Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

2024 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2023 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2024 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2022 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2022 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2023 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Assessment Of Cattail (Typha Spp.) Dynamics And Wetland Restoration In The Everglades Using Object-Based Landsat Time Series And Markov Modeling, Gideon Tandoh, Stephen Yankyera, Michael Sean Chenoweth

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Assessing long-term vegetation response to restoration requires spatially consistent monitoring approaches that capture both observed change and likely future trajectories. In the Florida Everglades, nutrient enrichment contributed to the expansion of cattail (Typha spp.) within Water Conservation Area 3A (WCA-3A), raising concerns about restoration effectiveness. This study integrates a multi-temporal Landsat time series (2004–2024), object-based image analysis (OBIA), support vector machine (SVM) classification, and Markov transition modeling to quantify and project vegetation change in WCA-3A. Object-based segmentation reduced classification fragmentation in heterogeneous marsh landscapes, while SVM improved separation among spectrally similar vegetation classes. Classification accuracies remained consistently high across sensors …

At-Home Computational And Data Literacy For Pre-K–5 Students: A Review Of The Literature, Marc Sager, Sarah Miller, Zarek Drozda

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This systematic review investigates best practices for promoting data literacy development in pre-K–5 learners, with a specific focus on caregiver involvement in at-home learning environments. A comprehensive search and screening process identified 42 studies for inclusion. The studies were analyzed to determine effective strategies for fostering early data literacy. Key findings emphasize (1) early, developmentally appropriate engagement with attention to equity; (2) core learning outcomes in computational and data literacy; (3) learning approaches integrating real-world contexts and hands-on experiences; (4) balanced use of digital tools and unplugged activities; and (5) essential parental and caregiver involvement. The review highlights integrating data …

Complex Systems Mapping Of Fiscal Growth Dynamics At Strategic Maritime Chokepoints Using Time-Series Slopes, Rahul Balamurugan, Preethi Nanjundan, Avichal Sharma

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

This study examines how maritime and trading states allocate public resources between defence, health, and economic growth around three strategic chokepoints the Strait of Malacca, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Suez Canal. The analysis extends the classic “guns versus butter” framing by treating defence and health spending as co-evolving components of an interconnected fiscal-growth system. Using World Development Indicators data (1999-2024), trend slopes are estimated for military spending (% of GDP), healthcare spending (% of GDP), and GDP growth (annual %). Two derived indicators are computed, a defence-to-health slope ratio (military slope/health slope) and a fiscal-balance proxy (health slope …

Arum–D Nexus: Adaptive Reflexive Urban Metabolism For Complex Construction And Demolition Waste Governance In Bengaluru, Talat Naaz, Rosewine Joy

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Urban material systems exhibit nonlinear dynamics governed by feedback, adaptation, and emergent coupling among institutions, markets, and behaviors. Construction and demolition (C&D) waste in Bengaluru is a great example of such complexity, where fragmented regulation, informal actors, and digital asymmetries coalesce into unstable waste flows and resource leakages. This study conceptualizes Bengaluru’s C&D waste system as a Complex Adaptive System (CAS), where institutional, market, behavioral, and metabolic subsystems co-evolve through nonlinear feedback interactions. A meta-analysis of secondary literature combined with benchmarking of government datasets is used to evaluate two key complexity indicators, i.e., response speed and feedback density. The advancement …

Instructors' Lived Experiences Of Using Authentic Assessments In College Calculus Courses Across The United States: A Phenomenological Study, Christy Hart Kains

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of instructors with authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States. The theory guiding this study was Astin’s student involvement theory, which provided a framework to study the involvement of students in higher education. The central research question for this study was: What are the lived experiences of instructors who utilize authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States? This study used a qualitative design following the transcendental phenomenological approach of Moustakas. The sample included 12 instructors from two-year and four-year colleges in …

Artificial Intelligence Assisted Evaluation Of Fungicide Efficacy In Acorn Squash, Olivia Grace Daniels

ASPIRE 2026

Powdery Mildew is a common fungus that infects a multitude of plants. This project will be working with Podosphaera Xanthii, the fungal pathogen that causes powdery mildew in cucurbits. Cucurbitaceae is a plant family that includes squash, pumpkins, melons and watermelons. Powdery mildew ends up significantly reducing the plants yield and infection causes an economic loss for growers which poses a great threat to the farmer’s lively hood. Powdery mildew is also extremely contagious and spreads rapidly to nearby plants. It can be absolutely decimating to populations. So there has been a push to find methods to control the spread …

Ai Exposure And The Future Of Work: Tasks, Skill Demand, And Education, Erik Vasilauskas, Michael Horrigan

External Papers and Reports

No abstract provided.

Organic Photocatalysts For Desulfurization Of Fuels, A K M Maksudul Hasan

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Desulfurization of fuels is a critical process for reducing sulfur contents in petroleum-based fuels to mitigate environmental pollution and meet the regulatory standards. Among various pollutants, Sulfur is the deadliest as inhaling leads to coughing, shortness of breath, sinus problem as well as the death of brain cells. Petroleum has a number of organosulfur derivatives, for example in crude oil (0.1 to 6wt% sulfur), which should be removed before using in combustion engines and other applications. High sulfur containing petroleum products used in engines and power plants would lead to the formation of sulfurdioxide (SO2) which would contribute to the …

What It Takes To Solve The Origin Of Life: An Integrated Review. Part 1–Experimental Methods And Data Repositories, Silke Asche, Carla Bautista, Celia Blanco, David Boulesteix, Alexandre Champagne-Ruel, Cole Mathis, Omer Markovitch, Zhen Peng, Avinash Vicholous Dass, Eloi Camprubi

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

The origin(s) of life (OoL), which has puzzled scientists for centuries, remains a major scientific challenge in the 21st century. Research on OoL spans many disciplines, including chemistry, physics, biology, planetary sciences, computer science, and mathematics. The sheer number of different scientific perspectives relevant to the problem has resulted in the coexistence of diverse tools, techniques, data, and software in OoL studies. This has made communication between the disciplines relevant to the OoL extremely difficult because the interpretation of data, analyses, or standards of evidence varies dramatically. Here, we hope to bridge this wide field of study by providing common …

Green Synthesis And Characterization Of Silver Nanoparticles Using Dadap Serep (Erythrina Lithosperma) Leaves Extract As A Bioreductor, Fairuz Hammad Albahi, Suyatno Sutoyo, Tukiran Tukiran

Chimica et Natura Acta

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) had been widely applied in various fields such as health, food, environment, catalysts, optics, and electronics. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles can be carried using a bottom-up method using by bioreductants derived from natural extracts (green synthesis). This study aims to describe the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using a bioreductants from dadap serep (E. lithosperma) leaves extract and to determine its characteristics. The synthesis was carried out by varying the volume ratio of dadap serep leaves extract to silver nitrate solution at ratios of 1: 1, 1: 2, 1: 3, and 1: 4, followed by optimization …

Ai Method For Classification Of Diagnosis Of Near-Infrared Breast Lesion Images, Kaiquan Chen, Fangyang Shen, Honggang Wang, Zhengchao Dong, Jizhong Xiao, Ming Ma, Afroza Aktar, Christopher Chow, Wenxiong Zhang

Publications and Research

In near-infrared optical breast lesion screening and diagnosis systems, high-speed four-dimensional scanners can dynamically acquire tens of thousands of lesion images within a five-minute period. Currently, manual computer annotation is required to generate standard samples from these scanned breast lesion images, a process that depends heavily on physicians with clinical expertise. On average, a single physician can annotate only approximately ten samples per working day. As a result, this process is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the collected samples often suffer from low accuracy, large variability, and limited diagnostic reliability. Several AI-based annotation tools, such as QuPath, HALO AI™, and X-AnyLabeling, …

Multiple-Valued Quantum Automata For Robotics, Yuchen Huang

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation introduces a new type of quantum automata, their encoding and circuit realization. I concentrate on possible applications in robotics. Several methods and application of quantum automata and quantum circuit-based controllers for elementary robotic systems, with a focus on humanoid robot motion, emotion, and behavior generation are illustrated in detail. The research introduces several novel methodologies that bridge quantum computing principles with robotic control, aiming to overcome the limitations of classical deterministic and probabilistic approaches.

The dissertation first presents a quantum-circuit-based framework for generating non-repetitive and expressive (e)motions in a humanoid robot actor, using superposition and entanglement to produce …

Solving Wordle Using Information Theory, Talal Aladaileh, Donald Stephens, Mallak Alqaisi, Congyu Wu

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Wordle, a popular word-guessing game, challenges players to identify a five-letter secret word through iterative guesses and feedback on letter placement. The players must figure out the secret word within six guesses. After each guess, the letters will be color-coded based on different criteria. Optimizing the choice of guesses is critical for maximizing success within the limited attempts allowed. In this study, the application of Shannon entropy is explored as a strategy for selecting words that maximize information gain at each step of the game. By quantifying the uncertainty reduction achieved by potential guesses, this method prioritizes words that are …

Local-Nonlocal Dispersal, Behavioral Responses, And Intervention Strategies In Infectious Disease And Addiction Dynamics, Ghilmana Sarmad

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This dissertation explores how epidemiological and behavioral processes interact across spatial and temporal scales to shape the dynamics of infectious diseases and addiction. Bringing together mathematical rigor and biological realism, it develops and analyzes a series of nonlinear models that capture the effects of spatial heterogeneity, mobility patterns, behavioral adaptation, and intervention strategies. Using tools from semigroup theory, functional analysis, stability analysis, and numerical simulation, the study provides a unified framework for understanding how awareness programs, fear-driven protection, vaccination, and social reinforcement influence transmission thresholds, persistence, and long-term population outcomes.

awareness-based interventions, where a basic reproduction number is derived and …

A Multi-Layer Complex Adaptive System Framework For Ai-Driven Robo-Advisory Services, Jesty Mariam Philip, Mohit Boralkar, Alwin Joseph

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into investment advisory services has changed financial decision-making, giving rise to adaptive robo-advisory systems capable of real-time analysis, personal recommendations, and autonomous portfolio optimization. Existing research evaluates these systems primarily through technological performance or investor adoption, overlooking the complex feedback-driven interactions that emerge when AI analytics, data environments, and human behavior operate together. This study addresses this gap by conceptualizing AI-enabled robo-advisors as a multi-layered Complex Adaptive System comprising historical data, real-time data, AI analytics, investor perception, and decision-making layers. A simulation model grounded in machine learning dynamics, behavioral finance, and complexity theory …

Regional Drought Modulation By Enso And Iod As Indicated By The Standardized Precipitation Index, Arpit Tiwari, Preethi Nanjundan, Tanu Sharma, Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Satyaban Bishoyi Ratna

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Understanding the modulation of drought by large-scale ocean–atmosphere teleconnections is crucial for strengthening drought prediction and resilience in India. This study investigates the influence of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) on meteorological drought characteristics across India from 1950 to 2024 using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) at a 12-month timescale. Drought events were quantified in terms of frequency, duration, severity, and intensity and linked to ENSO–IOD variability through composite, correlation, and mediation analyses. Results reveal that El Niño events consistently correspond to widespread and severe droughts, particularly over central and southern India, with drought …

Kinetic Analysis Of 2-Methylpentan-2-Ol*, Nicole Seheult

Campus Research Month

This experiment investigated the kinetics of 2-methylpentan-2-ol using UV-visible spectroscopy under strongly acidic conditions (96% sulfuric acid). The dehydration of the tert-amyl alcohol produced a carbocation intermediate whose absorbance at 300 nm was evaluated at various temperatures. An Arrhenius plot of ln(k) versus 1/T produced a linear relationship with a calculated activation energy of 90.0 kJ/mol. This value is consistent with literature expectations for tertiary carbocation formation and supports the acid-catalyzed dehydration mechanism predicted for this molecule.

Department Portfolio Web App*, Phillip Suvacarov, Tommy Aitchison

Campus Research Month

Southern Adventist University’s School of Computing produces numerous course projects, capstones, and research papers each year, yet there is no centralized, public showcase for this work. Our system provides a structured submission workflow for current and former students, faculty approval to ensure academic quality, and moderated commenting and likes to encourage constructive engagement. We outline the content model, role-based access control, and review queue, and describe search, tagging, and media support (including PDFs, images, and code links). By making student work visible beyond the classroom, the portfolio supports recruitment, alumni relations, and employer outreach while strengthening the School’s scholarly community.

Improving User Experience And Functionality: The Redesign Of Sorora In React Native*, Katherine A. Arroyo, Oswin S. Shin

Campus Research Month

This project redesigned and extended Sorora, a safety-focused mobile application built in React Native. The original Android Minimum Viable Product (MVP) included location tracking, an SOS button, and a basic contact list, but the interface lacked clarity, and the feature set created friction during urgent situations. We improved the UI and UX using Nielsen's usability heuristics, reduced navigation complexity, and redesigned the emergency workflow for deliberate, fast interaction.

Redesigning A Fitness App Interface For Physiological Constrained Users*, Joseph E. Manzanillo

Campus Research Month

As fitness tracking converges with medical monitoring, inclusive design becomes a matter of health equity. This research utilizes a Polar Beat redesign to address exclusionary "sporty" aesthetics that can exclude 300 million colorblind users. Based in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), the study implements WCAG AA standards and color-blind-verified filters to mitigate data loss during Situational Induced Impairment (SIID), when high-intensity exercise compromises cognitive and visual processing. By optimizing user journeys for Paralympic and geriatric archetypes, this work demonstrates that accessibility is the essential bridge transitioning mobile fitness apps into viable, inclusive instruments for clinical medical use.

Indexed Concatenation (I-Cat): A Method For Representing And Operating On Repeating Numbers*, Abigail Touma, Isaac Wolford

Campus Research Month

Our research presents Indexed Concatenation (I-Cat) notation as a structured way to represent numbers with repeating patterns, including both decimals and whole numbers. Instead of treating expressions like 0.333... or 735735735 as unstructured expansions, they are rewritten as compact repeating objects called I-Cats. The presentation demonstrates how arithmetic operations, including addition and multiplication, can be performed using hypothesized rules such as the "U = M/C" method, unpacking, and carry propagation. Examples progress from simple conversions and multiplication by integers to the multiplication of two I-Cats. A live visual demonstration will show how standard numerics transform into I-Cat form and how …

A Strategic Roadmap For Assessing And Educating On Personal Cybersecurity Practices In Universities*, Ryan Lopez, Ysani Peña

Campus Research Month

Universities face a common cybersecurity threat: their own users. Although organizations may meet compliance standards and implement robust security infrastructures, the individual user remains the weakest link. This is particularly evident in higher education institutions, where both students and employees are frequent targets of cyber threats due to a lack of cybersecurity awareness. This paper proposes a strategic roadmap for assessing university student bodies and employee populations through cybersecurity domains that directly affect personal cyber hygiene awareness and practice.

Our proposed roadmap was validated in a U.S. university by using a domain-focused survey and simulated phishing campaigns. After the identification …

Sau Physical Activity Website (Paw)*, Lisbette Sanchez, Alberto Elizondo, Caleb Tenold, Evelyn Shtereva, Siegwart Mayr

Campus Research Month

Problem: Southern’s Physical Activity Website (PAW) used to track physical activity from students and faculty was no longer functional. Aside from unsupported API versions, there was also an issue with authorization and role assignments.

Solution: Southern’s Center for Innovation and Research in Computing (CIRC) adopted the assignment of restructuring a new web application to track physical activity. This project focuses on building a secure and scalable architecture that connects user devices, third-party fitness APIs, and a centralized database to support activity tracking, workout analysis, and fitness history. By combining modern web development practices with API integration and backend data processing, …

Towards Physics-Informed Neural Networks For Simulating Multiphase Geothermal Convection​*, Daniel C. Patton, Andrew Harrison Eno

Campus Research Month

Water and steam flow through porous rock, transferring heat via conduction and buoyancy-driven convection caused by density differences. Traditional numerical methods (finite-volume/finite-element) model this well but can become memory-intensive and unstable for long, high-detail simulations. This work demonstrates a Physics-Informed Neural Network (PINN) using a finite-difference approach within the NVIDIA PhysicsNeMo framework to simulate magma chambers in 2D. Tested on the Rio Pisco pluton in Peru, results are compared with the USGS HYDROTHERM model. PINNs learn from physical laws, offering accurate, flexible solutions with less data and development effort.