Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing Commons^™

Choreographing The Rhythms Of Observation: Dynamics For Ranged Observer Bipartite-Unipartite Spatiotemporal (Robust) Networks, Edward A. Holmberg Iv

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Existing network analysis methods struggle to optimize observer placements in dynamic environments with limited visibility. This dissertation introduces the novel ROBUST (Ranged Observer Bipartite-Unipartite SpatioTemporal) framework, offering a significant advancement in modeling, analyzing, and optimizing observer networks within complex spatiotemporal domains. ROBUST leverages a unique bipartite-unipartite approach, distinguishing between observer and observable entities while incorporating spatial constraints and temporal dynamics.

This research extends spatiotemporal network theory by introducing novel graph-based measures, including myopic degree, spatial closeness centrality, and edge length proportion. These measures, coupled with advanced clustering techniques like Proximal Recurrence, provide insights into network structure, resilience, and the effectiveness …

Denoising And Deconvolving Sperm Whale Data In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Using Fourier And Wavelet Techniques, Kendal Mccain Leftwich

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The use of underwater acoustics can be an important component in obtaining information from the oceans of the world. It is desirable (but difficult) to compile an acoustic catalog of sounds emitted by various underwater objects to complement optical catalogs. For example, the current visual catalog for whale tail flukes of large marine mammals (whales) can identify even individual whales from their individual fluke characteristics. However, since sperm whales, Physeter microcephalus, do not fluke up when they dive, they cannot be identified in this manner. A corresponding acoustic catalog for sperm whale clicks could be compiled to identify individual …

Ocean Wave Prediction And Characterization For Intelligent Maritime Transportation, Pujan Pokhrel

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The national Earth System Prediction (ESPC) initiative aims to develop the predictions
for the next generation predictions of atmosphere, ocean, and sea-ice interactions in the scale of days to decades. This dissertation seeks to demonstrate the methods we can use to improve the ESPC models, especially the ocean prediction model. In the application side of the weather forecasts, this dissertation explores imitation learning with constraints to solve combinatorial optimization problems, focusing on the weather routing of surface vessels. Prediction of ocean waves is essential for various purposes, including vessel routing, ocean energy harvesting, agriculture, etc. Since the machine learning approaches …

Using High-Performance Computing Profilers To Understand The Performance Of Graph Algorithms, Costain Nachuma

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

An algorithm designer working with parallel computing systems should know how the characteristics of their implemented algorithm affects various performance aspects of their parallel program. It would be beneficial to these designers if each algorithm came with a specific set of standards that identified which algorithms worked better for a specified system. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to take implementations of four graphing algorithms, extract their features such as memory consumption, scalability using profilers (Vtunes /Tau) to determine which algorithms work to their fullest potential in one of the three systems: GPU, shared memory system, or distributed memory …

The Effects Of Automated Grading On Computer Science Courses At The University Of New Orleans, Jerod F A Dunbar

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This is a study of the impacts of the incorporation, into certain points of the Computer Science degree program at the University of New Orleans, of Course Management software with an Autograding component. The software in question, developed at Carnegie Mellon University, is called “Autolab.” We begin by dissecting Autolab in order to gain an understanding of its inner workings. We can then take out understanding of its functionality and apply that to an examination of fundamental changes to courses in the time since they incorporated the software. With that, we then compare Drop, Failure, Withdrawal rate data from before …

Feasible Form Parameter Design Of Complex Ship Hull Form Geometry, Thomas L. Mcculloch

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis introduces a new methodology for robust form parameter design of complex hull form geometry via constraint programming, automatic differentiation, interval arithmetic, and truncated hierarchical B- splines. To date, there has been no clearly stated methodology for assuring consistency of general (equality and inequality) constraints across an entire geometric form parameter ship hull design space. In contrast, the method to be given here can be used to produce guaranteed narrowing of the design space, such that infeasible portions are eliminated. Furthermore, we can guarantee that any set of form parameters generated by our method will be self consistent. It …

Automated Species Classification Methods For Passive Acoustic Monitoring Of Beaked Whales, John Lebien

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center has collected passive acoustic monitoring data in the northern Gulf of Mexico since 2001. Recordings were made in 2007 near the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that provide a baseline for an extensive study of regional marine mammal populations in response to the disaster. Animal density estimates can be derived from detections of echolocation signals in the acoustic data. Beaked whales are of particular interest as they remain one of the least understood groups of marine mammals, and relatively few abundance estimates exist. Efficient methods for classifying detected echolocation transients are essential for mining long-term passive …

Underwater Acoustic Signal Analysis Toolkit, Kirk Bienvenu Jr

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This project started early in the summer of 2016 when it became evident there was a need for an effective and efficient signal analysis toolkit for the Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center Gulf Ecological Monitoring and Modeling (LADC-GEMM) Research Consortium. LADC-GEMM collected underwater acoustic data in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the summer of 2015 using Environmental Acoustic Recording Systems (EARS) buoys. Much of the visualization of data was handled through short scripts and executed through terminal commands, each time requiring the data to be loaded into memory and parameters to be fed through arguments. The vision was to develop …

Machine Learning Based Protein Sequence To (Un)Structure Mapping And Interaction Prediction, Sumaiya Iqbal

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Proteins are the fundamental macromolecules within a cell that carry out most of the biological functions. The computational study of protein structure and its functions, using machine learning and data analytics, is elemental in advancing the life-science research due to the fast-growing biological data and the extensive complexities involved in their analyses towards discovering meaningful insights. Mapping of protein’s primary sequence is not only limited to its structure, we extend that to its disordered component known as Intrinsically Disordered Proteins or Regions in proteins (IDPs/IDRs), and hence the involved dynamics, which help us explain complex interaction within a cell that …

Hydrographic Surface Modeling Through A Raster Based Spline Creation Method, Julie G. Alexander

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The United States Army Corp of Engineers relies on accurate and detailed surface models for various construction projects and preventative measures. To aid in these efforts, it is necessary to work for advancements in surface model creation. Current methods for model creation include Delaunay triangulation, raster grid interpolation, and Hydraulic Spline grid generation. While these methods produce adequate surface models, attempts for improved methods can still be made.

A method for raster based spline creation is presented as a variation of the Hydraulic Spline algorithm. By implementing Hydraulic Splines in raster data instead of vector data, the model creation process …

Oyster Sustainability Modeling As A Public Resource, Nathan A. Cooper

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A simulation algorithm based on biological references points proposed by Powell and Klink (2007) is implemented for predicting the total allowable catch of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) from Louisiana’s coast. The model accepts initial per-square-meter shell mass and oyster size distributions as input. Fishing effort is provided as fractions removed of each resource for each month of the season. The model outputs the expected remaining shell mass and harvests of sack and seed oysters after discrete fishing months. Oyster mortality credits the shell budget, while fishing fractions debit oyster and shell resources. Surviving oysters grow larger along a …

Software For Estimation Of Human Transcriptome Isoform Expression Using Rna-Seq Data, Kristen Johnson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis research was to develop software to be used with RNA-Seq data for transcriptome quantification that was capable of handling multireads and quantifying isoforms on a more global level. Current software available for these purposes uses various forms of parameter alteration in order to work with multireads. Many still analyze isoforms per gene or per researcher determined clusters as well. By doing so, the effects of multireads are diminished or possibly wrongly represented. To address this issue, two programs, GWIE and ChromIE, were developed based on a simple iterative EM-like algorithm with no parameter manipulation. These …