Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Evaluating Hybrid Quantum-Classical Models For Image Classification In The Nisq Era, Utku Binkanat

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a systematic empirical evaluation of quantum machine learning performance under noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era constraints. Through 670 controlled experiments, it evaluated quantum kernel support vector machines and variational quantum classifiers against classical baselines on MNIST binary and multiclass classification tasks with systematic variation of problem difficulty, feature dimensionality (4, 8 qubits), and training set size (n ∈{100, 250, 400, 500, 2000, 4000}). Statistical rigor was ensured through five random seeds per condition and comprehensive significance testing. During the testing with binary datasets, classical methods (SVM, logistic regression, k-NN, neural networks) achieved 85.9% to 99.6% accuracy with …

A Critical Perspective On The Society Of Environmental Toxicology And Chemistry's Adherence To Founding Principles— Opportunities For The Future, Barnett A. Rattner, Annegaaike Leopold, Carys L. Mitchelmore, Glenn W. Suter, Mark S. Johnson, Adriana C. Bejarano, Lawrence A. Kapustka, Niranjana Krishnan, Derek C. G. Muir, Beatrice O. Opeolu, Martha Georgina Orozco-Medina, April Reed, Bruce W. Vigon, Adam R. Wronski

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) is a global organization whose mission is the advancement of environmental science and management through collaboration, leadership, communication and education. On SETAC's 45th anniversary, the following question was raised: Are the 1979 founding principles of SETAC, multidisciplinary approaches to solving environmental problems, multisector engagement and scientific objectivity, still useful, adequate and effective in fulfilling its mission? In a special session held at the 45th Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, a critical evaluation of the founding principles was initiated by reviewing SETAC's history and ongoing activities, and recommendations were made …

First-Job Contract Review Cheat Sheet, Johanna Jones-Morris, Ashlee Martellacci

Teaching and Learning Resources

This cheat sheet helps first-time employees understand what to review before signing an employment contract. It highlights job duties, compensation, scheduling, employment terms, benefits, restrictive clauses, worker classification, and common red flags so that individuals can ask informed questions and recognize potentially unfair or unclear terms.

Comparison Of Push-Pull Air Curtain To Overhead Downdraft Systems On Aerosol Containment And Distribution In Controlled Environments, Manal Mutairi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Comparison of Push-Pull Air Curtain to Overhead Downdraft Systems on Aerosol Containment and Distribution in Controlled Environments.

This dissertation looks at the ongoing issue of tiny airborne particles created during medical and dental procedures and evaluates ways to reduce the risk of exposure for healthcare workers and patients to these particles. The first study focuses on the size, how long particles stay in the air, and how far they travel from common medical procedures that create aerosols, showing that tiny particles (less than 5 µm) can stay in the air long enough to escape basic droplet controls. As a …

Timing, Spectral, And Single-Pulse Properties Of Radio Pulsars, Evan Francis Lewis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Radio pulsars are highly magnetized, rapidly rotating neutron stars which emit beams of radio waves from their magnetic poles. Their incredible rotational stability allows for their use in a variety of high-energy astrophysical studies, though the details of their internal structure and emission mechanisms are still unknown. We use observations of a cross-section of the pulsar population in order to investigate the nature of their evolution, their emission properties, and their environments.

First we derive timing solutions for three pulsars discovered through their sporadic single pulses. It was possible to obtain timing solutions through a set of single-pulse times of …

Preliminary Analysis Of Soil Volatile Organic Compounds As Soil Health Indicators, Thorne Taul

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over the past decade, soil health (SH) has gained popularity due to the novelty of sustainable soil use related to human wellbeing. Soil health describes the overall quality of soil and its capacity to function over time. As interest in SH grows, researchers continue to explore new soil health indicators that can improve knowledge on how soil health is assessed and managed. Some indicators directly reflect soil health status, and some indirectly relate to processes and functions occurring within the soil. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are naturally occurring compounds that play a role in multiple soil processes. They are associated …

Deposition And Diagenesis Of Permo-Triassic Gypsum From Wyoming And Texas: Saline Lake And Groundwater Systems Of Equatorial Pangea, Maya Yamei Bradford

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Knowledge of gypsum textures and the processes that yield them is important for interpreting the history of environments, climates, and life on Earth. This is because gypsum textures are products of specific environmental, microbiological, and diagenetic processes, and because gypsum is relatively common in the Earth’s sedimentary record. Despite this significance, gypsum is relatively understudied. The fundamental goal of this dissertation is to advance our understanding of gypsum textures by presenting detailed, petrography-based investigations of Permo-Triassic gypsum from the continental interior of Pangea.

Gypsum is typical in the Permo-Triassic sedimentary record of tropical Pangea, where it is associated with red …

High-Resolution Laser Diagnostics For Ion Measurements In Magnetized Plasmas, Katey Stevenson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this work, we investigate ion heating in two plasma systems (helicon plasmas and flux rope plasmas) using the PHAse Space MApping (PHASMA) experiment. Our studies rely on high-resolution laser diagnostics, specifically laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), to measure ion velocity distribution functions (IVDFs). The temperature and bulk flow of each species are inferred from their respective VDFs. This dissertation is organized into three main parts: the study of ion heating in helicon plasmas, pulsed LIF modeling and diagnostic development, and the study of ion heating in flux rope plasmas. Helicon plasma sources efficiently generate high-density plasmas and are widely used to …

Deep Learning-Based Co-Current Upward Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow Regime Identification In An Annular Conduit, Joshua Robert Macomber

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Flow regime identification in co-current upward gas-liquid flow through annular conduits remains a significant challenge in petroleum engineering, with major safety and operational implications. It is also important across industries involving the transport of multiphase fluids. Misidentifying flow regimes can introduce major operational risk, yet regime boundaries in annular gas-liquid flow are often visually complex and context dependent.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of convolutional neural network (CNN) classifiers for flow regime identification. The CNN was trained using annular flow image dataset published by Texas A&M University. The dataset consists of approximately 947 RGB images …

Studies On The Depth Formula And On Reducing Dimensions, Brian Mccourt Laverty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation presents the author’s recent research, conducted under the supervision of Professor Olgur Celikbas, and based on two articles—one published and one in progress. These works develop two closely related research directions in commutative algebra. Together, they contribute to the subject by addressing aspects of existing conjectures, establishing new results, and introducing methods for studying homological invariants.

The first research direction concerns the depth formula, namely the equality \[ \depth_R(M)+\depth_R(N)=\depth(R)+\depth_R(M\otimes_RN) \] where $M$ and $N$ are finitely generated $R$-modules. A classical result of Auslander \cite{Aus} shows that the depth formula holds provided that either $M$ or $N$ has finite …

Global Weak Solutions Of Optical Variational Wave System, Shahrazad Hamed Alnafie

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

                                                       ABSTRACT

                   Global Weak Solutions of Optical Variational Wave System

                                        Shahrazad Hamed Mahal Alnafie

The coupling of a variational wave equation with Maxwell’s equations gives rise to the optical variational wave system, a hyperbolic PDE system that models the director field of the nematic liquid crystals. This system presents unique analytical challenges that have not been addressed in the existing literature. In this dissertation, we study the one-dimensional case of this system.

We establish the global existence of conservative weak solutions to the associated Cauchy problem. The hyperbolic system is derived using the energy variational method. Through a sequence of suitable …

Permafrost Microtopography And Active Layer Hydrology In The Western Canadian Arctic, Tobias L. Leonhard

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The growing interest in Arctic regions will likely increase the use of nuclear energy in the Arctic. While this energy source has a high potential to improve economic opportunities in the Arctic, it also increases the release of radioactive material (radionuclides). Radionuclides are already found in the Arctic and are traced back to natural as well as anthropogenic sources. Water is one of the dominant transport vectors for solutes such as radionuclides or other contaminants. Therefore, improving our understanding of Arctic hydrology is important for assessing future environmental risks such as the release of radionuclides. Topographic and microtopographic features are …

Critical Success Factors For An Effective Security Risk Management Program: An Exploratory Case Study, Jason A. Williams, Humayun Zafar, Saurabh Gupta

Faculty Articles

This paper evaluates the perceived effectiveness of the security risk management (SRM) programs at a Fortune 500 firm. Layers of management and staff participated in the study. Perceived effectiveness of their SRM programs was based on nine critical success factors (CSFs). Interviews confirmed six initial CSFs (Executive Management Support, Organizational Maturity, Open Communication, Risk Management Stakeholders, Team Member Empowerment, and Holistic View of an Organization) that were extracted from the literature. They were confirmed and synthesized with three additional CSFs (Security Maintenance, Corporate Security Strategy, and Human Resource Development). Implications for SRM are discussed.

Operationalizing Cyber-Routine Activities Theory For Senior Cybercrime Prevention: An Evaluation Of The Shield Training-The-Trainer Program, Kyung-Shick Choi, Insun Park, Mijin Kim, Ji Yae Bong

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Older adults face growing risks of cyber-enabled fraud, yet scalable, evidence-based prevention programs remain limited. Guided by Cyber-Routine Activities Theory (Cyber-RAT), this study evaluates the pilot implementation of the Seniors Harnessing Internet Education for Lasting Defense (SHIELD) Training-the-Trainer program, designed to prepare law enforcement officers and community leaders to deliver cybercrime prevention education to older adults. A key innovation of SHIELD is its integration of interactive game-based simulations, which allow participants to practice verification, refusal, and reporting behaviors in realistic cybercrime scenarios. Following the December 2025 pilot session in Boston, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants from law enforcement, …

From Authorization To Loss: A Blockchain Forensic Analysis Of Transaction-Level Mechanisms In Cryptocurrency Airdrop Scams, Chanwoo Shin, Kyung-Shick Choi

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Cryptocurrency airdrop scams have emerged as a rapidly growing form of cyber-enabled financial crime, yet remain underexplored in empirical research. This study examines how transaction-level mechanisms and offender strategies influence variation in monetary loss in airdrop scam incidents. Grounded in Cyber-Routine Activities Theory (Cyber-RAT), the study conceptualizes financial harm as occurring within decentralized environments where users’ online behaviors, particularly transaction authorization, intersect with limited digital capable guardianship. Data were drawn from 112 validated airdrop scam cases reported on Chainabuse.com between January and December 2025. Blockchain forensic analysis using Breadcrumbs was conducted to reconstruct transaction pathways, identify exchange interactions, and detect …

Black Hole Spectroscopy And Tests Of General Relativity With Gw250114, Jaclyn (Jax) Sanders

Physics Faculty Research and Publications

The binary black hole signal GW250114, the loudest gravitational wave detected to date, offers a unique opportunity to test Einstein’s general relativity (GR) in the high-velocity, strong-gravity regime and probe whether the remnant conforms to the Kerr metric. Upon perturbation, black holes emit a spectrum of damped sinusoids with specific, complex frequencies. Our analysis of the postmerger signal shows that at least two quasinormal modes are required to explain the data, with the most damped remaining statistically significant for about one cycle. We probe the remnant’s Kerr nature by constraining the spectroscopic pattern of the dominant quadrupolar (ℓ=m=2) …

Categories, Homology And Sheaves For Hypergraphs, Robert Green

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Hypergraphs are a prominent tool for representing networks with connections among three or more entities. There is an inherent flexibility that allows hypergraphs to more naturally represent certain types of networks than graphs or simplicial complexes can on their own. This flexibility, however, comes at a cost, as there is a zoo of various categories and homology theories that are applicable to hypergraphs. The first chapter of this dissertation explores various categorical perspectives on hypergraphs, focusing on what the natural notion of morphism between hypergraphs should be. It also contains an exploration of the functoriality of vertex-edge duality in these …

The Maxima Method For Identification Of Principal Periodic Components In Time Series Analysis, Megan Di Maio

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation investigates methods for mean estimation in periodically correlated time series, focusing on the Variable Bandpass Periodic Block Bootstrap (VBPBB) and a novel data-driven maxima method. Time series require specific methods because of the temporal correlation in the data. Traditional methods like the General Seasonal Block Bootstrap (GSBB) account for this correlation but often produce wide confidence intervals because they cannot isolate multiple periodicities, allowing noise and other frequencies to interfere with analysis. The VBPBB method addresses this by applying a Kolmogorov-Zurbenko Fourier Transform (KZFT) filter to the data before bootstrapping, which suppresses interfering frequencies and results in narrower, …

Computational Insights Into Orthotropic Fracture: Crack-Tip Fields In Strain-Limiting Materials Under Non-Uniform Loads, Saugata Ghosh, Dambaru Bhatta, S. M. Mallikarjunaiah

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

A finite element framework is presented for analyzing crack-tip phenomena in transversely isotropic, strain-limiting elastic materials. Mechanical response is characterized by an algebraically nonlinear constitutive model, relating stress to linearized strain. Non-physical strain singularities at the crack apex are mitigated, ensuring bounded strain magnitudes. This methodology significantly advances boundary value problem (BVP) formulation, especially for first-order approximate theories. For a transversely isotropic elastic solid with a crack, the governing equilibrium equation, derived from linear momentum balance and the nonlinear constitutive model, is reduced to a second-order, vector-valued, quasi-linear elliptic BVP. This BVP is solved using a robust numerical scheme combining …

Strong Q-Analogues For Values Of The Dirichlet Beta Function, Ankush Goswami, Tim Huber

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

An infinite class of relations between modular forms is constructed that generalizes evaluations of the Dirichlet beta function at odd positive integers. The work is motivated by a base case appearing in Ramanujan’s Notebooks and a parallel construction for the Riemann zeta function. The identities are shown to be strong q-analogues by virtue of their reduction to the classical beta evaluations as 𝑞→1− and explicit evaluations at CM points for |𝑞|< 1. We also determine asymptotic formulas for the Fourier coefficients of the associated modular forms.

Analyzing Rydberg Atoms Of Rubidium At Room Temperature: Applying Electromagnetically Induced Transparency, Bridger Stiles

Honors Theses

This thesis describes an experimental exploration of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in atoms of 85Rb using a new MOGLabs external cavity diode laser. A two-step ladder technique of EIT was applied using a 5S_1/2→5P_3/2 probe transition and 5P_3/2→nD_5/2 coupling transitions. Significant apparatus tuning was done, including developing a reliable procedure of regulating frequency and scanning the coupling laser over a sufficient mode-hop free range. A Doppler-reduced technique was applied by counter-propagating the probe and coupling beams through the Rb vapor cell. EIT signals were collected at various probe and coupling laser powers to analyze changes in signal size and linewidth. …

Measuring The Efficiency Of The Arts And Culture Sector Relative To Gdp: A State-Level Analysis Of The United States, Ameerkhan Jaffar Khan Khader Khan

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

Arts and cultural production contributed $1.17 trillion to United States gross domestic product in 2023, 4.2% of the national total, but that contribution is spread very unevenly across states, and the official statistics describe how large the sector is rather than how efficiently it operates (Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024). This study asks how efficiently each state convert growth in arts and culture employment into growth in value added, how many inputs the efficiency model can carry before it stops distinguishing 51 observations, and whether observable state characteristics explain the differences found. The analysis uses 2023 state-level data for all …

Asymptotics Of Discrete Convolution Powers And Applications To Difference Schemes, Pedro Henrique Alves Silva Dos Santos

Honors Theses

In this thesis we provide Gaussian Estimates and Local Limit Theorems describing the asymptotic behavior of convolution powers of a class of complex-valued functions on $\mathbb{Z}^d$. Convolution powers arise naturally in the study of partial differential equations, as well as in random walks in probability theory. In particular, they are connected to the stability theory of difference schemes used to approximate solutions to partial differential equations. We take inspiration from the work of Vidar Thomée on stability theory to restrict our attention to convolution powers of functions whose Fourier Transforms satisfy certain local expansions. We then combine the Cauchy Integral …

Three-Photon Rydberg Eit Lineshape Analysis In Rubidium, Jackson Lake

Honors Theses

Electromagnetically Induced Transparency detection of high-lying Rydberg states in room-temperature rubidium vapor was investigated using a four state ladder-type excitation scheme with light provided by three External Cavity Diode Lasers (ECDLs) at 780 nm, 776 nm, and 1266 nm. This detection technique was studied by characterizing the lineshape parameters of the EIT transmission peak, specifically the height, width and area of the transparency window as functions of the dressing and coupling laser powers. With the goal of characterizing the linewidth of the transmission signal, a confocal etalon was built and implemented in the optical setup to perform frequency calibration of …

Enumerating Matrices Of A Given Order Over Finite Fields, Thor Richard Gabrielsen

Honors Theses

This thesis derives a generating function that describes the matrices of a given multiplicative order over finite fields of a given order assuming that the order of a field is not a divisor of the desired order of the matrix. This is done by using the power series known as the cycle index derived from the rational canonical form. This index can be factored, and using the fact that the minimal polynomial divides some polynomial of the form x^k − 1 we can show that the minimal polynomial is squarefree. This sufficiently restricts the form of the rational canonical form …

Study Of Fire Regimes In Southwestern Australia Using Geospatial Techniques, Ana Do Carmo Carvalho

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Northern Jarrah Forest in Southwestern Australia (SWA), part of a global biodiversity hotspot, is home to fire-sensitive tree species such as marri (Corymbia calophylla) and jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata). As climate change intensifies drought and extreme fire events, understanding the drivers of fire severity is increasingly critical. This thesis analyses fire regimes within the Mundaring drinking water catchment to better understand the spatiotemporal complexity of fire severity in relation to fire history and environmental factors.

The thesis commences with a review of three Fire History Databases (FHDs) used in SWA, highlighting significant inconsistencies and data gaps across time and space. …

The Soft Target Curriculum: Using Nigeria's 2026 Cascading Breaches To Teach Foundational Cybersecurity Failures, Chinedum Amaechi, Doris Asogwa, Samuel Alade

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

SourceURL:file:///home/amaechi/Documents/ *Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice (JCERP)*. **Title:** The Soft Target Curriculum: Using Nigeria's 2026 Cascading Breaches to Teach Foundational Cybersecurity Failures.docx

Background: Between March and April 2026, a single threat actor allegedly compromised four Nigerian institutions across banking, payment infrastructure, government registry, and power distribution sectors. The breaches exposed millions of records and disrupted critical services, yet all four exploited elementary vulnerabilities taught in introductory cybersecurity courses. Objective: This pedagogical case study analyzes the four breaches as a unified phenomenon of "normalized negligence" and provides ready-to-use teaching materials for cybersecurity educators. Methods: Using open-source intelligence analysis of …

Agrivoltaics Swot Analysis For Implementation In The United States, Vani Ramesh

Undergraduate Research Posters

Agrivoltaics is the implementation of solar installations alongside agricultural land in order to improve the efficiency of land usage in both industries. Research in European and Asian countries developing agriculture and solar developments in tandem has indicated that implementation in the United States, including Virginia, is feasible and beneficial. The US has the highest energy use per capita in the world, with the increase of various technologies has resulted in land developments using higher energy levels than previously. While Virginia’s energy demand has increased with the addition of data centers. Increased energy demand and food security requirements have unearthed policy/political …

A Sustainable & Universal Redesign Of Hickory Hill Park In Richmond, Virginia, Ren Hollis, Cynthia Lin, Kira Miller, Jackson Nivera, Patrick O’Shea, Corinne Tsou, Hayston Wines

Undergraduate Research Posters

Urban green spaces provide essential environmental, psychological, and physical benefits, yet access to these resources is often inequitable. Cities are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, highlighting the need for adaptive design. This study focuses on the redesign of Hickory Hill Park in Southside Richmond, selected through a combination of site suitability analysis and qualitative survey. The guiding research question is: How can a park in Richmond be designed to optimize environmental resilience, accessibility, and community benefits?

The selection of a research location and scope used a mixed-methods approach integrating spatial analysis, environmental assessment, and community engagement. A site suitability analysis …

Design, Syntheses And Biological Applications Of Fluorescent Probes For Nad(P)H, Hsa And Cellular Microenvironment Sensing, Adenike M. Olowolagba

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Fluorescent probes have emerged as powerful tools for investigating complex biological processes due to their high sensitivity, selectivity, and capability for real-time, non-invasive imaging. In particular, the detection of key biomolecules such as NAD(P)H, viscosity-related parameters, human serum albumin (HSA), and pH is essential for understanding cellular metabolism, redox homeostasis, and disease progression. In Chapter 2, three coumarin-based fluorescent probes (A–C) were designed, synthesized, and characterized for monitoring NAD(P)H levels in living cells. Probes A and B feature coumarin–cyanine hybrid structures linked via vinyl and thiophene bridges to 3-quinolinium acceptors, respectively, while probe C incorporates a dicyano moiety to replace …