Digital Commons Network^™

Two-Dimensional Numerical Modeling Of A Proposed Freshwater Diversion From The Bonnet Carre Spillway To The Labranche Wetlands, Josef Patrick Hoffmann

LSU Master's Theses

Engineered modifications to the lower Mississippi River within the past century have limited the magnitude and frequency of flood events in wetlands along the Louisiana coast. Without this natural delivery of freshwater, sediment, and nutrients, the ecological health of these wetlands are now degrading. A recent study within the Bonnet Carre Spillway has revealed that the 7,623 acres of floodway between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain is one of the few areas in Louisiana that is actively accreting land as a result of pulsed sediment-laden freshwater input during high discharge events in the Mississippi River. On the other hand, …

Caregiver Attitude, As Expressed Verbally In A Group Setting, And Its Association With Children's Attachment Security, Erin Wallace Lovett

LSU Master's Theses

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore whether or not mothers’ attitudes, as expressed verbally in a group setting, were associated with the attachment style of the child and the insightfulness of the mother. The Circle of Security (CoS) was used as a 27 week group intervention for mothers who had become clients of a child welfare agency. Pre- and post test ratings were obtained for children’s attachment security and mothers’ insightful understanding of their children, using the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) and the Insightfulness Assessment (IA), respectively. This study created scales for both Warmth/Empathy and Concern/Worry to …

Electrochemical Reduction Of Co2 To Methanol, Minh Tuyen Hoang Le

LSU Master's Theses

An efficient method to convert CO2 to fuels using renewable energy could displace crude oil without increasing CO2 emission and provide high-density energy storage reservoirs similar to liquid fuels or batteries. Although photoelectrochemical conversion of CO2 is possible, solar-to-fuel efficiencies are lower than the combination of conventional photovoltaics (up to 40% efficiency) and electrochemical cells (up to 80% Faradaic efficiency). In the electrochemical case, electrical energy from renewable sources may be converted to hydrocarbons or alcohols using electrocatalysts. The direct reduction of CO2 to CH3OH is known to occur at several types of electrocatalysts including oxidized Cu electrodes. In this …

Transport Properties Of Nanometer-Sized Assemblies Through Nanofluidic Channels With Single Entity Electrical Detection, Franklin Ifeanyichukwu Uba

LSU Master's Theses

Recently, there have been reports on biological and solid-state nanopores that identify single biopolymers or their constituent monomers by analyzing changes in ionic current blockades when they block the flux of buffer ions while travelling through the nanopores. Nevertheless, there have been several limitations in their application, especially as DNA detectors; Poor confinement of the DNA strand within the nanopore (~0.1 % of a 10 kilobase (kb) DNA), poor signal sensitivity and random motion experienced by the DNA in solution that results in a large amount of noise in the signal. These have led to the development of nanochannel-based devices, …

An Euler Solver For Nonlinear Water Waves Using A Modified Staggered Grid And Gaussian Quadrature Approach, Qi Fan

LSU Master's Theses

A structured, finite-volume Euler solver for non-hydrostatic, free surface flows is developed to simulate coastal nonlinear dispersive water waves. A semi-implicit projection method which splits the pressure term into hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic parts is employed. A vertically shifted, staggered grid is designed to accommodate a new Gaussian discharge calculator and to facilitate the enforcement of a non-hydrostatic free-surface boundary condition. The Gaussian discharge calculator on the shifted grid increases the dispersion accuracy compared to traditional approaches that calculate discharges on a regular staggered grid. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the improvements of these methods.

Development Of A Monte Carlo Based Correction Strategy For A Tg-43 Based Brachytherapy Treatment Planning System To Account For Applicator Inhomogeneities, Bobby Chon Mathews

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to investigate the use of pre-calculated Monte Carlo (MC) ovoid and source-based attenuation-correction factors that would correct a commercially-available brachytherapy treatment planning system (TPS) generated plan in order to account for any dosimetric effects due to the presence of intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) applicators during treatment delivery. Methods: A MC model of an ICBT CT-MR compatible ovoid applicator set was confirmed utilizing radiochromic film (RCF). MC was used to simulate dose distributions resulting from eight source-dwell-positions within the ICBT applicator. Also, the American Association of Physicist in Medicine Task Group 43 Report (AAPM TG-43) …

A Palynological And Sequence Stratigraphic Study Of Santonian - Maastrichtan Strata From The Upper Magdalena Basin, Sandra Garzon

LSU Master's Theses

This manuscript presents a biostratigraphic and sequence stratigraphic interpretation of palynological data from two outcrop sections on the NE flank of the Upper Magdalena Valley (UMV) basin comprising the Santonian to Lower Maastrichtian interval. The objectives of this study where: a) to characterize the lithologically similar Lower Lidita, Upper Lidita, and El Cobre, Buscavidas formations and b) to provide a better understanding of important correlation horizons in the northeastern part of the UMV basin and to confirm the age assignment of stratal units. A cyclic pattern of palynomorph distribution was recognized in both sections and tied to the different stages …

Fandom, Media Consumption, And College Sports Knowledge: A Survey Of College Undergraduates, Theodore Charles Greener

LSU Master's Theses

Sports fandom research often states sports fans know and understand facts surrounding various sports, teams, leagues, and players. College sports literature argues that media involvement increases popularity and revenues, and as a result, competition, controversy, and complexity. The Elaboration Likelihood Model posits that when involvement in a subject is high, so too is motivation and ability to comprehend, and as a result, cognition increases. Given this, results show that sports fandom acts similarly to issue involvement, leading to increased sports-media consumption. Together, both fandom and consumption lead to increased knowledge of facts surrounding college sports. Results imply that general interest …

Evaluation Of Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (Vmat) Patient Specific Quality Assurance, Gordon Mark Mancuso

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to perform a comprehensive comparison of fixed-beam intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) patient specific quality assurance (QA) results, in order to investigate the appropriateness of applying IMRT QA methods and action levels to VMAT treatment plans.

Methods: QA measurements were evaluated for the test geometries provided in AAPM Task Group Report 119. The structure sets were copied onto a cylindrical water-equivalent phantom. Using the Philips Pinnacle³ treatment planning system, fixed-beam IMRT and VMAT treatment plans were constructed. The plans were delivered to the phantom and …

Stay Calm And Tweet: A Best Practice Approach To The Use Of Social Media In A Crisis Situation, Elizabeth Barrow Tadie

LSU Master's Theses

At some point in its history every organization will face a crisis situation. How an organization responds to a crisis incident decides its survival. As Internet technology flourishes, public relations practitioners are provided with additional tools to manage crisis situations. This study investigates the role that emerging social media components play in the field of crisis management. It presents a best practice approach to using new technology in times of emergency. A qualitative study of Louisiana public relations practitioners analyzes how and why social media is being integrated into crisis communication plans. Social media components are used to quickly communicate …

Evaluating The Duration Of Post-Lgm Grounding Events In The Glomar Challenger Basin Paleotrough, Eastern Basin Antarctica, Using Sediment Flux Calculations, Boluwatife Owolana

LSU Master's Theses

Previously acquired geological and geophysical data from the eastern Ross Sea outer shelf support the view that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) deposited three large-volume grounding zone wedges (GZWs) during the relatively short time since the onset of ice sheet retreat began at approximately 11 ka 14C BP. Here, GZW sediment volumes were estimated from seismic data correlations to evaluate the different possible durations of the individual grounding events. The two end-member fluxes used correspond to 1) a modern flux active at Whillans Ice Stream and 2) a larger flux accounting for the larger size of the drainage basin …

Effect Of Sediment Slurry Application On Selected Aspects Of Sulfur, Iron, And Manganese Biogeochemistry In A Coastal Louisiana Marsh, Martin Kyle Maxwell

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal wetlands, long recognized to be among the most productive ecosystems on the planet, are being lost at a disturbingly high rate in coastal Louisiana due to both eustatic sea-level rise and land subsidence. A number of approaches have been proposed for reducing wetland loss and restoring deteriorated wetlands, among which the addition of sediment to increase marsh surface elevation is promising. However, little is known about how the added sediment affects the biogeochemistry of marsh sediment. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of sediment slurry addition on sulfur, iron, and manganese biogeochemistry in a subsiding …

Pore-Scale Lattice Boltzmann Simulations Of Inertial Flows In Realistic Porous Media: A First Principle Analysis Of The Forchheimer Relationship, Chukwudi Paul Chukwudozie

LSU Master's Theses

With recent advances in the capabilities of high performance computing (HPC) platforms and the relatively simple representation of complex geometries of porous media, lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) has gained popularity as a means of solving fluid flow and transport problems. In this work, LBM was used to obtain flow parameters of porous media, study the behavior of these parameters at varying flow conditions and quantify the effect of roughness on the parameters by relating the volume averaged flow simulation results to Darcy and Forchheimer equations respectively. To validate the method, flow was simulated on regular and random sphere arrays in …

Performance Assessment Of Innovative Framing Systems Through Building Information Modeling Based Energy Simulation, Santhosh Reddy Chinnayeluka

LSU Master's Theses

While many residential contractors, architects, and home-buyers today are concerned about the environment and interested in sustainable construction technologies, the perceived higher initial costs of innovative materials and methodologies and a lack of life-cycle cost and performance data present significant barriers in the implementation of such techniques. Research regarding an integrated design process has suggested that performance based decision making is key to the successful implementation of sustainable building practices. Therefore, a need exists for the development of whole building design and evaluation models to allow decision making in all phases of a building project. This research seeks information regarding …

Modeling Of First-Flush Reactor For Stormwater Treatment, Shaowei Sun

LSU Master's Theses

Stormwater runoff is one of the most common sources of non-point source water pollution to lakes, rivers and estuaries. Nitrate-nitrogen in stormwater runoff is an important limiting factor to the eutrophication phenomenon. While most pollutants and nutrients, including nitrate-nitrogen, in stormwater are discharged into receiving waters during the first-flush period, no existing Best Management Practices (BMPs) are specifically designed to capture and treat the first-flush portion of urban stormwater runoff. In addition, nitrate-nitrogen removal rates of most existing BMPs are relatively low. This thesis presents results from both laboratory experiments and numerical modeling of nitrate-nitrogen removal in a designed first-flush …

Sensing Synesthesia, Jeffrey Harlan Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

Sensing Synesthesia is an exhibition of experiments, carried out through the medium of graphic design as an attempt to generate a synesthesiac experience by visualizing sound. Since many elements within the realms of sound and sight are relative, creating a genuine synesthesiac experience for a viewing audience proved challenging. To address this problem, I created visual elements that corresponded with personal convictions, emotions and proclamations and presented them in a way congruent to the sounds being heard. Through these experiments, I discovered the personal growth of myself: the sharpened skills as a graphic designer, initiated interest in hand-rendered type as …

Characterization And Utilization Of Rice Defense Associated With Partial Resistance To Bacterial Panicle Blight: An Emerging Rice Disease Problem In The Southeastern United States, Bishnu Kumar Shrestha

LSU Master's Theses

Rice is a staple food for much of the world’s growing population. Rice production is limited by a number of abiotic and biotic factors. These factors have direct effects on food security because less food is available to growing population. Bacterial panicle blight (BPB), caused by the bacterium Burkholderia glumae, is an emerging disease that causes grain rot, panicle discoloration, and unfilled grains in rice. Up to 70% of yield reduction has been reported in severely infected rice fields. No completely resistant rice cultivars have been identified, however, a medium-grain cultivar, Jupiter, showed a high level of partial resistance …

Laboratory Scale Seismic Analysis Of A Spatially Variable Hydrological Surface In Unconfined, Unconsolidated Sand, David E. Smolkin

LSU Master's Theses

The ability to measure the depth to the water table can provide information such as reservoir characteristics, soil conditions for agriculture, and actions to be taken with contaminant flow and removal. We attempt to detect this boundary in a larger-than-lab scale experiment. We attempt to simulate a spatially variable water level and attempt to image changes in the depth of this water level. We try to reduce the normally complex natural conditions to those of a nominally homogeneous and isotropic, unconfined sand volume for modeling. These simplified conditions help isolate the effects of remaining complexities such as the variable saturation …

A Computer-Based Instructional Program To Teach Braille Reading To Sighted Individuals, Mindy Scheithauer

LSU Master's Theses

There is a need for efficient braille training methods for instructors of the visually impaired. This study evaluated the use of a computer-based program intended to train the relation of braille characters to English letters using a matching-to-sample procedure with 4 sighted college students. Each participant mastered matching visual depictions of the braille alphabet to their text counterparts. Further, each participant demonstrated the ability to read a braille passage following this exposure. These gains maintained at variable levels at a follow-up probe 2 to 4 weeks following training.

Network Traffic Data Analysis, Harish Kapri

LSU Master's Theses

The desire to conceptualize network traffic in a prevailing communication network is a facet for many types of network research studies. In this research, real traffic traces collected over trans-Pacific backbone links (the MAWI repository, providing publicly available anonymized traces) are analyzed to study the underlying traffic patterns. All data analysis and visualization is carried out using Matlab (Matlab is a trademark of The Mathworks, Inc.). At packet level, we first measure parameters such as distribution of packet lengths, distribution of protocol types, and then fit following analytical models. Next, the concept of flow is introduced and flow based analysis …

Boron And Rare Earth Oxide Composite Nanoparticles For Enhancement Of Combustion, Jacob Hanberry

LSU Master's Theses

Metallic fuels are of interest as additives in bio-fuel combustion because of their high heating values, and this thesis deals with the experimental investigation of boron nanoparticles and their effect on ethanol combustion. Two grades of boron nanoparticles were commercially purchased and modified to obtain different physical characteristics, by ball milling and sintering. Also, a mixture of rare-earth oxide (CeO2, La2O3, and Gd2O3) nanoparticles was synthesized and added to the boron nanoparticles in varying amounts to form composite mixtures. The effects of rare-earth oxides on boron combustion were investigated using these composites. Particle characterizations were carried out by X-ray diffraction, …

Communiplaytion: Getting Our Hands Dirty Together, Brooke Tyson Cassady

LSU Master's Theses

CommuniPLAYtion: getting our hands dirty together is a weeklong installation of a collective ceramics studio implanted in Foster Gallery. It is a participatory and interactive exhibition that demonstrates how material play creates moments for personal reflection and contemplation, while also facilitating communication and social relations within a specific place. CommuniPLAYtion is an opportunity for an altruistic exchange among individuals in contrast to the monetary transactions that momentarily connect strangers. These engagements, similar to the “Do-It-Yourself Geopolitics” of other contemporary artists, empower individuals to develop modes of interaction that suit their interpersonal needs. The exhibition, communiPLAYtion enables the basic precursors that …

Demography, Paleopathology, And Health Status Of The Moche Remains In Huambacho, Peru: A Comprehensive Osteological Analysis, Emily Grace

LSU Master's Theses

The Moche civilization, which thrived in northern Peru from AD 100-800, influenced a vast area that extended to the southernmost monumental site of Pañamarca. Huambacho, an archaeological site in the Nepeña Valley, which dates to the Early Horizon (600-200 cal BC), has yielded multiple Moche graves uncovered by the Proyecto Huambacho (2003-2004). The graves provide the first evidence of Moche presence outside of the neighboring Pañamarca monumental complex. This research entailed the osteological analysis of eleven individuals from nine Moche grave contexts at Huambacho, including the analysis of demographic features, pathology, trauma, and antemortem cultural modifications. Methodology included the visual …

Parallel Surrogate Detection In Large-Scale Simulations, Lei Jiang

LSU Master's Theses

Simulation has become a useful approach in scientific computing and engineering for its ability to model real natural or human systems. In particular, for complex systems such as hurricanes, wildfire disasters, and real-time road traffic, simulation methods are able to provide researchers, engineers and decision makers predicted values in order to help them to take appropriate actions. For large-scale problems, the simulations usually take a lot of time on supercomputers, thus making real-time predictions more difficult. Approximation models that mimic the behavior of simulation models but are computationally cheaper, namely "surrogate models", are desired in such scenarios. In the thesis, …

Changes In Select Phenolic Compounds During Ethanol Fermentation And Acetification Of Raspberry, Blueberry And Persimmon, Yen-Ping Tan

LSU Master's Theses

Polyphenols are major dietary components in fruits and vegetables. Many research and epidemiological studies have reported that phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, may have a protective effect against various degenerative diseases. Phenolics in grape wine have been extensively studied but information on changes of phenolics in wine and vinegar made from other fruit crops is limited, however. This research started with the objective of determining the effect of proteases in preventing phenolic and, specifically, anthocyanin degradation in the ethanolic fermentation of black raspberries to reduce sugar content. The results of this study led to investigations of changes of other polyphenols …

Building Information Management (Bim) Implementation In Naval Construction, Raymond Rohena

LSU Master's Theses

Traditional two-dimensional (2D) delivery systems in the construction industry can hinder the way information is communicated between owners, architects, and contractors. This hindrance exists in all phases of a project, from design and construction to the operation and maintenance of the completed facility. Building Information Management (BIM) is an emerging information technology that promotes a collaborative process for the Architectural, Engineering, Construction and Facilities Management (AECFM) industry; it can aid the exchange of information and provide improved project data accessibility to all stakeholders of a construction project. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), in conjunction with the facility management (FM) …

Family Supportive Organization Perceptions, Work Role Overload, And Burnout: Crossover Effects Of Burnout On Recovery, Suzanne Marie Booth

LSU Master's Theses

The present study is a dyadic examination of the effects individuals’ perceptions of their partners’ burnout have on the individuals’ burnout and their ability to recover from work demands. The effects of burnout were investigated in light of the presence of the buffer of family-supportive organization perceptions. The proposed model for the study was tested using statistical equation modeling (N = 300 cohabiting couples). Family-supportive organization perceptions were shown to mitigate the influence of work role overload on an individual’s burnout and positively relate to recovery from work. In the model, individuals’ perceptions of their partners’ burnout was driven by …

Seed Rain And Advance Regeneration In Secondary Succession In The Brazilian Amazon, Lindsay Michelle Wieland

LSU Master's Theses

Forest regeneration on abandoned land in the Brazilian Amazon depends first and foremost on prior land-use history. Abandoned clearcuts become dominated by Cecropia trees, but contain a rich mix of other arboreal genera and succession proceeds rapidly to a diverse forest. In contrast, abandoned land that has been burned repeatedly for pastures becomes dominated almost completely by Vismia trees and remains in monogeneric stands gaining few new genera over the same time interval. I tested the hypothesis that areas with repeated burns would have more re-sprouts, particularly Vismia re-sprouts. I also predicted that in monogeneric Vismia stands, seed dispersal would …

A Study Of A Smog-Fog-Smog Cycle And The Processing Of Pah And Oxy-Pah By A Fog Cloud, Kalindi Pramod Khadapkar

LSU Master's Theses

Fog is a multiphase dynamic system which can provide a setting for various physicochemical processes affecting the fate of various organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their oxygenated forms (oxy-PAH) in the atmosphere. This study focuses on the processing of PAH and oxy-PAH during a smog-fog-smog cycle. Two field campaigns were carried out during the winters of year 2010 and year 2011 in the Central Valley of California, sampling two fog events in Fresno and five fog events in Davis. To study the transformations and distributions of PAH and oxy-PAH, different atmospheric species (fog water, gas phase, …

Temporal Changes In Quality Of Life And Environment In New Orleans After Hurricane Katrina, Danielle Johanna Larock

LSU Master's Theses

Understanding and assessing the spatial and temporal changes of quality of life and environment of a community is critical to its sustainable development, especially after a disaster strikes. This study explores an approach that integrates remote sensing with socioeconomic data to assess the temporal changes in quality of life and environment (QOL) using Orleans Parish as an example. Hurricane Katrina, which struck New Orleans in 2005, has had vast implications economically, socially, and environmentally for this city and the surrounding area. Empirically quantifying these concepts will help to rebuild the city more sustainably. This study investigated change in environmental quality …