Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Human-Centric System For Symbolic Reasoning About Code, Megan Fowler

All Dissertations

While testing and tracing on specific input values are useful starting points for students to understand program behavior, ultimately students need to be able to reason rigorously and logically about the correctness of their code on all inputs without having to run the code. Symbolic reasoning is reasoning abstractly about code using arbitrary symbolic input values, as opposed to specific concrete inputs.

The overarching goal of this research is to help students learn symbolic reasoning, beginning with code containing simple assertions as a foundation and proceeding to code involving data abstractions and loop invariants. Toward achieving this goal, this research …

An Analysis Of Significant Cyber Incidents And The Impact On The Past, Present, And Future, Seth E. Smith

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

This report discusses data collected on significant cybersecurity incidents from the early 2000s to present. The first part of the report addresses previously discussed information, data, and literature (e.g. case studies), pertinent to cybersecurity incidents. The findings from this study are framed by scholarly sources and information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a number of notable universities, and literature online, of which all support information discussed within this report. The second part of the report discusses data compiled upon analyzing significant cyber incidents and events from the Center for Strategic and International Affairs (CSIS). Finally, the last portion of …

Rigid Aggregation Of Inclusions Embedded In Quasi 2d Fluids, Natalie Xochitl Ryan

Physics

Diffusion is a transport process common in several biological systems. In this process particles of different species mix together through random (stochastic) motion at molecular length scales. Diffusion in fluids is unique as the coupling of the flow and fluid have been found to produce giant concentration fluctuations. The molecular length scale of these concentration fluctuations are magnitudes larger than the movement of the particles themselves, earning them the title “giant”. The diffusion of particles in bio-membranes displays a combination of 2D and 3D hydrodynamic properties; the movements of the particles are restricted to the plane of the membrane and …

Quantifiability: Concurrent Correctness From First Principles, Victor Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Architectural imperatives due to the slowing of Moore's Law, the broad acceptance of relaxed semantics and the O(n!) worst case verification complexity of sequential histories motivate a new approach to concurrent correctness. Desiderata for a new correctness condition are that it be independent of sequential histories, compositional over objects, flexible as to timing, modular as to semantics and free of inherent locking or waiting. This dissertation proposes Quantifiability, a novel correctness condition based on intuitive first principles. Quantifiablity is formally defined with its system model. Useful properties of quantifiability such as compositionality, measurablility and observational refinement are demonstrated. Quantifiability models …

Toi-1431b/Mascara-5b: A Highly Irradiated Ultrahot Jupiter Orbiting One Of The Hottest And Brightest Known Exoplanet Host Stars, B. C. Addison, E. Knudstrup, I. Wong, G. Hébrard, P. Dorval, I. Snellen, S. Albrecht, A. Bello-Arufe, J.-M. Almenara, I. Boisse, X. Bonfils, S. Dalal, O. D. S. Demangeon, S. Hoyer, F. Kiefer, N. C. Santos, G. Nowak, R. Luque, M. Stangret, E. Palle, R. Tronsgaard, V. Antoci, L. A. Buchhave, M. N. Günther, T. Daylan, F. Murgas, H. Parviainen, E. Esparza-Borges, N. Crouzet, N. Narita, A. Fukui, K. Kawauchi, N. Watanabe, M. Rabus, M. C. Johnson, G. P. P. L. Otten, G. J. Talens, S. H. C. Cabot, D. A. Fischer, F. Grundahl, M. Fredslund Andersen, J. Jessen-Hansen, P. Pallé, A. Shporer, D. R. Ciardi, J. T. Clark, R. A. Wittenmyer, D. J. Wright, J. Horner, K. A. Collins, Eric L.N. Jensen, J. F. Kielkopf, R. P. Schwarz, G. Srdoc, M. Yilmaz, H. V. Senavci, B. Diamond, D. Harbeck, T. D. Komacek, J. C. Smith, S. Wang, J. D. Eastman, K. G. Stassun, D. W. Latham, R. Vanderspek, S. Seager, J. N. Winn, J. M. Jenkins, D. R. Louie, L. G. Bouma, J. D. Twicken, A. M. Levine, B. Mclean

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

We present the discovery of a highly irradiated and moderately inflated ultrahot Jupiter, TOI-1431b/MASCARA-5 b (HD 201033b), first detected by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission (TESS) and the Multi-site All-Sky Camera (MASCARA). The signal was established to be of planetary origin through radial velocity measurements obtained using SONG, SOPHIE, FIES, NRES, and EXPRES, which show a reflex motion of K = 294.1 ± 1.1 m s⁻¹. A joint analysis of the TESS and ground-based photometry and radial velocity measurements reveals that TOI-1431b has a mass of M_p = 3.12 ± 0.18 M_J (990 ± 60 M_{⊕ …}

Analytical Approach To Biometric Security And How It Affects Privacy, Torré A. Williams

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

In this time where the world is using technology every day, there is going to be a need for some type of security to take place to protect its citizens from unwanted harm or danger. The use of any authentication methods is becoming very essential for a lot of companies and even for your own personal belongings. The use of biometric technology has offered companies the chance to upgrade their security system. This has also provided easier ways that people authenticate themselves as who they say they are. Due to their growth of usage, there is a privacy and security …

About The Mcnair Scholars Program, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Electroluminescent Signals And Cosmogenicbackgrounds In High Pressure Xenon Gas Timeprojection Detectors, Leslie Rogers

Physics Dissertations - Archive

The NEXT collaboration is developing a sequence of high pressure xenon gas time projection chambers with the aim of creating a ton-scale, very low background neutrinoless double beta decay search. Finding evidence of neutrinoless double beta decay would give insight into the origins of the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe, the smallness of neutrino mass, and the symmetry structure of the Standard Model. My research involves addressing critical challenges on the path to realization of high pressure xenon gas detectors for ton-scale, very low background neutrinoless double beta decay searches. While most aspects of this technology are easily scalable, some …

Aqueous-Based Associated Solvents For Protein And Peptide Fractionation And Protein Purification, Sajad Tasharofi

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

The focus of this dissertation is studying capabilities of a novel two-phase system in enhancing protein identification in the whole-cell proteomics studies. In this document, two types of biphasic systems have been used for two different purposes. The first type of biphasic system is formed by the addition of 1,1,1,3,3,3-Hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) to the aqueous solutions of water-miscible organic solvents. A combination of HFIP, organic solvent, and water forms a two-phase system in spite of the fact that every solvent pair in the three-component system is miscible and forms homogeneous solutions in water. This biphasic system is called Fluoroalcohol-Organic Associated Solvent …

Total Synthesis Of Imidazole-Containing Β-Carboline Alkaloids And Pyrrole-Imidazole Alkaloids, Moumita Singha Roy

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

The first part in this dissertation focuses on the development of an enantioselective total synthesis of villagorgin A, from another natural product haploscleridamine. Haploscleridamine was targeted first as it was thought that a successful approach to this family member would permit access to the other congeners through minor modifications, including conversion to villagorgin A. Moreover, villagorgin A has just one additional carbon atom compared to haploscleridamine, the introduction of which can be envisioned through a Pictet-Spengler reaction with formaldehyde. On completion of the haploscleridamine synthesis, attention was turned to the brominated congener, lissoclin C. Lissoclin C can be accessed from …

Petrophysical Studies Of Well Cuttings From A Continues Geological Profile In Hockley County, Texas, Tristan N. Tom

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

The Permian Basin currently leads the oil production in the United States; however, with increasing concerns for the global climate, it is crucial for oil and gas companies to operate as economically and efficiently as possible. This is where the use of well cuttings comes in, as they allow for more geological formations in the subsurface to be analyzed in depth and are cheaper to achieve than core samples. Well cuttings can be obtained from most drilling operations, and they can save on analysis time and even be analyzed on site. Before using well cuttings, it is important to ensure …

Liutex Analysis By Pod And Dmd In Turbulent Flow After/ In Micro Vortex Generator, Xuan My Trieu

Mathematics Dissertations - Archive

Although vortex has been studied more than one hundred year, we still have not had universally accepted definition. A few well-known vortex identification methods are introduced ��,∆, ��2,������ criteria to identify coherent vortex structures the last three decades. A new Omega vortex identification method, which is defined as a ratio of the vorticity tensor norm squared over the sum of the vorticity tensor norm squared and deformation norm squared, was proposed in 2016. Two year later, the new vortex vector named Liutex (previously called Rotex) was proposed by Liu et al. with direction of local rotation axis (an eigenvector of …

Curriculum Complexity And Graduation Rates At Utah State University, Hayden Hoopes

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This study utilizes a curricular analytics framework developed by Heileman et al. (2018) to examine the relationship between curriculum complexity and graduation rates in academic programs at Utah State University. The goal in quantifying the complexity of curricula is to determine whether or not prerequisite courses and other factors of curricula structure impacts graduation from the university. To accomplish this goal, curriculum complexity spreadsheets were developed for 96 degree programs at the university, which facilitated the assignment of curriculum complexity scores to the 6,337 students who qualified for the quasi-experimental study. Logistic regression was then applied to the resulting data …

Transformation Groups And The Method Of Darboux, Brandon P. Ashley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the study of partial differential equations (PDE), one is often concerned as to whether or not explicit solutions can be obtained via various integration techniques. One such technique, known as the method of Darboux, has had particular success in solving nonlinear problems as demonstrated by the classical works of Goursat. Recently, Anderson, Fels, and Vassiliou provided a far-reaching generalization of Vessiot’s group-theoretic interpretation of the method of Darboux. This generalization allows for the characterization of Darboux integrable systems in terms of fundamental geometric invariants as well as the construction of Darboux integrable systems in general.

In this work, we …

Decisive Neutrality, Restricted Decisive Neutrality, And Split Decisive Neutrality On Median Semilattices And Median Graphs., Ulf Högnäs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Consensus functions on finite median semilattices and finite median graphs are studied from an axiomatic point of view. We start with a new axiomatic characterization of majority rule on a large class of median semilattices we call sufficient. A key axiom in this result is the restricted decisive neutrality condition. This condition is a restricted version of the more well-known axiom of decisive neutrality given in [4]. Our theorem is an extension of the main result given in [7]. Another main result is a complete characterization of the class of consensus on a finite median semilattice that satisfies the axioms …

Mif But Not Mif-2 Recruits Inflammatory Macrophages In An Experimental Polymicrobial Sepsis Model, Pathricia Veronica Tilstam, Wibke Schulte, Thomas Holowka, Bong-Sung Kim, Jessica Nouws, Maor Sauler, Marta Piecychna, Georgios Pantouris, Elias Lolis, Lin Leng, Jürgen Bernhagen, Günter Fingerle-Rowson, Richard Bucala

Pacific Faculty Work

Excessive inflammation drives the progression from sepsis to septic shock. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is of interest because MIF promoter polymorphisms predict mortality in different infections, and anti-MIF antibody improves survival in experimental models when administered 8 hours after infectious insult. The recent description of a second MIF superfamily member, D-dopachrome tautomerase (D-DT/MIF-2), prompted closer investigation of MIF-dependent responses. We subjected Mif^-/- and Mif-2^-/- mice to polymicrobial sepsis and observed a survival benefit with Mif but not Mif-2 deficiency. Survival was associated with reduced numbers of small peritoneal macrophages (SPMs) that, in contrast to large peritoneal macrophages …

Identification Of Disease-Linked Hyperactivating Mutations In Ube3a Through Large-Scale Functional Variant Analysis, Kellan P. Weston, Xiaoyi Gao, Jinghan Zhao, Kwang Soo Kim, Susan E. Maloney, Jill Gotoff, Sumit Parikh, Yen Chen Leu, Kuen Phon Wu, Marwan Shinawi, Joshua P. Steimel, Joseph S. Harrison, Jason J. Yi

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

The mechanisms that underlie the extensive phenotypic diversity in genetic disorders are poorly understood. Here, we develop a large-scale assay to characterize the functional valence (gain or loss-of-function) of missense variants identified in UBE3A, the gene whose loss-of-function causes the neurodevelopmental disorder Angelman syndrome. We identify numerous gain-of-function variants including a hyperactivating Q588E mutation that strikingly increases UBE3A activity above wild-type UBE3A levels. Mice carrying the Q588E mutation exhibit aberrant early-life motor and communication deficits, and individuals possessing hyperactivating UBE3A variants exhibit affected phenotypes that are distinguishable from Angelman syndrome. Additional structure-function analysis reveals that Q588 forms a regulatory site …

A Global Agenda For Advancing Freshwater Biodiversity Research, Alain Maasri, Sonja C. Jähnig, Hendrik Freitag, 93 Co-Authors

Biology Faculty Publications

Global freshwater biodiversity is declining dramatically, and meeting the challenges of this crisis requires bold goals and the mobilisation of substantial resources. While the reasons are varied, investments in both research and conservation of freshwater biodiversity lag far behind those in the terrestrial and marine realms. Inspired by a global consultation, we identify 15 pressing priority needs, grouped into five research areas, in an effort to support informed stewardship of freshwater biodiversity. The proposed agenda aims to advance freshwater biodiversity research globally as a critical step in improving coordinated actions towards its sustainable management and conservation.

Video Error Concealment Using Convolutional Neural Network, Shashi Khanal

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Missing information in the video frames is estimated as close as possible to the actual data during video error concealment process. Blocks or slices of information in the video frames can be missing in the decoder due to various reasons like corrupt media drives, network congestion, etc. which reduces the quality of experience for the viewers. One approach to deal with missing information in the video decoder is to use error concealment techniques to fill the missing information. Until now many of these error concealment techniques were based on conventional methods such as block copy, motion vector prediction, and interpolation. …

Human Behavior In Domestic Environments: Prediction And Applications, Sharare Zehtabian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

A longstanding goal of human behavior science is to model and predict how humans interact with each other or with other systems. Such models are beneficial and have many applications, including designing and implementing assistive technologies, improving users' experiences and quality of life and making better decisions to create public policies. Behavior is highly complex due to uncertainties and a lack of scientific tools to measure it. Hence prediction of human behavior cannot be 100% accurate. However, prediction is also not hopeless because the biological needs, as well as cultural conventions (for instance, regarding meal times) set the general patterns …

Efficient Data Structures For Text Processing Applications, Paniz Abedin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis is devoted to designing and analyzing efficient text indexing data structures and associated algorithms for processing text data. The general problem is to preprocess a given text or a collection of texts into a space-efficient index to quickly answer various queries on this data. Basic queries such as counting/reporting a given pattern's occurrences as substrings of the original text are useful in modeling critical bioinformatics applications. This line of research has witnessed many breakthroughs, such as the suffix trees, suffix arrays, FM-index, etc. In this work, we revisit the following problems: 1. The Heaviest Induced Ancestors problem 2. …

Six-Fold Increase Of Atmospheric Pco2 During The Permian–Triassic Mass Extinction, Yuyang Wu, Daoliang Chu, Jinnan Tong, Haijun Song, Jacopo Dal Corso, Paul B. Wignall, Huyue Song, Yong Du, Ying Cui

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The Permian–Triassic mass extinction was marked by a massive release of carbon into the ocean-atmosphere system, evidenced by a sharp negative carbon isotope excursion. Large carbon emissions would have increased atmospheric pCO2 and caused global warming. However, the magnitude of pCO2 changes during the PTME has not yet been estimated. Here, we present a continuous pCO2 record across the PTME reconstructed from high-resolution δ¹³C of C3 plants from southwestern China. We show that pCO2 increased from 426 +133/−96 ppmv in the latest Permian to 2507 +4764/−1193 ppmv at the PTME within about 75 kyr, and that the reconstructed …

Processing And Visualizing Satellite Data, Caleb Collier

Computer Science & Engineering Student Projects

Satellites are a useful way of gathering data at high altitudes. To be able to properly view the data, however, there are many important steps that one must take to ensure the data received is readable and usable. The data must be transmitted from the satellite to the ground, then must be decommuted and can then be used in various ways. This paper is an exploration of various ways of processing and visualizing data received from satellites, as well as various ways of using the data.

Iron Geochemistry Across An Estuary-To-Coastal Gradient, Lissett G. Diaz

Honors Theses

Iron is a ubiquitous earth element that participates in biogeochemical processes that occur in marine sediments. Microorganisms utilize iron for many purposes, including cell growth, conserving energy, and for maintaining metabolic activity. In coastal sedimentary settings, understanding the redox reactions involving ferric iron, Fe³⁺, and ferrous iron, Fe²⁺, in its solid phase and pore-water phases, respectively, enable an appreciation of biogeochemical transformations occurring in the coastal zone. In this study, iron concentrations in sediment of ranging permeability were determined at four stations marking an estuary-coast transition zone in Singleton Swash in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The …

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, December 2021, University Of Northern Iowa. Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter

Contents:

--- End of 2021 Director Address
--- Calendar
--- Welcome, Megan!
--- Saying Goodbye! : David Hindman - Elle Olthoff - Brandon Stenger
--- IGCB Awards New Gold-Level Breweries
--- 2022-2023 Recordkeeping Compliance Calendars for Dry Cleaners
--- 2022-2023 Compliance Calendar/Logbook for Bulk Gasoline Plants
--- Industry News

Notes From The Director, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Message From The Interim Vice President For Research, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Specific Splice Junction Detection In Single Cells With Sicilian, Roozbeh Dehghannasiri, Julia E. Olivieri, Ana Damljanovic, Julia Salzman

All Faculty Articles - School of Engineering and Computer Science

Precise splice junction calls are currently unavailable in scRNA-seq pipelines such as the 10x Chromium platform but are critical for understanding single-cell biology. Here, we introduce SICILIAN, a new method that assigns statistical confidence to splice junctions from a spliced aligner to improve precision. SICILIAN is a general method that can be applied to bulk or single-cell data, but has particular utility for single-cell analysis due to that data’s unique challenges and opportunities for discovery. SICILIAN’s precise splice detection achieves high accuracy on simulated data, improves concordance between matched single-cell and bulk datasets, and increases agreement between biological replicates. SICILIAN …

Changes In R, Tomas Kalibera, Sebastian Meyer, Kurt Hornik, Gennadiy Starostin, Luke Tierney

The R Journal

We present important changes in the development version of R (referred to as R-devel, to become R 4.2) and give a summary of the new search engine interfaced by RSiteSearch(). Some statistics on bug tracking activities in 2021 are also provided.