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Optimization Of Operational Costs In Data Centers, Shaoming Chen Apr 2015

Optimization Of Operational Costs In Data Centers, Shaoming Chen

LSU Master's Theses

The electricity cost of cloud computing data centers dominated by server power and cooling power is growing rapidly. To tackle this problem, inlet air with moderate temperature and server consolidation are widely adopted. However, the benefit of these two methods is limited due to conventional air cooling systems ineffectiveness caused by re-circulation and low heat capacity. To address this problem, hybrid air and liquid cooling, as a practical and inexpensive approach, has been introduced. In this work, we quantitatively analyze the impact of server consolidation and temperature of cooling water on the total electricity and server maintenance costs in hybrid …


A Comparative Analysis Of Roundabouts And Traffic Signals Through A Corridor, Melissa Arrigo Lebas Jan 2015

A Comparative Analysis Of Roundabouts And Traffic Signals Through A Corridor, Melissa Arrigo Lebas

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis presents a case study on an urban arterial corridor consisting of four intersections located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The research evaluates alternative roundabout designs in order to improve traffic flow through a currently congested corridor. The objectives of the research were to evaluate the effect of roundabouts in an urban arterial corridor, select the best alternative for the given corridor characteristics, and test the capacity of the alternative roundabout corridors. The three alternatives that were considered as part of this study were the existing signalized corridor, a partial two-lane roundabout corridor, and a partial three-lane roundabout corridor. Field …


In The Shadow Of Big Oil A Media Content Analysis Of The 'Big Oil' Stigma, Camille Nicole Ivy-O'Donnell Jan 2015

In The Shadow Of Big Oil A Media Content Analysis Of The 'Big Oil' Stigma, Camille Nicole Ivy-O'Donnell

LSU Master's Theses

This study examined media frames newspapers use in their coverage of the oil and gas industry. A content analysis was conducted to analyze if the oil and gas industry was portrayed positively or negatively in Louisiana newspapers compared to Texas newspapers and how the coverage between states differs. This comprehensive content analysis of print media coverage analyzed newspaper articles and provided a detailed explanation of results about how the oil and gas industry was portrayed over a five-year period of time as compared to other studies, which only analyzed the industry during a crisis period. Through categorization of the frames …


Increasing Student Engagement In The Secondary Math Classroom, Chantell Holloway Walker Jan 2015

Increasing Student Engagement In The Secondary Math Classroom, Chantell Holloway Walker

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis reports on a professional development package developed by the author to help three teachers increase the level of student engagement in their math classrooms. There were three phases: 1) initial presentation of strategies and sample lessons, 2) classroom implementation, 3) reflection and evaluation. As a result of the professional development, the Louisiana Compass Teacher Evaluation Rubric scores of the teachers improved in the area of student engagement. This thesis can be used as a guide for principals or instructional specialists who wish to provide professional development for small groups of teachers, with a focus on increasing student engagement.


An Analysis Of Risk Perceptions And Attitudes Towards Climate Change Among Residents Of Southeastern Louisiana, Heather Marie Brown Jan 2015

An Analysis Of Risk Perceptions And Attitudes Towards Climate Change Among Residents Of Southeastern Louisiana, Heather Marie Brown

LSU Master's Theses

Climate change is an important issue of concern, as its environmental impacts are already beginning to manifest in various means, such as through sea level rise and increased frequencies of storms. Areas of high vulnerability to the effects of climate change, such as southeastern Louisiana, are prime locations to initiate research in determining what factors influence individual’s risk perceptions towards climate change. This study aims is to identify key factors, specifically in the areas of socioeconomic, demographic, exposure, and attitudinal attributes, which affect climate change risk perceptions. The study area is that of the zip codes around Lake Pontchartrain in …


"The Lonely Romantic": Nature, Education, And Cultural Pessimism In The Early Works Of Hermann Hesse, Erik Paul Wagner Jan 2015

"The Lonely Romantic": Nature, Education, And Cultural Pessimism In The Early Works Of Hermann Hesse, Erik Paul Wagner

LSU Master's Theses

This study examines the early works of Hermann Hesse in the historical context of early twentieth-century Germany. While Hesse’s literary career spans over six decades, most scholarship focuses only on a brief period. Historians study his Weimar novels, as psychologically penetrating pieces that offer insights into this fascinating and chaotic era of German history. Yet, Hesse’s early works have not received due attention in historical scholarship. This situation is unfortunate because Hesse’s prewar writings provide interesting and relevant commentary on life in fin de siècle Germany. Hesse’s early writings offer unique insights into aspects of German culture and society, specifically …


Characterization Of Biopolymer Using Swcc And Microfluidic Models: Implication On Eor, Jungyeon Jang Jan 2015

Characterization Of Biopolymer Using Swcc And Microfluidic Models: Implication On Eor, Jungyeon Jang

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this study is to investigate the characteristics of biopolymers and to examine their application for soil stabilization and oil production. Biopolymers, the composite of multi-living organisms, are one of the most promising materials in the field of geotechnical engineering. The application of biopolymer is more efficient than water for soil stabilization and oil production due to its higher viscosity as a fill material of pores in the soil. This thesis begins with a definition of Agar and Polyacrylamide (PAM) as the measurement of viscosity, contact angle, and surface tension. The application of microfluidic models are applied to …


Effect Of The Herbicide Atrazine On Phytoplankton, Water Quality, And Ecosystem Functions In Louisiana Estuaries, Alexis Victoria Starr Jan 2015

Effect Of The Herbicide Atrazine On Phytoplankton, Water Quality, And Ecosystem Functions In Louisiana Estuaries, Alexis Victoria Starr

LSU Master's Theses

Pesticides are used primarily for agricultural purposes in the US and while these chemicals provide many benefits, the inherent toxicity of the compounds pose a substantial risk to the environment. These chemicals may enter water bodies in areas with a high proportion of agricultural land use through surface run off, ground water discharge, and erosion, and negatively impact non-target aquatic organisms. As a result, Louisiana’s estuaries may be vulnerable to a variety of compounds, including the herbicide atrazine. Atrazine is used extensively throughout the Midwest and has been known to enter the Mississippi River through surface runoff and ground water …


Comparison Of Occlusal Area And Postcanine Mesiodistal Length In Old World And New World Monkeys, Ashley Marie Franklin Jan 2015

Comparison Of Occlusal Area And Postcanine Mesiodistal Length In Old World And New World Monkeys, Ashley Marie Franklin

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to discover the relationship between the number of teeth and the postcanine occlusal area and postcanine mesiodistal length in select OWM and NWM species. New World monkeys (NWM) have 12 premolars, whereas Old World monkeys (OWM) have 8. Four species are studied: Cercopithecus albogularis and Colobus guereza (OWM), and Cebus capucinus and Alouatta palliata (NWM). Two pairs of species are chosen because they are classified as having the same general folivorous and omnivorous diet: Co. guereza and A. palliata, and Cer. albogularis and Ceb. capucinus, respectively. Adult, wild caught, female specimens from the Smithsonian, …


Exploration Of Segmented Flow In Microchannels Using The Volume Of Fluid Method In Ansys Fluent, Jace Michael Boudreaux Jan 2015

Exploration Of Segmented Flow In Microchannels Using The Volume Of Fluid Method In Ansys Fluent, Jace Michael Boudreaux

LSU Master's Theses

Segmented flow can be utilized in lab-on-a-chip technologies to speed up chemical and biological analysis. Segmented flow (also known as Taylor flow or the Bretherton problem) has often been explored in circular channels, but rectangular channels are more common for microfluidics applications. To this end, pressure-driven droplet flow in a square microchannel is studied using the volume of fluid method in ANSYS Fluent, a computational fluid dynamics program. It was found that for low Reynolds number (Ret = 0.01) and droplet sizes larger than the channel diameter, the flow is mostly influenced by capillary number and viscosity ratio. The …


Early Horizon Community Organization And Neighborhoods As Seen Through The Spatial Analysis Of Residential Architecture At The Urban Center Of Caylán, Peru, Ashley Nichols Whitten Jan 2015

Early Horizon Community Organization And Neighborhoods As Seen Through The Spatial Analysis Of Residential Architecture At The Urban Center Of Caylán, Peru, Ashley Nichols Whitten

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis focuses on the spatial analysis of monumental, residential compounds at the Early Horizon urban center of Caylán (800-1 B.C.), Nepeña Valley, Peru. The utilization of space parallels the economic, social political and ideological aspects of human cultures. Hence, through the study of architectural space, aspects of the culture such as social organization can be deduced. This thesis focuses on the residential compounds with the objective of reconstructing patterns of social and community organization at Caylán. The monumental, residential compounds located at Caylán are organized into a dense urban core. The enclosures abut one another through a complex system …


Pretérito Vs. Imperfecto: Variación En La Producción Lingüística De Los Mexicanos En El Sur De Luisiana., Jose Fernando Rojas Jan 2015

Pretérito Vs. Imperfecto: Variación En La Producción Lingüística De Los Mexicanos En El Sur De Luisiana., Jose Fernando Rojas

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT This thesis addresses the linguistic production of Spanish preterit and imperfect in the Mexican community that reside at the south of the state of Louisiana. More precisely in Baton Rouge, Scott and Lafayette. Other literature have worked this topic noticing a variation while the past tense is used, among others are Silva-Corvalán (1994) noticed that the Mexican community in Los Ángeles, California uses the imperfect in preterit context with stative verbs. Montrul (2009), on the other hand, notices similar behavior in heritage speakers and Delgado-Díaz (2013) suggested that same behavior in the use of these forms can be seen …


Modeling The Crude Oil Scheduling Problem With Integration With Lower Level Production Optimization And Uncertainty, Jorge Asis Charbel Chebeir Jan 2015

Modeling The Crude Oil Scheduling Problem With Integration With Lower Level Production Optimization And Uncertainty, Jorge Asis Charbel Chebeir

LSU Master's Theses

This research is focused on the modeling and optimization of the crude oil scheduling problem in order to generate the most appropriate schedule for the unloading, charging, blending, and movement of crude oil in a refinery, which means obtaining the schedule that generates the lowest costs. Uncertainty, which is often present in these types of optimization problems, is also analyzed and taken into account for the resolution of crude oil scheduling problem. A comprehensive novel model is proposed to describe the upper level crude oil scheduling problem, generate an optimal solution for the mentioned problem, and allow integration with the …


An Investigation Of The Quality And Quantity Of Student Motivation In Physical Education, Trey Douglas Willoughby Jan 2015

An Investigation Of The Quality And Quantity Of Student Motivation In Physical Education, Trey Douglas Willoughby

LSU Master's Theses

Physical inactivity is a prevalent problem in the United States associated with numerous health risk factors. Over half the population fails to meet prescribed physical activity recommendations, suggesting that individuals become less active as they age. It is important to observe individuals in the Physical Education setting because it is an ideal environment to provide meaningful physical activity, while promoting lifetime physical activity. This research sought to understand motivational behaviors in high school adolescents, attempting to draw links between physical education, student satisfaction, and leisure-time physical activity. Three research questions were present: (1) What relationships do high school student perceive …


Nature's Geometry, Lin Feng Jan 2015

Nature's Geometry, Lin Feng

LSU Master's Theses

The beauty of the natural world, from the literal to the abstract: color, texture, shape, sounds, plant structure and anatomy, has continuously been the source of inspiration for artists and graphic designers. Our natural environment provides a readily available resource as a basis of visual study and exploration to develop a unique visual language and construct compelling work. Therefore, the aim of my thesis investigation is to create a new visual language and communication based on the inherent beauty within nature and geometric forms found in nature. I began my investigation by developing a family of symbols based on natural …


An Experimental Investigation Of Autonomy Support Versus Thwart In An Exergaming Context, Amanda Joy Weathers-Meyer Jan 2015

An Experimental Investigation Of Autonomy Support Versus Thwart In An Exergaming Context, Amanda Joy Weathers-Meyer

LSU Master's Theses

Considerable literature in self-determination theory (SDT) establishes satisfaction of basic psychological needs related to competence, autonomy, and relatedness as important determinants of well-being and motivation. Despite the abundance of SDT literature, few studies provide an investigation of autonomy support and autonomy thwart within an experimental design. Using SDT as a guiding framework, the effects of autonomy support (AS) versus autonomy thwart (AT) were examined within an exergaming context. Specifically, this study investigated the impact of autonomy support / thwart on five variables: perceived autonomy need satisfaction and autonomy thwart, affect, game performance, and willingness to recommend the study to others. …


Factors Influencing Sustainable Cocoa Production In Northern Haiti, Wegbert Chery Jan 2015

Factors Influencing Sustainable Cocoa Production In Northern Haiti, Wegbert Chery

LSU Master's Theses

Given the environmental concerns on the one hand, especially soil erosion and deforestation, and the hope that the global cocoa market offers on the other hand, cocoa production is a potential candidate to simultaneously guarantee a competitive return to investment for farmers in northern Haiti and mitigate the negative environmental impact of farming practices. It becomes crucial for policy makers and investors to know and understand the key elements of the decision to produce cocoa. Though there has been substantial effort to improve the cocoa sector in Haiti, cocoa production systems in Haiti lag behind in the area of sustainability. …


Evaluating The Effects Of Vacuum Tumbling With Chitosan Nanoparticles And Water-Soluble Chitosan On The Shelf Life Of Cryogenically Frozen Shrimp, Alexander Chouljenko Jan 2015

Evaluating The Effects Of Vacuum Tumbling With Chitosan Nanoparticles And Water-Soluble Chitosan On The Shelf Life Of Cryogenically Frozen Shrimp, Alexander Chouljenko

LSU Master's Theses

Chitosan (CH) is a biopolymer obtained from the deacetylation of chitin, a polysaccharide present in the exoskeleton of crustaceans and cell walls of fungi. Application of CH may be limited by its water-insolubility. It can be dissolved in acids and forms relatively high viscosity solutions. CH solutions have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. CH penetration into shrimp may be facilitated by vacuum tumbling with low viscosity chitosan-sodium tripolyphosphate (CH-TPP) nanoparticle or water-soluble chitosan (WSC) solutions. It is expected that this would reduce lipid oxidation and microbial loads. In this study, CH-TPP and WSC solutions were developed and applied to shrimp, and …


Reliability Of Subjective Endoscopic Parameters In The Differentiation Of Essential Voice Tremor And Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia Using High-Speed Videoendoscopy, Lindsey A. Parker Jan 2015

Reliability Of Subjective Endoscopic Parameters In The Differentiation Of Essential Voice Tremor And Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia Using High-Speed Videoendoscopy, Lindsey A. Parker

LSU Master's Theses

Certain neurogenic voice disorders present with similar or overlapping audio perceptual voice characteristics. Developing reliable and standardized perceptual measures of vocal fold vibratory characteristics for such voice disorders can enable accurate diagnosis and lead to faster, targeted treatment. In this study, subjective perceptual vocal fold vibratory characteristics and the presence and absence of supraglottic events during phonation were investigated to differentiate between Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia (ADSD) and Essential Vocal Fold Tremor (EVT) using high-speed videoendoscopy (HSV). The specific aims of the study were to 1) assess which subjective endoscopic vocal fold vibratory measures differentiate EVT from AdSD; and 2) assess …


Multiscale Modeling Of Smart Materials Under Static And Dynamic Thermo-Mechanical Loading, Soodabeh Sharafi Jan 2015

Multiscale Modeling Of Smart Materials Under Static And Dynamic Thermo-Mechanical Loading, Soodabeh Sharafi

LSU Master's Theses

Engineering material systems with tailored capabilities are a topic trend in plethora of research. Polymer based Artificial Muscle, PAM, and Shape memory polymer fiber, SMPF, enable structural engineers to incorporate smartness functionality into their design through programming cycles. Smartness functionality leads to the production of artificial muscles with different load carrying capability. SMPF is another category of smart materials, which are capable of being micro-structurally engineered to isolate vibration at different temperature and frequency conditions. The smartness functionality offers the adjustment between inherent properties of these materials with their industrial applications through modeling techniques. Mixture of phenomenological, numerical, mathematical models …


Poly (Lactic Co-Glycolic) Acid Nanoparticles: Synthesis Using Millifluidic Chip And Interaction With Red Blood Cells, Sumit Libi Jan 2015

Poly (Lactic Co-Glycolic) Acid Nanoparticles: Synthesis Using Millifluidic Chip And Interaction With Red Blood Cells, Sumit Libi

LSU Master's Theses

Nanoparticles (NPs) have recently been developed for application as drug carriers in different fields, including biomedical engineering. This study was focused on the use of a millifluidic chip for synthesis of polymeric poly (lactic co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NPs and the understanding of PLGA NPs interaction and effect on red blood cells (RBCs). A method for NPs synthesis on a millifluidic chip was developed, exploiting the precise flow control offered by this device. PLGA NPs ranging from 230nm to 350nm in diameter were produced. Smaller NPs of lower polydispersity were synthesized at higher flow rates of the aqueous phase; increase in …


Using Stormwater Modeling In Iterative Site Design: An Integration Of Techniques From Engineering And Landscape Architecture, Brooke Erin Morris Jan 2015

Using Stormwater Modeling In Iterative Site Design: An Integration Of Techniques From Engineering And Landscape Architecture, Brooke Erin Morris

LSU Master's Theses

Landscape Architects currently do not have an efficient method for including stormwater quantities in early stages of their design process. With stormwater control infrastructure and theory rapidly shifting in favor of stormwater management with Green Infrastructure or Low Impact Development technologies (LIDs), landscape architects and planners are increasingly making layout and sizing decisions for stormwater design. Due to the development of modeling tools, it is now possible to rapidly produce quantifiable stormwater values for complex site designs at a range of scales. This paper proposes a methodology for the utilization of the EPA – Stormwater Management Model (SWMM), in conjunction …


Sub-Marine Sediment Instability Near Southwest Pass Of The Mississippi River: Evidence Of Mass Movements From Raciochemistry And Other Proxies, Gregory Paul Keller Jan 2015

Sub-Marine Sediment Instability Near Southwest Pass Of The Mississippi River: Evidence Of Mass Movements From Raciochemistry And Other Proxies, Gregory Paul Keller

LSU Master's Theses

Mass wasting events are an important geomorphic control on the Mississippi River Delta Front. Short multicores (<50cm) and longer gravity cores (<3m) were collected seaward of the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River Delta and were analyzed to assess the frequency, extent, and potential causes of submarine mass wasting events. Cores were analyzed for radionuclide activity, grain size, and density at 2cm resolution. Short-term sedimentation rates calculated from 7-Be are 2-16cm/y, while longer-term accumulation from 210-Pb are only 1.3-7.3 cm/y. In most cores, 210-Pb activity steadily decreases downcore without displaying a “stairstep” nature. However, seven cores have layers of low 210-Pb activity stratigraphically above layers with higher activity. In a gravity core from a mudflow gully, 210-Pb steadily decreases for the upper 70 cm before stabilizing for the remaining 150 cm. Clay content generally ranges between 25-40% and sand ranges between 5-15% with silt making up the rest of each sample. Sediment accumulation rates derived from 210-Pb in the short cores indicate that proximity to the river mouth has stronger influence than depositional environment (mudflow gully, depositional lobe, prodelta). This finding may be explained by rapid sedimentation rates coupled with a reduced tropical cyclone activity over the delta in the last seven years (2006-2013) which is a known cause of mass wasting events. The regions of decreased 210-Pb activity may be evidence of scavenging effects of plume sedimentation because they do not correspond with decreases in clay fraction. The layer of homogenized activity below 70cm in the gully core corresponds with a layer of decreased density. This layer occurs at a depth equivalent to 9-18 years, indicating mixing on a decadal scale from mudflows. These results may be explained by a lack of recent mass failures corresponding with lulls in tropical cyclone activity over the delta, preceded by a period of more active hurricane-driven mudflow activity.


Exploring Rational Numbers In Middle School, Robyn Jasmin Boudoin Jan 2015

Exploring Rational Numbers In Middle School, Robyn Jasmin Boudoin

LSU Master's Theses

The move by the state of Louisiana to fully implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) from 2013 -2014 school year on and to align all state mandated tests to the CCSS has caused teachers to change the way they teach and how they deliver content. The overall most crucial new part of the CCSS in Mathematics is the emphasis on the “Standards for Mathematical Practice”. In order to illustrate the meaning of the Mathematical Practice Standards, non routine problems must be used that allow students and teachers to “dig deeper” and practice their mathematical habits of mind. Rational numbers …


The Effect Of Teacher Vs. Student-Set Performance Goals On Academic Achievement In A Middle School Science Classroom, Tyne Nicole Courville Jan 2015

The Effect Of Teacher Vs. Student-Set Performance Goals On Academic Achievement In A Middle School Science Classroom, Tyne Nicole Courville

LSU Master's Theses

Self-regulation and self-efficacy are both necessary for students to be independent learners. During middle school, students begin to yearn for academic autonomy, but lack the ability to regulate themselves and are unreasonable about their abilities. Goals have been proven to promote the development of these two skills. The purpose of this investigation was to determine which type of performance goal most efficiently promotes the development of self-regulation. The effects of performance goal source were analyzed to determine if teacher-assigned or student assigned performance goals produce greater growth in content knowledge for seventh grade life science students. The effects of goal …


Augmented Renaissance: From Creation To Revelation, Christopher Atkinson Jan 2015

Augmented Renaissance: From Creation To Revelation, Christopher Atkinson

LSU Master's Theses

During the summer of 2013, the M.F.A. acting ensemble at Louisiana State University was charged with devising solo performance projects that would be performed December 6-14, 2014. We were given artistic freedom to create shows that could cover different topics and a variety of genres. The writing and performance of this project served as a graduation requirement, but was also pitched as a professional opportunity post graduation. Initially I opposed this project, but I soon became elated once I chose my subject matter. I knew that if I was going to perform a solo piece for 30-40 minutes it had …


Ages Of [Wo]Man, Amanda Jane Clark Jan 2015

Ages Of [Wo]Man, Amanda Jane Clark

LSU Master's Theses

Ages of [Wo]Man, was written to fulfill the thesis requirements of a solo performance for the M.F.A in Acting at Louisiana State University (LSU) in May 2015. The purpose of this project is to write, produce and perform a solo performance, to be reproduced after my time here at LSU. This paper documents the conception of my work, adaptation of Shakespeare’s text, rehearsal process and production of this piece. It contains five chapters. Chapter 1 is comprised of an introduction and discussion of how I decided on the topic for my solo performance. Chapter 2 continues with a layout of …


Hydrological Influences On Catahoula Lake In An Altered Floodplain, Lincoln Dugue Jan 2015

Hydrological Influences On Catahoula Lake In An Altered Floodplain, Lincoln Dugue

LSU Master's Theses

Floodplain lakes in floodplains of large rivers undergoing intensive alterations are subject to hydrologic alteration. One example is in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) and pivotal habitat for wildlife. Catahoula Lake has experienced hydrologic regime alterations over the past ~150 years that may be contribute to changes in the habitat with expansion of woody plants. A Diversion Channel was constructed in 1972 to provide the natural, annual de-watering of the lake to maintain its ecological integrity, but ecologic changes are still occurring. Our general goal is to understand the hydrologic regime of the lake, particularly the historical hydrologic regime …


Impact Of Multileaf Collimator Configuration Parameters On The Dosimetric Accuracy Of 6-Mv Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatment Plans, Nicholas Colin Petersen Jan 2015

Impact Of Multileaf Collimator Configuration Parameters On The Dosimetric Accuracy Of 6-Mv Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatment Plans, Nicholas Colin Petersen

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: To improve the dosimetric accuracy of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) dose distributions as calculated by the treatment planning system (TPS) by optimizing the parameters that govern multileaf collimator (MLC) transmission and rounded leaf offset. Methods: The MLC leaf transmission was optimized based on measurements made with ionization chambers and radiographic film. The rounded leaf offset table was optimized by measuring the radiation field edge as a function of leaf bank position with an ionization chamber in a water scanning tank and comparing the location to TPS equivalent dose calculations. Optimizations were validated by performing IMRT quality assurance (QA) …


Dosimetric Advantages Of Personalized Phantoms For Quality Assurance And Research In Radiation Dose Measurements, Andrew Michael Halloran Jan 2015

Dosimetric Advantages Of Personalized Phantoms For Quality Assurance And Research In Radiation Dose Measurements, Andrew Michael Halloran

LSU Master's Theses

Background: Phantoms have been in use in medical and health physics for decades, serving as a surrogate for human tissue in several different applications. In radiation dose measurements, anthropomorphic phantoms are designed with tissue substitute materials to mimic both the elemental compositions and anatomical structures of the human body. In some cases the performance of anthropomorphic phantoms for personalized measurements is severely limited by the use of reference anatomy in the geometric design. 3D printing could potentially be used to overcome some of these shortcomings by enabling rapid fabrication of personalized phantoms for individual patients based on radiographic imaging data. …