Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

An Investigative Study Of Potential Factors That Contribute To High Under-Five Mortality Rate In Africa, David Banahene

Theses and Dissertations

Under-Five Mortality remains a significant challenge in developing countries, especially in Africa. The United Nations has implemented various measures, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to combat this issue. However, the success of these initiatives is uncertain. Our study investigates the social, economic, and environmental factors contributing to high Under-Five Mortality rates in African countries, using data from 1985 to 2020.We analyzed 53 African countries, partitioning them into training (45 countries) and testing data (8 countries). We conducted Multiple Linear Regression analysis and assessed the model performance using R-squared values and Root-Mean-Squared-Error (RMSE) values. …

Effect Of Elevated Temperature And Roundup Exposure On Oxidative Stress And Antioxidant Status In The American Oyster, Afsana Chowdhury

Theses and Dissertations

Aquatic organisms are frequently exposed to various environmental stressors. In this study, we observed the short-term (1-week) combined dose-dependent effect of Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, and high temperature (30°C) on the morphology of gills and digestive glands, expression of heat shock protein-70 (HSP70), dinitrophenyl protein (DNP), nitrotyrosine protein (NTP), antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT) and superoxidase dismutase (SOD) in tissues of American oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Histological analyses showed an increase in mucous production in the gills and digestive glands, hemocyte aggregation in the connective tissues as well as structural change of the lumen in the digestive glands …

Analysis Of Post-Translational Modifications (Ptm) Crosstalk, Amit Das

Theses and Dissertations

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics is a powerful tool for identifying post-translational modifications (PTMs) across the proteome. O-GlcNAcylation and phosphorylation are two PTMs that play crucial roles in regulating cellular processes, including cardiac contractile function. Dysregulation of these PTMs has been implicated in the development and progression of diabetic cardiomyopathy. In this study, we aimed to investigate the interplay between O-GlcNAcylation and phosphorylation in healthy and type 2 diabetic hearts, with a specific focus on the functional relationships between these PTMs and their potential therapeutic implications.

Utilizing mass spectrometry data, we identified and quantified specific PTMs on myofilament proteins, uncovering 1354 O-GlcNAcylated …

Creation Of A College Math Club For High School Students, Lilian N. Chavez

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate the variables that contribute to high school students' desire to join a math club, specifically the FMiM VIP Club, which is an extension of UTRGV's Follow Me into Math research project. The research utilized multiple questionnaire s to examine the combination of factors that contribute to the students' attitudes toward the math club. The participants were high school Algebra 2 students from two different schools, and the study was conducted in two stages. The first stage was conducted in the Spring of 2022, focusing on girls' math identity and their interactions with the FMiM VIP …

Self-Supervised Representation Learning For Motion Time Series: A Case Study In Activity Recognition, Luis Carlos Garza Perez

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis we will learn about what contrastive learning and time series are and understand the differences between supervised and self-supervised frameworks in machine learning. In addition, we will describe how the newest and most efficient self-supervised learning framework for visual representations to this date works, called SimCLR, which was originally developed to obtain useful vector representations from static images. We will also explain what TS2Vec is, and how a combination of both approaches can be applied to the concept of a time series, and still be able to extract a vector representation of the subject described by the …

Microwave-Assisted Depolymerization Of Poly (Ethylene Terephthalate) Via Ethanolysis, Mayra Alejandra Gomez Cortez

Theses and Dissertations

In the search of providing an alternative form of combating the complex environmental concerns rising from the rapid growth of poly (ethylene terephthalate) waste in the world, this research focused on investigating the chemical recycling of PET via ethanolysis. Parameters such as temperature, reaction time, catalyst usage and concentration were investigated to promote depolymerization.

In this work, ethanolysis of waste PET under microwave irradiation was investigated using organocatalysts 1,5,7-Triazabicyclo [4.4.0] dec5-ene (TBD) and 1,8-Diazabicyclo [5.4.0] underc-7-ene (DBU). We evaluated the effectiveness of reaction conditions through a series of experiments and determined the optimum conditions as follows: 0.5 g of PET, …

Data Science For Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship, Saikou Jawla

Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotics are widely used to treat bacterial infections, but their misuse leads to antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today. Antibiotic resistance leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality. Antimicrobial stewardship is an approach to measure and improve the appropriate use of antibiotics in healthcare settings. Data science has the potential to support these programs by providing insights into antibiotic prescribing patterns, identifying areas for improvement, and predicting patient outcomes. We explored the role of data science in hospital antibiotic stewardship programs, including statistical methods …

An Analysis Of Antichimeral Ramanujan Type Congruences For Quotients Of The Rogers-Ramanujan Functions, Ryan A. Mowers

Theses and Dissertations

This paper proves the existence of antichimeral Ramanujan type congruences for certain modular forms These modular forms can be represented in terms of Klein forms and the Dedekind eta function. The main focus of this thesis is to introduce the necessary theory to characterize these specific Ramanujan type congruences and prove their antichimerality.

An Investigation Into Optimal Descent Trajectories For Multipurpose Long Range Space Vehicles Under Advanced Conditions, John M. Levis

Theses and Dissertations

In this work, we investigate the problem of fuel-optimal control of space vehicle descent trajectories. The main tool we use to establish optimality is Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle. We present a variety of scenarios with increasing complexities, including drag, wind, and moving landing platforms in the context of differing atmospheric and gravitational conditions. Throughout the paper, we use a balance of analytical and numerical techniques. Finally, observations and conclusions drawn from the investigation form the basis for suggestions into additional areas of analysis.

Flow Monitoring And Tidal Exchange Ratio Estimation For The Bahia Grande After Widening Of The Carl Joe Gayman Pilot Channel: Bahia Grande, Cameron County, Tx, Sabas Lopez Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The Bahia Grande (BG) is an 8,500-acre set of coastal bays and wetlands located between Brownsville and Port Isabel, Tx, near the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) coastline. In 2005, the Carl Joe Gayman Pilot Channel was constructed to address hypersalinity concerns that resulted from natural and anthropogenically-caused tidal isolation since the early 1940’s. In 2022, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) increased the channel’s width and depth in anticipation of increasing tidal exchange ratios by a factor of two to three. Once the channel widening was complete, two SL-1500-3G side-looking acoustic doppler current profilers (ADCPs) were periodically deployed beneath the …

Effects Of Missing Data Imputation Methods On Univariate Time Series Forecasting With Arima And Lstm, Nicholas Niako

Theses and Dissertations

Missing data are common in real-life studies and missing observations within the univariate time series cause analytical problems in the flow of the analysis. Imputation of missing values is an inevitable step in the analysis of every incomplete univariate time series data. The reviewed literature has shown that the focus of existing studies is on comparing the distribution of imputed data. There is a gap of knowledge on how different imputation methods for univariate time series data affect the fit and prediction performance of time series models. In this work, we evaluated the predictive performance of autoregressive integrated moving average …

Long-Term Spatial And Temporal Assessment Of Criteria Air Pollutants Concentration Trends In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Region Of Texas, Usa, Md Salahuddin Majumder

Theses and Dissertations

Air pollution is a substantial environmental challenge all over the world. This study investigated the long-term air pollution levels in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region, by utilizing data collected from five continuous ambient monitoring stations in two counties over 23 years, from January 2000 to December 2022, to analyze daily, monthly, and seasonal variations of different pollutants, including ground-level ozone, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide. This study also identified distinct daily and seasonal patterns for O3, PM2.5, PM10, and CO at each monitoring site, influenced by factors such as traffic emissions, temperature, solar radiation, indoor heating, and weather conditions. …

The Effect Of Cybersecurity Training On Government Employee’S Knowledge Of Cybersecurity Issues And Practices, Juan Jaime Saldana Ii

Theses and Dissertations

There is an ever-pressing need for cybersecurity awareness and implementation of learning strategies in the workplace to mitigate the increased threat posed by cyber-attacks and exacerbated by an untrained workforce. The lack of cybersecurity knowledge amongst government employees has increased to critical levels due to the amount of sensitive information their agencies are responsible for. The digital compromise of a government entity often leads to a compromise of constituent data along with the disruption of public services (Axelrod, 2019; Yazdanpanahi, 2021). The need for awareness is further complicated by agencies looking to cater to a digital culture looking for a …

Problems In Algorithmic Self-Assembly And A Genetic Approach To Patterns, Andrew Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

As it becomes increasingly harder to make transistors smaller, replacements for traditional silicon computers become sought after. To study the computing power of these potential computers, various theoretical models have been proposed, such as the abstract Tile Assembly Model (aTAM) and chemical reaction networks (CRNs). This thesis compiles research in various models such as the aTAM, Tile Automata, and CRNs. This work shows an investigation of covert computation in the aTAM and an evolutionary algorithm to approximate solutions to the pattern self-assembly tile set synthesis (PATS) problem. Next, optimal state complexity for building squares in Tile Automata is shown along …

A Programmatic Geographic Information Systems Analysis Of Plant Hardiness Zones, Andrew Bowen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Plant Hardiness Zone Map consists of thirteen geographical zones that describe whether a plant can survive based on average annual minimal temperatures. As climate change progresses, minimum temperatures in all regions are expected to change. This work programmatically evaluates predicted future climate projection data and converts it to United States Department of Agriculture-defined hardiness zones. Through the next 80 years, hardiness zones are projected to move poleward; in effect, colder zones will lose area and warmer zones will gain area globally. Some implications include changes in crop growing degree days, which could alter crop productivity, migration and settlement of …

A Machine Learning Approach To Obese-Inflammatory Phenotyping, Tania Mayleth Vargas

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is the accumulation of an abnormal, or excessive, amount of fat in the body, which can have negative effects on overall health. This excess accumulation of macronutrients in adipose tissue can cause the release of inflammatory mediators, leading to a proinflammatory state. Inflammation is a known risk factor for various health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. This study sought to examine the use of data mining methods, particularly clustering algorithms, to identify inflammatory biomarker phenotypes and their association with obesity in a local adolescent population. The algorithms evaluated in this study included: k-means, Ward's hierarchical …

Spectra Of Atmospheric And Astronomical Molecules, W. D. Cameron

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Spectroscopy techniques are focused on spectra of molecules of interest to the Earth’s atmosphere and/or astronomy and astrophysics. Laboratory spectroscopy as well as remote satellite sensing are applied. Using the Fourier transform spectrometer aboard the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite to measure the absorption spectra of the Earth’s atmosphere through solar occultation limb observation demonstrates that volcanic eruption plumes can be located and tracked through their SO₂ content. The presence of those plumes is corroborated by overlaying infrared atmospheric aerosol extinction observed by the 1 μm imager on the same satellite. Tracking atmospheric aerosol movement with the ACE …

Design And Construction Of A Longitudinally Polarized Solid Nuclear Target For Clas12, Victoria Lagerquist

Physics Theses & Dissertations

A new polarized nuclear target has been developed, constructed, and deployed at Jefferson Laboratory in Newport News, VA for use with the upgraded 12 GeV CEBAF (Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility) accelerator and the Hall B CLAS12 (12 GeV CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer) detector array. This ‘APOLLO’ (Ammonia POLarized LOngitudinally) target is a longitudinally polarized, solid ammonia, nuclear target which employs DNP (Dynamic Nuclear Polarization) to induce a net polarization in samples of protons (NH3) and deuterons (ND3) cooled to 1K via helium evaporation, held in a 5T polarizing field supplied by the CLAS12 spectrometer, and irradiated with 140 GHz …

Molecular Evidence For The Export Of Terrigenous Organic Matter To The North Gulf Of Mexico By Solid-State 13C Nmr And Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry Of Humic Acids, Sarah Ann Ware

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Marine organic matter is mainly believed to originate from autochthonous organic matter, while terrigenous organic matter is assumed to be largely degraded prior to reaching the open ocean or more recently replaced by marine organic matter via a stripping process. Sediment samples along a transect extending from the Mississippi River Birdsfoot Delta to the Mississippi Canyon on the Louisiana continental shelf were examined by advanced analytical techniques, electrospray ionization coupled to a 12T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (ESI-FTICR-MS) and quantitative solid-state multiple cross polarization magic angle spinning (multi-CPMAS) ¹³C NMR in an effort to understand the …

Modeling The Impacts Of Sea Level Rise In Coastal Virginia At Multiple Scales, George Murray Mcleod Iv

OES Theses and Dissertations

Relative sea level is increasing along the Mid-Atlantic coast of the United States and the rate of relative sea level rise (ΔRSL) for Coastal Virginia is approximately double the rate of global sea level rise (ΔSLRG)(1). The potential impacts posed to communities by ΔRSL are best understood by examining the spatial relationship between the upper limits of ocean-connected waters and the geographic positioning of critical natural and societal assets. This research examines this problem at three spatial scales to quantify the impacts of ΔRSL and storm flooding events on (i) structural and transportation infrastructure for the tide-influenced coastal zone of …

Measurements Of Magnetic Field Penetration Of Materials For Superconducting Radiofrequency Cavities, Iresha Harshani Senevirathne

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavities used in particle accelerators are typically formed from or coated with superconducting materials. Currently high purity niobium is the material of choice for SRF cavities which have been optimized to operate near their theoretical field limits. This brings about the need for significant R&D efforts to develop next generation superconducting materials which could outperform Nb and keep up with the demands of new accelerator facilities. To achieve high quality factors and accelerating gradients, the cavity material should be able to remain in the superconducting Meissner state under high RF magnetic field without penetration of quantized …

Supporting Account-Based Queries For Archived Instagram Posts, Himarsha R. Jayanetti

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Social media has become one of the primary modes of communication in recent times, with popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram leading the way. Despite its popularity, Instagram has not received as much attention in academic research compared to Facebook and Twitter, and its significant role in contemporary society is often overlooked. Web archives are making efforts to preserve social media content despite the challenges posed by the dynamic nature of these sites. The goal of our research is to facilitate the easy discovery of archived copies, or mementos, of all posts belonging to a specific Instagram account …

Nb3Sn Coating Of Twin Axis Cavity And Other Complex Srf Cavity Structures, Jayendrika Kumari Tiskumara

Physics Theses & Dissertations

In the field of Accelerator Science, for the low cost and increased quality factor, thin films coated niobium cavities are used in the modern SRF research. Within the potential substances, Nb₃Sn has shown higher critical temperature than niobium. Here the tin vapor diffusion method is used as the preferred technique to coat niobium cavities. So far, only elliptical cavities have been coated with Nb₃Sn and this technique has not yet been applied to cavities with complex geometries, which are also helpful in the accelerator science field. The Half-wave resonator could provide us data across frequencies of …

Design Of A Hyperstable Endocrine Acting Fibroblast Growth Factot, Sara Armstrong

Chemistry & Biochemistry Undergraduate Honors Theses

A novel chimera protein, consisting of the C-terminus of Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) 21 and super FGF1, a mutant of the wild-type FGF1, was studied. The protein retained the stability of sFGF1 and the endocrine acting behaviors and binding efficiency of FGF21, so that it could be more practical for therapeutic uses as a wound healing and angiogenic agent. sFGF1- FGF21 was expressed and purified before utilizing various biophysical techniques to measure its stability, secondary and tertiary characteristics, and metabolic activity.

Detection Of Nitrogen Dioxide Via Graphene-Enhanced Raman Scattering, Spencer Hazeslip

Chemistry & Biochemistry Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper presents the development of a nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) sensor that utilizes the phenomenon of graphene-enhanced Raman scattering (GERS). The sensor consists of monolayer graphene on a silicon wafer, functionalized noncovalently with Copper(II) 2,9,16,23-tetra-tert-butyl-29H,31H-phthalocyanine (CuTTPc) via the solution soaking method. A custom sensing chamber was constructed to enable Raman spectra to be collected during NO₂ exposure. The response of the sensor was found to be linear between 10 and 100 ppm NO₂, indicating that it could be used for both detection and quantification. Furthermore, the sensor was shown to be reusable after …

Low-Cost Microstereolithography 3d Printing With Microfluidic Microsampling Applications, Lauren Twombly

Chemistry & Biochemistry Undergraduate Honors Theses

The growing field of stereolithography 3D printing has welcomed a new age ofmicrofluidic device fabrication techniques. When compared to previous planar fabrication techniques such as soft-lithography, stereolithography 3D printing offers highly automated procedures, reduced fabrication times, and greater complexity of device features. To date, the greatest tradeoff for 3D printing in microfluidic device fabrication is poorer resolution when compared to soft-lithography which can produce feature sizes on the nanometer scale. The poorer resolution of 3D printing limits the feasible size of features. While highly sophisticated 3D printers are capable of achieving sub 10 μm resolution, these instruments are incredibly expensive …

Enestr¨Om-Kakeya Type Results For Complex And Quaternionic Polynomials, Matthew Gladin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The well known Eneström-Kakeya Theorem states that: for P(z)=∑_i=0ⁿ a_i zⁱ, a polynomial of degree n with real coefficients satisfying 0 ≤ a₀ ≤ a₁ ≤ ⋯≤ a_n, all zeros of P(z) lie in |z|≤1 in the complex plane. In this thesis, we will find inner and outer bounds in which the zeros of complex and quaternionic polynomials lie. We will do this by imposing restrictions on the real and imaginary parts, and on the moduli, of the complex and quaternionic coefficients. We also apply similar restrictions on complex polynomials with …

Roots Of Quaternionic Polynomials And Automorphisms Of Roots, Olalekan Ogunmefun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The quaternions are an extension of the complex numbers which were first described by Sir William Rowan Hamilton in 1843. In his description, he gave the equation of the multiplication of the imaginary component similar to that of complex numbers. Many mathematicians have studied the zeros of quaternionic polynomials. Prominent of these, Ivan Niven pioneered a root-finding algorithm in 1941, Gentili and Struppa proved the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra (FTA) for quaternions in 2007. This thesis finds the zeros of quaternionic polynomials using the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra. There are isolated zeros and spheres of zeros. In this thesis, we …

Immersive Learning Environments For Computer Science Education, Dillon Buchanan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This master's thesis explores the effectiveness of an educational intervention using an interactive notebook to support and supplement instruction in a foundational-level programming course. A quantitative, quasi-experimental group comparison method was employed, where students were placed into either a control or a treatment group. Data was collected from assignment and final grades, as well as self-reported time spent using the notebook. Independent t-tests and correlation were used for data analysis. Results were inconclusive but did indicate that the intervention had a possible effect. Further studies may explore better efficacy, implementation, and satisfaction of interactive notebooks across a larger population and …

New Reports Of Smilodon And Panthera From North American Cave Sites With Reviews Of Taxonomy, Biogeography, And History, Matthew Bushell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, three new reports of large felids from the Pleistocene are presented and discussed. A single partial left dentary from Jawbone Cave represents the first confirmed presence of S. fatalis in east Tennessee and was sampled for radiocarbon dating. Wind Tunnel and Chilly Bowl Cave are among the first records of P. onca to be identified confidently from Arkansas. Chilly Bowl Cave also produced two trackways attributable to Panthera sp., one set potentially belonging to P. atrox. In addition to the description of these remains and the caves they were found in, taxonomic histories for both S. fatalis …