Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Epoxy Siloxane Self-Cleaning Coating Using F64pczn/Tio2 Photocatalyst Composite, James F. Sullivan

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

A new photocatalytic composite powder incorporated into a siloxane epoxy polymer has been shown to yield a highly efficient self-cleaning coating. The composite, which makes greater use of light in the visible/near-infrared (NIR) region, was prepared by coating a nano-particle photocatalytic TiO₂ with 3% w/w of F₆₄PcZn photosensitizer resulting in a dark green powder. The F₆₄PcZn/P25 TiO₂ composite exhibited a greater photo-induced degradation of methyl red, a model surface contaminant, compared to traditional nano-particle photocatalytic TiO₂. Singlet oxygen (¹Δ_g ¹O₂), generated form the F₆₄PcZn, …

Application Of An Ionic Liquid Column To The Analysis Of Flavor And Fragrance Ingredients, Nicole L. Curto

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Traditional, polar (polyethylene glycol/wax) stationary phase gas chromatography columns pose challenges for flavor and fragrance analysis particularly in regards to thermal instability at high temperatures, degradation when exposed to water, unchanging selectivity, and relatively short shelf lives. Recently, capillary columns using ionic liquids as stationary phases have become available. Ionic liquid columns offer a potential combination of high polarity and high temperature stability with unique selectivity. An in depth discussion about the history and development of column phase characterization, with specific emphasis on selectivity and polarity, will allow for a critical look at the polarity scale currently employed to characterize …

Introducing Complex Systems Analysis In High School Mathematics Using System Dynamics Modeling: A Potential Game-Changer For Mathematics Instruction, Diana Marie Fisher

Dissertations and Theses

Complex systems abound on this planet, in the composition of the human body, in ecosystems, in social interaction, in political decision-making, and more. Analytical methods allowing us to better understand how these systems operate and, consequently, to have a chance to intervene and change the undesirable behavior of some of the more pernicious systems have developed and continue to be enhanced via quickly changing technology. Some of these analytical methods are accessible by pre-college students, but have not been widely used at that level of education. Jay Forrester, the founder of one of the methodologies, System Dynamics (SD), used to …

An Investigation Of Hydrogeologic, Stratigraphic, And Structural Controls On Acer Grandidentatum Communities In A Karst Landscape, Owl Mountain Province, Fort Hood Military Installation, Texas, Melinda S. Faulkner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Owl Mountain Province is located within the Fort Hood Military Installation, an approximately 880 km2 installation established in the 1940s in Bell and Coryell counties, Texas, which has undergone extensive land use changes associated with military training, maintaining much of the vegetation in early succession. This study investigates thelithologic, stratigraphic, and structural controls on the hydrologic, hydrogeologic, and geomorphologic evolution of the Owl Mountain Province as expressed by mesic vegetation communities, including Pleistocene relicts Acer grandidentatum, within karst terrains. These systems exhibit complexly overprinted speleogenetic evolutions within a dynamic groundwater regime resulting from regional climate shifts throughout the …

Characterization Of Lower Permian Carbonate Subaqueous Gravity Flows In Crockett County, Texas, Wesley L. Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transitional sediments on carbonate ramp slopes act as a link to relatively well-studied platform and basin depositional environments. In the southern Midland Basin, the key to understanding the relationship between these environments lies in the allochthonous gravity flow sediments found on the slope. Here, a succession of various gravity flow deposits is used to interpret how base level fluctuations affect the type of deposits found on the slope and their effect on the deep basinal environment. This study utilizes core samples from the Wolfcamp Formation adjacent to the Central Basin Platform in five wells in Northwest Crockett County, Texas. The …

Functionalization Of Metal Oxide Surfaces Through Chemical Reactions And Physical Adsorption, Gabriel C. Graffius

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The synthesis of high surface area metal oxides is an area of extensive research with potential applications in catalysis, adsorption, and materials chemistry. The functionalization of a material’s surface can dramatically change its physical and chemical properties. The research described herein is built on the foundation of traditional techniques used for synthesis, characterization, and functionalization of metal oxides and develops new mechanisms and materials for the functionalization of surfaces.

We began with Methyl-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxanes) (PDMSs), which are typically considered to be inert and not suitable for surface functionalization reactions because of the absence of readily hydrolysable groups. Nevertheless, these siloxanes …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Biological Activity Of A Potential Immunomodulatory Zwitterionic Polysaccharide, Vikram Basava

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The gram-negative anaerobic bacterium Bacteroides fragilis is an integral component of the normal gastrointestinal flora. The bacterium colonizes the intestinal tract of human beings as it has no reservoir other than mammals. An unprecedented proportion of the genomic DNA of B. fragilus is involved in the production of capsular polysaccharides. These capsular polysaccharides are important virulence factors in most extracellular bacterial pathogens. Eight of these polysaccharides have been identified thus far, out of which two were found to be zwitterionic polymers, PSA1 and PSA2. PSA1 was found to stimulate T-cell lineage of the immune system because of the dual charge …

Structural Analysis Of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Type 1 (Trpv1) Channel Protein And Proline Mimics Using Computational Techniques, Kelly A. Raymond

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Chapter I

The Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) family of ion channels encompasses more than 30 members, which are expressed in many different tissues and cell types.¹ Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Type 1 (TRPV1) is part of the TRP family gated by vanilloids, heat and protons.² Molecular modeling will be used in order obtain structural and functional data on TRPV1 in its membrane bound environment. In particular, the transmembrane and C-terminal domain regions of TRPV1 are of particular interest. The S1-S4 region of the channel is the putative ligand-binding segment, while the C-terminal domain is suggested to respond to …

Laying The Foundation For Effective Natural Resource Management, Teresa Scanlon

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

The following portfolio describes three distinct, yet not mutually exclusive, approaches for managing water and other resources. A common theme throughout the three approaches is that they “lay the foundation” for future management, and each piece depicts a different approach to natural resource management planning. Part One is the final report for a research and planning contract for Lolo Watershed Group. Watershed science and restoration field techniques are used to inform and develop a scope of work document for Montana Department of Environmental Quality for a future revegetation restoration project on Lolo Creek. Part Two describes some of the co-facilitation …

Texture Modelling Using Convolutional Neural Networks, Leon A. Gatys, Alexander S. Ecker, Matthias Bethge

MODVIS Workshop

We introduce a new model of natural textures based on the feature spaces of convolutional neural networks optimised for object recognition. Samples from the model are of high perceptual quality demonstrating the generative power of neural networks trained in a purely discriminative fashion. Within the model, textures are represented by the correlations between feature maps in several layers of the network. We show that across layers the texture representations increasingly capture the statistical properties of natural images while making object information more and more explicit. Extending this framework to texture transfer, we introduce A Neural Algorithm of Artistic Style that …

Failure Of Surface Color Cues Under Natural Changes In Lighting, David H. Foster, Iván Marín-Franch

MODVIS Workshop

Color allows us to effortlessly discriminate and identify surfaces and objects by their reflected light. Although the reflected spectrum changes with the illumination spectrum, cone photoreceptor signals can be transformed to give useful cues for surface color. But what happens when both the spectrum and the geometry of the illumination change, as with lighting from the sun and sky? Is it possible, as a matter of principle, to obtain reliable cues by processing cone signals alone? This question was addressed here by estimating the information provided by cone signals from time-lapse hyperspectral radiance images of five outdoor scenes under natural …

Indacenodibenzothiophenes: Synthesis, Optoelectronic Properties And Materials Applications Of Molecules With Strong Antiaromatic Character, Jonathan L. Marshall, Kazuyuki Uchida, Conerd K. Frederickson, Christian Schütt, Andrew M. Zeidell, Katelyn P. Goetz, Tristan W. Finn, Karol Jarolimek, Lev N. Zakharov, Chad Risko, Rainer Herges, Oana D. Jurchescu, Michael M. Haley

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Indeno[1,2-b]fluorenes (IFs), while containing 4n π-electrons, are best described as two aromatic benzene rings fused to a weakly paratropic s-indacene core. In this study, we find that replacement of the outer benzene rings of an IF with benzothiophenes allows the antiaromaticity of the central s-indacene to strongly reassert itself. Herein we report a combined synthetic, computational, structural, and materials study of anti- and syn-indacenodibenzothiophenes (IDBTs). We have developed an efficient and scalable synthesis for preparation of a series of aryl- and ethynyl-substituted IDBTs. NICS-XY scans and ACID calculations reveal an increasingly antiaromatic core from …

Sign & Share: Full-Stack International Video Sharing Website, Shuxu Tian

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Inspired by VL2 bilingual story apps that focus on American Sign Language and English, this project provides a new application for sharing multi-lingual signed and written stories to a worldwide audience. VL2 story apps include only ASL and English, and are for purchase; VL2 also sells the code to develop stories in other languages, but the code requires technical expertise to use. My new app uses a special set of tools to allow sharing stories in any signed language and written forms of spoken languages without cost and without the need for technical expertise. Known as Sign and Share, this …

Design And Implementation Of Asymptotically Optimal Mesh Slicing Algorithms Using Parallel Processing, Christopher Dant

MS in Computer Science Project Reports

Mesh slicing is the process of taking a three dimensional model and reducing it to 2.5 dimensional layers that together create a layered representation of the model. The process is used in layered additive manufacturing, three dimensional voxelization, and other similar problems in computational geometry. The slicing process is computationally expensive, and the time required to slice an object can inhibit the viability of layered manufacturing in some industries. We designed and developed a fast implementation of the slicing process, called Sunder, that uses new asymptotically optimal algorithms and takes advantage of parallel processing platforms. To our knowledge, no other …

Odor Monitoring At The New Orleans East Bank Wastewater Treatment Plant, Felicia R. Figinsky

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Hydrogen Sulfide is a corrosive, odorous, and hazardous gas that can cause issues for wastewater collection systems and treatment plants. When evaluating hydrogen sulfide concentrations it is important to consider the source, odor causing mechanism, and its level of toxicity. In this study, continuous hydrogen sulfide monitoring was performed for 8 locations within the New Orleans East Bank Wastewater Treatment Plant for a span of 5 months. Hot spots within the plant are located and data analysis is performed based on daily and hourly averages of hydrogen sulfide concentrations. The data was configured to show peak hydrogen sulfide concentrations at …

Synthesis And Topochemical Manipulation Of New Layered Perovskites, Lea Gustin

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Metastable layered perovskites containing interlayer transition metals can readily be obtained by simple ion exchange reactions on receptive hosts, such as those of the Dion-Jacobson and Ruddlesden-Popper structure types. In this work, we focused on adding to the library of layered perovskites by not only creating new compounds, but by also showing their ability to be further manipulated, and by studying the stability of the series through thermal behavior studies.

The reactions with transition metal halides are particularly interesting since they often lead to novel architectures and magnetic behavior. On subsequent heat treatment, these exchange products typically decompose to thermodynamically …

Applying Modern Interpretation Techniques To Old Hydrocarbon Fields To Find New Reserves: A Case Study In The Onshore Gulf Of Mexico, U.S.A., Josiah D. Hulsey

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study shows how the use of modern geological investigative techniques can reopen old, “drained” hydrocarbon fields. Specifically, it looks at the White Castle Field in South Louisiana. This field has pay sections ranging from late Oligocene to late Miocene. The late Oligocene package is underexplored and understudied and contains 3 primary reservoirs (Cib Haz (CH), MW, and MR). This study established the depositional history of these reservoirs. During most of the late Oligocene, the White Castle Salt Dome was located in a minibasin on the continental slope. The CH and MW deposited in this minibasin. The CH is an …

Automated Sea State Classification From Parameterization Of Survey Observations And Wave-Generated Displacement Data, Jason A. Teichman

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Sea state is a subjective quantity whose accuracy depends on an observer’s ability to translate local wind waves into numerical scales. It provides an analytical tool for estimating the impact of the sea on data quality and operational safety. Tasks dependent on the characteristics of local sea surface conditions often require accurate and immediate assessment. An attempt to automate sea state classification using eleven years of ship motion and sea state observation data is made using parametric modeling of distribution-based confidence and tolerance intervals and a probabilistic model using sea state frequencies. Models utilizing distribution intervals are not able to …

Ferromagnetic Resonance Studies Of Coupled Magnetic Systems, Daniel J. Adams

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The high-frequency properties of coupled magnetic systems have been investigated using vector network analyzer ferromagnetic resonance (VNA-FMR) spectroscopy. SAF structures consist of two ferromagnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic spacer, coupled through the indirect exchange interaction. The ferromagnetic layers of our samples were composed of FeCoB separated by a layer of Ru. The thickness of Ru was varied in the range of 8 to 18 Å among the samples studied. Antiferromagnetic coupling can be quickly identified by the major hysteresis loop (MHL).

A new way of displaying FMR data for these trilayer samples is presented which completely preserves the anisotropy …

High-Frequency Tectonic Sequences In The Campanian Castlegate Formation During A Transition From The Sevier To Laramide Orogeny, Utah, U.S.A., David B. Cross

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Though stratigraphic correlations are abundant in the Cordilleran basin-fill, they rarely include along-strike transects providing a spatio-temporal sense of deformation, sediment-supply and subsidence. A new, high-resolution, regional strike-correlation of the Castlegate Formation reveals progressive northward-growth of the San Rafael Swell during two embryonic episodes of Laramide-style deformation in central Utah. The intrabasinal deformation-events produced gentle lithospheric-folding punctuated by erosional-truncation of upwarped regions. The earliest episode occurred at 78 Ma in the southern San Rafael Swell likely causing soft-sediment deformation and stratal-tilting. Following this the alluvial-plain was leveled and rapid, extensive-progradation took place. A second episode, at 75 Ma, where deformation …

A Study Of Three Paradigms For Storing Geospatial Data: Distributed-Cloud Model, Relational Database, And Indexed Flat File, Matthew A. Toups

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related applications of geospatial data were once a small software niche; today nearly all Internet and mobile users utilize some sort of mapping or location-aware software. This widespread use reaches beyond mere consumption of geodata; projects like OpenStreetMap (OSM) represent a new source of geodata production, sometimes dubbed “Volunteered Geographic Information.” The volume of geodata produced and the user demand for geodata will surely continue to grow, so the storage and query techniques for geospatial data must evolve accordingly.

This thesis compares three paradigms for systems that manage vector data. Over the past few decades …

An Analysis Of The Physical And Cultural Landscape Of Grand Isle, Louisiana, Alexis Thomas

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The town of Grand Isle, Louisiana, and its rich geographic history, can offer insight into the early history of the State of Louisiana and the establishment of the United States as a country, as well as the study of the formation of barrier islands and methods of land use with such areas. The following thesis presents a geographic, as well as a historical, analysis of Grand Isle’s history. It attempts to answer the following questions: What is the shape, form, and origin of the physical landscape of Grand Isle? How have humans interacted with the land and surrounding areas of …

Barrier Spit Evolution And Primary Consolidation Of Backbarrier Facies: West Belle Pass Barrier, La, John N. Kramer Iii

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

West Belle Pass Barrier is a barrier spit that formed during the last delta lobe progradation associated with the Lafourche delta complex. Located on the western flank of the Caminada-Moreau Headland, West Belle Pass Barrier and Raccoon Pass are located downdrift of the Belle Pass jetties. Morphological changes stemming from storms, jetty infrastructure, and an expanding tidal inlet are evaluated using historical shoreline data and imagery. Littoral transport around the jetties combined with inlet growth created a framework wherein sediment is transported through Raccoon Pass and sequestered as a flood-tidal delta. These events aided in the landward migration of West …

Ocean Acidification Accelerates The Growth Of Two Bloom-Forming Macroalgae, Craig S. Young, Christopher J. Gobler

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

While there is growing interest in understanding how marine life will respond to future ocean acidification, many coastal ecosystems currently experience intense acidification in response to upwelling, eutrophication, or riverine discharge. Such acidification can be inhibitory to calcifying animals, but less is known regarding how non-calcifying macroalgae may respond to elevated CO2. Here, we report on experiments performed during summer through fall with North Atlantic populations of Gracilaria and Ulva that were grown in situ within a mesotrophic estuary (Shinnecock Bay, NY, USA) or exposed to normal and elevated, but environmentally realistic, levels of pCO2 and/or nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). …

Poroacuatics Under Brinkman's Model, David A. Rossmanith Jr.

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Through perturbation analysis, a study of the role of Brinkman viscosity in the propagation of finite amplitude harmonic waves is carried out. Interplay between various parameters, namely, frequency, Reynolds number and beta are investigated. For systems with physically realizable Reynolds numbers, departure from the Darcy Jordan model (DJM) is noted for high frequency signals. Low and high frequency limiting cases are discussed, and the physical parameters defining the acoustic propagation are obtained.

Through numerical analyses, the roles of Brinkman viscosity, the Darcy coefficient, and the coefficient of nonlinearity on the evolution of finite amplitude harmonic waves is stud- ied. An …

Survey Of Autonomic Computing And Experiments On Jmx-Based Autonomic Features, Adel R. Azzam

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Autonomic Computing (AC) aims at solving the problem of managing the rapidly-growing complexity of Information Technology systems, by creating self-managing systems. In this thesis, we have surveyed the progress of the AC field, and studied the requirements, models and architectures of AC. The commonly recognized AC requirements are four properties - self-configuring, self-healing, self-optimizing, and self-protecting. The recommended software architecture is the MAPE-K model containing four modules, namely - monitor, analyze, plan and execute, as well as the knowledge repository.

In the modern software marketplace, Java Management Extensions (JMX) has facilitated one function of the AC requirements - monitoring. Using …

Detecting Objective-C Malware Through Memory Forensics, Andrew Case

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Memory forensics is increasingly used to detect and analyze sophisticated malware. In the last decade, major advances in memory forensics have made analysis of kernel-level malware straightforward. Kernel-level malware has been favored by attackers because it essentially provides complete control over a machine. This has changed recently as operating systems vendors now routinely enforce driving signing and strategies for protecting kernel data, such as Patch Guard, have made userland attacks much more attractive to malware authors.

In this thesis, new techniques for detecting userland malware written in Objective-C on Mac OS X are presented. As the thesis illustrates, Objective-C provides …

Do Catastrophes In Poor Countries Lead To Event-Related Policy Change? The 2010 Earthquake In Haiti, Denise D. P. Thompson

Publications and Research

Prompted by Birkland and Warnement‘s (2014) findings that the earthquake was not a significant focusing event in Haiti, the author reassessed the issue. Using the 2010 earthquake as the starting point, a detailed content analysis of evaluation and strategy report and DRR and developmental plans to find the level of policy adopted and implemented after the earthquake. Using the criterion of event-related implementation as a proxy for event-related policy change the author judges whether and to what extent was the earthquake a focusing event. Among the findings are that not only were there event-related policy change inside and outside of …

Unequal A Priori Probability Multiple Hypothesis Testing In Space Domain Awareness With The Space Surveillance Telescope, Tyler J. Hardy, Stephen C. Cain, Travis F. Blake

Faculty Publications

This paper investigates the ability to improve Space Domain Awareness (SDA) by increasing the number of detectable Resident Space Objects (RSOs) from space surveillance sensors. With matched filter based techniques, the expected impulse response, or Point Spread Function (PSF), is compared against the received data. In the situation where the images are spatially undersampled, the modeled PSF may not match the received data if the RSO does not fall in the center of the pixel. This aliasing can be accounted for with a Multiple Hypothesis Test (MHT). Previously, proposed MHTs have implemented a test with an equal a priori prior …

The Firece Green Fire: Vol. 6 Issue 26, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.