2923 research outputs found
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Matroids Stemming from the Maximal Relaxation of Graphic Matroids
Get PDFThis research explores the base perspective for maximal relaxation of graphic matroids. We begin by covering the required knowledge of graph theory and the basics of matroid theory required to conduct this research such as definitions of matroids up to the definitions of relaxation, hyperplanes, and uniform matroids. We then analyze the conjecture in matroids obtained from simple connected graphs
Injuries on Artificial Turf vs. Natural Grass in the NFL
Get PDFThe purpose of this research is to determine if artificial turf causes more injuries than natural grass. By referencing different statistics from a sample of games from the 2023 National Football League season. Out of the ten games sampled, five were played on natural grass and five were played on artificial turf. We ran the data collected from these games through two different regression analysis models that output p-values to show what truly caused the injuries. Our model uses a player’s position, height, weight, age, and snap counts along with the field surface type to see how if an injury occurs. With over 900 lines of data collected from only ten games, studying the entire season may give a different outlook
2-Accessibility of the Lucas Numbers/Fibonacci Like Sequences/Wythoff Array
Get PDFIn this project we will be delving into the combinatorics side of mathematics, with basic a graph theory idea such as set coloring. It will be a continuation of a question formed by the works of Bruce M. Landman, and Aaron Robertson, ”3-Accessibility of the Fibonacci Numbers.” They were able to prove the Fibonacci Numbers to be 2-Accessible, and while they did not supply the induction proof, we were able to construct and provide a proof. This project will use their lemmas and propositions to attempt to prove 2-Accessibility of the Lucas Numbers, Fibonacci-like sequences, and the Zeckendorf-Wythoff Array
An Exploration of the Sums of Two Squares and Pentagonal Numbers
Get PDFIn the field of number theory, square numbers are very significant, and finding the sums of square numbers is a topic of certain interest to mathematicians. The most immediate application for adding together two square numbers is to identify Pythagorean triples. However, apart from seeking sums of two squares that are squares themselves, interesting patterns emerge that have fascinated number theorists for decades. Particularly, the distribution of a number’s divisors can explicitly determine how many ways that number can be written as a sum of two squares. Furthermore, pentagonal numbers, similar to square numbers, can be visualized by drawing a pentagon with the same number of dots on each side. The purpose of this research is to explore how a theorem concerning the sums of two squares leads to a potential set of characteristics describing the pentagonal numbers
Does the ”Freshman 15” Exist?
Get PDFThis experiment was performed to determine whether the environmental changes of adapting from high school to college impact a student’s weight. Using a Google form, we collected data from 58 college students in two Psychology 102 classes, with ages ranging from seventeen to twenty-two. The students were asked a series of questions regarding their age and gender, as well as their eating, sleeping, and activity habit changes. Data was analyzed using hypothesis testing and a t-test
Comparison of Linear Control Techniques for the Underactuated Nonlinear Quadcopter System
Get PDFUncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are a prevalent technology in many fields. They must be lightweight, efficient, and stable in order to carry out their objectives or support a payload. The control system that maintains a UAV’s attitude directly contributes to the stability and efficiency of the UAV, and more efficient UAVs can be made more lightweight by reducing battery size. Because the UAV has only four degrees of control (one per motor) but requires twelve dimensions to describe its orientation and position over time, it is considered an under-actuated nonlinear complex system. In this study, we compare various linear control systems and implementations in a simulated environment with MATLAB to inform engineers of the relevant benefits and trade-offs of each approach. The control systems studied were the Proportional- Integral-Derivative controller (PID), the Linear Quadratic Gaussian controller (LQG), the Model-Predictive controller (MPC), and the Feedback Linearization Controller (FLC). The UAV kinematics were modeled in MATLAB. For each control algorithm, we bench-marked the code performance and ran the most intensive controllers at lower update frequencies to provide a fair comparison assuming comparable hardware. We primarily considered how long a controller took to initially reach its desired state (rise time), how much a controller overshot its target state (overshoot), and how long a controller took to stabilize at its target state (settling time)
Supervised Classification Modeling on Louisiana Medicaid Data: A Comparative Study
Get PDFThis thesis systematically optimizes and compares state-of-the-art supervised classification models for Louisiana Medicaid data targeting clinical services, COVID-19 infection, and tobacco use. These target variables are critically important as they represent key health outcomes and behaviors among Medicaid enrollees in Louisiana, a population often characterized by poverty and limited access to education. This study applies advanced machine learning techniques to identify the best model for multinomial and binary classification tasks. These include models such as Logistic Regression, XGBoost, AdaBoost, Random Forest, Decision Tree, Artificial Neural Networks, and Naïve Bayes. Extensive tuning of the hyperparameters and optimization of each classifier were utilized to achieve the best possible performance from the classifiers. The results indicate that, out of these models, XGBoost performed the best for accuracy, recall, and F1 score across all target variables; Random Forest performed strongly across the board but especially on binary classification tasks; the simpler Naïve Bayes models were poor while it had some utility in specific cases. It indicates that tree-based ensemble learners are a suitable approach for mixed and massive datasets. The findings underscore the importance of proper feature engineering, exploratory data analysis, the careful choice of hyperparameters, and how ensemble methods can robustly handle a variety of complex datasets. Beyond this, it also establishes the role of machine learning models in improving predictive analytics for better decision-making in healthcare, especially under Medicaid. The results from the study are another contribution to the ever-growing literature on healthcare analytics by discussing in detail machine learning models that are applied to a real-world, large healthcare dataset with organized preprocessing. The thesis would provide valuable experience for academic research and practical applications in health informatics, notably aimed at improving the health outcomes of vulnerable populations in Louisiana
Annual Report 2023
Get PDFAs you may already know, Dr. Hisham Hegab retired after serving a decade as Dean of the College of Engineering and Science. He was a tremendous leader throughout his time in the position and still is a true friend and mentor to me. I am grateful for what he has done and is still contributing to the betterment of the College. I will work to follow in his footsteps of steady leadership, and I appreciate Drs. Daniela Mainardi, Teresa Murray, and Mary Caldorera-Moore for serving as Interim Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Interim Academic Director of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering. and Interim Academic Director of Industrial Engineering and Instrumentation and Control Systems Engineering Technology, respectively.
The incoming Class of 2027 is the largest in College of Engineering and Science history, and the overall enrollment is within 100 students of a College record. I am delighted to share some of our other successes with you.
Our students are constantly engaged in innovative research guided by talented faculty. Graduate and undergraduate students alike are helping create the next generation of tools and techniques for safer cyberspace, more accurate medical diagnoses, increased engineering education engagement, and engineering and science solutions for many other fields. They also continue to bring the University international recognition by earning scholarships and winning competitions.
In this report, you\u27ll learn about doctoral student Sanjeev Billa, who is working with Dr. Prabhu Arumugam to develop enzyme coating for microelectrodes in neurotransmitters, and Hanna Elliot, a member of the first cohort SUCCESS Scholars - a $1.5 million program from the National Science Foundation lead by Dr. Krystal Cruse.
You\u27ll also learn about leadership roles that our students are taking in student organizations and as mentors. Graduate student Reed Edwards has taken a leadership role in the planning and fundraising efforts for our Steel Bridge Team, who will host the 2024 Student Steel Bridge Competition National Finals right here in Ruston. While he and team advisor Dr. John Matthews work on making sure that Ruston and Louisiana Tech are ready for the event, Steel Bridge captain and undergraduate Industrial Engineering student Kade Klink will prepare the team for the competition.
Students like Elizabeth Dieguez, Hylie Holloway, Allie Smith, and Ashton Ward have taken on mentorship and leadership duties for the newest class of students. Many of our students take on similar roles, and I hope that you\u27ll enjoy reading about this group of young engineers and the impact they are already having.
The success of our students is a collaborative effort, and I am thankful for all the hard work that our faculty and staff have put in to make Louisiana Tech the premiere institution for engineering and science education and impactful interdisciplinary research in the state.
We have many changes coming, and I hope you are as excited as we are about what 2024 holds for Louisiana Tech and the College of Engineering and Science. Thank you for being involved in the COES Community.
Collin Wick, Dean and CenturyLink Professor, College of Engineering and Sciencehttps://digitalcommons.latech.edu/coes-annual-reports/1011/thumbnail.jp
Exploring the Interactions of Copper High Aspect Ratio Structures (CuHARS), a Novel Metal-Organic Biohybrid Nanocomposite, with Chondrocytes
No full textOsteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disorder characterized by cartilage lesions and subchondral bone destruction (1). Addressing OA is challenging due to cartilage\u27s avascular and aneural nature, unique cellular arrangement, and dense extracellular matrix (ECM). Current pharmacological treatments are mainly symptomatic and are unable to halt disease progression or reverse cartilage damage . Surgical interventions also come with complications. Tissue-engineered grafts using biomaterials and molecular manipulation have emerged as potential treatments for cartilage regeneration. Copper-containing scaffolds have shown promise in bone and cartilage regeneration. Nanotechnology offers new avenues, with nanoparticles and nanofibers being used in tissue engineering research. However, raw nanomaterials can be toxic due to their small size and high surface area. In this study, a newly developed copper-containing nanocomposite known as Copper High Aspect Ratio Structures (CuHARS) is introduced, with a proposed hypothesis regarding its potential effects on chondrocyte proliferation and the synthesis of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Chondrocytes are the primary cells found in articular cartilage (AC), and their main role involves synthesizing the cartilage matrix, which consists of collagen type 2, proteoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Copper plays a critical role in the formation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), while cystine, a natural amino acid, is also inherent in the ECM. The study aims to evaluate CuHARS effects on chondrocytes in vitro, examining proliferation, cytotoxicity, morphological changes, and ECM synthesis. Additionally, the interaction between CuHARS and 3D cell spheroids is investigated, considering its application in tissue engineering scaffolds for cartilage regeneration. Our findings reveal that CuHARS degrade gradually over time, ensuring chondrocytes are not exposed to a sudden copper influx, minimizing toxicity risk. CuHARS-treated chondrocytes display sustained viability compared to copper nanoparticles (CuNPs). Transformed chondrocytes (3G cells) exhibit distinct morphology and prolonged survival, potentially attributed to mechanisms akin to natural selection and/or transdifferentiation. Transformed chondrocytes (3G cells) maintain pH stability and exhibit altered nuclear morphology. Moreover, CuHARS shows attachment to 3D spheroid structures, gradually breaking down without disintegrating the spheroids. These findings open new avenues for CuHARS application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, offering innovative solutions for OA treatment and cartilage regeneration
Deadwood Facilitates Increased Predators Resulting in Distinct and Functionally Different Leaf Litter Communities
Get PDFCommunity structure and ecosystem function may be driven by the amount and size of habitat or energy within an environment, but these metrics (space and energy) are difficult to separate, especially in systems where habitat is also a source of energy such as detritus (dead organic matter including deadwood). Deadwood can impact forest food webs through the creation of habitat and provision of resources and initial differences in wood characteristics may differentially impact food webs. Bark beetles attack and kill pine trees, inoculating them with bluestain fungi (Ascomycota: Ophiostomataceae). Bluestain fungi may increase termite presence in deadwood, and possibly in the surrounding leaf litter, potentially leading to increased abundances of leaf litter invertebrates over time. I tested the effect deadwood in general, and deadwood inoculated with bluestain fungi or H2O (controls) in particular, on leaf litter communities after one and seven years. Additionally, I tested whether fine woody debris affects leaf litter communities more as a source of space or energy. I found that the presence of deadwood led to distinct leaf litter communities compared to when no wood was present across both collection years. Additionally, I found that fine woody debris acted as both a source of space and energy. These results suggest that woody debris positively affects leaf litter communities; therefore, woody debris inputs are essential in maintaining forest litter decomposition and maintaining forest ecosystem function. Moreover, these results contribute to the mounting evidence that deadwood has important impacts on forest biodiversity