Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Rice Biomass Response To Various Phosphorus Fertilizers In A Phosphorus-Deficient Soil Under Simulated Furrow-Irrigation, Jonathan B. Brye

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Wastewater-recovered phosphorus (P), in the form of the mineral struvite (MgNH4PO4⋅6H2O), may provide a sustainable alternative to rapidly decreasing rock phosphate reserves. Struvite can be generated via chemical and/or electrochemical precipitation methods, potentially reducing the amount of P runoff to aquatic ecosystems. The objective of this greenhouse tub study was to evaluate the effects of chemically- and electrochemically precipitated struvite (CPST and ECST, respectively) on above- and belowground plant response in a hybrid rice cultivar (Gemini 214, RiceTec) grown using furrow-irrigation compared to other common fertilizer-P sources [i.e., triple super phosphate (TSP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP)] in a P-deficient silt …

Ghostparty Video Game, Tyler Remlinger Hart

Computer Science and Software Engineering

GhostParty is a Unity game that uses a MongoDB database to store players' gameplay values. These values are used to create "Ghosts" that players can compete with in various mini-games. I found that this form of multiplayer using ghosts can create a good gameplay experience without live multiplayer interactions.

Key Communication Technologies, Applications, Protocols And Future Guides For Iot-Assisted Smart Grid Systems: A Review, Md Ohirul Qays, Iftekhar Ahmad, Ahmed Abu-Siada, Md Liton Hossain, Farhana Yasmin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Towards addressing the concerns of conventional power systems including reliability and security, establishing modern Smart Grids (SGs) has been given much attention by the global electric utility applications during the last few years. One of the key advantageous of SGs is its ability for two-way communication and bi-directional power flow that facilitates the inclusion of distributed energy resources, real time monitoring and self-healing systems. As such, the SG employs a large number of digital devices that are installed at various locations to enrich the observability and controllability of the system. This calls for the necessity of employing Internet of Things …

Software Jimenae Allows Efficient Dynamic Simulations Of Boolean Networks, Centrality And System State Analysis, Martin Kaltdorf, Tim Breitenbach, Stefan Karl, Maximilian Fuchs, David Komla Kessie, Eric Psota, Martina Prelog, Edita Sarukhanyan, Regina Ebert, Franz Jakob, Gudrun Dandekar, Muhammad Naseem, Chunguang Liang, Thomas Dandekar

All Works

The signal modelling framework JimenaE simulates dynamically Boolean networks. In contrast to SQUAD, there is systematic and not just heuristic calculation of all system states. These specific features are not present in CellNetAnalyzer and BoolNet. JimenaE is an expert extension of Jimena, with new optimized code, network conversion into different formats, rapid convergence both for system state calculation as well as for all three network centralities. It allows higher accuracy in determining network states and allows to dissect networks and identification of network control type and amount for each protein with high accuracy. Biological examples demonstrate this: (i) High plasticity …

Stereochemical Engineering Yields A Multifunctional Peptide Macrocycle Inhibitor Of Akt2 By Fine-Tuning Macrocycle-Cell Membrane Interactions, Arundhati Nag, Amirhossein Mafi, Samir Das, Mary Beth Yu, Belen Alvarez-Villalonga, Soo-Kyung Kim, Yapeng Su, William A. Goddard, James R. Heath

Chemistry

Macrocycle peptides are promising constructs for imaging and inhibiting extracellular, and cell membrane proteins, but their use for targeting intracellular proteins is typically limited by poor cell penetration. We report the development of a cell-penetrant high-affinity peptide ligand targeted to the phosphorylated Ser474 epitope of the (active) Akt2 kinase. This peptide can function as an allosteric inhibitor, an immunoprecipitation reagent, and a live cell immunohistochemical staining reagent. Two cell penetrant stereoisomers were prepared and shown to exhibit similar target binding affinities and hydrophobic character but 2-3-fold different rates of cell penetration. Experimental and computational studies resolved that the ligands’ difference …

Predicting New Crescent Moon Visibility Applying Machine Learning Algorithms, Murad Al-Rajab, Samia Loucif, Yazan Al Risheh

All Works

The world's population is projected to grow 32% in the coming years, and the number of Muslims is expected to grow by 70%—from 1.8 billion in 2015 to about 3 billion in 2060. Hijri is the Islamic calendar, also known as the lunar Hijri calendar, which consists of 12 lunar months, and it is tied to the Moon phases where a new crescent Moon marks the beginning of each month. Muslims use the Hijri calendar to determine important dates and religious events such as Ramadan, Haj, Muharram, etc. Till today, there is no consensus on deciding on the beginning of …

Design And Synthesis Of N-Succinyl-L,L-2.6-Diaminopimelic Acid Desuccinylase Inhibitors As Potential Novel Antibiotics, Thomas Dipuma

Master's Theses

N-Succinyl-L,L-2,6-Diaminopimelic Acid Desuccinylase (DapE) is a bacterial enzyme located in the lysine biosynthetic pathway of all Gram-negative and most Gram-positive species of bacteria including the notorious ESKAPE pathogens, or pathogenic strains of bacteria that have developed significant levels of resistance to currently available antibiotics. As a means to combat this challenge of growing antimicrobial resistance, we have identified the bacterial enzyme DapE as a conserved, novel enzymate target within these resistant bacterial strains,as DapE is responsible for the production of m-DAP and lysine which are ultimately employed in bacterial cell wall synthesis. The overall aim of this research is to …

Math 115: College Algebra For Pre-Calculus, Seth Lehman

Open Educational Resources

OER course syllabus for Math 115, College Algebra, at Queens College

A Review On Antibacterial Activity Of Nanoparticles, Badr-Edine Sadoq, Mohammed Reda Britel, Adel Bouajaj, Ramzi Maâlej, Ahmed Touhami, Marwa Abid, Hanen Douiri, Fakhita Touhami, Amal Maurady

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

The increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotic agents is a main global public health problem. The use of nanoparticles is one of the promising ways to overcome microbial resistance to antimicrobial agents. Metal nanoparticles are increasingly used to target bacterial strains. Advances in nanotechnology, in particular the ability to synthesize nanoparticles of specific size and shape, are likely to lead to the development of new antibacterial agents. The antibacterial activities of nanoparticles are largely influenced by their sizes and large surface area/mass ratio. The antibacterial mechanisms of nanoparticles are poorly understood, but the currently accepted mechanisms include oxidative stress induction, …

On The Second Case Of Fermat's Last Theorem Over Cyclotomic Fields, Owen Sweeney

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

We obtain a new simpler sufficient condition for Kolyvagin's criteria, regarding the second case of Fermat's last theorem with prime exponent p over the p-th cyclotomic field, to hold. It covers cases when the existing simpler sufficient conditions do not hold and is important for the theoretical study of the criteria.

Stressor: An R Package For Benchmarking Machine Learning Models, Samuel A. Haycock

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many discipline specific researchers need a way to quickly compare the accuracy of their predictive models to other alternatives. However, many of these researchers are not experienced with multiple programming languages. Python has recently been the leader in machine learning functionality, which includes the PyCaret library that allows users to develop high-performing machine learning models with only a few lines of code. The goal of the stressor package is to help users of the R programming language access the advantages of PyCaret without having to learn Python. This allows the user to leverage R’s powerful data analysis workflows, while simultaneously …

Signatures Of Black Holes, Alexandra B. Chanson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this defense I will describes three approaches to learn more about the relationship between the dynamics of black-holes and the distinctive signatures of a black hole systems: infinitesimal changes in the black hole background producing field excitations relating new fundamental black hole thermodynamic relations, mechanisms powering relativistic black hole jets and spontaneous symmetry breaking in five space-time dimensions, and physical signatures of black hole event horizons as conformal field theory duals (in both d=4,5 dimensional axisymmetric spacetimes).

Outgassing Behavior And Heat Treatment Optimization Of Jsc-1a Lunar Regolith Simulant, Ryan P. Wilkerson, Mihail P. Petkov, Gerald E. Voecks, Catherine S. Lynch, Holly S. Shulman, Santhoshkumar Sundaramoorthy, Amitava Choudhury, Douglas L. Rickman, Michael R. Effinger

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

As NASA Strives towards a Long Duration Presence on the Moon, It Has Become Increasingly Important to Learn How to Better Utilize Resources from the Lunar Surface for Everything from Habitats, Vehicle Infrastructure, and Chemical Extraction. to that End, a Variety of Lunar Simulants Have Been Sourced from Terrestrially Available Volcanic Minerals and Glass as Apollo Regolith is Unavailable for Experimentation Needing Large Masses. However, While Mineralogy and Chemical Composition Can Approach that of Lunar Material in These Simulants, There Are Still Distinct Non-Lunar Phases Such as Hydrates, Carbonates, Sulfates, and Clays that Can Cause Simulants to Behave Distinctly Non-Lunar …

Computational Analysis Of Antibody Binding Mechanisms To The Omicron Rbd Of Sars-Cov-2 Spike Protein: Identification Of Epitopes And Hotspots For Developing Effective Therapeutic Strategies, Mohammed Alshahrani

Computational and Data Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

The advent of the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 has elicited apprehension regarding its potential influence on the effectiveness of current vaccines and antibody treatments. The present investigation involved the implementation of mutational scanning analyses to examine the impact of Omicron mutations on the binding affinity of four categories of antibodies that target the Omicron receptor binding domain (RBD) of the Spike protein. The study demonstrates that the Omicron variant harbors 23 unique mutations across the RBD regions I, II, III, and IV. Of these mutations, seven are shared between RBD regions I and II, while three are shared among RBD …

Using Natural Language Processing To Quantify The Efficacy Of Language Simplification As A Communication Strategy, Brian Nalley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations

People with communication disorders often experience difficulties being understood by unfamiliar listeners or in noisy environments. A common strategy for effectively communicating in these scenarios is to use simpler and more predictable language. Despite the prevalence of this strategy, there has been little to no research to date focused on the effectiveness of language simplification as a communication strategy. This study seeks to begin filling that gap by using natural language processing to determine whether speakers with early-stage Parkinson’s disease and age-matched neurotypical speakers are able to successfully simplify their language while still maintaining the original message.

Simplification was measured …

Spectral Broadening Effects On Pulsed-Source Digital Holography, Steven A. Owens, Mark F. Spencer, Glen P. Perram

Faculty Publications

Using a pulsed configuration, a digital-holographic system is setup in the off-axis image plane recording geometry, and spectral broadening via pseudo-random bit sequence is used to degrade the temporal coherence of the master-oscillator laser. The associated effects on the signal-to-noise ratio are then measured in terms of the ambiguity and coherence efficiencies. It is found that the ambiguity efficiency, which is a function of signal-reference pulse overlap, is not affected by the effects of spectral broadening. The coherence efficiency, on the other hand, is affected. As a result, the coherence efficiency, which is a function of effective fringe visibility, is …

Statistical Graph Quality Analysis Of Utah State University Master Of Science Thesis Reports, Ragan Astle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Graphical software packages have become increasingly popular in our modern world, but there are concerns within the statistical visualization field about the default settings provided by these packages, which can make it challenging to create good quality graphs that align with standard graph principles. In this thesis, we investigate whether the quality of graphs from Utah State University (USU) Plan A Master of Science (MS) thesis reports from the years 1930 to 2019 was affected by the rise of graphical software packages. We collected all data stored on the USU Digital Commons website since November 2021 to determine the specific …

The Investigation Of Singlet Fission From The Perspective Of Hierarchy Of Pure States (Hops), Tao (James) Chen

Chemistry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a preliminary investigation of singlet fission from the perspective of Hierarchy of pure states (HOPS), which provides a numerical exact solution for the investigation of a series of open quantum systems. Since the inception of the concept of singlet fission about half a century ago, this photo-physical process has attracted the attention of a multitude of researchers and has been extensively studied theoretically and experimentally. However, these previous methods for the investigation of singlet fission focus more or less on tackling the underlying mechanisms of singlet fission from the perspective of perturbation. So far, the HOPS method …

Annotation Of Non-Model Species’ Genomes, Taiya Jarva

Master's Theses

The innovations in high throughput sequencing technologies in recent decades has allowed unprecedented examination and characterization of the genetic make-up of both model and non-model species, which has led to a surge in the use of genomics in fields which were previously considered unfeasible. These advances have greatly expanded the realm of possibilities in the fields of ecology and conservation. It is now possible to the identification of large cohorts of genetic markers, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and larger structural variants, as well as signatures of selection and local adaptation. Markers can be used to identify species, define population …

Polygonal Faults In The Austin Chalk: Invariance Of Scale From Mud Cracks To Polygons With Implications Of Structural, Geomorphic And Isotopic Data On Polygonal Fault Geometry And Origin., Kun Shang

Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The Cretaceous Austin Chalk contains large numbers of fractures and normal faults whose orientations have been attributed to either regional stresses (e.g., the Balcones fault trend) or, by analogy with the mudrocks, to polygonal faulting resulting from compaction. In this study, we present geomorphic data, field study, and stable isotope data to support that the majority of these faults in North Texas are polygonal. Field-measured fault orientations suggest randomly distributed fault strikes, indicating a polygonal fault structure. Using geomorphologic data (topographic and DEM data) on stream orientations suggests that the polygonal fault patterns are best reflected in the headwater (1st …