Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Full Issue, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

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About The Mcnair Scholars Program, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

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Ru(Ii) Polypyridyl Photosensitizers For Phototherapy, Houston Cole

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation describes the design, synthesis, and photobiological characterization of key target molecules that modify the 1) length of the IP-nT “PDT” ligand, 2) electronic nature of the bipyridine or phenanthroline type ancillary ligands, and 3) chirality of the coordination complex. The targets and subsequent studies will test the hypothesis that molecules with low-lying and long-lived 3ILCT states are responsible for this unusually high photocytotoxic potency and seeks to further understand what structural features (aside from the IP-nT ligand) lead to more favorable photobiological properties.

Enhancing Indoors Robotic Traversability Estimation With Sensor Fusion, Christos Sevastopoulos

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Generally speaking, traversability estimation illustrates the ability to navigate or move through a particular environment (indoors or outdoors). Indoor environments are governed by uncertainty and stochasticity arising from their complex structures encapsulating both static elements like furniture and walls, as well as entities such as moving humans. In our research, we underline the importance of blending semantic and spatial information for ensuring secure navigation for a mobile robot. We show that RGB sensors suffer from constrained situational awareness of the surroundings, thus highlighting the need to incorporate spatial and geometric data, which can collaborate synergistically to enhance overall perception and …

An Intelligent Multi-Modal Framework Towards Assessing Human Cognition, Ashish Jaiswal

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Cognition is the mental process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and senses. Fatigue is a loss in cognitive or physical performance due to physiological factors such as insufficient sleep, long work hours, stress, and physical exertion. It adversely affects the human body and can slow reaction times, reduce attention, and limit short-term memory. Hence, there is a need to monitor a person's state to avoid extreme fatigue conditions that can result in physiological complications. However, tools to understand and assess fatigue are minimal. This thesis primarily focuses on building an experimental setup that induces cognitive fatigue (CF) …

Generalized Ratio-Product Cum Regression Variance Estimator In Two-Phase Sampling, Isah Muhammad

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study develops a flexible and efficient generalized ratio-product cum regression type estimator of population variance utilizing auxiliary variable in two-phase sampling that incorporates the properties of ratio-type and product-type estimators. The properties of the estimator were derived using first order approximation. The theoretical conditions under which the precision and the flexibility of the estimator is better than some classical estimators are also provided. Empirical evidence from five real datasets suggests that the proposed estimator outperforms the classical variance, ratio variance, product, and exponential ratio type estimators in terms of precision and efficiency. The estimator can be utilized to provide …

Modelling The Naira Exchange Rate Dependence Using Static And Time-Varying Copula, Kabir Katata

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This paper examines the dependence structure of different currencies versus the Nigerian Naira using constant and time-varying copula. Daily Naira/USD, Naira/Yuan, Naira/Pound, and Naira/Euro exchange rates from 23 December 2011 to 12 May 2020 were utilised. We fitted eight constant and time-varying copula families using the exchange rate standardised residuals. The study finds that the Naira exchange rate may be estimated with student t-copula, Symmetrized Joe-Clayton (SJC), or Rotated Gumbel copula models and Autoregressive (AR)– Glosten Jagannathan RunkleGeneralized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedastic (GJR-GARCH) (1,1) models with skewed t residuals for margins. The Naira exchange rate returns is timevarying, tail-dependent, and asymmetric. …

External Debt Pass-Through To Inflation In Nigeria, Emmanuel A. Asue, James V. Ikyaator

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study examines external debt pass-through to inflation in Nigeria using annual data from 1981 to 2020 based on structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) model. The results reveal that an increase in external debt service leads to a significant depreciation of the exchange rate, which leads to a contemporaneous increase in inflation, while the direct response of inflation to external debt is statistically not significant. The impulse response confirms these results. The forecast error variance decomposition depicts that future values of official exchange rate depend on external debt, inflation and external debt service. The study recommends that the Nigerian government should …

Financial Inclusion And Poverty Reduction In Nigeria: The Role Of Microfinance Institutions, Okwudili W. Ugwuoke, Oliver E. Ogbonna, Aye-Agele Freeman

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study investigates the role of microfinance institutions as a vehicle for driving financial inclusion and alleviating poverty in Nigeria using the EFinA 2018 household survey data. The probit model, propensity score matching, and average treatment effect methods are applied for the analyses. The study finds that financial inclusion driven by access to, and usage of products/services provided by microfinance institutions reduces poverty. The study recommends among others the need for increased access to microfinance products/services and an integrated poverty reduction policies that identifies microfinance institutions as a critical enabler

Demystifying Artificial Intelligence (Ai) For Early Childhood And Elementary Education: A Case Study Of Perceptions Of Ai Of State Of Missouri Educators, Kathryn Arnone, James Hutson, Karen Woodruff

Faculty Scholarship

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society have received a great deal of attention in the past five years since the first Stanford AI100 report. AI already globally impacts individuals in critical and personal ways, and many industries will continue to experience disruptions as the full algorithmic effects are understood. However, with regard to education, adopting in disciplines remains limited largely to Computer Science and Information Technology in postsecondary education. Recent advances with technology are especially promising for their potential to create and scale personalized learning for students, to optimize strategies for learning outcomes, and to increase access to …

Potential Security Vulnerabilities In Raspberry Pi Devices With Mitigation Strategies, Briana Tolleson

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

For this research project I used a Raspberry Pi device and conducted online research to investigate potential security vulnerabilities along with mitigation strategies. I configured the Raspberry Pi by using the proper peripherals such as an HDMI cord, a microUSB adapter that provided 5V and at least 700mA of current, a TV monitor, PiSwitch, SD Card, keyboard, and mouse. I installed the Rasbian operating system (OS). The process to install the Rasbian took about 10 minutes to boot starting at 21:08 on 10/27/2023 and ending at 21:18. 1,513 megabytes (MB) was written to the SD card running at (2.5 MB/sec). …

Why We Should Have More Walkable Cities, Alexander Huddleston

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

The walkable city is something that is seen all over Europe but is a rarity in the United States. The rise of cheap oil in the first half of the 20th century led to the expansion of the suburbs and a car culture that we just can’t get away from. Our cities are now so spread out, causing more and more pollution and damage done to our environment. There is a lot that we know about this issue and the solutions that we can get done to fix it. America is stuck in a car culture that is so hard …

The Essential Role Of Fossil Fuels In Combating Climate Change, Ivye Meyer

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

The Essential Role of Fossil Fuels in Combating Climate Change

Eminent Domain: Unconstitutional, Unjust, And Unnecessary, Ashley Norris

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

Perhaps the most important undertaking of our time is the ubiquity of sustainable energy vital for the continuation and improvement of living conditions worldwide. The utmost care must be taken with the means used to achieve this feat. The fossil fuel industry has used and abused eminent domain since its inception. Ironically, environmental advocates now propose the same means to a cleaner, greener end. The taking of private land for private development, regardless of intent, is unconstitutional, unjust, and unnecessary. The Fifth Amendment states: “…nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

As stated by the …

Navigating The Green Skies: Why Saf Is The Wrong Path To Take, Cameron Cannon

Op-Eds from ENSC230 Energy and the Environment: Economics and Policies

With its promise of a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable aviation fuels, or SAFs, have been hailed as an environmentally friendly substitute for conventional aviation fuels. SAFs are made from sustainable resources such as plant biomass, waste oils, or agricultural wastes and are intended to mitigate environmental issues. On closer examination, though, this solution's intricacy becomes clear. Grab your mental compass and journey with me as we discover why SAFs would lead us the wrong way.

Bridging The Gap: Analyzing The Relationship Between Environmental Justice Awareness On Twitter And Socio-Environmental Factors Using Remote Sensing And Big Data, Charles Knoble, Danlin Yu

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Mounting awareness of the discriminatory distribution of environmental factors has increasingly placed environmental justice at the forefront of discussions on sustainable development, but responses to these disparities are often too little, too late. Remote sensing has emerged as a potential solution to this problem, capitalizing on the ability to capture high-resolution, spatially explicit data in near-real time. However, a conventional reliance on physical measurements and surface-level analyses risks overlooking the experiences and perceptions of affected communities. It is against this backdrop that the potential integration of remote sensing imagery and socially sensed big data such as social media data assumes …

Applications Of Causal Inference Methods For The Estimation Of Effects Of Bone Marrow Transplant And Prescription Drugs On Survival Of Aplastic Anemia Patients, Yesha M. Patel

Computational and Data Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

This dissertation provides an in-depth exploration into the treatment effectiveness for aplastic anemia using causal inference methods, structured around three pivotal research papers. Each paper contributes to a nuanced understanding of treatment impacts, specifically focusing on bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and prescription drugs, and the identification of optimal treatment strategies.

The first paper, "Causal Inference Analysis for Assessing the Effect of Bone Marrow Transplantation on the One-Year Survival of Adult and Pediatric Aplastic Anemia Patients," sets the foundation. It examines the short-term effectiveness of BMT in both adult and pediatric patients, providing crucial insights into how this treatment affects survival …

Novel Implementation Of Additive Manufacturing To Visualize The Human Brain Connectome, Greg Tyler

Computational and Data Sciences (MS) Theses

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an emerging technology with diverse areas of application. In this paper we explore a new application of AM that uses a subset of AM known as 3D printing, to create real life models of the human connectome. The human connectome is a color coded map of the connections in the human brain where directions are indicated by colors and the density of connections are indicated by color intensity.

There are several different algorithms for mapping the connections and describing the output. The Neu- roImaging Tools and Resource Collaboratory (NITRC) provides one such algorithm. It uses probabilistic …

Weakly-Supervised Semantic Segmentation, Zhaozheng Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Semantic segmentation is a fundamental task in computer vision that assigns a label to every pixel in an image based on the semantic meaning of the objects present. It demands a large amount of pixel-level labeled images for training deep models. Weakly-supervised semantic segmentation (WSSS) is a more feasible approach that uses only weak annotations to learn the segmentation task. Image-level label based WSSS is the most challenging and popular, where only the class label for the entire image is provided as supervision. To address this challenge, Class Activation Map (CAM) has emerged as a powerful technique in WSSS. CAM …

Scholarships, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Notes From The Director, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Improved Version Of Double-Layer Enclosure Demo, Said Shakerin

All Faculty Articles - School of Engineering and Computer Science

The purpose of this letter is to present an improved version of one of the enclosure demonstrations previously reported as a part of a paper in this journal.¹ Specifically, I am referring to the double-layered enclosure containing air and two different colors of glycerin, blue in the front and yellow in the back. The new version has two modifications. First, a horizontal partition with two gaps (1/4-in. wide, each) is added in each layer. The role of the partition is to slow down the exchange between the glycerin and air, and therefore provide for a longer time to observe …

The Discovery Of Diverse Picophytoplankton Populations In The Columbia And Willamette Rivers Using Flow Cytometry, Kylee M. Lamberson

Chemistry Undergraduate Departmental Honors Theses

As important primary producers, picophytoplankton determine the flow of carbon and energy in aquatic ecosystems. Picocyanobacteria are one picophytoplankton group known to be dominant in oceans and lakes, but they are still poorly understood in river systems. This project examined picophytoplankton communities in two distinct river systems: the Columbia and Willamette Rivers in Portland, Oregon. I aimed to characterize and quantify the picophytoplankton populations in the context of the environmental conditions of the two rivers. I used flow cytometry to detect cells based on their relative size and pigment fluorescence. I sampled nearly weekly for ten months to capture population …

Coastal Wetland Restoration Through The Lens Of Odum's Theory Of Ecosystem Development, Friedrich W. Keppeler, Annette S. Engel, Linda M. Hooper-Bùi, Paola C. López-Duarte, Charles W. Martin, Jill A. Olin, Katelyn J. Lamb, Michael J. Polito, Nancy N. Rabalais, Multiple Additional Authors

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Advancing ecological restoration assessments requires a more detailed consideration of species interactions and ecosystem processes. Most restoration projects rely on a few metrics not always directly linked with ecological theory. Here, we used Odum's theory of ecosystem development to assess and compare the ecosystem structure and services of created marshes (4–6 years old) with preexisting, reference marshes in a brackish water region of the Mississippi River Delta. We built ecosystem models for created and reference marshes that integrated large datasets of stomach contents, stable isotopes, and taxa abundances. Despite strong resemblance in community structure, created marshes were at an earlier …

2023 December - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

No abstract provided.

How Chatgpt Can Be Used As A Defense Mechanism For Cyber Attacks, Michelle Ayaim

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

The powers of OpenAI's groundbreaking AI language model, ChatGPT, startled millions of users when it was released in November. But for many, the tool's ability to further accomplish the goals of evil actors swiftly replaced their initial excitement with significant concerns. ChatGPT gives malicious actors additional ways to possibly compromise sophisticated cybersecurity software. Leaders in a sector that is currently suffering from a 38% global spike in data breaches in 2022 must acknowledge the rising influence of AI and take appropriate action. Cybercriminals are writing more complex and focused business email compromise (BEC) and other phishing emails with the assistance …

Resilient, Sustainable, And Secure Systems Support For Ultra-Low-Power Computational Things, Nicole Tobias

All Dissertations

Wireless battery-free and energy-harvesting devices are expanding the reach and vision of the Internet of Things, where trillions of embedded computational things interconnect ubiquitously around us and inform many different aspects of our everyday lives. Designing these systems without batteries and interconnecting wires lowers maintenance, environmental, and economic costs while also extending device lifetime and deployment opportunities. Over the last decade, research on these ultra-low-power embedded sensors and systems has dramatically increased — enabling new and exciting prospects in many different scientific fields, from smart building and health monitoring applications to animal and activity tracking.

These systems are not without …

Depth-Resolved Defect Characterization Of Multi-Layer Thin-Film Semiconductor Materials Via Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy, Jack Driscoll

Physics Theses - Archive

Positron annihilation spectroscopy has frequently been used to perform depth-resolved defect characterization. In this thesis, the application of UTA's advanced positron beam to conduct depth-resolved defect studies on multi-layer semiconductor thin-film materials is demonstrated.

Multi-Scale Characteriziation Of Pore Structure And Mass Transport In Natural Rocks, Xiaoqing Yuan

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

The mass transport process in porous natural rocks is notably influenced by the pore structure with both geometrical and topological attributes. Nevertheless, previous studies have not taken into consideration the sample size effect or the impact of diagenesis processes on petrophysical investigations of rocks, fluids, and rock-fluid interactions. Six rocks (one granodiorite, one limestone, two chalks, one mudstone, and one dolostone) with different extents of heterogeneity at six different particle sizes were studied to describe the effects of pore structure (especially connectivity) on mass transport. Thirteen geologically different rocks (two marbles, four fossiliferous limestones, six mudstones, and one sandstone) were …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Pyrazine-Based Prodrugs: A Novel Approach To Combat Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis, Charles Chambers

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses - Archive

Synthesis and Characterization of Pyrazine-Based Prodrugs: A Novel Approach to Combat Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Charles Cole Chambers The University of Texas – Arlington, 2023 Supervising Professor: Dr. Joseph Buonomo. The work described in this thesis investigates the development and characterization of a novel prodrug designed to combat multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), a significant and growing global health challenge. Central to this study is the synthesis of a pyrazine-based prodrug, which innovatively utilizes bicyclic orthoester (BOE) moieties to improve the therapeutic efficacy and safety profile of this tuberculosis treatment. At the core of this research project is the strategic design of …