Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Generation Of Inner Core Anisotropy By Anisotropic Thermal Conductivity Of Iron Crystals, Prajna Paramita Das, Bruce Buffett, Daniel A. Frost

Faculty Publications

Seismic anisotropy in the Earth’s inner core refers to the observation that seismic waves travel faster along the Earth’s rotation axis than in the equatorial plane, a feature inferred from decades of global seismological observations. This directional dependence of wave speeds provides important clues about the structure, composition and dynamics of the inner core. Here we explore a coupled thermo-mechanical mechanism for the generation of inner core anisotropy, focusing on the effects of anisotropic thermal conductivity in iron crystals as the inner core cools. We propose that the higher thermal conductivity of iron along the crystallographic c-axis compared with …

Do Emotions Matter In Ai? The Mediating Role Of Emotional Response Between Perceived Risk And Trust, Areej Babiker, Mohamed Basel Almourad, Sameha Alshakhsi, Magnus Liebherr, Raian Ali

All Works

Research shows that trust in AI is influenced by socio-ethical considerations, technical features of AI systems, and user characteristics. Yet, the mediating role of emotional response between perceived risk and trust remains underexplored, particularly across different AI contexts. This cross-sectional vignette experiment design aims to explore the relationship between users' perceived potential risk, emotional response, and trust in AI, and examine how these relationships vary across different levels of automation and criticality. An online survey included a total of 639 participants including 316 from the UK and 323 from Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Participants rated their perceived risk, …

Top-View Method As A Robust Alternative For Contact Angle Measurement, Bi-Min Zhang Newby, Emmanuel Agyei

University Research

This study validates the top-view method for contact angle measurement, based on the spherical cap assumption, as a practical alternative to conventional side-view techniques. It is particularly useful when side-view imaging is challenging, such as on rough, deformable, irregular, or confined areas where baseline visibility, meridian clarity, or drop symmetry is compromised. To address these challenges, this study details the simultaneous acquisition of top and side-view images of sessile drops along with precise drop volume via drop mass measurements. The contact angles were then deduced from drop volume and contact area based on the spherical cap assumption. Contact angles of …

Privacy Preserving Anomaly Detection System For Der Solar Inverters, Tanzim Jim Hassan, Prakash Ranganathan

Graduate Research Achievement Day Posters

Reliable operation of solar inverters depends on maintaining a stable frequency. Recent cyber attacks on solar DERs are concerning and increase the likelihood of such stealthy attacks leading to anomalies in DER. Therefore, a robust anomaly detection system (ADS) is crucial for solar inverters used in distributed energy resources (DERs), enabling timely detection and correction of frequency anomalies. Additionally, preserving data privacy is essential for the security and reliability of the power grid. This paper proposes a privacy-preserving anomaly detection system (PP-ADS) based on a multi-stage hybrid machine learning (MSHML) model specifically designed for solar inverter data in DER environments. …

Butte Medical Monitoring Working Group Meeting, Mike Mcanulty, Eric Hassler

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Response Of Botovskaya Cave To Local And Regional Environmental Dynamics, Jade Margerum, Oksana Gutareva, Franziska Lechleitner, Maria Box, Stuart Umbo, Anton Vaks, Hanno Meyer, Aleksandr Kononov, Aleksander Osintsev, Dimitri Sokol'nikov, Norbert Marwan, Ola Kwiecien, Sebastian Breitenbach

International Journal of Speleology

Speleothems from caves in near-permafrost regions can provide unique insights into the climatic history of temperature-sensitive environments. These regions are often remote and only seasonally accessible, which makes cave monitoring – a requirement for speleothem-based proxy interpretation – challenging. We document ventilation, the infiltration regime, and the isotopic composition of dripwater in Botovskaya Cave in southern Siberia, a host to speleothems previously used to reconstruct Quaternary permafrost dynamics in continental Eurasia. We explore surface and cave temperature records, cave air CO₂ concentration data and stable isotopes in precipitation and dripwater and evaluate infiltration conditions and the sensitivity of speleothems …

Numerals And Other Means Of Expressing Plurality In Language And Thought: A Developmental Perspective Across Cultures., Giovanni Giuseppe G.G. Nicosia Prof.

Numeracy

Several ancient languages use linguistic structures to differentiate between singular, dual, and plural forms that are used when one, two, or many objects are referenced. (Some languages go further, adding a trial form to differentiate two from three.) In many modern languages, numerals are used to convey precise number. After reviewing a range of ways languages express number (including the interesting case of Pirahã which does not express precise number), the paper concludes with a proposed developmental path for the expression of quantity in languages.

Ice Temperature And Heat Transfer Processes In Cave Glaciers, Aurel Persoiu

International Journal of Speleology

Cave glaciers (i.e., perennial ice accumulations in caves), found throughout mountainous regions in Europe and North America are at risk of extinction due to rising air temperature and altered rainfall patterns. Their formation and subsequent preservation is the result of accumulation of ice during winter months and limited ablation in summer. These processes, in turn, are controlled by air temperature, which determines the overall mass balance of ice. One important aspect is the heat the ice mass loses in winter, which increases its resilience during summer. While ice caves’ climate has been intensively studied in the past, investigations of ice …

Sensing Negative-Cone Rotational Diffusion Of Dipole-Like Emitters, Yuanxin Qiu, Kaizhi A. Nie, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

Fluorescence anisotropy and single-molecule orientation-localization microscopy (SMOLM) are powerful techniques that quantify the rotational diffusion of dipole-like emitters, which is important for sensing molecular interactions and chemical environments at the nanoscale. Numerous theoretical and experimental studies have thoroughly characterized single-molecule rotations even when those rotations are much faster than the detector integration time. Here, we extend the theory of measuring rotational diffusion to situations where a single dipole rotates uniformly everywhere outside of an isotropic cone of a certain size, termed a negative cone. This scenario corresponds to negative fluorescence anisotropy 𝑟 and has been observed in emitters exhibiting strong …

Tutoring Prompt For Personalized Self-Study Using Generative Ai, Vasiliy S. Znamenskiy

Open Educational Resources

This educational material presents a reusable tutoring prompt for general-purpose generative AI systems (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Perplexity) designed to support personalized self-study. The prompt turns a chatbot into an adaptive self-testing engine: it asks a sequence of multiple-choice questions, waits for the learner’s response, provides brief feedback, and adjusts difficulty based on performance. While the approach can be adapted to many disciplines, the current implementation is tuned to College Physics 2e, Chapter 21 (Circuits and DC Instruments) and uses “formulas only” answer choices to emphasize symbolic reasoning and reduce reliance on verbal cues. Shared in the spirit …

Mckinsey-Tarski Algebras And Raney Extensions, G. Bezhanishvili, R. Raviprakash, A. L. Suarez, Joanne Walters-Wayland

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We introduce the notion of Raney morphism between MT-algebras and show that the resulting category is equivalent to the category of Raney extensions. This is done by generalizing the construction of the Funayama envelope of a frame. The resulting notion of the T₀-hull of a Raney extension generalizes that of the T_D-hull of a frame.

Dual-Function Plasmonic Structure For Logic Operations And Circular Polarization Detection, Marjan Bazian, Mark C. Harrison

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Many integrated photonic devices have a high potential for dual applications, making them more versatile components in photonic integrated circuits. In this study, we show that a plasmonic XOR gate structure, originally designed to perform logic operations, can also be used as a circular polarization detector. This multi-purpose capability stems from the phase-encoded input mechanism that controls the output response of the structure. We adapted this mechanism to select the output based on the polarization state of light. The design of this structure, utilizing the subwavelength field confinement of plasmonic waveguides, enables the integration of logic and detection functions into …

Computational Modeling Of Enhanced Nonlinear Optical Response In Plasmonic Waveguide Devices With Epsilon-Near-Zero Films, Kevin T. Le, Mark C. Harrison

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Silicon photonics faces fundamental limitations in nonlinear applications due to weak Kerr nonlinearity, substantial two-photon absorption, and coupling challenges with subwavelength structures. This work investigates epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials integrated into plasmonic waveguide architectures for enhanced nonlinear photonic devices. ENZ materials exhibit nonlinear refractive indices several orders of magnitude higher than conventional materials near their zero-permittivity wavelength, enabling giant optical effects over deeply sub-wavelength interaction lengths. We present finite element method simulations of plasmonic ENZ waveguides, investigating layer thickness optimization for nonlinear enhancement while minimizing optical losses. Initial modal analysis confirms superior field confinement in hybrid plasmonic-ENZ structures compared to conventional …

Freshwater Quality For Recreation, Heather Nix, Masha Bokar

Forestry and Natural Resources

South Carolina has many water resources that provide tremendous opportunities for people to enjoy water-based recreational activities, such as swimming, boating, and fishing. Participation in these activities produces significant economic benefits and supports many jobs throughout the state. However, at times, water quality may be unsafe for immersion or skin contact due to high levels of pollutants, such as bacteria or cyanotoxins. It is important for people to be aware of potential concerns and understand methods for determining if a waterbody’s current conditions are likely to be safe for primary or secondary recreation.

Multiple Q-Dqn Algorithm Based Rumor Control In Social Networks, Zainab Hasan, Huda Naji Nawaf

Journal of Intelligent Informatics, Networking, and Cybersecurity

Malicious rumours on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and others can be widely disseminated because of social problems. It is challenging to manage a rumour once it gains growth and quickly moves throughout a network. One of the main issues with information dissemination is figuring out how to reduce the propagation of rumours within a social network. A deep reinforcement learning technique might be an effective strategy to manage the rumour issue. Deep Q learning network (DQN) has been used in the literature to mitigate rumors by selecting a blocker at each time step. In this work, the proposed …

2026 March 3 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Markets, Agency, And Trust: Ai Agents And The Knowledge Problem, Brennan Mcdavid, Lynne Kiesling, David Chassin

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming market participation, raising key epistemological questions: Do AI agents enhance or diminish the aggregation of local, private, and tacit knowledge Hayek saw as essential to market processes? How does trust in both markets and AI shape willingness to engage in AI-mediated exchange? This paper examines these issues through market epistemology, agency relationships, and trust epistemology, analyzing how agentic AI reshapes the knowledge problem and principal-agent dynamics. Applying this framework to transactive energy markets, we show that AI shifts decision-making from human cognition to algorithmic processes that require user trust despite epistemic opacity, although it is …

Scenario-Based Economic Valuation Of Forest Carbon Sequestration In Nepal: Implications For Redd+ (2030–2050), Gita Bhushal, Pankaj Lal

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Land use and land cover (LULC) change strongly influences national carbon dynamics and the effectiveness of forest-based climate mitigation strategies, particularly in mountainous developing countries. This study integrates scenario-based LULC modeling, spatially explicit carbon accounting, and economic valuation to assess how alternative development pathways affect carbon storage and its economic value in Nepal over the 2020–2050 period. LULC projections for four scenarios: Business-as-Usual (BAU), Rapid Urban Development (RUD), Forest Degradation and Terai Contraction (FDTC), and Agricultural Land Abandonment and Ecological Recovery (ALER), were generated using the TerrSet Land Change Modeler, with 2020 as the baseline. These projections were then used …

Impediments To Transforming The Healthcare Delivery System: Shifting The Paradigm From Provider Centric To Patient Centric, Elizabeth A. Regan, Manasa Devi Chinta

Faculty Publications

Introduction: 

Stated aims for digital healthcare transformation frequently cite goals for better coordinated patient-centric systems. However, despite advances in medical science, digital technologies, health policies, and billions of dollars invested over the past 25 years, most healthcare providers are far from fully realizing the demonstrated benefits of today's digital technologies for improving patient care. Sharing information across healthcare systems remains challenging. Problems with fragmentation, quality, inequities, and rising costs of care delivery persist. A recent study of 1,026 U.S. hospital systems found that only 15.8 percent achieved a digital maturity level needed to provide digitally enabled healthcare services to better …

Physical And Chemical Study Of Interaction In The Urea–Valine System For The Creation Of Modified Liquid Nitrogen Fertilizers, Suvonkul Erkhanovich Nurmonov, Saydullo Khamidovich Azimov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

This study reports the results of a comprehensive physicochemical investigation of the urea–L-valine binary system, conducted to validate its potential as a modified base for liquid nitrogen fertilizers.

By utilizing the methods of isomolar series, visual-polythermal analysis, X-ray phase (XRD) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD), synchronous thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), and FT-IR spectroscopy, it was determined that the interaction between components in both aqueous solutions and the solid phase results in the formation of molecular associates stabilized by hydrogen bonds, without the formation of new stoichiometric compounds.

The concentration and temperature limits of the system's stability were defined, revealing a reduction …

Clinical Validation Of Perfusion Imaging With Pulmonary Function Test Data Using Voronoi-Based Discretization, Jorge Cisneros, Caleb J. Herrera, Yi-Kuan Liu, Lisa V. Du, Yevgeniy Vinogradskiy, Richard Castillo, Girish Nair, Edward Castillo

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Objective.Accurate lung function assessment is essential for diagnosing and managing diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, pulmonary emboli, and lung cancer. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) provides valuable 3D functional imaging of ventilation and perfusion, but is limited by low spatial resolution, availability, additional radiation, and cost. Alternative methods, including CT-based perfusion (CT-P) and deep learning models, require large datasets to validate results that are often scarce. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) offer rapid and noninvasive global lung function measures and are clinically widely used. While ventilation correlates well with PFTs, perfusion imaging presents challenges due to complex blood flow and …

Review On Data Privacy And Security For Iot-Based Multifunctional Layers Of Cyber-Physical Systems In Smart Grids, Mohammad Kamrul Hasan, Md Mehedi Hasan, Nabeel Al-Qirim, Siti Norul Huda Sheikh Abdullah, Shayla Islam, Md Abdur Razzaque

All Works

Smart grid cyber-physical systems (SG-CPS) are intelligent platforms that incorporate IoT-enabled multifunctional layers including the physical, perception, communication, cyber, and application layers. It includes supervisory control and data acquisition, wide-area measurement systems, and advanced metering infrastructure for remote data aggregation, monitoring, and control operations. From an environmental perspective, these green technologies support two-way operations, which generate and transmit data over wired and wireless communication systems. However, this critical infrastructure faces data privacy and cybersecurity challenges. Hence, extensive research is required to address data privacy and security gaps to strengthen national grid cybersecurity and reduce economic losses. Therefore, this review highlights …

Spectroscopy And Photochemistry Of The Astrochemical Molecules Sicp And Alcp, Vincent J. Esposito, Tarek Trabelsi, Rebecca Firth, Ryan C. Fortenberry, Joseph S. Francisco

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Through characterization of the electronic excited-state topology, linear-SiCP is predicted to be photostable in the UV region, whereas linear-AlCP is predicted to undergo photodissociation to form Al+CP products after absorption of light in the 200–250 nm range, representing a catalytic process for freeing aluminum molecules from a solid dust grain. Both SiCP and AlCP are predicted to have electronic transitions with large absorption cross sections (∼10^–17 cm²) and to undergo fluorescence from bound excited states. The total electronic absorption spectrum is provided to inform electronic spectroscopy experiments. Silicon (SiC) and aluminum (Al₂O₃) dust …

Search For Ultra-High-Energy Neutrons From Galactic Sources With The Pierre Auger Observatory, A. Abdul Halim, P. Abreu, M. Aglietta, I. Allekotte, K. Almeida Cheminant, A. Almela, B. Fick, K. Nguyen, D. Nitz

Michigan Tech Publications

Deflections in the propagation of charged ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) caused by magnetic fields make the identification of their sources challenging. On the other hand, the arrival directions at Earth of neutrons point directly to their origin. The emission of UHECRs from a source is expected to be accompanied by the production of neutrons in its vicinity through interactions with ambient matter and radiation. Since free neutrons travel a mean distance d kpc−1 = 9.2 (E EeV−1) before decaying, a neutron flux in the EeV range could be detected on Earth from sources of UHECRs in our Galaxy. Using …

Co-Electrospinning Polyacrylonitrile (Pan) / Polymer Of Intrinsic Microporosity-1 (Pim-1) For Electrochemical-Based Sensor For Pyridine Detection And Absorption, Samar A. Salim

Nanotechnology Research Centre

The electrospinning of the polymer of intrinsic microporosity-1 (PIM-1) poses challenges due to its limited solubility and tendency to form bead-like structures at high concentrations. This work details the synthesis and analysis of electrospun composite fibers made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and PIM-1 for electrochemical applications. The data analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of PIM-1 into the PAN matrix. The fiber characteristics were significantly influenced by PIM-1 loading (1–10%), resulting in fiber diameters ranging from 0.8 to 1.7 μm. A 10% concentration of PIM-1 results in the formation of macropores with diameters ranging from 0.5 to 1.7 μm. Optical analysis using …

Designing Novel Bisquinoline Antimalarials From Historical 4-Aminoquinolines To Combat Drug-Resistant Malaria, Mason J. Handford, Yuexin Li, Terry Riscoe, Xiaowei Zhang, Jane X. Kelly, Michael K. Riscoe

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest causative agent of malaria, continues to evade eradication efforts through widespread drug resistance. The recent development of ADC-028, a 4-aminoquinoline antimalarial with excellent activity and pharmacokinetic properties, prompted the investigation of bisquinoline analogs featuring similar structural motifs. Here, we describe a structure-activity relationship study that guided the optimization of compounds with key features, including the 4-anilinoquinoline core and diverse bridging linkers. Several analogs exhibited potent in vitro activity (IC50 < 20 nM) against both drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant P. falciparum strains, while maintaining favorable cytotoxicity profiles. Among them, 25 demonstrated improved intrinsic metabolic stability (t1/2 = 121 min) and potent in vivo efficacy (ED50 = 0.32 mg/kg/day), achieving complete curative protection at a reduced dose compared to ADC-028. While 25 showed moderately reduced oral bioavailability (F = 43%) and a shorter half-life (T1/2 = 27.2 h) relative to ADC-028, its enhanced in vivo efficacy underscores its therapeutic potential. This work highlights a promising path forward in developing antimalarials that retain the efficacy of legacy compounds while overcoming modern resistance mechanisms.

An Ai Approach To Differentiating Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma From Metastases Of Other Origins, Mark G Evans, Jennifer Ribeiro, Todd Maney, Anthony Helmstetter, Jennifer Johnson, Anthony Karnezis, Casey Bales, George Sledge, David Spetzler, Ari Vanderwalde, Matthew Oberley, Balazs Halmos, Hossein Borghaei, Farah Abdulla, David Bryant, Fred Hirsch, Hassan Ghani

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: Distinguishing primary lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) from squamous metastases to the lung is a clinical challenge due to histopathologic similarities. Accurate diagnosis is essential to guide treatment decisions.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the utility of an artificial intelligence (AI) approach that includes evaluation of key orthogonal evidence in distinguishing primary lung SCCs from metastatic tumors of other tissue origins.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study used GPSai, a tissue-of-origin AI model run automatically on each sample submitted for molecular profiling, to flag potential misdiagnoses among research-eligible cases submitted as lung SCC. Molecularly profiled cases within the Caris Life …

How Euler Could Have Done It: Euler And A Heuristic Derivation Of The Prime Number Theorem, Alexander Aycock

Euleriana

We present an argument that leads to the formulation of the Prime Number Theorem that Euler could have given.

The Modern History Of The Basel Problem, John Campbell, Paul Levrie

Euleriana

The \emph{Basel problem} refers to the problem of determining a closed form for the infinite series $\frac{1}{1^2} + \frac{1}{2^2} + \cdots$. If we consider what mathematical results have the most peer-reviewed papers devoted to new ways of proving such results, Euler's formula $\frac{1}{1^2} + \frac{1}{2^2} + \cdots = \frac{\pi^2}{6}$ is certainly among the top of such results. This motivates our historical study of peer-reviewed papers based on proofs of Euler's formula, and we introduce what appears to be the most comprehensive and up-to-date and exhaustive catalogue of peer-reviewed, published papers in the 20th and 21st centuries devoted to or mainly …

Even Repdigits Are Not Perfect: Conclusions From Triangular Numbers, Uwe Hassler

Euleriana

Are there nontrivial repdigits that are perfect numbers? This note gives an answer: not for numbers smaller than $10^{1500}$. This finding follows from results for triangular numbers. Passing by, I review Euler's contributions on polygonal numbers.