Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Feasibility Of Deploying Home-Based Digital Technology, Environmental Sensors, And Web-Based Surveys For Assessing Behavioral Symptoms And Identifying Their Precipitants In Older Adults: Longitudinal, Observational Study., Wan-Tai M. Au-Yeung, Yan Liu, Remonda Hanna, Sarah Gothard, Nathaniel Rodrigues, Cierra Leon Guerrero, Zachary Beattie, Jeffrey Kaye

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Apathy, depression, and anxiety are prevalent neuropsychiatric symptoms experienced by older adults. Early detection, prevention, and intervention may improve outcomes.

Flavor Equilibration In Neutron Star Mergers, Ziyuan Zhang

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Neutron star mergers probe the high-density and high-temperature regime of dense mat- ter. The mergers can reach several times saturation density, and their temperatures can reach up to a hundred MeV. Simulations are essential for a better understanding of dense matter physics and for comparing theoretical predictions with observations. Current merger simulations, based on numerical general relativity and hydrodynamics, lack microphysical inputs. Therefore, the goal of the thesis is to develop models and provide microphysical insights for the theory community and the merger simulation community. Specifically, it includes the state-of-the-art study on flavor equilibration under neutron star merger con- ditions. …

Determination Of Output Composition In Reaction-Advection-Diffusion Systems And Improving Language Model Performance With Re-Tuning, Eric Joseph Pasewark

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

There are 2 main subjects studied in this thesis. The first is on modeling chemical reactions. We formulate the problem of determining how much product is formed from a reactor and model this problem using metric graphs. We develop an efficient method to explicitly solve the problem on metric graphs. We work through examples by hand and with code to solve the problem. The second subject is a novel method to improve language model performance on compositional tasks. Our method teaches a language model to break a given problem into different subproblems, create prompts for these, and then solve the …

Synergistic Exploration Of Spin Glass Physics And Optimization Algorithm Design, Mutian Shen

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In the past decades, enormous effort has been devoted to the study of low-temperature spin glasses. The undertaken approaches were primarily of two different types. On one hand, various theoretical pictures aimed to capture the essence and rationalize the quintessential physical features of spin glass systems. On the other hand, much work was spent on the design of various algorithms in the hope of finding efficient numerical methods for calculating the ground state or sampling excited states. The latter endeavor has ramifications in fields far beyond those of spin glasses (such as in optimization problems, biology, and the study of …

A Bilevel Approach To Resource Allocation For Utility-Based Request-Response Systems, Tanner Jack Sundwall

Theses and Dissertations

We present a novel bilevel programming formulation that aims to solve a resource allocation problem for request-response systems. Our formulation is motivated by potential inefficiencies in the allocation of computational resources to incoming user requests in such systems. In our experience, systems often operate with a surplus of resources despite potentially incurring unjustifiable cost. Our work attempts to optimize the tradeoff between the financial cost of resources and the opportunity cost of unfulfilled user demand. Our bilevel formulation consists of an \textit{upper} problem which has a constraint value appearing in the \textit{lower} problem. We derive efficient methods for finding global …

Testing The Hypothesis That Tennis Points Are Independent And Identically Distributed Using Statistical Methods, Ernesto Ugona Santana

Senior Honors Theses

Most research on the probability of winning a tennis match is based on the assumption that the points are independent and identically distributed, treating each point as a Bernoulli trial with fixed probability of success. This assumption, however, seems to contradict experience. Players' performance appears to fluctuate as the match progresses due to the psychological effect of past performance. To test this counterintuitive yet central assumption, previous research has attempted to test the independence hypothesis. However, there exists a research gap in evaluating the identicality-of-distribution hypothesis, a question of broader scope than that of independence. Hence, the purpose of this …

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit, Residential Metals Abatement Program Construction Completion Report (Non-Residential Parcels-Indoor Dust) - Butte Career Center/Webster Garfield (Dated March 29, 2024), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou), Draft 2024 Residential Metals Abatement Program Investigation Summary Report (Non-Residential Parcels – Indoor Dust) – Montana Technological University (Prospector Residence Hall) (Dated March 21, 2024), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final Residential Metals Abatement Program Investigation Summary Report (Non-Residential Parcels – Indoor Dust) – United Congregational Church (Crayon Academy Preschool) (Dated April 2, 2024), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Synthesis Of High-Quality Cost Effective Zno Nanorods For Photovoltaic Applications, Ghusoon Jalil Ibrahim Al Bazzar

Theses and Dissertations

Due to its outstanding structural, optical, and electrical properties, zinc oxide (ZnO) has received considerable attention from researchers. Even though there is a high demand for functional devices involving ZnO films and nanostructures, synthesizing devices comprising ZnO nanostructures requires expensive and time-consuming techniques that have limited their viability for comprehensive applications. Thus, there is a high demand for high-quality, cost-effective ZnO nanostructures. We have optimized the simple, low-cost, and time-efficient electrochemical deposition (ECD) technique to successfully synthesize high-quality vertically aligned ZnO nanorods to bridge this gap between fundamental and applied research. Characterization of their structural properties through x-ray diffraction and …

Adapting And Evaluating A Theory-Driven, Non-Pharmacological Intervention To Self-Manage Pain, Hulin Wu, Paul J Christo, Lorraine S Evangelista

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The existing literature has limited detail on theory-driven interventions, particularly in pain studies. We adapted Bandura's self-efficacy framework toward a theory-driven, non-pharmacological intervention using auricular point acupressure (APA) and evaluated participants' perceptions of this intervention on their pain self-management. APA is a non-invasive modality based on auricular acupuncture principles.

METHODS: We mapped our study intervention components according to Bandura's key sources of self-efficacy (performance accomplishments, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal) to facilitate the self-management of pain. Through a qualitative study design, we conducted virtual interviews at one and three months after a 4-week APA intervention among 23 …

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou), Draft Final 2021 Residential Metals Abatement Program – Head Start (Former Lincoln School) Soil Remedial Action Construction Completion Report (Dated April 26, 2024), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Neuroimaging Modalities In The A/T/N Framework: Single And Combined Fdg-Pet And T1-Weighted Mri For Alzheimer’S Diagnosis, Peiwang Liu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

With the escalating prevalence of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's Disease (AD), the need for early and precise diagnostic techniques is rising. This study delves into the comparative efficacy of Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) and T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in diagnosing AD, where the integration of multimodal models is becoming a trend. Leveraging data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), we employed linear Support Vector Machines (SVM) to assess the diagnostic potential of these modalities, both individually and in combination, within the AD continuum. Our analysis, under the A/T/N framework's 'N' category, reveals that FDG-PET consistently outperforms T1w-MRI across …

Hodge Classes In The Cohomology Of Local Systems, Xiaojiang Cheng

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Let $S$ be an arithmetic quotient of a Hermitian symmetric domain and $X/S$ be a family of varieties over $S$. One interesting problem is to find the Hodge classes of $X$, and if possible, to prove the Hodge conjecture for $X$. Using techniques from automorphic forms, we studied the Hodge conjecture for certain families of varieties over arithmetic quotients of balls and the Siegel domain of degree two. As a byproduct, we derived formulas for Hodge numbers in terms of automorphic forms.

Reactivity Of Adsorbed Trace Metals At Metal (Oxyhydr)Oxide Surfaces As Probed With Isotope Exchange, Greg Ledingham

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Metal (oxyhydr)oxide surfaces regulate the accessibility of trace metals in soils and aquatic systems. Up to half of the trace metals in urban environments, river systems, and contaminated soils are associated with mineral surfaces yet this pool often remains bioaccessible. Past studies of adsorption-desorption suggest that macroscopic rates of adsorption at mineral surfaces are likely mass transfer-limited and show biphasic rates, with a fast-adsorbing fraction equilibrating in seconds to minutes and a slower-adsorbing pool binding over a timescale of hours to days. In addition, adsorption-desorption hysteresis has been observed for some metals after aging at metal (oxyhydr)oxide surfaces, indicating that …

Simulating Cross-Scale Solid-Fluid Interaction Phenomena, Jinyuan Liu

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Solid-fluid interactions are ubiquitous in nature, and accurate simulation methods are essential for realistic animation, industrial design, and engineering analysis. Com- pared to large-scale coupling phenomena, simulating fine-scale interactions poses extra challenges due to factors such as surface tension, material wettability, and geometric complexity. In this thesis, we pursue novel methodologies to accurately model in- terfacial dynamics between surface-tension fluids and codimensional solids, involving capillary interactions, controllable wettability, and robust contact behaviors. Our ini- tial approach involves developing a novel three-way coupling method, which utilizes a thin liquid membrane, modelled as a simplicial mesh, to facilitate accurate momen- tum transfer, …

Excellent Bifunctional Oxygen Evolution And Reduction Electrocatalysts (5a1/5)Co2o4 And Their Tunability, Xin Wang, Harish Singh, Manashi Nath, Kurt Lagemann, Katharine Page

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Hastening the Progress of Rechargeable Metal-Air Batteries and Hydrogen Fuel Cells Necessitates the Advancement of Economically Feasible, Earth-Abundant, Inexpensive, and Efficient Electrocatalysts Facilitating Both the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) and Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR). Herein, a Recently Reported Family of Nano (5A1/5) Co2O4 (A = Combinations of Transition Metals, Mg, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn) Compositionally Complex Oxides (CCOs) [Wang Et Al., Chemistry of Materials, 2023, 35 (17), 7283-7291.] Are Studied as Bifunctional OER and ORR Electrocatalysts. among the Different Low-Temperature Soft-Templating Samples, Those Subjected to 600 °C Post annealing Heat Treatment Exhibit Superior Performance in Alkaline Media. One …

A Constrained Maximum Likelihood Approach To Developing Well-Calibrated Models For Predicting Binary Outcomes., Yaqi Cao, Weidong Ma, Ge Zhao, Anne Marie Mccarthy, Jinbo Chen

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The added value of candidate predictors for risk modeling is routinely evaluated by comparing the performance of models with or without including candidate predictors. Such comparison is most meaningful when the estimated risk by the two models are both unbiased in the target population. Very often data for candidate predictors are sourced from nonrepresentative convenience samples. Updating the base model using the study data without acknowledging the discrepancy between the underlying distribution of the study data and that in the target population can lead to biased risk estimates and therefore an unfair evaluation of candidate predictors. To address this issue …

Bibliometric Review Of The Landscape And Thematic Structure Of Research On Sustainable Mining In Asean, 1942–2022, Nathatai Janjirawatna, Sirisuhk Rakthin, Philip Hallinger

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This bibliometric review addressed the lack of consolidated information on the current state of sustainable mining in the ASEAN region. The review analyzed bibliographic data associated with 539 Scopus-indexed documents on sustainable mining in ASEAN nations published through the end of 2022. Descriptive statistics identified a great disparity in the scope of research on sustainable mining practices across the ASEAN countries. Surprisingly, a significant portion of the extant research on sustainable mining in the region has been authored by scholars from outside of ASEAN. Keyword analyses highlighted several emerging research topics including life cycle assessment, conservation of natural resources, climate …

Creating An Interdisciplinary Learning Community Between Two Cross-Departmental Courses, Krista Mcbride, Maggie Monteverde

Faculty Scholarship Symposium

An Interdisciplinary Learning Community (ILC) consisting of two cross-departmental general education courses has been created. Advantages to linking these courses will be presented. Further, the assignments and course material used to make this learning community successful will be presented. Challenges to developing and evaluating shared assignments for such linked classes will also be discussed. Finally, student feedback will be shown from students enrolled in these courses, which illustrate the positive effects blending these two classes had on the student’s learning experience. As an example, an ILC between a general physics course and a literature course will be introduced.

Optical Tweezers Explorations: Dna-Mitoxantrone Interactions At 20pn, Heléna Kathryn Beeloo

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Mitoxantrone is a chemotherapy drug that treats a variety of cancers by inhibiting cancer cell replication through intercalation with DNA. Intercalation is the process by which certain small molecules slide flat planar regions in their structure between the base pairs of DNA. This increases the stacking force in the DNA double helix, preventing DNA replication by increasing the force required to separate the two strands that compose the helix. In this study, dual-beam optical tweezers were used to determine the binding kinetics and dissociation constant of Mitoxantrone to single molecules of DNA at 20 pN of force. This study utilized …

The Faint Satellite System Of Ngc 253: Insights Into Low-Density Environments And No Satellite Plane, Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil, David J. Sand, Denija Crnojević, Paul Bennet, Michael G. Jones, Kristine Spekkens, Ananthan Karunakaran, Dennis Zaritsky, Nelson Caldwell, Catherine E. Fielder, Puragra Guhathakurta, Anil C. Seth, Joshua D. Simon, Jay Strader, Elisa Toloba

Pacific Faculty Work

We have conducted a systematic search around the Milky Way (MW) analog NGC 253 (D = 3.5 Mpc), as a part of the Panoramic Imaging Survey of Centaurus and Sculptor (PISCeS)—a Magellan+Megacam survey to identify dwarfs and other substructures in resolved stellar light around MW-mass galaxies outside of the Local Group. In total, NGC 253 has five satellites identified by PISCeS within 100 kpc with an absolute V-band magnitude of M V < −7. We have additionally obtained deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging of four reported candidates beyond the survey footprint: Do III, Do IV, and dw0036m2828 are confirmed to be satellites of NGC 253, while SculptorSR is found to be a background galaxy. We find no convincing evidence for the presence of a plane of satellites surrounding NGC 253. We construct its satellite luminosity function, which is complete down to M V ≲ −8 out to 100 kpc and MV ≲ −9 out to 300 kpc, and compare it to those calculated for other Local Volume galaxies. Exploring trends in satellite counts and star-forming fractions among satellite systems, we find relationships with host stellar mass, environment, and morphology, pointing to a complex picture of satellite formation, and a successful model has to reproduce all of these trends.

Dissecting Trypanosome Metabolism By Discovering Glycolytic Inhibitors, Drug Targets, And Glycosomal Ph Regulation, Daniel Hale Call

Theses and Dissertations

Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African trypanosomiasis, and its relatives Trypanosoma cruzi and several Leishmania species belong to a class of protozoa called kinetoplastids that cause a significant health burden in tropical and semitropical countries across the world. While an improved therapy was recently approved for African trypanosomiasis, the therapies available to treat infections caused by T. cruzi and Leishmania spp. remain relatively poor. Improving our understanding of T. brucei metabolism can inform on metabolism of its relatives. The purpose of the research presented in this dissertation was to develop novel tools and methods to study metabolism in T. …

Re: Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Field Sampling Plan (Fsp) Bres No. 78 – Original Mine Yard., Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Field Sampling Plan (Fsp) Bres No. 121 – Travona Dump., Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Field Sampling Plan (Fsp) Bres No. 34e – Eveline Dump East., Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Mechanical And Deformation Characteristics Of Piles In Coastal Soft Soil Areas Considering Softening Effect, Wang Fei, Yan Yu, Jiao Lidong, Shen Fengqi, Chen Lu, Liu Jianhua

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In order to discuss the mechanical and deformation behavior of piles in coastal soft soil areas under horizontal load，the corresponding simplified mechanical model was established according to the loading characteristics of piles in coastal soft soil areas.Secondly，the softening effect of coastal soft soil was considered to modify the existing p-y curve model.On this basis，the differential equation of pile deflection in coastal soft soil areas was derived，and its internal force and displacement were solved by the transfer matrix method.A nonlinear calculation method of piles in coastal soft soil areas considering the softening effect was obtained.Finally，the influence of softening parameters，pile diameter，and elastic …

Research On Road Performance Of Carbonaceous Shale Subgrade Filler, Zhang Mengjin, Huang Yafei, Wu Qian, Mao Xuesong, Zhang Jianxun, Chen Xinyi, Wang Yueyue

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

The application of carbonaceous shale for subgrade filling not only alleviates the shortage of subgrade filler in carbonaceous shale distribution areas but also meets the strategic requirements of “resource conservation and saving ” and “green development ” for infrastructure construction in China.However，such rocks are weak and susceptible to weathering and disintegration，and they exhibit significant strength deterioration when exposed to water.To fully apply them，their performance must be comprehensively understood.In this paper，the basic properties of the carbonaceous shale were studied，and filler gradation was designed.The tests on compaction characteristics of the filler and particle crushing characteristics after compaction，RCBR （California bearing ratio ） variation …

Test And Analysis On Stress And Deformation Of Assembled Geocell Retaining Wall, Kong Yongbo, Li Hao, Zhang Jianwei, Li Junjie, Yang Xiaohua

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

The variable cross-section geocell retaining wall of the Chengdu –Yibin Expressway test road in Sichuan Province of China was studied.First，the construction method of the new-type assembled geocell retaining wall was introduced，and the new-type glass fiber reinforced plastic lightweight panel was used to effectively solve the problem that the panel of the retaining wall is not neat and easy to be damaged.Secondly，the supporting effect of the retaining wall was analyzed by field monitoring.The field monitoring results show that the earth pressure at different parts of the retaining wall is nonlinearly distributed along the height of the retaining wall.The earth pressure at …

Structure And Material Of Rigid‑Flexible Composite Pavements And Development, Liu Zhaohui, Huang You, Yu Shiqing, Liu Jingyu, Li Sheng, Liu Li, Pan Yu

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

The rigid-flexible composite pavement，as a kind of durable pavement structure，has been widely used for heavy-duty traffic，special geological conditions，bridge tunnel paving，etc.In order to promote the application of durable rigid-flexible composite pavements and clarify the key research issues and development directions，relevant research progress of rigid-flexible composite pavements in China and abroad was reviewed.Based on the structure design theory and construction technology of rigid-flexible composite pavements，the structural mechanical behavior characteristics of rigid-flexible composite pavements were described，and the stress induced by load and temperature of asphalt surface layer and rigid base layer，as well as their interactions were analyzed.The asphalt surface layer on the rigid …