Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Algorithms For Randomizing Key Item Locations In Game Worlds, Caleb Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

In the past few years, game randomizers have become increasingly popular. In general, a game randomizer takes some aspect of a game that is usually static and shuffles it somehow. In particular, in this paper we will discuss the type of randomizer that shuffles the locations of items in a game where certain key items are needed to traverse the game world and access some of these locations. Examples of these types of games include series such as The Legend of Zelda and Metroid.

In order to accomplish this shuffling in such a way that the player is able to …

Using Mindfulness Practices To Increase Self-Regulation In Pre-Kindergarten And Kindergarten-Aged Children, Ellyn E. Culotta

LSU Master's Theses

BACKGROUND: Self-regulation is identified in the literature as an early predictor of later life success and an important skill that develops over the course of a lifetime beginning in early childhood (Flook et al., 2015; Montroy et al., 2016; Murray et al., 2017). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research study was to assess whether direct instruction of Mindfulness Practices, such as guided meditation and yoga poses (Lee et al., 2020; Poehlmann-Tynan et al., 2016; Zelazo et al., 2012) would increase self-regulatory behaviors, such as impulse control, emotion regulation, and problem-solving in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten aged children. METHOD: Target children were …

Making Room For Fat Student Affairs Professionals In Higher Education, Wesley Heath

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sizeism is often called the last acceptable form of prejudice in our social world. Weight discrimination has been widely documented in job searches, doctors’ offices, promotions, wage gaps, education, and even courtrooms. Despite decades of critical weight scholarship, little research has been done on fat higher education employees. Using the critical theory and the fat studies theoretical framework, this phenomenological study explores bias, prejudice, and discrimination experienced by fat student affairs professionals on college campuses. Four overarching research questions were identified and focused on the following topics: the limitations of physical space on college campuses, perceptions of available resources, stereotypes …

Intimate Rhetorics Of Networked Motherhood, Katie Nelson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Fundamentally pregnant bodies are understood, similarly to women’s bodies, as necessitating discipline. However, new networked forums have emerged where pregnancy is understood as affirming and having the capacity to challenge a silenced subject position. Using three case studies, the #IHadAMiscarriage Instagram page, the #TakeBackPostpartum Instagram page, and mediatized discourses surrounding Kylie Jenner’s pregnancy, this dissertation writes intimate publicity into these mediatized transgressions of pregnancy and postpartum. I argue discourses about pregnancy and postpartum in these networked spaces constitute intimate publics through the cultivation of shared affected investments and divestments in embodied experiences. These investments in the embodied experiences are crafted …

Applications Of Quantum Optics: From The Quantum Internet To Analogue Gravity, Anthony Brady

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to highlight applications of quantum optics in two very distinct fields: space-based quantum communication and the Hawking effect in analogue gravity. Regarding the former: We simulate and analyze a constellation of satellites, equipped with entangled photon-pair sources, which provide on-demand entanglement distribution ser- vices to terrestrial receiver stations. Satellite services are especially relevant for long-distance quantum-communication scenarios, as the loss in satellite-based schemes scales more favor- ably with distance than in optical fibers or in atmospheric links, though establishing quantum resources in the space-domain is expensive. We thus develop an optimization technique which balances …

The Age-Dependent Characterization Of The Er-Alpha Positive Breast Cancer Tumor Microenvironment, Katie Marie Hamel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In disease states such as cancer, endocrine and paracrine signals from adipose tissue contribute to cancer progression and drug resistance. Young individuals diagnosed with estrogen receptor-alpha positive (ER-a+) breast cancer have an observed increase in resistance to endocrine therapies. This suggests that an alternative estrogen signaling pathway is active within these tumors. Despite this, the effects of stromal age on the endocrine response in breast cancer is not well known. Here, we review and highlight the involvement of the stromal age in both tumorigenesis and physiological wound healing. To identify specific differences between young and aged ER-a+ breast tumors, RNA …

"Will God Forgive Us?": Christianity And The Climate Crisis In Auteur Cinema, Margaret Alice Parson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Climate change is an unavoidable and real catastrophic threat to the future of Planet Earth. This dissertation is interested in how contemporary auteur cinema draws on Christian forms to give expression to the ineffability of environmental collapse. In this rhetorical generic criticism, I discuss three recent auteur films: First Reformed (2017, directed by Paul Schrader), Interstellar (2014, directed by Christopher Nolan), and mother! (2017, directed by Darren Aronofsky). In order to best rhetorically analyze these films, I perform a generic criticism which utilizes aspects of psychoanalysis and affect theory as per the work of Gunn. Each film is …

Energy Consumption And Tardiness Improvement For A Flexible Job Shop And A Warehouse, Ahmad Ebrahimi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, energy consumption (EC) is studied to see its effects on monetary and non-monetary costs in manufacturing and warehousing. EC in manufacturing and warehousing, however, needs to be studied with conventional performance measures such as production/operation tardiness since there is a trade-off between EC and tardiness costs. Therefore, this research is conducted with four objectives to study EC and tardiness for a flexible job shop and a warehouse as follows. The first objective of this research is to integrate job scheduling and layout, which are interrelated in improving EC and tardiness for a flexible job shop. Thus, we …

Garden Of Ruins: Military Occupation And State Power In Civil War Louisiana, Johnathan Matthew Ward

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Using Civil War Louisiana as its focus, I argue that military occupation and expansive state power during the US Civil War served the primary mechanisms by which national states fought the war, stabilized order, and shaped a postwar nation. While many histories of the war separate frontline combat from the domestic home front and distinguish between the policy decisions of high politics and everyday decisions on the ground, this dissertation connects the political decisions of war to the daily acts of governance and resistance in occupied Louisiana. Union occupation officials and Confederate state authorities made contingent decisions throughout the war …

Meritocracy And Marketization Of Education: Taiwanese Middle-Class Strategies In A Private Secondary School, Amanda Shufang Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the 20th century, economic growth in Taiwan has brought social prosperity and fundamentally altered Taiwanese social structure. While successive generations of young people have climbed the social ladder and experienced upward mobility, being successful is still narrowly defined through academic achievement. This study argues that, despite constant education reform, a solution to class inequality in education has yet to be found. The mandate of the 12-Year Basic Education Curriculum in 2019 was an answer to local, global, and international transformations. While citizens celebrate the neoliberal concepts of autonomy and deregulation embedded in the 12-Year Basic Education Curriculum, coercion is …

Knots And Links In Overtwisted Contact Manifolds, Rima Chatterjee

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Suppose $(\M,\xi)$ be an overtwisted contact 3-manifold. We prove that any Legendrian and transverse link in $(\M,\xi)$ having overtwisted complement can be coarsely classified by their classical invariants. Next, we defined an invariant called the support genus for transverse links and extended the definition of support genus of Legendrian knots to Legendrian links and prove that any coarse equivalence class of Legendrian and transverse loose links has support genus zero. Further, we show that the converse is not true by explicitly constructing an example. We also find a relationship between the support genus of the transverse link and its Legendrian …

Free-Floating Invasive Fern Affects Freshwater Marsh Ecosystem Structure: Changes To Water Quality And Chemistry, Aquatic Vegetation, Fish, And Invertebrates, Charles Wahl

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Aquatic invertebrates are important to the function freshwater marshes. They are vital to the transfer of energy from primary producers and organic matter to higher trophic levels. The structure of macroinvertebrate communities is directly associated with aquatic macrophyte diversity and abundance. Submerged macrophytes produce oxygen, are a food source, and provide physical habitat, which allows numerous aquatic organisms to exist. Introduction of the invasive free-floating aquatic fern giant salvinia, Salvinia molesta Mitchell, poses a risk to freshwater ecosystems through limited light penetration, decreased submerged macrophyte abundance, altered water quality and, changes in macroinvertebrate community structure and energy transfer. The objective …

The Dna Cloud: Is It Alive?, Theodoros Bargiotas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this analysis, I will firstly be presenting the current knowledge concerning the materiality of the internet based Cloud, which I will henceforth be referring to as simply the Cloud. For organisation purposes I have created two umbrella categories under which I place the ongoing research in the field. Scholars have been addressing the issue of Cloud materiality through broadly two prisms: sociological materiality and geopolitical materiality. The literature of course deals with the intricacies of the Cloud based on its present ferromagnetic storage functionality. However, developments in synthetic biology have caused private tech companies and University spin-offs to flirt …

Channel Estimation In Multi-User Massive Mimo Systems By Expectation Propagation Based Algorithms, Mohammed Rashid

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology uses large antenna arrays with tens or hundreds of antennas at the base station (BS) to achieve high spectral efficiency, high diversity, and high capacity. These benefits, however, rely on obtaining accurate channel state information (CSI) at the receiver for both uplink and downlink channels. Traditionally, pilot sequences are transmitted and used at the receiver to estimate the CSI. Since the length of the pilot sequences scale with the number of transmit antennas, for massive MIMO systems downlink channel estimation requires long pilot sequences resulting in reduced spectral efficiency and the so-called pilot …

Do Black Girls Receive Later Developmental Disability Diagnoses?: Results From A National Study Of Children In The United States, Danequa Forrest

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

This study sought to analyze if age at diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and developmental delay varies by race and sex for children between ages 6 and 17 years old. I used data from the 2011 Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Services (“Pathways”), a follow-up survey to the 2009/10 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN). With this nationally representative dataset, I was able to perform ordinary least squares linear regression in Stata 13. Results determined that Black girls were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder about two years later than White girls, nearly …

Experiences Of Hospitalization For Suicide Ideation And Suicide Attempt In Gender Diverse Adults, Alix B. Aboussouan

LSU Master's Theses

Individuals who identify as Transgender/Gender Diverse (TGD) have elevated rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). No studies have determined the prevalence of hospitalization for STBs in TGD adults or whether this care is viewed as helpful. Understanding hospitalization experiences may determine potential new treatment targets and training initiatives integral to developing affirming care experiences for TGD individuals. This study sought to explore the lifetime prevalence of hospitalization for suicide ideation (SI) and suicide attempt (SA) for TGD individuals, determine how helpful TGD individuals find hospitalization, and investigate demographics, gender minority stressors, or provider/hospitalization characteristics that correlate with hospitalization helpfulness …

Parental Mental Health Help Seeking: Variables Associated With Asian American Parent Help Seeking Intent, Grace L. Chen

LSU Master's Theses

There is a vast disparity between children who have mental health concerns and rates of service utilization. This disparity is even greater for children of ethnic minority populations. Understanding the factors contributing to parent help seeking behavior may help address the gap in service utilization. Asian Americans specifically have low rates of mental health service utilization among adults. However, there is limited research on parent help seeking in Asian American parents. In combination with low service utilization across children with mental health concerns, Asian American children are an at-risk population. The study aims to advance research by exploring variables relating …

The Effects Of Familial Support, Social Support, And On-Campus Involvement On Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms On Academic Achievement, Kelsey G. Coulthard

LSU Master's Theses

Research demonstrates that students with higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) exhibit lower grades in college (Pereira, et al., 2018). Further, higher levels of PTS during the first semester of college leads to higher rates of withdrawing from school (Boyraz, Horne, Owens, & Armstrong, 2013). Although there is ample evidence that the association between traumatic experiences are negatively correlated with academic performance, little is known about factors that may moderate or influence the relationship. Research has determined that higher levels of social support may facilitate recovery from trauma exposure and may lessen PTS symptoms in college students (Grasso, 2011). …

Exploring Attentional Biases, Dispositional Mindfulness, And The Suicide Stroop, Emma H. Moscardini

LSU Master's Theses

Extant research has found that attentional biases to suicide-related stimuli are relevant to suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). As such, attentional biases are a core feature of both the Fluid Vulnerability Theory of Suicide and the cognitive model of suicide. Individuals with an STB history have demonstrated attentional biases to suicide-related stimuli on a suicide Stroop task, and this attentional bias has been found to aid in prediction of suicide attempts at six-month follow-up. Better understanding this attentional bias may be useful for informing mindfulness-based interventions which target attentional biases, as dispositional mindfulness has been found to be related to …

Balancing Act: When Gender And Media Collide In Sports, Kimberly Friedman

LSU Master's Theses

Women’s Gymnastics is one of the most popular events at the Summer Olympic Games and media coverage of the team provides a unique perspective on women’s athletics, as gymnastics is traditionally considered a feminine sport. Utilizing a discourse analysis, this thesis examines the newspaper coverage received by the team in the last 25 years. This thesis explores the narratives regarding gender within the coverage and additionally explores how abuse narratives were discussed in news media throughout theses years. This research shows that how female gymnasts are discussed is growing in type of coverage received, meaning that how female gymnastics is …

Nonlinear Potential Analysis On Sobolev Multiplier Spaces, Keng Hao Ooi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We characterize preduals and Kothe duals to a class of Sobolev multiplier type spaces. Our results fit in well with the modern theory of function spaces of harmonic analysis and are also applicable to nonlinear partial differential equations. As a maneuver, we make use of several tools from nonlinear potential theory, weighted norm inequalities, and the theory of Banach function spaces to obtain our results. After characterizing the preduals, we establish a capacitary strong type inequality which resolves a special case of a conjecture by David R. Adams. As a consequence, we obtain several equivalent norms for Choquet integrals associated …

Stochastic Navier-Stokes Equations With Markov Switching, Po-Han Hsu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is devoted to the study of three-dimensional (regularized) stochastic Navier-Stokes equations with Markov switching. A Markov chain is introduced into the noise term to capture the transitions from laminar to turbulent flow, and vice versa. The existence of the weak solution (in the sense of stochastic analysis) is shown by studying the martingale problem posed by it. This together with the pathwise uniqueness yields existence of the unique strong solution (in the sense of stochastic analysis). The existence and uniqueness of a stationary measure is established when the noise terms are additive and autonomous. Certain exit time estimates …

Silicate-Solubilizing Bacteria In Louisiana Soils: Identification, Profiling, And Functions In Crop Production, Jayvee A. Cruz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Studies were conducted to determine the potential of silicate-solubilizing bacteria (SSB) as biostimulant in Louisiana rice (Oryza sativa L.) production systems. Isolation and profiling of SSB in Louisiana soils; evaluation on its effects on the silicon (Si) uptake and productivity of rice using various carriers derived from slag, rice hull, and sugarcane (Officinarum spp.) bagasse; and development of a feasible approach of incorporating SSB to the rice production system were conducted. Results showed that numerous bacteria isolated from Louisiana soils can solubilize silicate and produce multiple plant growth-promoting compounds. These potential SSBs were identified into four genera: Aeromonas, …

Campus Protests And Competing Marketplaces: A Legal Examination Of Operative Tension Between The Marketplace Of Ideas And The Neoliberal Marketplace, Gillian Patricia Foss

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes the marketplace of ideas analogy, a longstanding force in First Amendment jurisprudence, as it evolves within the same operational contexts as neoliberal economic policy in higher education. To accomplish this, the study focuses on students, the campus population whose activism patterns are distinctively associated with renewed public debate over free speech in university settings. The study combined legal and qualitative research methods to explore a modern campus environment, rife for student dissent, that exists in unresolved tension between the legal underpinnings of the marketplace of ideas analogy and institutional behaviors increasingly linked to neoliberalism. After all: findings …

Smart Quantum Technologies Using Photons, Narayan Bhusal

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The technologies utilizing quantum states of light have been in the spotlight for the last two decades. In this regard, quantum metrology, quantum imaging, quantum-optical communication are some of the important applications that exploit fascinating quantum properties like quantum superposition, quantum correlations, and nonclassical photon statistics. However, the state-of-art technologies operating at the single-photon level are not robust enough to truly realize a reliable quantum-photonic technology.

In Chapter 1, I present a historical account of photon-based technologies. Furthermore, I discuss recent efforts and encouraging developments in the field of quantum-photonic technologies, and major challenges for the experimental realization of reliable …

Towards A General Framework For Practical Quantum Network Protocols, Sumeet Khatri

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The quantum internet is one of the frontiers of quantum information science. It will revolutionize the way we communicate and do other tasks, and it will allow for tasks that are not possible using the current, classical internet. The backbone of a quantum internet is entanglement distributed globally in order to allow for such novel applications to be performed over long distances. Experimental progress is currently being made to realize quantum networks on a small scale, but much theoretical work is still needed in order to understand how best to distribute entanglement and to guide the realization of large-scale quantum …

Study Of Laser Based Additive Manufacturing For Titanium And Copper Alloys, Congyuan Zeng

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Material processing by laser is increasingly applied in industrial applications for its outstanding characteristics, such as localized heating, high efficiency, and high manufacturing precision. In this study, two kinds of laser material processing strategies were investigated, namely laser surface engineering and laser-powder-bed fusion additive manufacturing, with pure titanium and copper alloys as target materials, respectively.

For laser surface engineering related studies, the work includes the investigation of the dynamic interactions between titanium and pure nitrogen or ambient air under transient laser processing conditions. Thanks to the in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction tests, the high-temperature reaction steps between titanium and pure nitrogen/ambient …

Choosing Isds As A Major: Predictive Analysis, Sarah Johnson

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

“Borne Back Ceaselessly Into The Past”: Iterations Of The Sublime In William Wordsworth, Mary Shelley, And Virginia Woolf, Ashley Gilly

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Mechanical Rocking Motion On Transdifferentiating Feline Adipose Multipotent Stromal Cells Into Functioning Pancreatic Β-Cell Like Islets, Emily Halphen

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.