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The White Atlantic: Finding South Africa in the American South, 1954-1966
No full textThe Citizens��� Council of America advanced what some historians call a ���segregationist foreign policy.��� ���Massive resistance��� to domestic desegregation during the 1950s and '60s pushed the Council to concern itself with foreign affairs, particularly the United Nations' criticism of South African apartheid. Council publications and television broadcasts show that the Council opportunistically reframed its rhetoric to match South Africa���s defense of apartheid as a system dedicated to local self-determination and combating communism. The Citizens��� Council mirrored this strategy, promoting segregation to stave off communist inroads and reinforce states��� rights, meaning self-determination
John Bickham field notebook: AK6383-AK10495_assorted_bystate.pdf
No full textEach page/AK number corresponds to a karyotype slide data and/or unique specimen.Data pages for AK6383-AK10495_assorted_bystate corresponding to unique identifiers of specimens/samples examined for biological research. Specimens are primarily housed at Texas A&M University; Biodiverstiy Research and Teaching Collection
Architecture and Facies of the Sullivan Peak Member Within the Lower Permian Wolfcamp-A Equivalent Skinner Ranch Formation on the Southern Margin of the Delaware Basin, from Outcrop in the Glass Mountains in West Texas
No full textStrata of the Sullivan Peak Member within the Lower Permian Skinner Ranch Formation are well exposed along the Lenox Hills of the Glass Mountains in Brewster County, West Texas. These outcrops provide a unique opportunity to describe equivalent strata of the prolific Wolfcamp-A Formation along the southern margin of the Delaware Basin. The Sullivan Peak Member is exposed along a 1.5 mi wide by 100 ft vertical exposure of carbonate-rich, coarse-grained, and conglomeratic strata interbedded with mudstone. Three coarse-grained facies and one mudstone facies were characterized from an outcrop aerial photogrammetry model, hand samples, and thin section petrography. These include: 1) a Normally-Graded Carbonate-Clast Conglomerate facies (CCC), 2) a Normally-Graded Skeletal Grainstone facies (NmGs), 3) a Massive Skeletal Grainstone-Packstone facies (MaGs), and 4) a Mudstone facies (Mdst). Three Facies Associations (FA-1, FA-2, FA-3) w ere defined and correlated using the facies scheme and the photogrammetry model. Three Lowstand Systems Tracts (LST���s) w ere delineated within the Sullivan Peak Member (LST-1, LST-2, and LST-3)
Unveiling the Myth Within: The Role of Narrative Perspective in C.S. Lewis' "Till We Have Faces"
No full textThis thesis explores the embodiment and performance of myth through the first-person viewpoint in C.S. Lewis��� Till We Have Faces (Faces). In this novel, Lewis moves away from his previous rationalist approach and uses myth and a first-person narrator to write an intimate story unlike what he had accomplished before. It is a shift in narrative methodology that signifies a corresponding evolution in Lewis��� theology. I study the potential cause of this shift through a study of Lewis��� Christian conversion and an impactful philosophical debate. The result is a particular and unique utilization of myth as a vehicle of conflict, as the protagonist, Orual, is shrouded from reality and must reckon with her own mythology to gain an accurate interpretation of herself and of the divine. I compare the original myth of Cupid and Psyche in The Golden Asse with Faces in order to understand Lewis��� purposes in changing the original story and glimpse the result. Ultimately, he seeks to reveal the importance of coming ���face to face��� with one���s self and holding on to one���s identity. I investigate the theme of identity, as highlighted by the first-person perspective, through the embodiment and performance of myth to argue how Faces is unique among Lewis��� literature
Building 0D and 2D Porous Metal-Organic Nanomaterials for Efficient Photo-Induced Energy Transfer
No full textThe concept of host-guest chemistry has been raised to study the interaction between a system and attached small molecules. These strong interactions have enabled the use of framework materials in catalytic reactions with high selectivity and turnover numbers. Recently, the introduction of metal/metal clusters has revitalized this field due to improved stability and binding capabilities. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), renowned for their high crystallinity, porosity, and well-determined structures, have been extensively used for host-guest studies. However, the traditional 3-dimensional bulk MOFs create a diffusion barrier that hinders the applications. To overcome this, chemists have formulated the field of 0-dimensional molecular cages, termed ���0D porous coordination cages���, which maintain homogeneity and exhibit explicit confinement in all dimensions, and the field of 2-dimensional MOF-derived nanosheets, termed ���2D MOF nanosheets���. These cages facilitate efficient catalysis by avoiding 3D stacking of pores.
In my PhD research, I aim to develop viable synthetic methodology for 0D and 2D metalorganic nanomaterials. Embedding photoactive ligands into 0D cages and 2D MOF nanosheets provides an approach to introducing catalytic ability. This can be achieved through introducing coordination functional groups such as carboxylate and azolate groups, converting various photoactive molecules into suitable ligands while maintaining their activities. Moreover, the selection of coordination/metal clusters and the host-guest interaction in these materials can lead to distinct activities. This work launched studies on the fabrication of 0D cages and 2D MOF nanosheets and their photo-catalytic reactions. The objective of this research is to study the design rationales of 0D and 2D MOF nanomaterials and inspire the discovery of novel catalysts with high selectivity and activity
Integrated Fracture Propagation, Fluid Flow and Geomechanics Modeling for Sealed Wellbore Pressure Analysis
No full textOffset well pressure monitoring is a useful fracture diagnostic tool for detecting pressure changes due to far-field fracture propagation. Recently, sealed wellbore pressure analysis has emerged as a low-cost diagnostic tool for fracture hit detection in unconventional development. The surface pressure gauge is installed in the offset monitor well to monitor pressure changes as hydraulic fractures propagate and intersect the wellbore. A monitor well, in this context, refers to a strategically located observation well situated near the hydraulic fracturing treatment well. It is sealed to ensure a closed system, meaning there are no perforations connected to the formation, thereby preventing fluid flow into or out of the wellbore. Inside the wellbore it is filled with a low compressibility fluid. To extend the understanding of sealed casing response, a methodology of using integrated numerical model to simulate sealed wellbore pressure is established. The objective is to investigate the strain/pressure response along the sealed wellbore under different circumstances of fracture intersection.
In this study, a workflow was presented to model fracture propagation, and estimate resulting far-field strain and pressure changes in the sealed wellbore. The integrated numerical model consists of a commercially available fracture propagation model, a three-dimensional geomechanics model, and a transient fluid flow model. Fracture propagation model is used to simulate fracture geometry and fracture net pressure. The finite element-based fluid flow model and geomechanics model of fractured rock and sealed casing were established for pressure, stress/strain modeling and solve the linear elastic stress-strain-displacement behavior within the simulation domain. Adopting this integrated approach, the internal volume change of the wellbore, and the corresponding surface pressure change can be evaluated to aid in understanding sealed wellbore pressure behavior and far-field fracture interaction.
This study includes various applications of the developed methodology. A field-scale case study and numerical investigation were conducted to interpret field-measured pressure responses during hydraulic fracturing. The model was also applied to simulate strain responses observed in a laboratory fracture experiment with embedded fiber optic cables. The comparison between simulated and measured strains validated the accuracy of the model. Finally, completion parameters were evaluated by analyzing offset wellbore pressure data. This evaluation included comparing the estimated injected volume when the fracture first intersects the offset wellbore and the magnitude of pressure response with various completion parameters such as number of clusters, cluster spacing, injection rate, and injected fluid loading. This evaluation shows the importance of optimizing completion design to enhance fracture stimulation performance
Free-Form Dithering
No full textIn this paper, we will present free-form dithering, a function-based dithering parallel dithering framework. The free-form dithering framework is appropriate to use in real-time applications it is straightforward to implement its parallel algorithms with GPU-based shader languages. This framework is implicit based on the sense that we construct hatching curves by altering the shapes of hatching curves using isocurves that are defined by type distance functions. Using distance functions allows us to precisely control the frequency of isocurves
Diasporic Imprint on Religious Architecture: Post-1965 South Asian Mosques in Houston
No full textDiaspora plays a role in shaping and reimagining the built environment that ethnic groups establish in a foreign land. Mosques, both as individual buildings and as a part of Islamic centers, function as the space for congregational prayer for Muslim worshippers. Mosques serve as a way for Muslims to express cultural values and identity. When placed in a diasporic environment, mosques combine inherited traditions with the diasporic needs of immigrant Muslims. The objective of this research is to investigate and understand how South Asian immigrants have developed the architecture of mosques and Islamic centers in the Greater Houston Area since the 1965 Hart-Cellar Act was passed, and how they have merged diasporic and traditional design elements in mosque architecture. The research hypothesizes that the architecture of South Asian American mosques in Greater Houston is an attempt to retain cultural identity through the hybridization of traditional and diasporic influences.
An explanatory research method has been implemented to do a comparative case study analysis of three cases of mosques and Islamic centers located in Greater Houston. Data for the research has been collected through literature review, archival studies, and field observation. The thesis is expected to provide a cultural narrative on the development of South Asian American mosque architecture within the diaspora of Greater Houston and add to the existing history of South Asian American religious architecture
Beyond Victimhood: An Analysis of Rape Culture Rhetoric on Sexual Assault Survivors
No full textThis thesis delves into pivotal moments and movements within recent cultural histories of sexual assault, focusing on Chanel Miller's rape by Brock Turner and the evolution of Tarana Burke's "me too" movement into #MeToo. Through an analysis of media coverage and literary works such as Miller's memoir, Know My Name, and Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey's, She Said, this study explores the embedded dynamics of rape culture and sexual assault tolerance within American society and institutions. Emphasizing survivors' voices, this research contends that their narratives are vital in challenging societal perceptions and fostering empathy towards survivors. Drawing on insights of fellow feminist scholars, this thesis investigates the role of survivors in dismantling patriarchal structures that perpetuate rape and sexual assault. Methodologically, this thesis examines the concepts of the good survivor, ideal victim, and naming and shaming, dissecting the societal frameworks that influence survivors' reporting behaviors and perceptions. By scrutinizing government-funded programs' methodologies and limitations in gathering accurate statistics on sexual violence, the research underscores the complexities and challenges in understanding the prevalence of rape and sexual assault. Ultimately, this work advocates for a nuanced understanding of survivor experiences and calls for a societal shift towards empathy and support for survivors, challenging entrenched rape culture mentalities
Underexplored Aspects of Host Finding and Host Acceptance in Parasitoid Wasps
No full textParasitoids use sensory cues, such as olfactory infochemicals, that can be emitted directly by their potential herbivore hosts or plants as a damage response to herbivory to locate potential hosts for oviposition. Despite intensive studies on interactions between parasitoids and their host, certain aspects of chemical communication of the interaction still need to be explored. This study aimed to study the different understudied aspects of odor-mediated host finding and acceptance response of two parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with varying degrees of host specificity, Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) (specialist) and Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson) (generalist), integrating multiple tools (analytical, behavioral, electrophysiological). These aspects include the use of plant volatile to determine the parasitism status of damaging hosts, parasitoid���s use of host cuticular composition as cues for host acceptance, and the influence of associative learning of host-related odor in the odor-mediated flight behavior of specialist parasitoids.
The existing literature on the chemical ecology of host selection behavior of parasitoid wasps was discussed, the understudied aspects were identified, and a rationale for the study was provided. Behavioral bioassays were conducted to test the ability of specialist M. croceipes to utilize plant volatiles as host-discrimination cues and found that parasitoids can discriminate and show a preference for volatiles from plants infested by unparasitized hosts over volatiles from plants infested by parasitized hosts and was mediated by the alteration in plant volatile emission due to infestation by parasitized hosts. Behavioral and electrophysiological studies were performed to evaluate the role of host cuticular composition in mediating host recognition and acceptance behavior of M. croceipes and C. marginiventris and reported that specialist parasitoids are more dependent on host-specific kairomonal cues than generalist during host acceptance. The effect of associative learning on the odor-mediated flight behavior of M. croceipes was evaluated by performing a wind tunnel bioassay using two host-related compounds, ��-pinene, and ��-farnesene, and found that odor learning results in enhanced and directed upwind flight towards the learned odors. Results from this dissertation have contributed to our understanding of the understudied but essential aspects of semiochemical-mediated behavior and foraging strategies employed by parasitoids during odor-mediated host findings