Digital Commons Network^™

Intraguild Predation: Interactions Between Predators, Pathogens, And Their Shared Resources In Crop Pest Communities, Andrew Jason Flick

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Crop pest management requires an understanding of the complex interactions among pest species that potentially damage crop yield and species that may be crucial for controlling pest species outbreaks. For example, predators, parasitoids, and pathogens are constantly interacting via their shared prey or hosts. Predators may prefer infected prey, which can be easier to catch; however, infected prey may be less nutritious or even lethal for predators. These interactions then dictate the short-term dynamics of host and pathogen as well as between prey and predator. "How these dynamics change as the species in the system change either empirically or theoretically?" …

Costs And Benefits Of Flood Mitigation In Louisiana, Arash Taghi Nezhad Bilandi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Assessing the costs and benefits of hazard mitigation efforts is an essential component of disaster management, planning, and resilience assessment. These calculations are particularly important in locations vulnerable to multiple hazards with high frequencies, such as coastal Louisiana. This study aims to provide an improved understanding of the costs and benefits of flood mitigation efforts in Louisiana funded by federal government grants between 2005 and 2015. Project data provided by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) were summarized and missing values were imputed using robust statistical approaches. Elevation project cost was investigated for prediction by statistical …

Phenotypic And Transcriptomic Characterization Of Colonial Phase Variation In The Cholera Pathogen Reveals A Novel Smooth Biofilm-Defective Form, Bliss Nicole Lambert

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Biofilm formation, through the production of Vibrio polysaccharide (VPS), greatly enhances the environmental fitness and pathogenic success of Vibrio cholerae. As a result of phase variation, V. cholerae can switch from a smooth form to rugose, whose cells produce excess VPS, resulting in highly structured biofilms and greater resistance to stress. To further characterize the reversible process of phase variation, we isolated three colonial lineages. Each lineage began with a smooth parent, N16961, and contained a rugose variant derived from the parent, N16961R, as well as a smooth revertant of the rugose, N16961SD. We found clear phenotypic and transcriptomic …

Temperature Transient Analysis For Reservoir Characterization, Yilin Mao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recent developments in downhole temperature measurements open new alternatives contributing to reservoir characterization. In this dissertation, novel forward and inverse models to analyze production- and injection-induced temperature signals are developed for conventional and unconventional reservoir applications. Important limitations of the proposed models are addressed by accounting for fluid property variations and complex production strategies.

Forward modeling approaches involve making relevant assumptions that allow rigorous analytical solutions to be constructed using Laplace transform, Method of Characteristics, and control volume analysis. Our results of the analytical models are benchmarked with those from commercial numerical simulation software. Multiple possible scenarios of conventional reservoirs …

Singularity Resolution In Anisotropic And Black Hole Spacetimes In Loop Quantum Cosmology, Sahil Saini

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Loop quantum cosmology (LQC) has in recent years led to successful resolution of singularities in cosmological models while agreeing with general relativity in low curvature limit. Existence of a bounce and the possibility of an effective continuum description closely approximating the quantum evolution have been notable features of this singularity resolution. The effective spacetimes of loop quantized isotropic and Bianchi-I models have been shown to be geodesically complete and free from strong singularities. In this dissertation, we extend these results to effective loop quantized Bianchi-II, Bianchi-IX and Kantowski--Sachs models with arbitrary minimally coupled matter, and also explore the possibility of …

Musical Introductions To Cavalleria Rusticana: Giuseppe Perrotta's "Bozzetto Sinfonico" And Pietro Mascagni's "Preludio", Ronaldo Augusto Teles Dos Santos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Giovanni Verga’s Cavalleria rusticana has inspired a variety of musical works, among them Giuseppe Perrotta’s “Bozzetto sinfonico” (an overture to Verga’s play), and Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana (a one-act opera based on a libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci). Each composition represents a genre on which scholarship is scarce: late nineteenth-century incidental music and the late nineteenth-century operatic prelude. Considering both Perrotta’s “Bozzetto sinfonico” and Mascagni’s “Preludio” as musical introductions to stage works, this study undertakes a complete hermeneutic analysis of both works (chapters 2 and 3). The analysis of Perrotta’s “Bozzetto sinfonico” is guided by a letter in …

Changing Land-Use From Pinus Elliottii To Eucalyptus Bentamii In Southwest Louisiana Affects Understory Vegetation Richness, Diversity, And Functional Diversity Patterns, Andrea De Stefano

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the Western Gulf region of the United States cold-tolerant eucalyptus have been explored as pulpwood feedstock. However, non-native plantations may alter understory species diversity, modifying environmental conditions and soil characteristics. Few studies have compared eucalyptus plantations with other ecosystems to understand the impacts of converting these land uses on understory vegetation in the United States. Three plantations were selected: (1) slash pine (Pinus elliottii) established in 2008, (2) slash pine established in 2013, and (3) and Camden white gum (Eucalyptus benthamii) established in 2013. The objectives of this study were to: (1) investigate potential changes …

Men’S Jeans Fit Based On Body Shape Categorization, Elahe Saeidi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to categorize lower body shape in men and to investigate the interplay between body shape and fitting issues appearing in men’s jeans. More specifically, the goal of the study was to improve apparel fit based on body shape. The detailed objectives of the study were to: (1) Categorize male body shapes using statistical analysis; (2) use 3D virtual fitting technology to assess fit and develop a shape-driven pants block pattern for each body shape.

This quantitative study was conducted in three stages: (1) categorizing the body shape of 1420 male scans, aged 18-35, from …

Preparation Of Cellulose Nanofibers From Bamboo Using Microwave Liquefaction, Jiulong Xie

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cellulose nanofibers isolated from renewable lignocellulosic biomass are considered highly promising fillers in preparing sustainable composite materials. Although previous technologies on the production of cellulose nanofibers were encouraging, drawbacks such as chemical reagent, high energy consumption, time-consumption, and equipment degradation have limited these techniques for practical applications. In this work, bamboo particles were subjected to microwave liquefaction process and the liquefied bamboo residues were characterized to have a better understanding of the liquefaction behaviors of bamboo. Then, the microwave liquefaction process was optimized for the production of cellulose raw materials and the isolation of cellulose nanofibers. The lignin fraction fractionated …

Performers As Teachers: A Case Study On How Two El Sistema-Inspired Teaching Artists' Performance Identities Manifested During Instruction, Alicia J. Monroe

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Kids’ Orchestra (KO) is an afterschool El Sistema-inspired program in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a Title I school district, which employs a high percentage of musicians who identify strongly as performers. During the 2017-2018 school year, 52 of 59 KO teaching artists were considered professional musicians with training in music performance, with no educational background and/or prior experience in music education.

The recent development of ESI programs across the United States has fostered claims of using music education as a way to bring social change to the community it works in. Research exploring the specific nature of the pedagogy …

An Improved Method To Calculate Gas-Lift Valve Set Pressure And Valve Performance Curves, Khadhr A Kh Altarabulsi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The main objective of this work is toimprove the accuracy on calculations of design set pressure and performance curves (sizing equations) for Gas-Lift Valves (GLVs) at high pressure (real conditions). This improved calculation method is demonstrated to have an important effect on well unloading and production operations.

The analysis of the valve design set pressure includes an experimental evaluation of the effect of internal dome volume changes on the design set pressure due to the presence of silicone and thermal effects. The evaluationis carried out for different levels of GLV silicone fill, pressures and temperatures. Silicone fills covered 7.5, 10, …

The Urban Archaeological Supersite Paradigm: Integrating Archaeology And Hgis Into Heritage Management, Andrea P. White

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The archaeological heritages of many of the world’s historic cities are at risk. If these urban archaeological resources are destroyed before excavation and documentation using sound archaeological techniques, the material histories of these cities are erased. The Urban Archaeological Supersite Paradigm is presented as means to address some of the threats facing urban archaeological sites.

The urban archaeological supersite paradigm is both an applied and a scholarly research framework useful for examining and interpreting the urban past and for helping to address urban archaeological heritage at risk. It conceptualizes the historic city as a supersite made up of numerous archaeological …

Rats Fed Dietary Bioactive Components (Resistant Starch, Whole Grains, And Fat) Undergo Altered Biometrics And Gene Expression As A Result Of Gut Fermentation, Justin Lamont Guice

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The whole grain and fat content of the diet have been previously shown to affect intestinal fermentation and phenotype conferred by high–amylose maize resistant starch (HAMRS), a form of fermentable dietary fiber. The current studies were designed to compare rodent gut health following consumption of whole grain and non–whole grain prebiotics on moderate fat (MF) and high fat (HF) diets, and to optimize health effect based on dosage of whole grain resistant starch prebiotics.

Study 1: Diets were prepared to contain the following factors RS (Present/Absent), WG (Present/Absent), and Fat (HF/MF). A three–way ANOVA was performed with statistical slice …

For Every Mountain: A Phenomenological Study Examining The Experiences Of First-Generation, Low Socioeconomic Status, Black Males Excelling At Select Predominately White Institutions In Louisiana, Jovan Thomas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study is an attempt to examine the academic experiences among low SES, first-generation Black males who are excelling at select PWI’s in Louisiana. The images created of Black men in our society often confine them to environments shaped by drugs, crime, athletics, and academic failure. The path to upward mobility or economic success for African American men is often filled with obstacles and roadblocks. For a period of decades, there has been much research dedicated to African American male academic success and first-generation college students, whereas, the focus on low SES, first-generation Black males who excel at Predominantly White …

Speciation And Hybridization In Jamaican-Endemic Streamertail Hummingbirds (Trochilus Polytmus And T. Scitulus), Caroline D. Judy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Streamertails hummingbirds (Trochilus polytmus and T. scitulus) are recently diverged sister taxa that appear to have speciated in situ on the island of Jamaica. They are distinguished by male bill color, a secondary sexual trait that is coral red in T. polytmus and jet black in T. scitulus. They hybridize in a narrow zone where their ranges meet in eastern Jamaica. In Chapter 2, I performed a formal population survey of T. scitulus to determine the size of the population, which was unknown. I determined that the total population contains well over 100,000 individuals despite its limited …

The Effects Of Pressure And Magnetic Field On Phase Transitions And Related Physical Properties In Solid State Caloric Materials, Ahmad Ikhwan Us Saleheen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Solid-state caloric effects, such as the magnetocaloric (MCE) and barocaloric (BCE) effects, may be utilized in future cooling technologies that are more efficient and environment-friendly. Large caloric effects often occur near phase transitions, especially near coupled first-order magnetostructural transitions (MST), and are initiated by external parameters, such as magnetic field or hydrostatic pressure. In this dissertation, the effects of pressure, temperature, and magnetic field on the phase transitions in three material systems are studied in order to elucidate how the respective caloric effects are affected.

In the first study, the realization of a coupled MST in a MnNiSi-based system through …

I Am Complicated, And So Is My Blackness: A Trifecta Exploration Of Educational Spaces And Identity Development, Kala Burrell-Craft

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Myriads of research studies have been written over the past 20 years highlighting the racial gap and disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes between Black and White students, but as revealed in a review of the literature, more studies need to be conducted that examine the intersection of race, space/place, and racial identity development. Using critical race theory as a framework, this study comprised of three separate, but related essays that explore the function of educational spaces in which Black Americans navigate, grow, and develop as it intersects with race, space/place, and identity development. Essay one is a critical narrative …

The Evolution Of A Collaborative Network: Understanding Partnerships In A Policy Mandated Collaboration Through Social Network Analysis, Pallavi Singh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Federal funding agencies that administer financial support in the form of program grants to non-profit organizations (NPOs) that provide child and family services increasingly require NPOs to formalize inter-organizational partnerships in order to receive this vital source of funding. That is, by mandate NPOs must participate in inter-organizational collaboration networks to receive these essential federal funds. Therefore, there is a need to understand the collaboration behavior of NPOs in a policy-mandated environment. This study considers collaboration behavior as information sharing and advice-seeking between the organizations who are part of a collaboration network as a result of a policy mandate.

Drawing …

Transforming Lives In Coastal Communities Through Economic Development: Breeding Crassostrea Virginica For Alternative Oyster Culture, Brian Randall Callam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation helped address the commercialization of triploid Crassostrea virginica production and develop tetraploid C. virginica broodstock in Louisiana by addressing triploid commercialization and tetraploid broodstock development. This was done by: 1) developing regional breeding plans for diploid and tetraploid C. virginica targeted at the Gulf Coastal Region, 2) assessing the effect of chromosome set manipulation on gonadal development in diploid, triploid, and tetraploid C. virginica, 3) quantifying the variation of commercially important hatchery traits in triploid C. virginica larvae from different tetraploid parents, 4) developing an up-to-date remote setting manual for the Gulf Coastal Region for industry use, …

Novel Design And Synthesis Of Composite Nanomaterials For Lithium And Multivalent Ion Batteries, Wangwang Xu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Nowadays, the fast-increasing energy demand for efficient, sustainable and environmentally-friendly energy storage devices remains a significant and challenging issue. Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) have been widely used as commercial energy devices in portable electronics and also shown great promise in upcoming large-scale applications due to their advantages of environmental safety, efficiency in energy delivering and light weight. However, due to their limited capacity, energy densities and cycle ability, LIBs still need further improvement to expand their applications to a larger field, especially electric vehicle (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), in which energy storage devices with large capacity and high …

Design And Application Of Task-Specific Gumbos And Nanogumbos For Sensing And Separation, Mingyan Cong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The work presented in this dissertation employs task-specific materials for sensing and protein separation applications. These materials were derived from a group of uniform materials based on organic salts (GUMBOS). GUMBOS are organic salts similar to ionic liquids, but have melting points ranging from 25 to 250 °C. As with ionic liquids, the properties of GUMBOS can be easily tuned by changing the counter-ion. Thus, task-specific GUMBOS can be designed and prepared with properties that are beneficial for applications in sensing or protein separation. In this dissertation, the selective responsive behavior of a series of GUMBOS and nanomaterials derived from …

Course Design…Online: Helping Students Perform In The Digital Age, Joseph W. Harris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The current study sought to test the relationship between course design, as described by the rubric produced by Quality Matters, and online university student performance. Due to the link between student motivation and active learning behaviors, and thus performance, it was predicted that the better-designed courses would facilitate student motivation. It was also predicted that goal orientation would moderate this relationship. While a significant relationship was observed between student motivation and course performance, no relationship was observed between course quality, as measured by the QM Rubric, and motivation, or performance. Only slight evidence was found for a moderating effect of …

Beam Theory For Classical And Quantum Nonlinear Optics---Exposing Classical And Quantum Correlations Of Transverse-Spatial Modes, Robert Nicholas Lanning

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Optics is arguably the most important branch of physics that has ever been studied. It is not only an essential ingredient of many other branches of physics that we study, it governs how we see, how we measure, and how we communicate in the modern world. And as the world continues to change, so do our tools and resources. In a relatively short amount of time, we have progressed from rudimentary tools that shape the world around us, to tools that harness the fundamental laws of nature. Unsurprisingly, the laws of nature governing optics remain paramount. This is because many …

Analysis Of The Soil Health Of Pastures Over-Seeded With Winter Annuals, Kathleen M. Bridges

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Utilizing winter annuals in livestock pastures reduces feed costs of hay, and provides additional vegetative cover that is beneficial to the soil. However, how this practice affects the soil microbial communities has not been well studied. Two sites were included in this study. Both were commercial cattle grazing operations that over-seeded a mixture of grasses, legumes, and brassicas into pastures dominated by bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum). Soil health was assessed using a suite of physical, chemical, and biological properties. Soil physical assessments included bulk density and aggregate stability. Soil chemical assessments included macronutrients, pH, soil organic matter (SOM), total …

Calculation Guided Rational Design And Synthesis Of Novel Cationic Fluorescent Meso–Pyridinium Bodipys For Bio-Imaging, Daniel J. Lamaster

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Chapter 1 contains a brief overview of the history, synthesis, and properties of BODIPY dyes as well as that of the biomedical applications of bio-imaging and photodynamic therapy. Additionally, an overview of the theoretical framework of density functional theory and its time-dependent variant are provided. In Chapter 2, the effects of structural modification on the electronic structure and electron dynamics of cationic meso-(4-pyridyl)-BODIPYs were investigated. A library of 2,6-difunctionalized meso-(4-pyridyl)-BODIPYs bearing various electron-withdrawing substituents was designed and DFT calculations were used to model the redox properties, while TDDFT was used to determine the effects of functionalization on the excited …

Unpacking The Double Bind: Exploring How The Intersection Of Race And Gender Shape The Undergraduate Experiences Of African American Women In Engineering, Anissa Guerin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This three-part qualitative study explored the factors that contribute to the success of African American female students’ persistence in engineering majors. This study also addressed obstacles African American female students face and overcome to persist in engineering majors. Examining African American women in engineering who persist would be an effective method to provide academic support and increase participation amongst this underrepresented group. In addition to exploring the challenges and barriers faced by African American women, this study also acknowledged the skills, perspectives and resources African American women bring to engineering and engineering education. Highlighting their distinctive contributions and attributes would …

Development Of Polymer-Based In-Plane Nanopore For Dna Sequencing, Zheng Jia

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Mechanically robust solid-state nanopores have the potential to be the next generation DNA sensing platforms. However, mass production and limited base-calling accuracy are the hurdles for solid-state nanopore based DNA sensing. In order to solve these problems, a polymer dual-nanopore device fabricated via high throughput nanoimprint lithography (NIL) was proposed to sequence DNA by time-of-flight (ToF) measurement. As a proof of concept, this study presents mononucleotides discrimination via ToF measurement using polymer in-plane dual-nanopore device.

First, fabrication of polymer in-plane nanopore with controllable dimensions was studied in consideration of experimental conditions and materials selection. Then, surface charge density effect on …

Citizen Science In 4-H: Youth Volunteer Motivations, Participation, Retention And Scientific Literacy, Veronica Del Bianco

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the influence of volunteer motivation, participation, and citizen science project type on the retention and scientific literacy of 4-H youth volunteers ages 8-19 years participating in science projects. The conceptual model of participation in organized activities (OA) proposed by Bohnert, Fredericks and Randall (2010) was used as a framework for the variables included in the study categorizing them as predictors of participation, participation, program characteristics, or outcomes. A systematic review of volunteer motivations, retention, and scientific literacy in citizen science projects exposed that the literature contains silos of information published in …

Natural Resources-Based Conflicts In Coastal Louisiana: A Multi-Faceted Social And Ecological Setting, Audrey Grismore

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Louisiana coastal zone supports numerous natural resource-based economies and due to overlapping demands on the same territory, conflicts among users and resource managers have emerged. When the state recognized serious depletion of oysters in the late nineteenth century, it intervened with a set of conservation polices to try to establish sustained yields that produced one set of conflicts. When the oil industry began operating in the coastal estuaries and wetlands in the 1930s, it produced additional conflicts with fishing folk. The zone of conflict gave rise to cyclic adaptations as each group struggled to sustain its environmentally based economic …

Teachers As Leaders: An Autoethnographic Account Into The Way That Personal Spirituality Influenced One Teacher's Leadership In A South Louisiana High School, Scott Mckneely Blanchard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this autoethnographic study is to better understand the role spiritual leaders have in both educational settings and in the motivation of students. An overarching question guides this autoethnographic study: Is spiritual leadership, influenced by Christianity, an appropriate form of mentoring-leadership relationships in public secondary schools? The specific research sub-questions for this study address the following: 1. How do servant leadership and spiritual leadership help create this autonomous learning environment identified by Deci and therefore reduce the number of amotivated students? 2. How can understanding the student as an individual help a teacher confront the issues with motivation …