinbao Li, Jianxin Li

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recent advancements in TableQA leverage sequence-to-sequence (Seq2seq) deep learning models to accurately respond to natural language queries. These models achieve this by converting the queries into SQL queries, using information drawn from one or more tables. However, Seq2seq models often produce uncertain (low-confidence) predictions when distributing probability mass across multiple outputs during a decoding step, frequently yielding translation errors. To tackle this problem, we present CKIF, a confidence-based knowledge integration framework that uses a two-stage deep-learning-based ranking technique to mitigate the low-confidence problem commonly associated with Seq2seq models for TableQA. The core idea of CKIF is to introduce a flexible …

Intrinsic Gas-Phase Behavior Of Uranium Species: A Comprehensive Reactivity Study Of [O=U≡Ch]+ And [Uh]+, Justin Terhorst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intrinsic chemistry of actinide elements, particularly uranium, remains a key challenge in understanding f-block reactivity due to the complexity introduced by solvent interactions, counter-ions, and complex equilibria in the condensed phase. In this dissertation, a systematic gas-phase study utilizing preparative tandem ion-trap mass spectrometry (PTMSⁿ) is presented, focusing on the reactivity of uranium-centered species, specifically [OUCH]⁺, an oxy uranium methylidyne species, and [UH]⁺ ions. By stripping away solvent effects and isolating the ions, PTMSⁿ provides a powerful platform to probe the fundamental chemical behavior of uranium species in their intrinsic state.

The …

Synthetic Studies On Ship Activators And New Oxidative Methods Utilizing Ddq And Hypervalent Iodine Catalysts, Christos Nixarlidis

Dissertations - ALL

One important cell signaling pathway is the PI3K pathway because it influences many key cellular functions such as proliferation and apoptosis. Among the enzymes that are involved in this pathway, the SH2-containing inositol-5’-phosphatase (SHIP) plays an important role by maintaining the balance of PI(3,4,5)P3 and PI(3,4)P2. SHIP activation promotes a higher rate of hydrolysis of PI(3,4,5)P3 and thus reduces the downstream activation of AKT, which influences many cell processes. Activation of SHIP using small molecules may be useful for certain diseases such as inflammatory disorders and some types of cancer. The synthesis and evaluation of a new class of sulfonamide …

Noise-Enhanced Network Science, Reyhaneh Abdolazimi

Dissertations - ALL

Graphs are a versatile and powerful data structure used to model complex relationships in diverse domains such as social networks, biological systems, and transportation networks. In graphs, entities are represented by nodes, and interactions or relationships between them are represented by edges. For example, in the World Wide Web, web pages are considered vertices, and if there is a link from one page to another page on the web, there will be a directed edge between those pages in its graph data structure. These structures allow us to analyze and solve important problems like community detection (identifying closely related clusters …

Modulating Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation Of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins Through Lipidation, Zhe Zhang

Dissertations - ALL

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a fascinating biological phenomenon that enables cells to form membraneless organelles, creating specialized compartments for orchestrating complex biochemical reactions. While significant progress has been made in deciphering the sequence determinants underlying phase separation, precisely modulating these features remains a challenge. Inspired by biology, post-translational modifications (PTMs) offer a promising approach to modulate the protein condensates formation and their properties in real-time, without altering the sequences. Despite the identification of over 300 types of PTMs, most research has predominantly focused on charge-altering modifications. The effects of non-charged PTMs, such as lipidation, on LLPS remain poorly understood. …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Benguet Pine (Pinus Kesiya) Xylem For Deep Well Water Filtration, Allen Conner C. Hizon, Robert Zachary M. Santos, Juan Jose B. Lacson, Jefferson Danilo G. Villarin, Juan Carlo T. Gumangan

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Even today, many rural and remote communities still do not have access to safe drinking water, which is a basic right of every human. To address this problem, the effectiveness of the Benguet pine tree (Pinus kesiya) xylem as a sustainable water filtration method for well water was investigated. The physical and chemical properties of the filtered and unfiltered deep well water were tested: the total dissolved solids (TDS) and the electrical conductivity using a 5-in-1 electronic water quality tester and the pH level using pH strips. On the other hand, the microbiological metrics, such as heterotrophic plate …

A Clustering-Based Location Allocation Method For Delivery Sites Under Epidemic Situations, Yaqiong Zhou, Junqi Chen, Weishi Li, Sihang Qiu, Rusheng Ju

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To address the poor performance of commonly used intelligent optimization algorithms in solving location problems—specifically regarding effectiveness, efficiency, and stability—this study proposes a novel location allocation method for the delivery sites to deliver daily necessities during epidemic quarantines. After establishing the optimization objectives and constraints, we developed a relevant mathematical model based on the collected data and utilized traditional intelligent optimization algorithms to obtain Pareto optimal solutions. Building on the characteristics of these Pareto front solutions, we introduced an improved clustering algorithm and conducted simulation experiments using data from Changchun City. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms …

Research On Verification Method Of Motor Startups In Nuclear Power Plants Based On Topology Recognition, Baozhu Li, Weijie Dong, Chao Chen

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: There are many motors in operation or on standby in nuclear power plants, and the startup of group motors will have a great impact on the voltage of the emergency bus. At present, there is no special or inexpensive software to solve this problem, and the experience of engineers is not accurate enough. Therefore, this paper developed a method and system for the startup calculation of group motors in nuclear power plants and proposed an automatic generation method of circuit topology in nuclear power plants. Each component in the topology was given its unique number, and the component class …

Modeling And Integration Method Of Sysml Model For Complex Business Scenarios, Bing Yu, Baoran An, Shicao Zhao

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The development process of complex equipment involves multi-stage business processes, multi-level product architecture, and multi-disciplinary physical processes. The relationship between its system model and various disciplinary models is extremely complicated. In the modeling and integration process, extensive customized development is needed to realize model integration and interoperability in different business scenarios. Meanwhile, the differences in modeling and interaction between different modeling tools make it difficult to support the consistent representation of models in complex scenarios. To improve the efficiency of system modeling and integration in complex business scenarios, a system modeling and integration method was proposed. This method took …

Algorithm And Semi-Physical System Simulation For Command Intent Recognition Of Uav In Low-Resource Environment, Hongfu Liu, Yajing Fu, Wanpeng Zhang, Hu Zhang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: When a communication network is partially disabled or disrupted, an UAV is plunged into a "low-resource environment" and must rely on local hardware resources. This situation imposes constraints on computing power, storage capacity, and energy availability. To address the need for command intent recognition in such environments, a semi-physical simulation system for UAV in emergency rescue operations has been designed and implemented. Based on the low resource airborne hardware in the loop, the system simulates UAV command intention recognition and mission planning through GIS+BIM 3D environment modeling task scenarios. A new lightweight algorithm for intent recognition has been proposed, …

Uav Swarm Obstacle Avoidance Based On Visual Filed And Adaptive Radius, Gaohang Ai, Chuntao Li

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Aiming at the obstacle avoidance problem of large-scale UAV swarm tracking flight route, a swarm obstacle avoidance algorithm based on distributed model predictive control combined with visual field and adaptive obstacle avoidance radius is proposed. In the process of swarm flight, the UAV obtains the reference route information of the current moment according to its own position, and obtains the predicted trajectory of its neighbors through local information interaction. When encountering obstacles, the adaptive obstacle avoidance radius and field of view topology method are combined to effectively solve the problem that the internal safety distance cannot be maintained and …

A Novel Research Pattern For The Simulation Of Complex Systems Sigd, Bin Chen, Runkang Guo, Zhengqiu Zhu, Yong Zhao, Yatai Ji, Aiguo Chen, Guangquan Cheng

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The complexity of the system is mainly reflected in the numerous components and extremely complex interactions. Combined with the current trend of artificial intelligence development, this paper analyzes and considers the changes in thinking mode brought by simulation discipline research, and forms an understanding of the connotation and research scope of simulation intelligence. A new pattern for complex system simulation research is proposed: "simulation intelligence based generating decisions (SIGD)". In the SIGD pattern, the similar principles, modeling methods, and decision-guiding modes in simulation disciplines are different from those in traditional simulation. Under the guidance of this concept, a connection-oriented …

Overcoming Obstacles To Interdisciplinary Research: Empirical Insights And Strategies [Peer-Reviewed Journal], Cristo Leon Ph.D., James Lipuma Ph.D.

STEM for Success Resources

Explore how to overcome obstacles to interdisciplinary research with strategies for transdisciplinary communication, breaking silos, and fostering collaboration. Read insights from Cristo Leon and James Lipuma in this impactful study.

Simulation Of Cascade Failure In Urban Rail Transit Hypernetworks Based On Hypergraph Theory, Zijin Han, Mingjun Qian, Xixian Wang, Kaiyue Zhang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In order to enhance the resilience of urban rail transit networks to ensure stable operations and passenger safety in the face of emergencies, hypergraph theory is introduced to construct a hypergraph based urban rail transit hypernetwork model, and a nonlinear load-capacity cascading failure model based on passenger flow weighting is established. In response to the passenger evacuation process at actual transportation network stations, a load redistribution mechanism is proposed, taking into consideration both the network level and the importance of passenger flow. To address scenarios where stations in actual traffic networks can still accommodate loads during shutdowns, a node …

Research On Digital Twin Simulation Method Of Industrial Robot Integrated With Reinforcement Learning, Tianyue Miao, Lu Wang, Jiaxiao He, Nenggang Xie

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In response to the lack of comprehensive functionality and limited application scenarios in the current field of industrial robot digital twin systems, which results in low versatility, a method for constructing a digital twin system for industrial robots with high versatility is proposed. A four-dimensional system architecture for the digital twin is designed, and the components and functions of the four-dimensional system are analyzed, based on the system level planning of the four-dimensional system, the concept of integrating reinforcement learning into the virtual replacement of real concept is defined. By constructing a multi-attribute virtual model and using TCP communication …

An In-Depth Analysis And Comparison Of Eco And Non-Eco Surfboard Waxes, Markos Kaskaneas - Efthymiou

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Questions regarding the sustainability of petroleum-based surfboard waxes gave rise to the development and marketing of a sustainable alternative called “Eco” surf wax. The chemistry behind surf waxes is generally unknown and there is no published research on the area of surf waxes. In this analysis, the chemical properties of both types of waxes were investigated, to determine the difference between non-eco and eco waxes and between different water temperature rating waxes. 15 surf wax samples (10 non-eco, 5 eco) were extracted into organic and inorganic fractions and analysed by FT-IR, GC-MS, and HTGC-FID/MS. Multivariate statistical analysis was also performed. …

Developing A Method To Identify Tyre Particles By Detecting Benzothiazole Via Gc-Ms, Emma Paull

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Tyre particles are a dominant source of microplastic pollution in our environment. However, their chemical and physical properties are poorly understood and no standardised methods for identifying and quantifying them exist. This study looked to develop a method to identify tyre particles using two tyre samples of differing particle sizes, fine (62 - 125 µm) and coarse (250 – 500 µm). Both samples underwent ultrasound-assisted extraction before being analysed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in both full scan and SIM mode, using benzothiazole as a marker. Both samples were also analysed via particle size analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and …

Synthesis And Characterisation Of An Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor, Elijah Rahman-Riding

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors are currently the only effective treatment for people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects 50 million people worldwide at present but is expected to rise dramatically over the next 30 years. The aim of this research was to synthesise an AChE inhibitor derivative of tacrine, 4-chloro-2(((1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridin-9yl)imino)methyl)phenol (chlorophenol tacrine). This was achieved by first synthesising tacrine, evidencing successful synthesis and assaying purity of the product, then, synthesising a simple derivative, acetyl tacrine, before chlorophenol tacrine. At every stage of the investigation comprehensive structural analysis of each product was obtained using FT-IR, CHN analysis, GC-FID, …

Development Of A Climbing Performance Analysis Tool Using Computer Vision, Guy Ludford

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Indoor bouldering, a rapidly growing sport in the UK and globally, has seen a significant rise in participation, paralleled by an increase in the use of fitness apps and wearable trackers. Despite this growth, tracking and recording metrics for indoor climbing remains a challenge. This paper proposes an automated tool utilising computer vision and a gym-wide camera system to collect data on routes climbed and attempts made, without the need for manual logging. This tool aims to provide climbers with detailed performance analysis and support climbing gyms in optimising route setting and member engagement. Initial market research and discussions with …