Digital Commons Network^™

Sediment Delivery To Sustain The Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta Under Climate Change And Anthropogenic Impacts, Jessica L. Raff, Steven L. Goodbred, Jennifer L. Pickering, Ryan S. Sincavage, John C. Ayers, Md Saddam Hossain, Carol A. Wilson, Chris Paola, Michael S. Steckler, Dhiman R. Mondal, Jean Louis Grimaud, Celine Jo Grall, Kimberly G. Rogers, Kazi Matin Ahmed, Syed Humayun Akhter, Brandee N. Carlson, Elizabeth L. Chamberlain, Meagan Dejter, Jonathan M. Gilligan, Richard P. Hale, Mahfuzur R. Khan, Md Golam Muktadir, Md Munsur Rahman, Lauren A. Williams

Faculty Publications

The principal nature-based solution for offsetting relative sea-level rise in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta is the unabated delivery, dispersal, and deposition of the rivers’ ~1 billion-tonne annual sediment load. Recent hydrological transport modeling suggests that strengthening monsoon precipitation in the 21st century could increase this sediment delivery 34-60%; yet other studies demonstrate that sediment could decline 15-80% if planned dams and river diversions are fully implemented. We validate these modeled ranges by developing a comprehensive field-based sediment budget that quantifies the supply of Ganges-Brahmaputra river sediment under varying Holocene climate conditions. Our data reveal natural responses in sediment supply comparable to …

The Gender Gap: A Comparative Analysis Of Male And Female Rape Victims, Emma Carlo

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Do Contributing Files Provide Information About Oss Newcomers' Onboarding Barriers?, Felipe Fronchetti, David C. Shepherd, Igor Wiese, Christoph Treude, Marco Aurélio Gerosa, Igor Steinmacher

Faculty Publications

Effectively onboarding newcomers is essential for the success of open source projects. These projects often provide onboarding guidelines in their 'CONTRIBUTING' files (e.g., CONTRIBUTING.md on GitHub). These files explain, for example, how to find open tasks, implement solutions, and submit code for review. However, these files often do not follow a standard structure, can be too large, and miss barriers commonly found by newcomers. In this paper, we propose an automated approach to parse these CONTRIBUTING files and assess how they address onboarding barriers. We manually classified a sample of files according to a model of onboarding barriers from the …

Performative Mixing For Immersive Audio, Brian A. Elizondo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Immersive multichannel audio can be produced with specialized setups of loudspeakers, often surrounding the audience. These setups can feature as few as four loudspeakers or more than 300. Performative mixing in these environments requires a bespoke solution offering intuitive gestural control. Beyond the usual faders for gain control, advancements in multichannel sound demand interfaces capable of quickly positioning sounds between channels. The Quad Cartesian Positioner is such a solution in the form of a Eurorack module for surround mixing for use in live or studio performances.

Diffusion/mixing methods for live multichannel immersive music often rely on the repurposing of hardware …

Light-Driven And Nutrient-Driven Displacements Of Subsurface Chlorophyll Maximum Depth In Subtropical Gyres, Xiaogang Xing, Peng Xiu, Edward A. Laws, Guo Yang, Xin Liu, Fei Chai

Faculty Publications

The mechanism that determines the dynamics of subsurface chlorophyll maximum depth (zSCM) has long been debated. Although a coupling between zSCM and the top of nitracline (znit) has been widely observed in the open ocean, a co-location of zSCM and an isolume depth (ziso) has often been reported in oligotrophic waters. In this study, based on continuous observations of ten BGC-Argo floats, we found that the seasonal displacement of zSCM in all subtropical gyres was driven mainly by light, but zSCM displayed a nutrient-driven pattern occasionally when znit became shallower than ziso. We therefore proposed a “two-group competition framework”: zSCM …

5- And 10-Oxocorroles From Β-Octaalkylcorroles, Lorena Di Zazzo, Sara Nardis, Fabrizio Caroleo, Francesco Pizzoli, Frank R. Fronczek, Kevin M. Smith, Beatrice Berionni Berna, Roberto Paolesse

Faculty Publications

The reaction of Zn ions with β-octaalkylcorroles leads to the air oxidation of the macrocycle, with the formation of a mixture of 5- and 10-oxocorroles. Spectroscopic characterization confirms the antiaromatic character of these macrocycles. A simple synthetic protocol opens the way for more detailed studies of oxocorrole chemistry.

An Intersection Of Science & Art: Vitrification Approaches And Open-Fabricated Tools For The Biomedical Model Sea Hare, Aplysia Californica, Allyssa M. Oune

LSU Master's Theses

The California sea hare (Aplysia californica) is an important biomedical model for molecular neurobiology, electrophysiology, learning, and memory due to their well-mapped and large neurons and well-characterized learning capabilities. The National Resource for Aplysia (NRA, University of Miami) maintains large stocks of live animals and relies on regular shipments of wild-caught individuals to maintain genetic diversity. This is labor and cost-intensive, and environmental changes could alter the availability of wild animals increasing the need to preserve this genetic resource. One solution is vitrification, ultra-fast cooling which produces an amorphous glass that minimizes damage to cells. Aplysia californica presents …

Improving Cellphone-Based Bio-Imaging Technique For Fluorescence Detection, Erteza T. Efaz

LSU Master's Theses

The research presented in this thesis focuses on the design, development, and evaluation of a fluorescence detection system. The system is implemented primarily as an Android application, Auto Camera, which leverages smartphone cameras to capture and analyze fluorescent images. The application provides a user-friendly interface with some configurable features like exposure time, ISO speed, and storage limit; as well as defining detection thresholds and setting acquisition intervals. This study begins with the architectural framework of the Android application, which is written in Java using Android Studio. The API compatibility is set to version 33, and users are prompted to grant …

Microfluidic Isolation Of Tumor Cells Or Other Rare Cells From Whole Blood Or Other Liquids, Steven A. Soper, Michael C. Murphy, Juan Feng, Robin L. Mccarley, Andre A. Adams

College of Science Patents

No abstract provided.

Modification, Validation, And Testing Of The Eating And Food Literacy Behaviors Questionnaire With Cooking Enjoyment With Young Adult University Students, Imani J. Carr

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A modified version of the Eating and Food Literacy Behaviors Questionnaire (EFLBQ) with a new construct called cooking enjoyment was developed and validated. The instrument was titled the Eating and Food Literacy Behavior Questionnaire with Cooking Enjoyment (EFLBQ-C). The EFLBQ-C was developed with data from 18- to 30-year-olds who attended a university in the United States collected by an online survey platform. The 515 students who completed the questionnaire answered using a 4-point Likert scale of Never=1,” “Seldom=2,” “Often=3,” and “Always=4.” The responses were divided into an EFLBQ-C cohort (Group 1: 258 participants) and an EFLBQ cohort (Group 2: 257 …

Vegetation And Habitat Classification Of Created And Natural Brackish Marshes Via Unoccupied Aerial Systems And Potential Monitoring Applications, Seth T. Chapman

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana’s coastal marshes are some of the most valuable natural, economic, and cultural state resources that however, have been severely deteriorating over the last century. Federal and state agencies have pooled billions of dollars into coastal restoration projects in Louisiana of which marsh creation is a primary focus. Traditional monitoring of created marshes involves in-situ vegetation sampling and aerial imagery from fixed-wing occupied aircraft, but these methods have limitations and/or can negatively impact sites. My thesis explores the use of Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS; i.e., drones) to classify vegetation and habitat in coastal marsh systems, compare habitat and vegetation cover …

From Empowerment Movement To Hijacked Hashtag: A Thematic Analysis Of #Shoutyourabortion, Sidney R. Reynen

LSU Master's Theses

This study delves into the digital landscape of the contentious abortion debate, focusing on the use and hijacking of the Shout Your Abortion hashtag. Drawing parallels to previous research on digital feminism, hashtag activism, and hashtag hijacking, this study further expands such literature by revealing shifts in anti-abortion rhetoric and strategies post-Dobbs. I identified seven themes within the supportive discourse: abortion narratives, pro-choice and other feminist rhetoric, calls to action, feminist art and shareables, reproductive health information and resources, positive-to-neutral mentions of the movement, and engagements with anti-abortion users. Within the hijacked posts, I identified five themes: Shout …

A Dance Of Resistance: The Puerto Rican Bomba As A Means To Challenge Intersections Of Discrimination On The Island, Daniel Loving

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis examines the Puerto Rican Bomba as a multifaceted cultural and political phenomenon, focusing on its pivotal role in challenging and subverting the enduring issues of racial and gender discrimination on the Island. Drawing from an interdisciplinary framework that encompasses cultural studies, anthropology, history, performance and film studies, this research elucidates the complex interplay between Bomba's rhythmic and choreographic elements, its historical evolution, and its contemporary significance in the context of Puerto Rico's sociopolitical landscape. By analyzing Bomba's historical roots in African and indigenous traditions, its adaptation during colonial and post-colonial eras, and its ongoing relevance in the struggle …

Understanding And Modeling Drivers’ En-Route Diversion Behavior During Congestion, Mohammad Shapouri

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the field of transportation, traffic assignment models primarily have been used to forecast driver route preferences, translating their choices into traffic flow patterns across networks. These models are grounded in distinct behavioral theories and strive to explain how drivers navigate routes based on network features and personal tendencies. Using an aggregation approach, conventional traffic assignment models distribute demand among paths, considering utility and attractiveness. Despite their prevalent use in transportation planning and operations, the fundamental behavioral assumptions of these models have rarely been thoroughly explored. This gap is further compounded by their limited consideration of real-time adjustments and choices …

The Structures And Functions Of Offices Of Academic Affairs: A Case Study, Ryan Thomas Landry

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study sought to describe how offices of academic affairs (administrative offices supporting provosts) at public, research-intensive universities in the United States are structured and what kind of work these offices do. There is a dearth of scholarly literature on the topic, indicative of an overall lack of knowledge about these organizations. From a practical standpoint, I intended for this study to contribute to the body of knowledge of higher education administration with hopes that it provides helpful insights to administrators as they consider organizational design. Using the theoretical framework of modern organization theory, I employed an embedded case study …

Evaluating Hpx And Kokkos On Risc-V Using An Astrophysics Application Octo-Tiger, Patrick Diehl, Gregor Daiss, Steven Brandt, Alireza Kheirkhahan, Hartmut Kaiser, Christopher Taylor, John Leidel

Faculty Publications

In recent years, computers based on the RISC-V architecture have raised broad interest in the high-performance computing (HPC) community. As the RISC-V community develops the core instruction set architecture (ISA) along with ISA extensions, the HPC community has been actively ensuring HPC applications and environments [10, 29] are supported. In this context, assessing the performance of asynchronous many-task runtime systems (AMT) is essential. In this paper, we describe our experience with porting of a full 3D adaptive mesh-refinement, multi-scale, multi-model, and multi-physics application, Octo-Tiger, that is based on the HPX AMT, and we explore its performance characteristics on different RISC-V …

Translation Speed Influence On Tropical Cyclone Storm Tide And Surge Generation Along The Gulf Of Mexico Coast, Samantha L. Camarda

LSU Master's Theses

This research examines tropical cyclone translation speed as a factor in storm tide and surge height upon landfall on the United States Gulf Coast. Understanding the effect of translation speed on peak storm tide/surge height is needed to better prepare for and predict future damage from tropical cyclone events. Tropical cyclone data are taken from hourly interpolated best-track HURDAT2 data from 1970–2021. This study uses the HURDAT2 hourly interpolated observation data points (24-hours) pre-landfall to landfall. Translation speed is calculated based on the distance traversed between hourly points. Peak storm tide and storm surge data are taken from SURGEDAT from …

Uavs And Deep Neural Networks: An Alternative Approach To Monitoring Waterfowl At The Site Level, Zachary J. Loken

LSU Master's Theses

Understanding how waterfowl respond to habitat restoration and management activities is crucial for evaluating and refining conservation delivery programs. However, site-specific waterfowl monitoring is challenging, especially in heavily forested systems such as the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV)—a primary wintering region for ducks in North America. I hypothesized that using uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) coupled with deep learning-based methods for object detection would provide an efficient and effective means for surveying non-breeding waterfowl on difficult-to-access restored wetland sites. Accordingly, during the winters of 2021 and 2022, I surveyed wetland restoration easements in the MAV using a UAV equipped with a dual …

Using Machine Learning To Measure Changes In Immunity Due To Climate Change In The Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda, Nathaniel T. Haulk

LSU Master's Theses

Object detection is a recent development that allows for the detection of multiple objects in photographs. Numerous machine learning algorithms have been developed for object detection. Here we sought to determine which algorithm performed best when relating to an organism's health and immunological response. The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a major agricultural pest causing millions of dollars in damage to farmlands across the globe. With their recent spread into Africa and Asia, the need for understanding how best to control population outbreaks via biocontrol has increased. While viruses are a major biocontrol agent for controlling insect pests, we …

Evaluating Attack Surface Management In An Industrial Control System (Ics) Environment: Leveraging A Recon Ftw For Threat Classification And Incident Response, Nathalia De Sa Soares

LSU Master's Theses

Protecting Industrial Control Systems (ICS) from cyber threats is paramount to
ensure the reliability and security of critical infrastructure. Organizations must proactively identify vulnerabilities and strengthen their incident response capabilities as attack vectors evolve. This research explores implementing an Attack Surface Management (ASM) approach, utilizing Recon FTW, to assess an operating ICS environment’s security posture comprehensively.
The primary objective of this research is to develop a tool for performing recon-
naissance in an ICS environment with a non-intrusive approach, enabling the realistic simulation of potential threat scenarios and the identification of critical areas requiring immediate attention and remediation. We aim …

Containerized Satsuma Mandarin Production Under Protective Screens As A Management Strategy, Anna Timmerman

LSU Master's Theses

Many of the world’s citrus growing regions are experiencing challenges related to citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB) caused by the presumed bacterial agent Candidatus Liberibacter spp. HLB is vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) and through propagation of infected citrus material. HLB impacts tree health as well as fruit development, ripening, and quality of the resulting citrus fruit, often leading to an unmarketable product. Producers are growing citrus in high density orchards underneath protective screening material that excludes the Asian citrus psyllid, preventing new HLB infections. Four ultra-high containerized tree spacings of 2 feet …

Relation Between Fine And Gross Motor Skills And Observation Of Sociocultural Factors Across The First Year Of Infancy, Erika Garcia Mora

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The development of independent arms-free sitting, which frees an infant’s arms to explore objects in their environment (Soska & Adolph, 2014) is observed to propagate an increase in the frequency of manual and manipulatory actions (Marcinowski, et al., 2019; Mlincek, et. al., 2022). Active object exploration provides the infant with more sensory information of the fundamental characteristics of objects in their environment. Thus, this dissertation examined the quality and quantity of object exploration across seated postures.

Additionally, the literature claiming that infants raised in low-income households having fewer resources for effective development is being countered by considering a more holistic …

The Future Of Cyanobacteria Toxicity In Estuaries Undergoing Pulsed Nutrient Inputs: A Case Study From Coastal Louisiana, Sibel Bargu, Matthew Hiatt, Kanchan Maiti, Paul Miller, John R. White

Faculty Publications

Harmful cyanobacteria blooms (cyanoHABs) are a global phenomenon, especially in calm, warm, and nutrient-rich freshwater and estuarine systems. These blooms can produce various potent toxins responsible for animal poisoning and human health problems. Nutrient-rich freshwater pulsed into estuaries affects turbidity, water temperature, salinity, and nutrient concentrations and ratios at irregular intervals, creating a highly dynamic habitat. However, the underlying processes that lead to the selective development of cyanoHABs for certain species and the fate of their toxins are still uncertain. This paper draws upon the rich body of research available for one such system, the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary, Louisiana, to …

A Membrane Protein Of The Rice Pathogen Burkholderia Glumae Required For Oxalic Acid Secretion And Quorum Sensing, Asif Iqbal, George Nwokocha, Vijay Tiwari, Inderjit K. Barphagha, Anne Grove, Jong Hyun Ham, William T. Doerrler

Faculty Publications

Bacterial panicle blight is caused by Burkholderia glumae and results in damage to rice crops worldwide. Virulence of B. glumae requires quorum sensing (QS)-dependent synthesis and export of toxoflavin, responsible for much of the damage to rice. The DedA family is a conserved membrane protein family found in all bacterial species. B. glumae possesses a member of the DedA family, named DbcA, which we previously showed is required for toxoflavin secretion and virulence in a rice model of infection. B. glumae secretes oxalic acid as a “common good” in a QS-dependent manner to combat toxic alkalinization of the growth medium …

Community-Wide Correlations Between Species Richness, Abundance And Population Genomic Diversity In A Freshwater Biodiversity Hotspot, Jamie R. Bucholz, Garrett W. Hopper, Irene Sánchez González, Taylor E. Kelley, Colin R. Jackson, Ryan C. Garrick, Carla L. Atkinson, Jeffrey D. Lozier

Faculty Publications

Understanding patterns of diversity across macro (e.g. species-level) and micro (e.g. molecular-level) scales can shed light on community function and stability by elucidating the abiotic and biotic drivers of diversity within ecological communities. We examined the relationships among taxonomic and genetic metrics of diversity in freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae), an ecologically important and species-rich group in the southeastern United States. Using quantitative community surveys and reduced-representation genome sequencing across 22 sites in seven rivers and two river basins, we surveyed 68 mussel species and sequenced 23 of these species to characterize intrapopulation genetic variation. We tested for the presence of …

Labeling Effects Of Initial Juvenile Justice System Processing Decision On Youth Interpersonal Ties*, Zachary R. Rowan, Adam Fine, Laurence Steinberg, Paul J. Frick, Elizabeth Cauffman

Faculty Publications

The juvenile justice system can process youth in myriad ways. Youth who are formally processed, relative to being informally processed, may experience more public and harsh sanctions that label youth more negatively as “deviant.” Drawing on labeling theory, the current study evaluates the relative effect of formal justice system processing on the interpersonal dynamics of youth peer networks. Using data from the Crossroads Study, a multisite longitudinal sample of first-time adolescent offenders, the current study applies augmented inverse probability weighting and generalized mixed-effects models to estimate the effects of formal processing on friendship selection processes of homophily and withdrawal and …

Expanding Non-Invasive Approaches For Fish-Health Monitoring: A Survey Of The Epidermal Mucous Metabolomes Of Phylogenetically Diverse Freshwater Fish Species, Drew R. Ekman, Marina G. Evich, Jonathan D. Mosley, Jon A. Doering, Kellie A. Fay, Gerald T. Ankley, Timothy W. Collette

Faculty Publications

There is a pressing need for more-holistic approaches to fisheries assessments along with growing demand to reduce the health impacts of sample collections. Metabolomic tools enable the use of sample matrices that can be collected with minimal impact on the organism (e.g., blood, urine, and mucus) and provide high-throughput, untargeted biochemical information without the requirement of a sequenced genome. These qualities make metabolomics ideal for monitoring a wide range of fish species, particularly those under protected status. In the current study, we surveyed the relative abundances of 120 endogenous metabolites in epidermal mucus across eight freshwater fish species belonging to …

Responses Of Phytoplankton Communities To The Effect Of Both River Plume And Coastal Upwelling, Zhuyin Tong, Lingqi Ma, Shujie Cai, Lei Wang, Wupeng Xiao, Bangqin Huang, Edward A. Laws

Faculty Publications

River plumes and coastal upwelling systems are both nutrient-abundant habitats compared to the open ocean, and the mechanisms that structure the phytoplankton community when these occur together are unclear. In this study we investigated the dynamics and drivers of phytoplankton biomass and community composition in the Pearl River plume-coastal upwelling system on the northern South China Sea shelf during summer. We found that phytoplankton biomass was lower in the plume than in upwelled water. Diatoms were the only dominant group in the upwelled water. In contrast, diatoms and Synechococcus were co-dominant in the plume, and the negative correlation between the …

A Target Enrichment Probe Set For Resolving Phylogenetic Relationships In The Coffee Family, Rubiaceae, Laymon D. Ball, Ana M. Bedoya, Charlotte M. Taylor, Laura P. Lagomarsino

Faculty Publications

Premise: Rubiaceae is among the most species-rich plant families, as well as one of the most morphologically and geographically diverse. Currently available phylogenies have mostly relied on few genomic and plastid loci, as opposed to large-scale genomic data. Target enrichment provides the ability to generate sequence data for hundreds to thousands of phylogenetically informative, single-copy loci, which often leads to improved phylogenetic resolution at both shallow and deep taxonomic scales; however, a publicly accessible Rubiaceae-specific probe set that allows for comparable phylogenetic inference across clades is lacking. Methods: Here, we use publicly accessible genomic resources to identify putatively single-copy nuclear …

Synergistic In Vitro Antiviral Effect Of Combinations Of Ivermectin, Essential Oils, And 18-(Phthalimid-2-Yl)Ferruginol Against Arboviruses And Herpesvirus, Liliana Betancur-Galvis, Orlando José Jimenez-Jarava, Fatima Rivas, William E. Mendoza-Hernández, Miguel A. González-Cardenete

Faculty Publications

Combining antiviral drugs with different mechanisms of action can help prevent the development of resistance by attacking the infectious agent through multiple pathways. Additionally, by using faster and more economical screening methods, effective synergistic drug candidates can be rapidly identified, facilitating faster paths to clinical testing. In this work, a rapid method was standardized to identify possible synergisms from drug combinations. We analyzed the possible reduction in the antiviral effective concentration of drugs already approved by the FDA, such as ivermectin (IVM), ribavirin (RIBA), and acyclovir (ACV) against Zika virus (ZIKV), Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and herpes virus type 2 (HHV-2). …