Digital Commons Network^™

Adaptive Data Migration In Load-Imbalanced Hpc Applications, Parsa Amini

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Distributed parallel applications need to maximize and maintain computer resource utilization and be portable across different machines. Balanced execution of some applications requires more effort than others because their data distribution changes over time. Data re-distribution at runtime requires elaborate schemes that are expensive and may benefit particular applications.

This dissertation discusses a solution for HPX applications to monitor application execution with APEX and use AGAS migration to adaptively redistribute data and load balance applications at runtime to improve application performance and scaling behavior. This dissertation provides evidence for the practicality of using the Active Global Address Space as is …

Using Spatial Analysis And Machine Learning Techniques To Develop A Comprehensive Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Consolidation Model, Samira Soleimani

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The safety of highway-railroad grade crossings (HRGC) is still an issue in the United States of America (USA). The grade crossing is where a railroad crosses a road at the same level without any over or underpass. To improve the safety of crossings, the crossings’ condition should be explored from several aspects such as engineering design (speed limit, warning signs, etc.), road condition (number of lanes, surface markings, etc.), rail design (the type of track, ballast, etc.), temporal variables (weather, visibility, time of day, lightning, etc.), social variables (population, race, etc.), and last but not least, spatial variables (the type …

The Hellan-Herrmann-Johnson Method With Curved Elements, Douglas N. Arnold, Shawn W. Walker

Faculty Publications

We study the finite element approximation of the Kirchhoff plate equation on domains with curved boundaries using the Hellan-Herrmann-Johnson (HHJ) method. We prove optimal convergence on domains with piecewise C^k+1 boundary for k ≥ 1 when using a parametric (curved) HHJ space. Computational results are given that demonstrate optimal convergence and how convergence degrades when curved triangles of insufficient polynomial degree are used. Moreover, we show that the lowest order HHJ method on a polygonal approximation of the disk does not succumb to the classic Babuška paradox, highlighting the geometrically nonconforming aspect of the HHJ method.

The Life History And Population Dynamics Of Southern Flounder, Kenneth A. Erickson

LSU Master's Theses

Southern Flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma, are a coastal, estuarine-dependent flatfish species that inhabits the Southeastern US Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Throughout their range, Southern Flounder are exploited by both commercial and recreational fisheries. Recently, numerous sources have expressed concerns about Southern Flounder populations, with stock assessments indicating declines in spawning stock biomass and recruitment. To estimate life history traits needed for informed management, such as age, growth, and maturity, I collected 327 Southern Flounder from Louisiana and obtained 14,184 historical records from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Using a von Bertalanffy growth equation in a Bayesian …

Shelf-Stable Sustainable Shrimp Thermally Processed With Reciprocal Agitation, William R. Dixon, Evelyn G. Watts, John A. King, Xing Fu, Louise Wicker

Faculty Publications

Shelf-stable, ready-to-eat shrimp offer a convenient, portion-controlled option for a highly desirable seafood commodity. The perishability of shrimp requires tight cold-temperature control during distribution and handling. Thermal processing of shrimp was evaluated in a multimode retort with automated control of come-up, heat, and cool times and with addition of high-speed reciprocal agitation. Reciprocal agitation was compared with static retort for thermal process and quality parameters, including cook time, process time to achieve target lethality (F0), cook yield, texture, and appearance of shelf-stable shrimp. Total retort thermal processing times decreased from 30 min at 0 shakes per minute (SPM) to 17.1 …

A Reinforcement Learning Control Approach For Underwater Manipulation Under Position And Torque Constraints, Ignacio Carlucho, Mariano De Paula, Corina Barbalata, Gerardo G. Acosta

Faculty Publications

In marine operations underwater manipulators play a primordial role. However, due to uncertainties in the dynamic model and disturbances caused by the environment, low-level control methods require great capabilities to adapt to change. Furthermore, under position and torque constraints the requirements for the control system are greatly increased. Reinforcement learning is a data driven control technique that can learn complex control policies without the need of a model. The learning capabilities of these type of agents allow for great adaptability to changes in the operative conditions. In this article we present a novel reinforcement learning low-level controller for the position …

Preface For Article Collection "Evolution And Variability Of Asian Monsoon And Its Linkage With Cenozoic Global Cooling", Ryuji Tada, Christian Betzler, Peter D. Clift

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A One Dimensional Elliptic Distributed Optimal Control Problem With Pointwise Derivative Constraints, Susanne C. Brenner, Li Yeng Sung, Winnifried Wollner

Faculty Publications

We consider a one dimensional elliptic distributed optimal control problem with pointwise constraints on the derivative of the state. By exploiting the variational inequality satisfied by the derivative of the optimal state, we obtain higher regularity for the optimal state under appropriate assumptions on the data. We also solve the optimal control problem as a fourth order variational inequality by a C finite element method, and present the error analysis together with numerical results. 1

Ideas And Perspectives: The Same Carbon Behaves Like Different Elements - An Insight Into Position-Specific Isotope Distributions, Yuyang He, Xiaobin Cao, Huiming Bao

Faculty Publications

It is expected that information on the source, reaction pathway, and reaction kinetics of an organic compound can be obtained from its position-specific isotope compositions or intramolecular isotope distribution (Intra-ID). To retrieve the information, we could use its predicted equilibrium Intra-ID as a reference for understanding the observed Intra-IDs. Historically, observed, apparently close-to-equilibrium carbon Intra-ID has prompted an open debate on the nature of biosystems and specifically the pervasiveness of reversible biochemical reactions. Much of the debate remains unresolved, and the discussion has not clearly distinguished between two states of equilibrium: (1) the equilibrium among the corresponding bond-breaking and bond-forming …

The Dynamic Trophic Niche Of An Island Bird Of Prey, Ulises Balza, Nicolas A. Lois, Michael J. Polito, Klemens Puetz, Amira Saalom, Andrea Raya Rey

Faculty Publications

Optimal foraging theory predicts an inverse relationship between the availability of preferred prey and niche width in animals. Moreover, when individuals within a population have identical prey preferences and preferred prey is scarce, a nested pattern of trophic niche is expected if opportunistic and selective individuals can be identified. Here, we examined intraspecific variation in the trophic niche of a resident population of striated caracara (Phalcoboenus australis) on Isla de los Estados (Staten Island), Argentina, using pellet and stable isotope analyses. While this raptor specializes on seabird prey, we assessed this population's potential to forage on terrestrial prey, especially invasive …

Fish Assemblages Associated With Artificial Reefs Assessed Using Multiple Gear Types In The Northwest Gulf Of Mexico, Jeffrey D. Plumlee, Kaylan M. Dance, Michael A. Dance, Hay R. Rooker, Thomas C. Tinhan, J. Brooke Shipley, R. J. David Wells

Faculty Publications

Quantitative surveys of fishes associated with artificial reefs in the northwest Gulf of Mexico were conducted over a 4-yr period (2014-2017). Artificial reefs surveyed were comprised of three types: concrete structures, rig jackets, and decommissioned ships. All reefs were surveyed using vertical long line ( VLL), fish traps, and Adaptive Resolution Imaging Sonar (ARIS 1800). Mean fish abundance did not significantly differ using VLL [1.7 ind set(-1) (SD 2.2)] among the three reef types. However, relative abundance among all fishes collected was significantly highest on rig reefs using traps [6.2 ind soak(-1) (SD 3.8)], while results from sonar surveys indicated …

Tidal And Storm Impacts On Hydrodynamics And Sediment Dynamics In An Energetic Ebb Tidal Delta, Kehui Xu, P. Ansley Wren, Yanxia Ma

Faculty Publications

Bottom-mounted instrumentation was deployed at two sites on a large sandy shoal of an ebb tidal delta offshore of the Port Royal Sound of South Carolina of USA to collect hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics data. One site ("borrow site") was 2 km offshore in a dredge pit for nearby beach nourishment and the other site ("reference site") was 10 km offshore. In situ time-series data were collected during two periods after the dredging: 15 March-12 June (spring) and 18 August-18 November (fall) of 2012. Data at the reference site indicated active migrating bedforms from centimeters to decimeters tall, and sediment …

Analysis Of The Causes Of Workforce Shortages: Create Guidelines For Education And Workforce Development In Transportation To Generate Future Careers For The Navajo Nation, Gholam Ehteshami

Data

Activities were dedicated to the collections, summarizations and categorizing more research articles related to the analysis of the sources of workforce deficiencies. The focus was on the technical and educational solution methods and strategies, guideline relevant to the workforce development. The times also were committed to the development of educational modules related to carrier’s opportunities in the transport industry into a couple of courses. Several NTU STEM students were interviewed, selected and introduced for the summer research internships in transportation areas to LSU Tran SET center. Outreach activities conducted with the community and some of the high school professionals related …

All-Atomic Molecular Dynamic Studies Of Human And Drosophila Cdk8: Insights Into Their Kinase Domains, The Lxxll Motifs, And Drug Binding Site, Wu Xu, Xiao-Jun Xie, Ali K. Faust, Mengmeng Liu, Xiao Li, Feng Chen, Ashlin A. Naquin, Avery C. Walton, Peter W. Kishbaugh, Jun-Yuan Ji

Faculty Publications

Cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) and its regulatory partner Cyclin C (CycC) play conserved roles in modulating RNA polymerase II (Pol II)-dependent gene expression. To understand the structure and function relations of CDK8, we analyzed the structures of human and Drosophila CDK8 proteins using molecular dynamics simulations, combined with functional analyses in Drosophila. Specifically, we evaluated the structural differences between hCDK8 and dCDK8 to predict the effects of the LXXLL motif mutation (AQKAA), the P154L mutations, and drug binding on local structures of the CDK8 proteins. First, we have observed that both the LXXLL motif and the kinase activity of CDK8 …

Lsu Research Fall 2020, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College

Research Magazine

LSU Research is published annually by the Office of Research & Economic Development, Louisiana State University.

Analysis Of The Causes Of Workforce Shortages: Create Guidelines For Education And Workforce Development In Transportation To Generate Future Careers For The Navajo Nation, Gholam Ehteshami

Publications

Activities were dedicated to the collections, summarizations and categorizing more research articles related to the analysis of the sources of workforce deficiencies. The focus was on the technical and educational solution methods and strategies, guideline relevant to the workforce development. The times also were committed to the development of educational modules related to carrier’s opportunities in the transport industry into a couple of courses. Several NTU STEM students were interviewed, selected and introduced for the summer research internships in transportation areas to LSU Tran SET center. Outreach activities conducted with the community and some of the high school professionals related …

A Predictive Analytics Approach To Building A Decision Support System For Improving Graduation Rates At A Four-Year College, Xuan Wang, Helmut Schneider, Kenneth R. Walsh

Faculty Publications

Although graduation rates have interested stakeholders, educational researchers, and policymakers for some time, little progress has been made on the overall graduation rate at four-year state colleges. Even though selective admission based on academic indicators such as high school GPA and ACT/ SAT have widely been used in the USA for years, and recent statistics show that less than 40% of students graduate from four-year state colleges in four years in the US. The authors propose using an ensemble of analytic models that considers cost as a better form of analysis that can be used as input to decision support …

Third-Variable Effect Analysis With Multilevel Additive Models, Qingzhao Yu, Bin Li

Faculty Publications

Third-variable effect refers to the effect transmitted by third-variables that intervene in the relationship between an exposure and a response variable. Third-variable effect analysis has been broadly studied in many fields. However, it remains a challenge for researchers to differentiate indirect effect of individual factor from multiple third-variables, especially when the involving variables are of hierarchical structure. Yu et al. (2014) defined third-variable effects that were consistent for all different types of response (categorical or continuous), exposure, or third-variables. With these definitions, multiple third-variables can be considered simultaneously, and the indirect effects carried by individual third-variables can be separated from …

Environmentally Clean Access To Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments, Alexander B. Michaud, Trista (Vick-Majors, Amanda M. Achberger, Mark L. Skidmore, Brent C. Christner, Martyn Tranter, John C. Priscu

Faculty Publications

Subglacial Antarctic aquatic environments are important targets for scientific exploration due to the unique ecosystems they support and their sediments containing palaeoenvironmental records. Directly accessing these environments while preventing forward contamination and demonstrating that it has not been introduced is logistically challenging. The Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (WISSARD) project designed, tested and implemented a microbiologically and chemically clean method of hot-water drilling that was subsequently used to access subglacial aquatic environments. We report microbiological and biogeochemical data collected from the drilling system and underlying water columns during sub-ice explorations beneath the McMurdo and Ross ice shelves and …

A General Superapproximation Result, Susanne C. Brenner

Faculty Publications

A general superapproximation result is derived in this paper which is useful for the local/interior error analysis of finite element methods.

Emergent Symplectic Symmetry In Atomic Nuclei: Ab Initio Symmetry-Adapted No-Core Shell Model, Kristina D. Launey, Tomáš Dytrych, Grigor H. Sargsyan, Robert B. Baker, Jerry P. Draayer

Faculty Publications

Exact symmetry and symmetry-breaking phenomena play a key role in gaining a better understanding of the physics of many-particle systems, from quarks and atomic nuclei, through molecules and galaxies. In nuclei, exact and dominant symmetries such as rotational invariance, parity, and charge independence have been clearly established. Beyond such symmetries, the nature of nuclear dynamics appears to exhibit a high degree of complexity, and only now, we show the fundamental role of an emergent approximate symmetry in nuclei, the symplectic Sp(3,ℝ) symmetry, as clearly unveiled from ab initio studies that start from realistic interactions. In this article, we detail and …

Exploring New And Modified Rejection-Type Thresholds Using Cricket Snack Crackers, Ryan Ardoin, Ross Romero, Brian Marx, Witoon Prinyawiwatkul

Faculty Publications

Recently, sensory threshold concepts have been expanded to include affective perceptions of foods and beverages, especially measures of product rejection; however, each threshold interpretation depends largely on the methodology employed. By substituting cricket powder for whole-wheat flour in snack crackers (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%), we proposed modifications to two existing threshold methodologies: a modified consumer rejection threshold (M-CRT) using a 2-alternative choice (2-AC) preference test with “no preference” option; and a modified hedonic rejection threshold (M-HRT) based on less-than-neutral hedonic scores according to a one-sample t-test. We also proposed two new concepts: a rejection tolerance threshold (RTT) and …

Detection And Estimation Of Inundation And Associated Risks Using Traffic And Monitoring Cameras And Image Processing Under Extreme Flooding Conditions, Suyun Ham Ph.D, Seongjin Noh Ph.D, Dong-Jun Seo Ph.D, Yin Chao Yu, Sangoo Kang

Publications

The main objective of this project is to develop an inundation detection and evaluation framework using images from traffic monitoring cameras and reliable flood monitoring under extreme precipitation conditions. This study presents a comparative assessment of image enhancement and segmentation techniques to automatically identify the flash flooding from the low-resolution images taken by traffic-monitoring cameras. Due to inaccurate equipment in severe weather conditions (e.g., raindrops or light refraction on camera lenses), low-resolution images are subject to noises that degrade the quality of information. De-noising procedures are carried out for the enhancement of images by removing different types of noises. After …

Advanced Modeling And Design Methodology For Pavements Using Plasticity-Based Shakedown Theory, Shengli Chen, Chao Sun, Xu Wang, Zhiming Zhang

Publications

Pavement design is a process intended to find the most economical combination of layer thickness and material type for the pavement, taking into account the properties of the subgrade soil and the traffic to be carried during the service life of the road. The currently prevalent methods of pavement analysis and design, however, are more or less empirical in U.S., which possess the shortcoming that the important type of pavement distress of rutting related to the accumulation of plastic or permanent deformations cannot be effectively considered. This project proposes an exploratory study on the application of the plasticity theory-based shakedown …

Real-Time Time-Dependent Electronic Structure Theory, Xiaosong Li, Niranjan Govind, Christine Isborn, A. Eugene Deprince, Kenneth Lopata

Faculty Publications

Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society. Real-time electronic structure methods provide an unprecedented view of electron dynamics and ultrafast spectroscopy on the atto- and femtosecond time scale with vast potential to yield new insights into the electronic behavior of molecules and materials. In this Review, we discuss the fundamental theory underlying various real-time electronic structure methods as well as advantages and disadvantages of each. We give an overview of the numerical techniques that are widely used for real-time propagation of the quantum electron dynamics with an emphasis on Gaussian basis set methods. We also showcase many of the chemical applications …

Quantum Backaction Cancellation In The Audio Band, Jonathan Cripe, Torrey Cullen, Yanbei Chen, Paula Heu, David Follman, Garrett D. Cole, Thomas Corbitt

Faculty Publications

We report on the cancellation of quantum backaction noise in an optomechanical cavity. We perform measurements of the displacement of the microresonator, one in reflection of the cavity and one in transmission of the cavity. We show that measuring the amplitude quadrature of the light transmitted by the optomechanical cavity allows us to cancel the backaction noise between 2 and 50 kHz as a consequence of the strong optical spring present in the detuned cavity. This cancellation yields a more sensitive measurement of the microresonator's position with a 2 dB increase in sensitivity. To confirm that the backaction is eliminated, …

Weather Derivatives And The Market Price Of Risk, Julius Esunge, James J. Njong

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Oxidation Level On The Interfacial Water At The Graphene Oxide-Water Interface: From Spectroscopic Signatures To Hydrogen-Bonding Environment, Rolf David, Aashish Tuladhar, Le Zhang, Christopher Arges, Revati Kumar

Faculty Publications

The interfacial region of the graphene oxide (GO)-water system is nonhomogenous due to the presence of two distinct domains: an oxygen-rich surface and a graphene-like region. The experimental vibrational sum-frequency generation (vSFG) spectra are distinctly different for the fully oxidized GO-water interface as compared to the reduced GO-water case. Computational investigations using ab initio molecular dynamics were performed to determine the molecular origins of the different spectroscopic features. The simulations were first validated by comparing the simulated vSFG spectra to those from the experiment, and the contributions to the spectra from different hydrogen bonding environments and interfacial water orientations were …

Point-Of-Care Devices For Therapeutic, Medical And Environmental Applications, Alisha Prasad

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Point-of-care testing (POCT) or Point-of-use (POU) devices or technologies are defined as testing aids that are capable for onsite use or testing. The key advantages of POCT are low sample volume, quick onsite diagnosis, high accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. POCT has the potential and the benefits to facilitate better health care management by rapid routine diagnosis and monitoring. To reach this goal, several researchers as well as the healthcare industry over a few years have conducted cutting edge research to bring science to technology by developing smart diagnostic devices capable of performing as per patient profiles and make personalized health care …

Machine Intelligence For Nerve Conduit Design And Production, Caleb E. Stewart, Chin Fung Kelvin Kan, Brody R. Stewart, Henry W. Sanicola Iii, Jangwook P. Jung, Olawale A. R. Sulaiman, Dadong Wang

Faculty Publications

Nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) have emerged from recent advances within tissue engineering as a promising alternative to autografts for peripheral nerve repair. NGCs are tubular structures with engineered biomaterials, which guide axonal regeneration from the injured proximal nerve to the distal stump. NGC design can synergistically combine multiple properties to enhance proliferation of stem and neuronal cells, improve nerve migration, attenuate inflammation and reduce scar tissue formation. The aim of most laboratories fabricating NGCs is the development of an automated process that incorporates patient-specific features and complex tissue blueprints (e.g. neurovascular conduit) that serve as the basis for more complicated …