Digital Commons Network^™

Arctic Air Pollution: New Insights From Polarcat-Ipy, Katherine S. Law, Andreas Stohl, Patricia K. Quinn, Charles A. Brock, John F. Burkhart, Jean-Daniel Paris, Gerard Ancellet, Hanwant B. Singh, Anke Roiger, Hans Schlager, Jack E. Dibb, Daniel J. Jacob, S R. Arnold, Jacques Pelon, Jennie L. Thomas

Earth Sciences

Given the rapid nature of climate change occurring in the Arctic and the difficulty climate models have in quantitatively reproducing observed changes such as sea ice loss, it is important to improve understanding of the processes leading to climate change in this region, including the role of short-lived climate pollutants such as aerosols and ozone. It has long been known that pollution produced from emissions at midlatitudes can be transported to the Arctic, resulting in a winter/spring aerosol maximum known as Arctic haze. However, many uncertainties remain about the composition and origin of Arctic pollution throughout the troposphere; for example, …

Facilities Forum, Georgia Southern University Facilities Services

Facilities Forum Newsletter

• Facilities Veterans Honored
• Shooting Sports Education Center
• Health Services Center
• Employees, GSU Awarded by BOR
• Saving Energy with Solar Charged Golf Carts
• Going Green with New Hand Dryers
• Keeping Georgia Southern Beautiful
• CPR and AED Training
• Campus Installation of AEDs
• Tailgate Recycling Program
• New Hires and Promotions
• End of Year Project Initiation Form

Episode 13: Katilyn Herzog, Thomas Kenny Mphil

Communication Students Podcasts

Professor Tom Kenny speaks with Kaitlyn Herzog, communications alumnus. They will discuss communications media and Kaitlyn's work in the post production industry. This final podcast of the fall 2014 semester also includes an excerpt from episode 6 with Mike Mendez.

Identification Of The Infection Route Of A Fusarium Seed Pathogen Into Non-Dormant Bromus Tectorum Seeds, Janalynn Franke

Theses and Dissertations

The genus Fusarium has a wide host range and causes many different forms of plant disease. These include seed rot and seedling blight diseases of cultivated plants. The Fusarium-caused diseases of wild plants are less well-known. In this study we examined Fusarium sp. n-caused disease development on non-dormant seeds of the important rangeland weed Bromus tectorum as part of broader studies of the phenomenon of stand failure or ‘die-off’ in this annual grass. We previously isolated an undescribed species in the Fusarium tricinctum species complex from die-off soils and showed that it is pathogenic on seeds. It can cause high …

O Modelo Da Interação Entre As Atividades Científicas E Os Valores Na Interpretação Das Práticas Científicas Contemporâneas, Hugh Lacey, P. R. Mariconda

Philosophy Faculty Works

In the first part of this article, we summarize the standardized version of the model of the interaction between scientific activities and values (M-CV) presented in Lacey & Mariconda (in press). Then, we sketch some arguments, developed (Lacey, in press) from the model, in favor of three proposals: (1) that there is a profound incoherence in the self understanding of the modern scientific tradition; (2) that the main options actually available to ensure continuity with the positive realizations of this tradition can be well represented by two sorts of ideal types that we name, respectively, "commercially orientated technoscience" and "multi-strategic …

Developing Critical Loads And Dynamic Critical Loads For Acidification For Watersheds In The Adirondack Region Of New York And Great Smoky Mountain National Park (Grsm), Qingtao Zhou

Dissertations - ALL

Critical loads (CLs) and dynamic critical loads (DCLs) are important tools for the management of ecosystems that are impacted by high sulfate, nitrate and ammonium deposition. In this study, a biogeochemical model (PnET-BGC) was applied to 20 watersheds in the Adirondack region and 12 watersheds in Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GRSM) to calculate CLs and DCLs. I evaluated ecosystem changes in response to historical and potential future changes in acidic deposition. I analyzed factors affecting CLs and DCLs for acidification in the acid impacted Constable Pond Watershed in the Adirondack region, specifically evaluating trade-offs of sulfate and nitrate deposition, …

Implementation Of The Essential Elements Of Standards-Focused Middle-Level Schools And Programs And Their Relationship To Student Achievement, Jeffrey Craig

Dissertations - ALL

In New York State, there are regulations that describe many of the practices that middle-level schools are supposed to implement. Yet, little is known about the effectiveness of these middle-level practices in schools in the state. Without definitive information about the impact of middle-level practices on student achievement, it's difficult for practitioners and leaders to know if the school improvement decisions they make are the right ones and whether they will have the desired impact on student achievement.

This study compares the implementation of the middle-level guidelines for New York State, known as The Essential Elements of Standards-Focused Middle-Level Schools …

The Influence Of Biogenic Opal On 231pa/230th In Sediments From The Bermuda Rise And Its Implication For Paleocirculation Reconstructions, Theresa Marie King

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Thermohaline circulation is responsible for the global transport of heat in surface waters of the ocean, and variability in this circulation has been linked to both short- and long-term climate change on time scales ranging from centuries to tens of thousands of years. Accurate reconstructions of past variability are thus critical to understanding modern and future thermohaline circulation changes and the response of the global climate system. The main circulation feature in the Atlantic is Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and has been reconstructed using a variety of static proxies, but more recently through the use of sedimentary 231Pa_{xs …}

The Effect Of Patch Dynamics And Nutrient Availability On The Production Of Zostera Marina Seeds Within Shinnecock Bay, Ny, Lisa Jackson

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Exposing Zostera marina to fertilized porewater has been shown to increase vegetative shoot density and leaf growth rates, as well as affect morphological shoot characteristics including increasing leaf length, leaf area and the number of leaves per shoot. However, aside from changes in shoot density, records of morphological changes in reproductive shoots subjected to increased nutrient availability are lacking. To address this, five replicate ambient and nutrient enriched patches, each between 0.5 and 2.0 m2, were selected within a developing Z. marina meadow in Shinnecock Bay, NY. Fertilizer stakes, with a N:P:K of 15:3:3, were used to amend enriched patches …

Climatology And Predictability Of Cool-Season High Wind Events In The New York City Metropolitan And Surrounding Area, Michael Layer

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Damaging wind events not associated with severe convective storms or tropical cyclones can occur over the Northeast U.S. during the cool season and can cause significant problems with transportation, infrastructure, and public safety. These non-convective wind events (NCWEs) events are difficult for operational forecasters to predict in the NYC region as revealed by relatively poor verification statistics in recent years. This study investigates the climatology of NCWEs occurring between 15 September and 15 May over 13 seasons from 2000-2001 through 2012-2013. The events are broken down into three distinct types commonly observed in the region: pre-cold frontal (PRF), post-cold frontal …

A Greedy Method To Simulate Drainage In Cross Sections, Long Li

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Porous media, such as rocks and soil, make up the largest proportion of mass in nature. Pore-network model is a widely used model to describe the tiny and complicated inner structure of porous media. Assisted by the development of X-ray computed microtomography in recent years, researchers are able to extract the geometric characters of inner pores and throats from porous media, then further explore two-phase flow in porous media more exactly. Drainage, a process that a non-wetting phase fluid replaces the other wetting fluid, is the research topic of this thesis. The boundaries between two different phases, named as menisci …

Impacts Of The Lobate Ctenophore Mnemiopsis Leidyi On Zooplankton Community Dynamics In The Long Island Sound, Ny, David Rawitz

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The impact of the lobate ctenophore, Mnemiopsis leidyi, on zooplankton community structure has been noted on a variety of ecosystems. This impact arises primarily through high predation rates on copepods. Eutrophication appears to enhance M. leidyi abundance through bottom-up effects. This study investigated the effects of an eutrophication gradient (west to east) on M. leidyi abundance, and the effects of M. leidyi predation on zooplankton populations in the Long Island Sound (LIS). Bi-weekly samples of zooplankton, microplankton, and M. leidyi were obtained from three distinct sites in the Central, Middle, and Western LIS across the eutrophication gradient in 2011 and …

Nitrogen Loading To The South Shore, Eastern Bays, Ny: Sources, Impacts, And Management Options, Isabelle Stinnette

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The excessive delivery of nitrogen from land into coastal waters can lead to a host of environmental problems including algal blooms, hypoxic zones, habitat loss, and acidification. While many of these environmental problems have manifested themselves within Long Island's coastal bays, the quantity and sources of nitrogen are largely unknown in much of this region, making the development of effective management plans to ameliorate these problems exceedingly difficult. This study was designed to quantify nitrogen loads and sources to Moriches, Quantuck and Shinnecock Bays within the eastern extent of Long Island's South Shore Estuary Reserve. Further this study assessed water …

A Greedy Method To Simulate Drainage In Cross Sections, Long Li

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Porous media, such as rocks and soil, make up the largest proportion of mass in nature. Pore-network model is a widely used model to describe the tiny and complicated inner structure of porous media. Assisted by the development of X-ray computed microtomography in recent years, researchers are able to extract the geometric characters of inner pores and throats from porous media, then further explore two-phase flow in porous media more exactly. Drainage, a process that a non-wetting phase fluid replaces the other wetting fluid, is the research topic of this thesis. The boundaries between two different phases, named as menisci …

Oceanic And Atmospheric Influences On The Interannual Variability Of The Madagascar Phytoplankton Bloom, Lindsay Roupe

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Approximately every other year during the austral summer a larger phytoplankton bloom propagates off of the southeast tip of Madagascar. The cause of the interannual variability of this distinct oceanic feature remains unclear, so here we improve the analysis of the interannual variability of the bloom with a longer ocean color dataset, re-examine the existing mixed layer depth and iron fertilization hypotheses formerly used to explain bloom formation and analyze the variability in the larger ocean-atmosphere system in the region in relation to bloom formation. To resolve the forcings on the bloom, relevant satellite and reanalysis data were examined using …

The Influence Of Biogenic Opal On 231pa/230th In Sediments From The Bermuda Rise And Its Implication For Paleocirculation Reconstructions, Theresa Marie King

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Thermohaline circulation is responsible for the global transport of heat in surface waters of the ocean, and variability in this circulation has been linked to both short- and long-term climate change on time scales ranging from centuries to tens of thousands of years. Accurate reconstructions of past variability are thus critical to understanding modern and future thermohaline circulation changes and the response of the global climate system. The main circulation feature in the Atlantic is Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and has been reconstructed using a variety of static proxies, but more recently through the use of sedimentary 231Pa_{xs …}

Diversity Of Skates (Batoidea: Rajoidei) And The Spatial Structure Of Nw Atlantic Communities, Christopher Michael Martinez

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Trait diversity often underlies complexity observed in biological systems. Whether it is behavior, life history, form or function, variation imparts differential performance on the organism, which may influence processes at higher levels of organization. Using two approaches, my dissertation research concerns the appraisal of diversity in fishes and its consequences for their ecology and evolution. The first two chapters focus on variety of spatial behaviors in northwest Atlantic marine communities. Temporal changes in community habitat utilization, as quantified by the interspecific abundance-occupancy (A-O) relationship, were the focus of chapter one. Trends in the A-O relationship indicated large-scale reorganization in some …

A Greedy Method To Simulate Drainage In Cross Sections, Long Li

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Porous media, such as rocks and soil, make up the largest proportion of mass in nature. Pore-network model is a widely used model to describe the tiny and complicated inner structure of porous media. Assisted by the development of X-ray computed microtomography in recent years, researchers are able to extract the geometric characters of inner pores and throats from porous media, then further explore two-phase flow in porous media more exactly. Drainage, a process that a non-wetting phase fluid replaces the other wetting fluid, is the research topic of this thesis. The boundaries between two different phases, named as menisci …

Impacts Of The Lobate Ctenophore Mnemiopsis Leidyi On Zooplankton Community Dynamics In The Long Island Sound, Ny, David Rawitz

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The impact of the lobate ctenophore, Mnemiopsis leidyi, on zooplankton community structure has been noted on a variety of ecosystems. This impact arises primarily through high predation rates on copepods. Eutrophication appears to enhance M. leidyi abundance through bottom-up effects. This study investigated the effects of an eutrophication gradient (west to east) on M. leidyi abundance, and the effects of M. leidyi predation on zooplankton populations in the Long Island Sound (LIS). Bi-weekly samples of zooplankton, microplankton, and M. leidyi were obtained from three distinct sites in the Central, Middle, and Western LIS across the eutrophication gradient in 2011 and …

Multi-Armed Bandits With Applications To Markov Decision Processes And Scheduling Problems, Isa Mithqal Muqattash

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The focus of this work is on practical applications of stochastic multi-armed bandits (MABs) in two distinctive settings. First, we develop and present REGA, a novel adaptive sampling-based algorithm for control of finite-horizon Markov decision processes (MDPs) with very large state spaces and small action spaces. We apply a variant of the epsilon-greedy multi-armed bandit algorithm to each stage of the MDP in a recursive manner, thus computing an estimation of the " reward-to-go" value at each stage of the MDP. We provide a finite-time analysis of REGA. In particular, we provide a bound on the probability that the approximation …

Mechanical Properties Of 3-D Printed Cellular Foams With Triangular Cells, Pratap Kumar Bunga

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

In the present work, poly lactic acid (PLA) is used as a model system to investigate the mechanical behavior of 3-D printed foams with triangular cells. Solid PLA tension and compression specimens and foams made of PLA were fabricated using fused deposition 3-D printing technique. The solid PLA tension specimens were characterized for their densities and found to be about 10% lower in density as compared to their bulk counter parts. The triangular foams had a relative density of about 64%. The relationships between the structure of the foams and its deformation behavior under compression along two in-plane directions were …

Defect Analysis Of Boron Phosphide Thin Films And Sapphire Single Crystal Using Synchrotron X-Ray Topography, Zihao Ding

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Boron phosphide is an ideal semiconductor material used for neutron detectors because of its superior material properties, such as wide band gap and large thermal neutron capture cross-section of 10B. Since bulk BP is not readily available for neutron detector application, BP thin films are mainly synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Among all the feasible substrates for BP deposition, SiC stands out due to its small lattice mismatch (4.5%) with BP, however it is necessary to optimize the growth condition to synthesize high quality BP thin films on SiC. In chapter III, BP thin film samples deposited on 4H-SiC …

The Effect Of The Pla Degradation Chemicals On Cell Proliferation, Kuan-Che Feng

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

PLA is a material easy to manufacture. The biodegradability makes it a perfect material for tissue engineering. Several conditions for biodegradability experiments for spin-coating Polylactic acid thin films were tried. Polylactic acid thin films were immersed in different solution for different times. Thickness, morphology and mechanical properties were analyzed after the Polylactic acid thin films immersing test. Dermal fibroblasts were plated on the Polylactic acid thin films, culturing with conditioning medium. Thickness, morphology, mechanical properties and cell count were analyzed after the Polylactic acid thin films cell culture test. | 35 pages

Investigation Of Biomineralization By Raman Spectroscopy, Robert William Fatscher

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Biomineralization is a process in which living organism grow composite materials consisting of inorganic and organic materials. This produces a composite material consisting of both inorganic and organic components, with superior mechanical properties. In the human body bone and dentin are both examples of biominerals. In this research Raman spectroscopy was used to characterize dentin from mice and human teeth, to determine composition. In the mouse tooth samples areas of irregular dentin were found, along the inside of the tooth, to be in the process of mineralization. By analyzing the samples along these areas we were able to determine the …

Modeling Of Parachute Dynamics With Gpu Enhanced Continuum Fabric Model And Front Tracking Method, Qiangqiang Shi

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

An advanced mesoscale spring-mass model is used to mimic fabric surface motion. The fabric surface is represented by a high-quality triangular surface mesh. Both the tensile stiffness and the angular stiffness of each spring are determined by the material's Young's modulus and Poisson ratio, as well as the geometrical characteristics of the surface mesh. The spring-mass system is a nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) system solved by fourth order Runge-Kutta method. The model is shown to be numerically convergent under the constraint that the summation of points masses is constant. Through coupling with an incompressible fluid solver and the front …

Rheological Characterization Of Nano Composite Hydrogels, Jack Lombardi

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Engineered Polymer hydrogels and hydrogels from Bio macromolecules have visco-elastic properties that can be measured using Oscillatory Shear Rheology. Manipulation and measurement of physical properties in gels including F-127 Pluronic Block Co-Polymer and Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-Clay are shown through OSR by addition of salts, clays and glucose at physiological levels. Rheological analysis of f-127 illustrates changes in G' reduction with phase transition temperature. Measurements also indicate physical changes due to the aforementioned additives vary as a function of the gel physical and chemical structure. In particular, non-enzymatic glycation is shown to change the modulus of elasticity in both of the gels tested. …

Ultrasonic Measurements Of The Elastic Properties Of Lanthanum/Cerium-Based Bulk Metallic Glass And Its Compression Behavior Under High Pressure, Xintong Qi

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Metallic glass, as a new member of glass family, has been at the cutting edge of material research for decades since it was first discovered in 1960. Its amorphous, densely packed microstructure makes it popular not only in industrial applications, but also in condensed matter physics. The elastic properties and their pressure dependence provide critical information about the bonding characteristics, microstructure and vibration features of metallic glasses. In this thesis, for the first time, the elastic wave velocities of (La_0.5Ce_0.5)₆₄Al₁₆Ni₅Cu₁₅ bulk metallic glass are measured under high pressure up …

Molecular Modeling Of The Interaction Between Chitosan And Silver And Palladium, Wenbo Wang

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The purpose of this research was to study the interaction between chitosan and metal surfaces at the atomic level in order to better understand the mechanism of formation of catalytic noble metal nanoparticle (where chitosan serves as a shaping or encapsulating agent). In this study, Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was employed to study chitosan adsorption on different Silver and Palladium crystallographic planes at the atomic level. Chitosan were formulated by molecular dynamics simulation named Materials Studio 6.0 using COMPASS force field. By calculated result of the solubility parameter δ , the length of chitosan was chosen 20 repeated units. Through …

Studies Of Growth Mechanism And Defect Origins In 4h-Silicon Carbide Substrates And Homoepitaxial Layers, Huanhuan Wang

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

4H-Silicon Carbide (SiC) has been touted for widespread use in high power semiconductor devices due to its higher thermal conductivity, breakdown voltage and saturated electron drift velocity compared to the current material of choice, silicon. However, the detrimental effects of defects inside these crystals requires concerted effort on the part of crystal growth scientists to gain understanding of their formation mechanisms and behavior in order to develop strategies to eliminate them or minimize their densities. The goals of this study are to: (i) understand the growth mechanisms of the Physical Vapor Deposition (PVT) technique used for 4H-SiC substrate growth and …

Defect Characterization In 4h Silicon Carbide Bulk Crystals And Epilayers, Fangzhen Wu

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

4H silicon carbide (4H-SiC) has been accepted as an optimal semiconductor that can substitute for silicon for fabricating advanced power devices for high temperature, high power, and high frequency applications, owing to its outstanding properties such as wide bandgap, high breakdown electric field, high saturation drift velocity and high thermal conductivity. Developments in advanced growth techniques for both 4H-SiC bulk crystals and epilayers have led to an era of large wafer sizes and relatively low defect densities, and these achievements are partly attributed to extensive and careful studies of different kinds of defects in this material. In turn, high crystal …