Investigation of the effects of detached breakwaters at Holly Beach and Grand Isle, Louisiana

Two detached breakwater projects in Louisiana were investigated. At Grand Isle, Louisiana, breakwaters do not seem to have caused any sediment deposition. Airphoto analysis indicated that the breakwater field has caused changes in morphology, though. At Holly Beach, Louisiana, breakwaters have caused sediment deposition, specifically low tide tombolos. Analysis of survey data and tracer data indicated that the beach/breakwater system is in a state of dynamic equilibrium at high tide, and static equilibrium at low tide. In addition, wave heights measurements were made in the vicinity of one breakwater segment and compared to incident wave height. Examination of the data indicated that the incident wave characteristics had little correlation with wave heights in the immediate area of and landward of the structure

Investigations of the initiation of motion in aeolian transport

This dissertation is an investigation of the initiation of motion in aeolian sediment transport. The chapters within address transport thresholds for dry sands and spatiotemporal variability of surface moisture on natural beaches, both critical concerns for the study of aeolian processes. Results indicate a new model of transport threshold conditions provides substantial improvement in predictive capability. Field measurements closely match model predictions. In addition, results indicate that small scale variability and near surface gradients of surficial moisture are important components to aeolian systems. New techniques for measuring beach surface moisture provide improved accuracy over previous approaches

An extendable general platform for cluster analysis and validation

This thesis implements a general platform which integrates several commonly used cluster analysis algorithms with ease of use and extendability, along with various validation techniques to analyze the results of algorithms

Momentum-space engineering of gaseous Bose-Einstein condensates

We show how the momentum distribution of gaseous Bose--Einstein condensates can be shaped by applying a sequence of standing-wave laser pulses. We present a theory, whose validity for was demonstrated in an earlier experiment [L.\ Deng, et al., \prl {\bf 83}, 5407 (1999)], of the effect of a two-pulse sequence on the condensate wavefunction in momentum space. We generalize the previous result to the case of $N$ pulses of arbitrary intensity separated by arbitrary intervals and show how these parameters can be engineered to produce a desired final momentum distribution. We find that several momentum distributions, important in atom-interferometry applications, can be engineered with high fidelity with two or three pulses.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

Plantifa: Antifascist Guerrilla Gardening Curriculum

This paper suggests that an anti-fascist guerilla gardening (Plantifa) curriculum offers unique educational opportunities in the form of wholesome, and much needed, praxis. Utilizing anti-fascist (Bray, 2017), decolonizing (Tuck et al., 2014), and eco-justice frameworks (Shiva, 2015), Plantifa presents community activism that connects people with place, history, permaculture, and subversion of hegemony. In the context of education, a Plantifa curriculum offers learners to be immersed with their communities and local ecosystems, beyond mere classroom walls. It is a process of mapping local terrain and history, identifying non-invasive plants and suitable locations, considering food-bearing plants for community needs, as well as the afterward tasks of watering and nurturing. Questions of, Why is \u27democracy\u27 as we understand and practice limited to humans, and who, what, or where ought to be included in a democracy? ; “Is planting local flora legally or ethically wrong?” and “Why is anti-fascism important to our community and our eco-system?” are just some of the questions learners can consider during this process of eco-revanchism. Ultimately, we are connecting wholeheartedly with the anti-fascist movement all over the world by appropriating their acronym (Antifa) with deference as a way to plant seeds of love against hierarchies. We are Plantifa

Induction of PEP Carboxylase and Crassulacean Acid Metabolism by Gibberellic Acid in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

The induction of Crassulacean acid metabolism in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum was investigated in response to foliar application of gibberellic acid (GA). After 5 weeks of treatment, GA-treated plants showed 1.7- to almost a 4-fold increase of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPcase) activity with a concomitant increase in acid metabolism when compared to control plants. Immunoblot analysis indicated an increase in the PEPcase protein similar to that of salt treatment while Rubisco did not show a similar rise. The results indicate that exogenously applied GA accelerates plant developmental expression of PEPcase and Crassulacean acid metabolism in M. crystallinum

An assessment of foster youth and the California High School Exit Exam

The purpose of this study was to identify possible variables that may contribute to a foster child\u27s passing or failing of the California High School Exit Exam

Predictor of Turnover Intention of Register Nurses: Job Satisfaction or Work Engagement?

Both employee job satisfaction (JS) and employee work engagement (WE) have been examined as possible predictors of employees’ intention to voluntarily leave a specific job or company, known as turnover intention (TI). While the body of knowledge has grown concerning the nature of TI, there remains the unsettled question of which of the two concepts most accurately predicates TI. The high turnover rate of registered nurses (RNs) in hospitals in the U.S. presented an opportunity to examine if JS and WE predict, and to what degree, among RNs. For this quantitative correlational research probability sampling was used to identify 155 participants, all full-time registered nurses with 2 or more years of employment in New York hospitals. Data, obtained from surveys, were analyzed via multiple linear regression. The results revealed that only job satisfaction predicted turnover intention among the nurses sampled, F (5,154) = 12.008, p R2 = 287.The findings indicate that leaders of healthcare organizations, might lower nurse turnover intention by focusing on improving job satisfaction. Specifically, TI may be lower by addressing the issues identified from regular job satisfaction surveys, and by a greater emphasis on creating a more satisfying workplace. A more stable RN workforce could reduce healthcare disruptions in communities