Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

New Constraints On The Stratigraphic Architecture And Evolution Of Mississippi River Delta Lobe Activity: Barataria Basin, Southeastern La, Wilke Coleman

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Barataria Basin is a shallow water, interdistributary estuary that has evolved in response to dynamic depositional regimes governed by distributary avulsion and reworking of sediments by coastal processes. In the Mississippi River delta plain, the migratory nature of the River has produced an evolving landscape constructed through episodes of regressive and transgressive sedimentation. These processes produce unique depositional signatures in the stratigraphic record, however the transgressive component of the delta cycle often results in obliteration of the regressive phase. This study uses a modern suite of geophysical and sediment core data to construct a revised geologic framework in Barataria Basin, …

Equitable Community-Based Participatory Research Engagement With Communities Of Color Drives All Of Us Wisconsin Genomic Research Priorities, Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed, Praveen Madiraju

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

The NIH All of Us Research Program aims to advance personalized medicine by not only linking patient records, surveys, and genomic data but also engaging with participants, particularly from groups traditionally underrepresented in biomedical research (UBR). This study details how the dialogue between scientists and community members, including many from communities of color, shaped local research priorities.

Materials and Methods

We recruited area quantitative, basic, and clinical scientists as well as community members from our Community and Participant Advisory Boards with a predetermined interest in All of Us research as members of a Special Interest Group (SIG). An expert …

(Featured Artist) The Aromatic Herb Garden, Sophia Samra

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Synthesis Of Novel Chromenone Esters For Biochemical Assays, Andrew Dean Helmerich

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This project details the synthesis of a variety of novel chromenone esters to be used as enzymatic probes. A robust, initial library of 22 chromenone esters was successfully synthesized with differences in chain length, branching, and the incorporation of cyclic and heteroatomic moieties. These new chromenones were fully characterized by 1HNMR, 13CNMR, DEPT HRMS, 19FNMR, and HSQC. The utility of these compounds comes from the fact that they will fluoresce upon cleavage of the ester; thus, this property makes them ideal candidates to be used in the monitoring of enzymatic activity of esterases. Elucidating the enzyme-substrate structure activity relationship (SAR) …

From Crisis To Prevention: Mining Big Data For Public Health Insights During The Flint Water Crisis, Charles Knoble, Gift Fabolude, Anvy Vu, Danlin Yu

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study investigates the utility of Google Trends and Google Search data in retrospectively analyzing the Flint Water Crisis, a significant public health event. By examining keywords relevant to the crisis, such as “lead,” “bottled water,” “water filters,” “pneumonia,” and “Legionnaires’ Disease,” we aimed to uncover patterns in public awareness and response during a public crisis and explore how such awareness and responses could potentially aid in reducing the risk of similar crises in the future. Our analysis reveals a clear correlation between search frequencies and the crisis timeline, with spikes in search terms corresponding to key events. This suggests …

Thermal Anharmonicity Of Transition Metals: A Case Study Of Tantalum, Bimal K C

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Density functional theory (DFT) is commonly used for evaluating the thermal propertiesand equation of state of solids, usually within the quasi-harmonic approximation (QHA). In transition metals, thermodynamic quantities such as the thermal pressure and Gruneisen parameter are poorly reproduced compared with experimental values or with direct computational methods like quantum-molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations. Surprisingly, there has not been to date, a systematic study aimed at understanding the reasons for these discrepancies. Using Tantalum as a case study, we have evaluated the temperature dependence of the phonon frequencies employing Harmonic Ensemble Lattice Dynamics (HELD) combined with classical and quantum molecular dynamics. …

Effect Of Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems On Soil Properties And Microbial Diversity In Soybean Production, Namita Sinha, Brett R. Rushing, Aniruddha Acharya, Shankar Gaapathi Shanmugam

Faculty Publications - Biological Sciences

Integrated crop and livestock systems (ICLSs) have been considered an important management-based decision to improve soil health by carbon sequestration. A two-year study (2019–2021) at CPBES in Newton, MS, was conducted to evaluate the effect of an ICLS on soil microbial diversity in the southeastern region of the USA, representing agroclimatic conditions that are warm and humid. Amplicons targeting bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal ITS2 regions were sequenced. Taxonomic assignment and characterization of microbial diversity were performed using QIIME2®. Soil fungal diversity pattern showed significant difference (alpha diversity, p = 0.031 in 2020 and beta diversity, p = 0.037 …

Full Issue, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Citizens’ Perceptions Of Wetlands Before And During The Restoration Of A Local Wetland, Delaney Ringgold

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigates the impact of a wetland restoration project on homeowners' perceptions and knowledge of wetlands in a residential area in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The research employs a pre- and during-restoration survey methodology to assess shifts in public perception and awareness of wetland environments. As part of the restoration project, native vegetation was reintroduced, and non-native species were removed, with the goals of ecological enhancement and improving the visual appeal of the wetland area. Surveys, consisting of Likert-scale questions and open-ended responses, were administered to homeowners before and during the restoration process to capture changes in demographic factors, wetland knowledge, …

Analyzing Food Sources And Food Insecurity Of Kichwa Farming Families In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Reina Watanabe

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

While the right to food is internationally recognized and the United Nations established the sustainable development goal to end hunger and achieve food security by 2030, many households remain without consistent access to food in 2024. In Latin America, approximately 4 in 10 households were reported as food insecure in 2020 with higher rates in rural and indigenous communities. Rural areas, which have great overlap with indigenous communities in Ecuador, experience disproportionately high levels of poverty and food insecurity compared to urban areas. The most populous indigenous nationality in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the participants of this study are the …

Impact Of Water Ionic Chemistry On Kombucha Fermentation, Katherine A. Thompson-Witrick, Olivia Sundman, Sadie Disselkoen, Nicholas Hanson, Cheyenne Butler, Victoria Jordan, Ian Galbraith, Jada Spake, Seiler Pollock, Drew M. Budner

Chemistry

Kombucha is made by using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) to ferment sweetened tea. This fermentation produces a beverage with a unique aroma and acidic flavor. Kombucha has recently gained popularity in the United States and has been reported to have numerous health benefits. While there is a wide variation in kombucha composition, little is known about the impact water’s chemistry has on the fermentation and the resulting kombucha. Brewing water for kombucha was altered using the following ions: bicarbonate, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and sulfate at different concentrations. Pre-(tea) and post-(kombucha) fermentation (kombucha) products were analyzed for …

Use Of Equine H3n8 Hemagglutinin As A Broadly Protective Influenza Vaccine Immunogen, David Verhoeven, Brett A. Sponseller, James E. Crowe, Sandhya Bangaru, Richard J. Webby, Brian M. Lee

Chemistry

Development of an efficacious universal influenza vaccines remains a long-sought goal. Current vaccines have shortfalls such as mid/low efficacy and needing yearly strain revisions to account for viral drift/shift. Horses undergo bi-annual vaccines for the H3N8 equine influenza virus, and surveillance of sera from vaccinees demonstrated very broad reactivity and neutralization to many influenza strains. Subsequently, vaccinating mice using the equine A/Kentucky/1/1991 strain or recombinant hemagglutinin (HA) induced similar broadly reactive and neutralizing antibodies to seasonal and high pathogenicity avian influenza strains. Challenge of vaccinated mice protected from lethal virus challenges across H1N1 and H3N2 strains. This protection correlated with …

A Day In The Badlands: A 52 Million-Year-Old Safari Adventure, Devra Hock-Reid, Judy Diamond, Jenn Paul

Zea E-Books Collection

with Amy Chew, Christopher Gilbert, Ross Secord, and Stephen Chester

Illustrations by Jenn Paul • Book design by Aaron Sutherlen

About the Badlands Fossils -- This story tells about the fossils of ancient animals found in the Wind River and Bighorn basins of Wyoming. Wyoming’s rich fossil record tell us about amazing animals from millions of years ago. About 66 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into the Earth, causing devastating changes that led to the extinction of dinosaurs. As the planet began to recover, it was much warmer than today, allowing palm trees and other tropical plants to grow …

Gamified Learning: Applying Game Design Thinking In Education, Qiaoxin Deng

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

Gamification is an Education Strategy It has gained popularity in recent years. Gamification is a means to foster student engagement and improve their learning journeys. It's about applying game design elements in non-game contexts. This is primarily used in educational settings. Gamification of learning makes it more engaging and fun by introducing rewards, challenges, and competition. By adding rewards, challenges, and competition, gamification makes learning more interesting and interactive (2020).In this essay, I will be discussing the concept of gamification. Its advantages and disadvantages will be explored. It will also give examples, including Duolingo and Quizlet, to illustrate how it …

The Evolution And Preservation Of Video Games: An Artistic And Cultural Journey, Dhru Fuletra

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

From the first time I held a game controller, video games have been a fundamental part of my life. They started as simple, pixel-filled adventures on early consoles and have grown into the vast, immersive worlds we explore on today’s advanced systems. For me, they’ve always been more than just a way to pass the time; they’ve been gateways to alternate realities where creativity, interaction, and storytelling seamlessly come together. Over the years, video games have transformed from casual hobbies into intricate cultural phenomena and, importantly, into a recognized art form. In this essay, I contend that video games are …

Valorant's Interlinked To Theory Of Representation (Race And Culture) And Feminist Coflict Theory, Gerald Susanteo

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

A brief introduction to Valorant to new ears and eyes is that Valorant is a video game and what I will be calling a media that was released by Riot Games in 2020, Valorant is a tactical FPS (first person shooter) game that blends strategic gameplay with an immersive sci-fi narrative. The setting of the game takes place in a world destabilized by the mysterious "First Light" event which gives these agents called Radiants their powers and abilities. The game first introduces the organization called Kingdom Corporation as a central antagonist exploiting the Radiants who, like I explained earlier, are …

The Evolution Of Artificial Intelligence In Gaming, Aditi Jorapur

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

No abstract provided.

Theoretical Investigation Of Hydrogen Abstraction From Fluorinated Propanones And Fluorinated Propanals, Laurel Washburn

Honors Theses

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of thousands of industrially used compounds often called “forever” chemicals because of their slow degradation process that leads to accumulation in soil, dust, drinking water, and the body. PFAS are used for their grease and water resistance properties but some of these compounds are toxic at extremely low levels. To better understand the effects of these types of compounds, the main pathways of their degradation need to be further investigated. This study analyzes computationally the hydrogen abstraction reactions by both hydroxyl radical and triplet oxygen atom for all possible fluorinated propanones and …

Surgical Suturing Skill Assessment Using Estimated Hand Roll Angle From A Deep-Learning Computer Vision Algorithm, Jianxin Gao, Amir Mehdi Shayan, Simar P. Singh, Joe Bible, Ravikiran Singapogu, Richard E. Groff

Publications

This paper proposes a deep-learning computer vision algorithm to estimate hand roll angles for metric-based assessment of surgical suturing skills. The number of rolls metric, previously calculated directly from IMU data, counts the number of hand roll reversals during a single suture. To calculate this metric using computer vision, we apply a deep-learning algorithm that can reliably estimate hand roll angles after training on suturing videos collected on the SutureCoach simulator. Results show that the estimation accuracy of the deep-learning algorithm is robust to different video backgrounds. The number of rolls metrics were used to analyze suturing performance in the …

Gotcha ! This Model Uses My Code ! Evaluating Membership Leakage Risks In Code Models, Zhou Yang, Zhipeng Zhao, Chenyu Wang, Jieke Shi, Dongsum Kim, Donggyun Han, David Lo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Leveraging large-scale datasets from open-source projects and advances in large language models, recent progress has led to sophisticated code models for key software engineering tasks, such as program repair and code completion. These models are trained on data from various sources, including public open-source projects like GitHub and private, confidential code from companies, raising significant privacy concerns. This paper investigates a crucial but unexplored question: What is the risk of membership information leakage in code models? Membership leakage refers to the vulnerability where an attacker can infer whether a specific data point was part of the training dataset. We present …

Chain Of Preference Optimization: Improving Chain-Of-Thought Reasoning In Llms, Xuan Zhang, Chao Du, Tianyu Pang, Qian Liu, Wei Gao, Min Lin

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The recent development of chain-of-thought (CoT) decoding has enabled large language models (LLMs) to generate explicit logical reasoning paths for complex problem-solving. However, research indicates that these paths are not always deliberate and optimal. The tree-of-thought (ToT) method employs tree-searching to extensively explore the reasoning space and find better reasoning paths that CoT decoding might overlook. This deliberation, however, comes at the cost of significantly increased inference complexity. In this work, we demonstrate that fine-tuning LLMs leveraging the search tree constructed by ToT allows CoT to achieve similar or better performance, thereby avoiding the substantial inference burden. This is achieved …

Impact Of Irrigation Systems On Water Use And Water Productivity: A Case Study Using Aquacrop In Khartoum, Sudan, Abdalhakam Almagzoop

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Masters Project Reports

Water scarcity significantly challenges agricultural productivity in arid regions like Khartoum, Sudan. This study evaluates the impact of three irrigation systems—furrow, sprinkler, and surface drip—on the water use and productivity of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) under different climatic conditions using the AquaCrop model. Simulations were conducted for three representative years: a wet year (2022), a normal year (2015), and a dry year (2018). The results demonstrate that irrigation substantially improved water use efficiency and crop yield compared to non-irrigated (rainfed) conditions. Rainfed crops resulted in lower biomass, harvest index, and yield, particularly in the dry year, highlighting the importance …

Enhancing Water Sustainability In North Africa: Literature Review And Synthesis Of Current Knowledge Gaps In Sudan, Osman M. A. Adam

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Masters Project Reports

This study delves into the critical role of groundwater in addressing global water challenges, with a focus on the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) in north Africa. Groundwater constitutes a source of potable water, irrigation, and industrial use, especially in arid regions where surface water is limited. We analyzed the status of water quantity, withdrawals, recharge, and geological characteristics in the NSAS, specifically in Sudan, Egypt, and Libya. Though the NSAS is largely an untapped resource, water withdrawals from the NSAS in Egypt, Sudan, and Libya are projected to increase substantially from 2000 to 2100 due to population growth, with …

Not All Samples Are Created Equal: Task-Aware Informative Sampling And Adaptive Inference For Efficient Edge Ai, Rebati Gaire

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has resulted in an unprecedented influx of data generated at the edge by billions of sensors. Traditional approaches relying on cloud-based processing are increasingly inadequate due to constraints in bandwidth, latency, and privacy. Edge computing has emerged as a transformative paradigm, enabling real-time data processing and decision-making by decentralizing computation to the edge. While the integration of deep learning into edge environments—termed edge intelligence—promises autonomous and personalized operations, it is hindered by challenges such as limited computational resources, energy constraints, and data redundancies.

This thesis addresses these challenges by presenting three …

Using Symbolic Execution To Analyze The Hardware Tcp Protocol, Nianhang Hu

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As the demand for high performance and flexible networking capabilities increases, the shift from software to hardware implementations of stateful networking functions (such as TCP) is becoming increasingly important. This transition not only enhances processing efficiency in modern networking environments where data transmission rates are rising, but it also reduces the inherent CPU overhead found in software implementations, allowing hardware devices to handle network traffic more efficiently. However, validating the correctness of these hardware designs poses significant challenges due to the complex timing requirements and the vast input space associated with packet-level properties.

The verification of packet-level properties requires coverage …

Harnessing Collective Structure Knowledge In Data Augmentation For Graph Neural Networks, Rongrong Ma, Guansong Pang, Ling Chen

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Graph neural networks (GNNs) have achieved state-of-the-art performance in graph representation learning. Message passing neural networks, which learn representations through recursively aggregating information from each node and its neighbors, are among the most commonly-used GNNs. However, a wealth of structural information of individual nodes and full graphs is often ignored in such process, which restricts the expressive power of GNNs. Various graph data augmentation methods that enable the message passing with richer structure knowledge have been introduced as one main way to tackle this issue, but they are often focused on individual structure features and difficult to scale up with …

Mapping Amis Mill In Rogersville, Tennessee In The 1780s Using Geophysical Methods And Remote Sensing, Amy Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Geophysics and remote sensing were used at the Amis Mill and Homesite to determine the location of structures during the 1780s. Areas of interest were surveyed using shallow geophysical and remote sensing techniques including the orchard, horse pasture, original kitchen on the east side of the house, the west side of the house, plowed field, store site, and cemetery. After analyzing the results of the geophysical surveys and remote sensing, 22 sites were chosen to test inside and outside potential features. A large rectangular feature, possibly a tavern with a cellar, was discovered. Four other features were identified, three of …

Detecting Anomalies In Dynamic Attributed Graphs: An Unsupervised Learning Approach, Austin Hamilton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dynamic attributed graphs, which evolve over time and hold node-specific attributes, are essential in fields like social network analysis, where anomalous node detection is a growing area. Vehicular social networks (VSNs), a subset of these graphs, are ad hoc networks in which vehicles exchange data with one another and with infrastructure. In this dynamic context, identifying anomalous nodes is challenging but crucial for maintaining trust within the network. This work presents an unsupervised deep learning approach for anomalous node detection in VSNs. This model achieved an accuracy of 71% while detecting synthetic anomalies in a simulated network based on real-world …

Landslide Inventory And Unstable Slope Monitoring Along Highways In Eastern Tennessee, Robert Mcsweeney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research introduces an unstable slope management program (USMP) for Tennessee based on federal slope management standards, along with improved methods for landslide monitoring with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) lidar and photogrammetry. In mountainous regions, monitoring slope hazards is a critical function of transportation management. A mobile field assessment form created with Survey123 was used to collect 22 unstable slope ratings in eastern Tennessee. Location points were appended with photographs, notes, and site information. Landslide scores ranged from 325 (Fair) to 1005 (Poor). UAS monitoring of a slow-moving soil landslide along I-40 near Rockwood, TN, produced high-resolution lidar and photogrammetry …

Investigating Phytosulfokine Trafficking: Insights Into The Role Of Phytohormones In Plant Signaling, Martin Tindi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phytosulfokine is a critical signaling peptide involved in plant growth, development, and stress responses. This thesis investigates the trafficking mechanisms of Phytosulfokine (PSK) in Arabidopsis thaliana, employing fluorescently labelled PSK for non-destructive imaging using a custom-built fiber-optic fluorescence microscope. The study aims to determine the mobility and fate of PSK in plant tissues. Experimental results reveal the short-range and long-range movement of PSK across leaves. Additionally, the project highlights the optimization of non-destructive imaging techniques and the synthesis of caged dexamethasone to facilitate optogenetic studies. These findings provide new insights into PSK trafficking mechanisms in plants, enhancing our understanding …