Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Investigations In Bertrand’S Paradox, Mary Moore, Hope Weeda, Annika Cunill Krones

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

Bertrand’s paradox is a classic problem that highlights how different notions of randomness can lead to different outcomes, even in a simple geometric setting. It concerns the lengths of chords chosen “at random” in a circle. In this talk, we begin by reviewing the three original methods Bertrand proposed for generating random chords, along with several related distributions that have been studied since. We then turn to a geometric application, examining triangles formed by two random chords that share a common endpoint. By joining the remaining endpoints, we obtain a random triangle and compute the probability that it is acute. …

Correcting Faraday Cup Measurements Using Rutherford Backscattering, Spencer Hughes, A. Bunnell, J. Kim

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

Faraday cup is a conductive cup that measures the current of an incident beam of charged particles. Faraday cups are frequently used in particle accelerator-based studies where the beam intensity must be measured. A previous study determined the systematic error in Faraday cup measurements for a 3.4 MeV proton beam using Rutherford scattering at large angles. Our study builds upon this previous work to include six different beam energies ranging from 3.0 MeV to 0.6 MeV and two different incident masses (H and He). A silicon surface barrier detector measured the energy of back-scattered ions from a copper target. The …

Plastic Purgatory: Investigating The Effects Of Plastic Litter On Water And Organic Content In Topsoil In Holland, Michigan, Kamryn Bice, Annis Cairns, Maddie Devries, Sebastian Lema

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

Plastic accumulation in soils can offer important insights into how human activity affects terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we examined the relationship between plastic litter and soil quality at several sites across Holland, Michigan to determine whether plastic abundance was associated with changes in soil properties. Soil samples from five different site types – construction, residential, commercial, nature, and a control – were collected over a threeweek period, then analyzed for pH, water contents, total organic carbon (TOC), and plastic abundance through field testing and laboratory methods. The number of plastic pieces ranged from 0 to 27 with the largest …

Writing Algorithm Demonstrations Using Ai, Caiden Sunlin, Connor Vachon

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

We describe the design and development of interactive algorithm demonstrations for an online undergraduate algorithms textbook, created with the assistance of large language models, specifically ChatGPT. The work focused on browser-based, step-bystep visualizations that highlight algorithm behavior and intermediate states. We discuss how ChatGPT was used during ideation, implementation, and debugging, along with the limits of its usefulness and the kinds of human guidance that remained essential. Using concrete examples, we reflect on how AI tools can support student-centered educational software development without replacing domain expertise or instructional judgment.

Eigenmode Decomposition Analysis Of Resistive Magnetic Reconnection, Isaac Q. Evans

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

Recent work demonstrates that specific aspects of nonlinear magnetic reconnection in a collisionless regime are directly attributable to linearly damped eigenmodes. In this work, we apply similar eigenmode analysis tools to characterize nonlinear magnetic reconnection driven by resistivity. In contrast to the collisionless case which contains a single unstable/stable eigenmode pair, the resistive case contains an unstable eigenmode and a wide spectrum of stable modes. Calculating eigenmode amplitudes allows for a determination of the significance of each eigenmode in the nonlinearly-evolved resistive reconnection. Linearly stable modes are found to be important in determining properties of nonlinear systems. We discuss how …

A New Website For Aminoacids.Com, Camila Medrano, Gillian Donley

25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026)

Our client, AminoAcids.com, faced major issues with its previous website, including outdated design, poor accessibility, and unreliable order processing that often required manual intervention. Using the wireframes and content structure provided by the Center for Leadership, our team built a new website using WordPress as the content management system and WooCommerce to support e-commerce functionality. The new website provides a more stable infrastructure, minimizes order processing errors, and ensures a smoother user experience across all devices.

A Backend Database Architecture For Persistent Epilepsy Classification Records, Attiksh A. Panda, Deep Desai, Artem Zabarov, Katrina D. Prantzalos, Satya S. Sahoo, Shuai Xu

Student Scholarship

Epilepsy affects over five million people globally each year, yet consistent clinical diagnosis remains a persistent challenge due to the lack of standardized classification workflows across medical institutions. The Four-Dimensional Epilepsy Classification (4D-EC) framework, developed by Lüders et al., provides a comprehensive structure for characterizing paroxysmal events across four dimensions: seizure semiology, epileptogenic zone, etiology, and comorbidities. Despite its clinical and educational value, no dedicated informatics platform existed to support its routine use until recently, limiting widespread adoption among clinicians and trainees. This project addresses that gap by implementing a full-stack web application that operationalizes the 4D-EC framework for clinical …

Tracing The Milky Way’S Evolution Through Its Star-Planet Systems, Rayna Rampalli

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

From individual planetary systems to the Milky Way's structure, stars are the linchpin connecting astrophysical scales. Through three complementary projects, my thesis leverages these connections and large stellar surveys to offer insight into the Galaxy's dynamical and chemical history and its role in shaping planet formation and evolution. (I) I developed Protify, an automated pipeline to measure stellar rotation periods in TESS light curves, enabling rotation-based ages for thousands of stars. Applying it to overdensities of stars in eccentric Galactic orbits, thought to be post-resonant signatures of spiral arm passages, revealed unexpectedly young rotators in dynamically old populations. Because such …

Hijacking The Prompt: A Survey Of Prompt Injection Attacks, Detection, And Defense In Large Language Models, Edward J. Griggs

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

Prompt injection attacks, ranked the number-one vulnerability in AI systems by OWASP's 2025 Top 10 for Large Language Model Applications, remain largely unsolved, and this survey examines why. As large language models (LLMs) are deployed across enterprise workflows, agentic systems, and consumer tools, their fundamental inability to distinguish trusted instructions from untrusted user data has created a persistent and expanding attack surface. This paper presents a structured taxonomy of prompt injection attack vectors, including direct injection, indirect injection, multimodal attacks, tool and agent exploitation, hybrid chained techniques, and autonomous propagating threats. These vectors are mapped across five impact categories (data …

Draft Final Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Unreclaimed Sites: Ur-03 Construction Completion Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Comment Letter For The Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Npl Site Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit, 60% Remedial Design Documents For The Blacktail Creek Area Groundwater Hydraulic Control System (Dated March 2, 2026), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

A Computer Vision Approach To Analyzing Taxane Effects On Prostate Cancer Cells, Diana Elizabeth Dancea

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Actin is a family of proteins that help create the structure of the cytoskeleton, which gives shape to the cell. In many chemotherapy treatments, researchers target actin because it controls the cell division process. Therefore, if they are able to understand the actin fibers, that may help in formulating methods to stop or slow down cancer cells from reproducing. Another important protein is PAK6, which regulates actin. In our research, a collaborative effort with Prof. Michael Lu’s lab at Florida Atlantic University, we use machine learning techniques to analyze cells which had their PAK6 protein knocked out, and compare them …

Quantum Simulation And Nanoscale Sensing Of Many-Body Phenomena With Solid-State Spin Defects, Guanghui He

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Emergent phenomena in interacting quantum systems arise from collective behavior that cannot be reduced to single-particle physics. Understanding these phenomena requires platforms capable of both synthesizing many-body states under controlled conditions and probing them at the microscopic scale where correlations originate. Solid-state spin defects, including nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond and negatively charged boron vacancy centers in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), offer precisely this dual capability. In the first part of this dissertation, a strongly interacting NV ensemble is subjected to periodic and quasi-periodic drives to access a long-lived prethermal regime and realize a discrete time quasicrystal (DTQC). In the …

Normal Matrices, Fuzhen Zhang

Mathematics Colloquium Series

Normal matrices form a central class in matrix analysis, including Hermitian, skew-Hermitian, and unitary, positive semidefinite, permutation matrices and so on. This presentation surveys fundamental properties of normal matrices, including spectral characterization, unitary diagonalization, and trace (in)equality through majorization. It highlights equivalent conditions for normality, with discussions extending to matrix exponentials and polynomials. Examples and counterexamples are provided to clarify certain subtle points about matrix normality. The talk is based on a recent paper published in JMC (joint work with Y.-J. Hu)

Are Certain Mobile Phones Overpriced?, Camron Pickard, Jennifer Schon

Celebration of Research

In this project, I investigated the possibility of projecting phone prices based on people’s opinions of their performance. I predicted that the more expensive phones would have higher rating predictions but have lower predicted prices.

Loan Risk Classification Model, Giulio Palombo

Celebration of Research

I created a model that classifies the customers as good or bad for possible loaners. The model is XGBoost Classification model. I used as target variable the variable “default”. The target variable indicates whether the customer has previously defaulted on a loan or not. The dataset provides a representation of customer behavior and financial status. On top of that, the dataset contains detailed information about banking transactions.

Emergent Dynamics In Multiplex Social Networks: Agent-Based Modeling Of Information Diffusion For Misinformation Control, Harshvardhan Prabhakar Ghongade, Anjali Ashokrao Bhadre, Shivani Agarwal, Harjitkumar Uttamrao Pawar, Harshal Subhash Rane

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Information misrepresentation is widespread in multi-layered social networks which provide multiple avenues to communicate information. As such, it presents significant opportunities for both information integrity and public discourse to be undermined by disinformation. This paper outlines a new agent-based model, developed to capture emergent dynamics of multi-layered social networks and to help identify technical means to mitigate information misrepresentation in complex systems. A key component of this research includes a novel Multi-Layer Information Diffusion Model (MLIDM), integrating both cross-layer communication among agents, as well as heterogeneous agent behaviors and adaptive intervention strategies. Our methods employ a three-stage process to model …

Asymptotic Sensitivity And Adjoint Methods For Equation Discovery With Open-Source Implementation, Nathan Schill

Theses and Dissertations

The "on-the-fly" (OTF) method is a gradient-based approach to equation discovery. It makes use of (potentially limited) observational data, a data assimilation technique such as continuous data assimilation (also called nudging), and an error metric. From these it computes an asymptotic approximation of a simulated system's error sensitivity with respect to unknown parameters and utilizes any gradient-based optimization algorithm to perform parameter updates. These parameter updates may be done online or offline, and the model may be of a precisely specified form or simply a library of possible terms with potentially nonlinear parameters. We have applied the adjoint method to …

Recent Wetland Elevation Dynamics In Coastal Louisiana, Usa, Elizabeth Harris

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal marshes globally are increasingly vulnerable to accelerating relative sea-level rise (RSLR), which threatens their capacity to maintain elevation through feedbacks among sediment supply, vegetation productivity, hydrology, and soil processes. Although many marshes can persist under moderate rates of sea-level rise through vertical accretion and belowground biomass production, this resilience is strongly constrained by sediment availability and subsurface processes such as autocompaction and organic matter decomposition. High accretion is often assumed to confer marsh resilience; however, subsurface processes, particularly autocompaction driven by surface loading, can substantially offset elevation gains. Coastal Louisiana experiences among the highest rates of RSLR worldwide due …

Emergent Storylines That Influence Positions And Mathematical Status In Collaborative Small-Group Proof Activity, Brittney M. Ellis, Tenchita Alzaga Elizondo

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

In this paper, we used positioning theory to examine storylines that emerged in students’ discourse as they collaborated on a proof construction task. We purposefully selected a case of group work from an inquiry-oriented introduction to proof course as prior analyses showed it was highly collaborative (Alzaga Elizondo, 2022), yet power dynamics seemed unbalanced. We hypothesized that positioning theory could provide a useful lens to interrogate such power dynamics. Through this analysis, we identified several implicit storylines that influenced the interaction related to the nature of proofs, the nature of mathematics, writing proofs, the role of an external authority, …

Sonic Booms From Rockets: Measurements And Modeling, Mark Charles Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Rocket sonic booms are produced when launch vehicles or boosters travel faster than the local speed of sound in the atmosphere, generating systems of conical shock waves. The purpose of this dissertation is to perform high-fidelity measurements of rocket sonic booms and to explain the physics behind the unique phenomena observed. After a thorough literature review on sonic booms produced during spaceflight operations, Part I of this dissertation deals with measurement and analysis challenges. One challenge is reducing contaminating noise effects on sonic boom perception metrics, addressed using a low-pass filtering method tied to the noise floor. A second challenge …

Characterizing The Unique Chemical Imprint Of On-Axis, Lower-Temperature Hydrothermal Flow To The Deep Ocean (Southern East Pacific Rise, 16.5°–18.0°S), Laura E. Moore, Randelle M. Bundy, Joseph A. Resing, Scott M. White, Tamara Baumberger, Peter N. Sedwick, Nathaniel J. Buck, Anson M. Antriasian, Isaac Keohane

Faculty Publications

In addition to high-temperature vents, lower-temperature flow (LTF) (< 300°C) is abundant along mid-ocean ridges and contributes globally-important fluxes of heat and water along with largely-unconstrained geochemical influences on the ocean. We examined the impact of on-axis LTF on the chemical composition of the overlying water column (< 40 m above seafloor) along the 16.5°–18.0°S sector of the ultrafast-spreading southern East Pacific Rise using autonomous underwater vehicle Sentry surveys and conductivity-temperature-depth rosette casts. LTF sites were typically spatially isolated from high-temperature systems and imparted unique chemical signatures to the overlying ocean. Water column samples impacted by LTF exhibited low particulate iron:sulfur ratios and high methane: total-dissolvable manganese ratios, whereas samples influenced by high-temperature venting exhibited opposite trends. We confirmed that LTF imparts a distinct and measurable chemical signature to the water column, independent from high-temperature vents. Isolated, on-axis LTF will be important to consider when assessing hydrothermal circulation impacts upon ocean biogeochemistry.

Real And Perceived Barriers To Effective Use Of Cataract Surgical Supplies, Caitlin Davie, Lindsay K. Cloud, Scott Burris, Shaina Shiwdin, Brooke Sherry, Christina R. Prescott, Joel Schuman, David Palmer, David Chang, Daniel Parra, Cordelia Kwon, Margaret A. Tharp, Cassandra L. Thiel

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

INTRODUCTION: Cataract surgery, among the most common procedures worldwide, significantly contributes to climate change through both solid waste and air pollution, highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions. Implementation faces hurdles including legal constraints and concerns about infection risks and malpractice.

METHODS: This article examines federal and state regulatory structures around two key waste reduction strategies: reduction of multidose medications and distribution of partly-used operating room medication to patients post-surgery.

RESULTS: We find little-to-no legitimate regulatory barriers to either waste reduction practice. Dispensing and redistributing partly-used medication has been codified in law in some states. Evidence-based reports indicate minimal risks …

Molecular Adaptation Of Sweet Potato To Martian Soil Simulant: Insights From Mrna And Long Non-Coding Rna Analyses, Subramanyam Reddy Chinreddy, Karthik Chinnannan, Purushothaman Natarajan, Vaibhavi Patel, Gwonjin Lee, Manohar Chakrabarti, Padma Nimmakayala, Umesh K. Reddy

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Understanding how crops adapt to extraterrestrial environments is essential for sustainable space agriculture. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), a nutritionally rich and stress-resilient crop, is a promising candidate for cultivation under Martian-like conditions, characterized by high salinity, heavy metal contamination, and poor water retention.

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying sweet potato adaptation to Martian soil analog conditions using Mars Global Simulant-1 (MGS-1).

Methods: Leaf, shoot, and storage root tissues of sweet potato grown in MGS-1 were subjected to RNA sequencing. Differentially expressed mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were identified, and functional enrichment analyses were …

2026 April 16 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Czts Nanoparticles As Cost Efficient Catalysts For Producing Green Hydrogen, Aidan Hau

Undergraduate Research Symposium (2026- )

Hydrogen gas is produced to be used as feedstock, fertilizer, and fuel. Traditional hydrogen production produces “gray hydrogen” in a process that uses and releases fossil fuels into the atmosphere. One way to produce “green” hydrogen is with renewable energy technologies that produce hydrogen gas using electrolysis without emitting fossil fuels. In electrolysis, the hydrogen atoms bonded to oxygen in a water molecule are split to produce hydrogen. A typical catalyst for this process would be a precious metal like palladium, which can be costly. In order to make green hydrogen production more affordable, an alternative catalyst composed of CZTS …

Characterizing The Macroinvertebrate Community In Crissy Lake, An Impounded Reach Of The Pomme De Terre River, Prior To Channel Modification, Max Lundgren

Undergraduate Research Symposium (2026- )

The aging Crissy Lake Dam, on the Pomme de Terre River in Morris, has altered natural stream flow and impeded upstream passage of several fish species since 1939. In late 2026 the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will replace the dam with stone arch rapids and facilitate river channel formation upstream of the dam. In order to evaluate the river modification project, we characterized the macroinvertebrate community in Crissy Lake, the impoundment upstream of the dam before implementation of channel modification. In September 2025 we collected benthic macroinvertebrates from two sets of Ekman grab samples. We found 12 taxa (average …

Image Processing Technique To Find The Burden Rock Velocity And Its Interdependency On Bench Blasting Parameters – A Case Study, Channabassamma N, Akhil Avchar, Sahas V Swamy, Vedala Rama Sastry, Hemant Agrawale

Journal of Sustainable Mining

In any rock engineering or excavation project, optimizing blast design is essential for controlling post-blast phenomena such as flyrock, burden throw, and burden rock velocity (BRV). This study investigates the dynamic response of BRV in bench blasting operations by employing a high-speed camera and ProAnalyst software to quantify rock displacement. The relationships between BRV and key blast parameters, number of holes (NH), explosive charge per hole (EPH), total explosive charge (TEC), stiffness ratio (K), and stemming ratio (STR), were analyzed to identify linear or non-linear trends. Non-linear trends, …

Uhplc-Ms/Ms-Based Method Development And Validation For Multiclass Pesticide Residues In Food: Risk Assessment And Water Remediation, Muhammad Usman

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

The increasing use of pesticides in agriculture necessitates the development of sensitive and reliable analytical methods for accurate detection, risk assessment, and remediation. This dissertation focuses on the development and validation of advanced UHPLC-MS/MS-based methodologies for the determination of multiclass pesticide residues and their metabolites in complex food matrices, along with the remediation of organophosphorus pesticides in aqueous systems. Efficient sample preparation techniques, including liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) and QuEChERS-based dispersive solid-phase extraction, were optimized to reduce matrix interferences and enhance analytical performance. The developed methods were validated according to international guidelines (SANTE/11312/2021) and demonstrated excellent performance. Recoveries ranged between 70–120%, …

Modeling Flood-Induced Cascading Disruptions In The Indian Electronics Supply Chain Using Influence Network Analysis, Surendra Orupalli, Hiroki Sayama

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

This study investigates flood induced disruptions in the Indian electronics supply chain using influence network analysis. Monsoon floods are recurring hazards that significantly impact economic activities, logistics, and industrial productivity. This study integrates district-level rainfall data (2020 to 2025) with supply chain network models to quantify cascading failures. The methodology applies rainfall thresholds (≥ 300 mm/month) to identify flood-prone districts and constructs a stochastic influence matrix representing inter-firm dependencies. Flood propagation dynamics are modeled iteratively with a propagation coefficient (α = 0.6) and convergence threshold (ε = 10⁻⁴). The resulting disruption profiles are mapped onto company-level revenues calibrated to India-specific …