GR-512 A FCFS Approach for Order of Operations in Arithmetic Formalism in Programming Languages

This paper provides the description of my research project on the computational power a programming language can have that uses an arthritic model that has a first come first serve approach to the order of operations. The goal of such analysis is to verify if such a method of computation can enclose all basic arithmetic and algebraic expressions, the answer to which will help disclose the computational limitations of certain programming language frameworks

GR-434 Phase Estimation’s Application in QRAM

The paper proposes a new novel way of creating QRAM through quantum phase estimation. This is done by mapping a monotonically increasing sequence of natural numbers to a binary series and, ultimately, to a characteristic constant η which is then encoded as a phase in a quantum state. This process leverages quantum phase estimation, a fundamental quantum algorithm for finding the eigenvalues of a unitary operator which can be used as a form of QRAM in either Quantum or Hybrid models of computin

UR-302 Using Quantum Computing to Determine the Optimal Path on Cascading Graphs

Quantum computing has completely changed the computing paradigm. These special computers leverage the unique properties of quantum mechanics to solve problems that a classical computer cannot solve in polynomial time. Quantum mechanics such as superposition and entanglement are used to boost computational power exponentially in many problems . Many traditionally NP-complete problems, such as breaking the encryption of public-private key systems, are solvable with quantum computing in polynomial time. In this project, we will review quantum computing basics using real quantum computers and build on those basics to solve a subset of a graph optimization problems using both existing and new methodologies. Our research focuses on a subset of graphs named “Cascading Graphs” and finding the “best” path based on a predetermined metric. To solve this problem, we plan to use a mixed approach for finding a mathematical algorithm and creating an implementation of the algorithm in a quantum computer. This mixed approach will be based on a cycle consisting of trying a find a mathematically rigorous proof and testing different cases to help build an understanding of the problem, which will then be verified using a quantitative approach

The Relationship of Structured Environments With Children’s Body Composition and Obesogenic Behaviors

Recent nationally representative data show among children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years, the prevalence of obesity is 17.0% (95CI= 15.5%-18.6%). Further, rates of obesity are disproportionately high among minoritized youth. The prevalence of children and adolescents with obesity is lower among White children compared to Black children (14.7% vs. 19.5%) or Hispanic children (14.7% vs. 21.9%). Disparities by socioeconomic status exist as well. Prevalence of children with obesity from households with an income that is \u3e350% of the federal poverty threshold (after accounting for household size) is significantly less compared to children from households with an income that is \u3c130% of the federal poverty threshold (10.9% vs 18.9%). Disparities exist by location as well. A recent systematic review concluded that children who reside in rural areas are 2.6 times more likely to have obesity when compared to their urban counterparts. Although children in rural areas have more obesity, this prevalence might differ based on the definition of rural used. Finally, evidence shows children gain 3-5 times the amount of weight and lose cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) during summer compared to the 9-months of the school year. Notably, this trend is more pronounced in children who are already overweight or obese going into summer and/or from low-income or minoritized households. To our knowledge, no studies have examined summer weight gain by location or rurality status (i.e., exurban vs urban). The purpose of study 1 was to examine accelerations in body composition (BMI, age-sex specific zBMI, and 95th percentile of BMI [%BMIp95] gain) during the summer months by school locality (i.e., urban, suburban, exurban). This study utilized the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011 (ECLS-K:2011), a complex multistage probability sample from the population of U.S. children who were enrolled to attend kindergarten in the fall of 2010. ECLS-K:2011 data were restricted to those participants with height and weight measured within specific time periods (August/September and April/May) to appropriately examine accelerations in body composition gain during the summer months and school year. A total of 1,549 children (48% female, 42% White) had at least two consecutive measures that occurred in August/September or April/May. Among all locale classifications (i.e., urban, suburban, and exurban), children from high income households comprised the largest proportions for each group (31%, 39%, and 37%) respectively. Among urban and suburban locations, Hispanic children comprised the largest proportions for both groups (43% and 44%) respectively. Among exurban locale classifications, the majority of children were white (60%). Children from suburban and exurban schools experienced significantly less accelerations in monthly zBMI gain compared to their urban counterparts -0.038 (95CI= -0.071, -0.004) and -0.045 (95CI= -0.083, -0.007) respectively. Children from exurban schools experienced significantly less acceleration in monthly %BMIp95 during the summer months when compared to the school year -0.004 (95CI= -0.007, 0.000). This is the first study to examine summer weight gain by school location. Summer appears to impact children more negatively from urban schools when compared to their suburban and exurban counterparts. The purpose of study 2 of this dissertation is to evaluate children’s proportion of days meeting behavior guidelines: moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) ≥60minutes/day, sleep (10-13 hours/night for 5 years, 9-12 hours/night for 6-12 years), and screen-time (\u3c2 hours/day) during the school year compared to summer vacation by race and free/reduced-priced lunch (FRPL) eligibility. Children (n=268, grades=K-4, 44.1%FRPL, 59.0% Black) attending three schools participated. Children’s activity, sleep, and screen-time were collected during an average of 23 school days and 16 days during summer vacation. During school, both children who were White and eligible for FRPL met activity, sleep, and screen-time guidelines on a greater proportion of days when compared to their Black and non-eligible counterparts. Significant differences in changes from school to summer in the proportion of days children met activity (-6.2%, 95CI=-10.1%,-2.3%; OR=0.7, 95CI=0.6, 0.9) and sleep (7.6%, 95CI=2.9%,12.4%; OR=2.1, 95CI=1.4, 3.0) guidelines between children who were Black and White were observed. Differences in changes in activity (-8.5%, 95CI=- 4.9%, -12.1%; OR=1.5, 95CI=1.3, 1.8) were observed between children eligible vs. ineligible for FRPL. Summer vacation may be an important time for targeting activity and screen-time of children who are Black and/or eligible for FRPL. This complete dissertation works to further the literature exploring childhood obesity, and its behavioral mechanisms that may help to curb prevalence rates that continue to be a public health concern. Obesity prevalence by location has been established in the literature. However, less is known regarding summer weight by school location. Further, I explore the behavioral mechanisms contributing to obesity by examining the proportion of days children meet behavior guidelines during summer vacation and the school year

Examining the Association of Second Grade Children\u27s Sleep and Screen Time Recommendations

Background: Adequate sleep is essential for various health outcomes (e.g., obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease). However, sleep time is threatened by the increased opportunities for unsupervised screen time available to children of all ages. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that elementary-aged children sleep between 9-12 hours per night. Further, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children\u27s recreational screen time be limited to less than two hours per day. Excess screen use can delay bedtime and lead to less restful sleep. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between adhering to screentime guidelines (/day) and the likelihood of meeting sleep guidelines (9-12 hours/day) in 2nd-grade children. Methods: This study utilized two waves (2015-2016 and 2019-2020) of 2nd graders\u27 parent-reported weighted survey data from the Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) cross-sectional survey. Results: The final analytic sample included (n=3,193) individuals (53% female, 62% Hispanic) across two years of data collection. 65% of parents/guardians reported their children met the sleep guidelines, while 33% of parents/guardians reported their children meeting the screentime guideline. After controlling for BMI, race/ethnicity, school disadvantage, education, sex, and year of collection, parents who reported their children met the screentime guideline had 1.53 greater odds of meeting sleep guidelines compared to children whose parent/guardians reported their children did not meet the screentime guidelines OR (1.53 95%CI = 1.18, 1.99). In stratified analyses, we found that the associations between meeting sleep and screen time guidelines were primarily true for White children. A higher proportion of white children were more likely to meet both sleep time and screen time recommendations compared to black and Hispanic children, while Black and Hispanic children were as likely to meet screen time guidelines as White children; both groups had significantly lower odds of meeting sleep guidelines compared to White children OR 0.32 (95%CI = 0.18, 0.58) and OR 0.49 (95%CI = 0.29, 0.83) respectively. Discussion: Children\u27s ability to meet the recommended sleep guidelines is associated with screentime guideline adherence. Further exploration is needed to understand racial/ethnic differences in guideline adherence for screentime and sleep. Interventions targeting sleep characteristics (e.g., duration, quality, and timing) should consider concomitantly targeting screentime adherence in elementary-aged children

Validity and Wearability of Consumer-based Fitness Trackers in Free-living Children

International Journal of Exercise Science 12(5): 471-482, 2019. Over the past decade wearable fitness trackers (WFTs) have grown in popularity with more recent versions able to capture the pulse rate noninvasively on the wrist of the wearer. Most of evidence on the validity of WFTs have explored adults in clinical settings. Thus, the purpose of this study is to 1) evaluate the validity of a wrist-placed WFT in determining heart rate, and 2) examine the wear compliance of a wrist-placed WFT, in children in free-living settings. In study 1, 19 children (5-12yrs) wore a Fitbit Charge HR© and a Polar chest strap heart rate (HR) monitor for 2 hours while performing sedentary-to-vigorous activities at a holiday camp in December 2016. In study 2, 20 children with mild developmental disabilities (8-13yrs) were asked to wear a Fitbit Alta HR© during summer 2017. In study 1, mean absolute percent difference between the WFT HR and criterion was 6.9%. Overall, \u3e75% of WFT HRs were within 5-10% of the criterion. Bland Altman plots indicated a moderate-to-high level of agreement between the WFT and criterion (mean difference 4.1%; Limits of Agreement 26.8, -18.5%). In study 2, participants had the device in their possession for 43 days (SD±14, range 14 – 56 days) and wore it on 67% of those days (range: 20 – 96%) for at least 10 hours/day. Preliminary evidence suggests that WFTs can provide comparable HR estimates to a criterion field-based measure and children can wear WFTs for extended monitoring periods in free-living settings

Concert recording 2019-04-09a

[Track 1]. Fanfare / James Barnes -- [Track 2]. Contrapunctus IX / J.S. Bach ; arranged by Michael Forbes -- [Track 3]. Celestial suite. I. Eclipse ; [Track 4]. II. Canzone lunaire. Pt. 1 ; [Track 5]. Pt. 2 ; [Track 6]. III. Solar plexus / Stephen Bulla -- [Track 7]. Misty Mountain / Howard ; arranged by Cody Hutchison -- [Track 8]. Passage to Bangkok / Rush ; arranged by Cody Hutchison -- [Track 9]. Power ; [Track 10]. Ballade / John Stevens -- [Track 11]. Cherokee / John Schooley -- [Track 12]. Go / Michael Forbes -- [Track 13]. Canzona Bergamasca / Samuel Scheidt ; arranged by Cody Hutchison -- [Track 14]. Shenandoah / traditional ; arranged by Erb. ; translated by Hutchison -- [Track 15]. War Machine / Anthony O\u27Toole

Search for the high-spin members of the α\alpha:2n:α\alpha band in 10^{10}Be

Method: Measuring excitation functions for $^{6}$He+$\alpha$ scattering, populating states in the excitation energy range from 4.5 MeV to 8 MeV in $^{10}$Be using a $^6$He rare-isotope beam and a thick helium gas target. Results: No new excited states in $^{10}$Be have been observed. Stringent limitation on the possible degree of $\alpha$-clustering of the hypothetical yrast 6$^+$ state has been obtained. Conclusions: The high-spin members of the $\alpha$:2n:$\alpha$ molecular-like rotational band configuration, that is considered to have a 0$^+$ bandhead at 6.18 MeV, either do not exist or have small overlap with the $^{6}$He(g.s.)+$\alpha$ channel

Implicit particle methods and their connection with variational data assimilation

The implicit particle filter is a sequential Monte Carlo method for data assimilation that guides the particles to the high-probability regions via a sequence of steps that includes minimizations. We present a new and more general derivation of this approach and extend the method to particle smoothing as well as to data assimilation for perfect models. We show that the minimizations required by implicit particle methods are similar to the ones one encounters in variational data assimilation and explore the connection of implicit particle methods with variational data assimilation. In particular, we argue that existing variational codes can be converted into implicit particle methods at a low cost, often yielding better estimates, that are also equipped with quantitative measures of the uncertainty. A detailed example is presented

Elementary Classroom Teachers’ Self-Reported Use of Movement Integration Products and Perceived Facilitators and Barriers Related to Product Use

Movement integration (MI) products are designed to provide children with physical activity during general education classroom time. The purpose of this study was to examine elementary classroom teachers’ self-reported use of MI products and subsequent perceptions of the facilitators of and barriers to MI product use. This study utilized a mixed-methods design. Elementary classroom teachers (n = 40) at four schools each tested four of six common MI products in their classroom for one week. Teachers completed a daily diary, documenting duration and frequency of product use. Following each product test, focus groups were conducted with teachers to assess facilitators and barriers. MI product use lasted for 11.2 (Standard Deviation (SD) = 7.5) min/occasion and MI products were used 4.1 (SD = 3.5) times/week on average. Activity Bursts in the Classroom for Fitness, GoNoodle, and Physical Activity Across the Curriculum were most frequently used. Facilitators of and barriers to MI product use were identified within three central areas—logistics, alignment with teaching goals, and student needs and interests. Teachers were receptive to MI products and used them frequently throughout the week. When considering the adoption of MI products, teachers, administrators, and policy makers should consider products that are readily usable, align with teaching goals, and are consistent with student needs and interests