Digital Commons Network^™

Basalt Tectonic Discrimination Using Combined Machine Learning Approach, Qiubing Ren, Mingchao Li, Shuai Han, Ye Zhang, Qi Zhang, Jonathan Shi

Faculty Publications

Geochemical discrimination of basaltic magmatism from different tectonic settings remains an essential part of recognizing the magma generation process within the Earth’s mantle. Discriminating among mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), ocean island basalt (OIB) and island arc basalt (IAB) is that matters to geologists because they are the three most concerned basalts. Being a supplement to conventional discrimination diagrams, we attempt to utilize the machine learning algorithm (MLA) for basalt tectonic discrimination. A combined MLA termed swarm optimized neural fuzzy inference system (SONFIS) was presented based on neural fuzzy inference system and particle swarm optimization. Two geochemical datasets of basalts from …

Second Language Identities Of International Teaching Assistants In The U.S. Classroom, Adam Agostinelli

Faculty Publications

Sociolinguistic research has yet to comprehensively address changes in the second language mediated identity, or second language identity (L2I), of English as a second language (ESL) students that take place as a result of traveling abroad and experiencing English in authentic circumstances. First, this study provides an outline of L2I and proposes a framework for evaluating L2I in authentic contexts (i.e. in a country where the target language is the primary means of communication). Second, personal narratives, formal reports, and observed classroom comments of international graduate teaching assistants (ITAs), who were placed in a required English Speaking course as a …

Second Language Identities Of International Teaching Assistants In The U.S. Classroom, Adam Agostinelli

Faculty Publications

Sociolinguistic research has yet to comprehensively address changes in the second language mediated identity, or second language identity (L2I), of English as a second language (ESL) students that take place as a result of traveling abroad and experiencing English in authentic circumstances. First, this study provides an outline of L2I and proposes a framework for evaluating L2I in authentic contexts (i.e. in a country where the target language is the primary means of communication). Second, personal narratives, formal reports, and observed classroom comments of international graduate teaching assistants (ITAs), who were placed in a required English Speaking course as a …

The Respiratory Burst Oxidase Homolog D (Rbohd) Cell And Tissue Distribution In Potato-Potato Virus Y (Pvyntn) Hypersensitive And Susceptible Reactions, Rodrigo A. Valverde

Faculty Publications

The respiratory burst oxidase homolog D (RbohD) acts as a central driving force of reactive oxygen species signaling in plant cells by integrating many different signal transduction pathways in plants, including incompatible interactions with pathogens. This study demonstrated the localization and distribution of RbohD in two types of potato-potato virus Y (PVY) interactions: Compatible and incompatible (resistant). The results indicated a statistically significant induction of the RbohD antigen signal in both interaction types. In the hypersensitive response (resistant reaction) of potato with a high level of resistance to the potato tuber necrotic strain of PVY (PVYNTN), RbohD localization followed by …

Factors Influencing Landowners' Decisions For Income-Generating Activities On Private Coastal Wetland In Louisiana, Hua Wang, Walter Keithly, Rex Caffey

Faculty Publications

© 2019 by the authors. The coastal zone of Louisiana contains more than 3 million wetland acres and has the highest acreage of salt marsh of any state. However, Louisiana accounts for 80 percent of the nation's coastal land loss. The loss of Louisiana's coastal wetlands results in changes in economic and ecological benefits on local communities. The purpose of the study is to investigate the factors that motivate private coastal landowners to participate in income-generating activities and the level of income derived from their coastal wetland parcels and to gauge their opinion of potential policy instruments for coastal wetlands …

Sexually Dimorphic Oxytocin Receptorexpressing Neurons In The Preoptic Area Of The Mouse Brain, Kaustubh Sharma, Ryan Leblanc, Masudul Haque, Katsuhiko Nishimori, Madigan M. Reid, Ryoichi Teruyama

Faculty Publications

© 2019 Sharma et al. Oxytocin is involved in the regulation of social behaviors including parental behaviors in a variety of species. Oxytocin triggers social behaviors by binding to oxytocin receptors (OXTRs) in various parts of the brain. OXTRs are present in the preoptic area (POA) where hormone-sensitive sexually dimorphic nuclei exist. The present study was conducted to examine whether sex differences exist in the distribution of neurons expressing OXTRs in the POA. Using OXTR-Venus (an enhanced variant of yellow fluorescent protein) mice, the distribution of OXTR-Venus cells in the POA was compared between sexes. The total number of OXTR-Venus …

Field Efficacy Of Insect Pathogen, Botanical, And Jasmonic Acid For The Management Of Wheat Midge Sitodiplosis Mosellana And The Impact On Adult Parasitoid Macroglenes Penetrans Populations In Spring Wheat, Govinda Shrestha, Gadi V.P. Reddy

Faculty Publications

The wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana, is a serious pest of wheat worldwide. In North America, management of S. mosellana in spring wheat relies on the timely application of pesticides, based on midge adults levels caught in pheromone traps or seen via field scouting during wheat heading. In this context, biopesticides can be an effective alternative to pesticides for controlling S. mosellana within an Integrated Pest Management program. A field study using insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana GHA, nematode Steinernema feltiae with Barricade polymer gel 1%, pyrethrin, combined formulations of B. bassiana GHA and pyrethrin, Jasmonic acid (JA) and chlorpyrifos (chemical …

Fluid Restriction Decreases Solid Food Consumption Post-Exercise, Cristian Pérez-Luco, Francisco Díaz-Castro, Carlos Jorquera, Rodrigo Troncoso, Hermann Zbinden-Foncea, Neil M. Johannsen, Mauricio Castro-Sepulveda

Faculty Publications

Dehydration in rodents induces anorexia. In humans however, the role of dehydration in energy intake is controversial. This study investigated the effect of extreme fluid restriction on acute energy intake during and after exercise-induced dehydration. Eight physically active participants performed two exercise sessions to induce dehydration. After the exercise, the men were allowed to either rehydrate for 2 h or were maintained in a hypohydrated state, in a randomized manner. After 2 h, they were given cereal bars ad libitum for 1 h. Blood and saliva samples of the participants were collected before the exercise session, after the exercise session, …

Broad-Scale Habitat Use By Fledgling Black-Capped Vireo, Marisa T. Martinez, Ashley M. Long, Heather A. Mathewson, Michael L. Morrison

Faculty Publications

Knowledge of avian habitat associations during the postfledging stage is lacking for most songbirds, which limits the ability to develop and implement management plans that address the full life cycle of birds. The Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapilla; hereafter vireo) is a Neotropical migratory songbird that breeds in early to mid-successional vegetation but has been documented using late-successional vegetation. We used data collected in 2013 and 2014 to determine the spatial distribution of vireo fledglings in relation to the availability of woodland cover in central Texas. We found that woodland cover was used less often than it was available in the …

Maize Responsiveness To Azospirillum Brasilense: Insights Into Genetic Control, Heterosis And Genomic Prediction, Miriam Suzane Vidotti, Filipe Inácio Matias, Filipe Couto Alves, Paulino Pérez Rodríguez, Gregório Alvarado Beltran, Juan Burguenõ, José Crossa, Roberto Fritsche-Neto

Faculty Publications

Several studies have shown differences in the abilities of maize genotypes to facilitate or impede Azospirillum brasilense colonization and to receive benefits from this association. Hence, our aim was to study the genetic control, heterosis effect and the prediction accuracy of the shoot and root traits of maize in response to A. brasilense. For that, we evaluated 118 hybrids under two contrasting scenarios: I) N stress (control) and ii) N stress plus A. brasilense inoculation. The diallel analyses were performed using mixed model equations, and the genomic prediction models accounted for the general and specific combining ability (GCA and SCA, …

Smoothing Parameters For Recursive Kernel Density Estimators Under Censoring, Yousri Slaoui

Communications on Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Grain-Size Affected Mechanical Response And Deformation Behavior In Microscale Reverse Extrusion, Bin Zhang, Mohammad Dodaran, Shahrior Ahmed, Shuai Shao, W. J. Meng, K. J. Juul, K. L. Nielsen

Faculty Publications

The continuing demand on device miniaturization has motivated the interest in micro metal forming technologies for manufacturing metal parts with sub-mm characteristic dimensions. In this work, axisymmetric reverse extrusion experiments were conducted on Cu 110 and Al 1100 alloy rod specimens with widely varying initial grain sizes, achieved through equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) and post annealing. Accompanying crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) simulations were carried out. At a characteristic extrusion dimension (CED) of ∼100 µm, defined by the sidewall thickness of the extruded cup-shaped structures, the deformation characteristics of the reverse extrusion process were investigated. Specifically, the characteristic plastic …

Current Status And Recommendations Toward A Virus Standard For Ballast Water, Yiseul Kim, Samuel D. Snow, Vanessa Reichel-Deland, Mostafa Maghsoodi, Gabrielle M. Langlois, Volodymyr V. Tarabara, Joan B. Rose

Faculty Publications

Ballast water contains and transfers a variety of biological and non-biological materials between biomes. This study aimed to summarize published literature on the viruses found in ballast water, to evaluate ultrafiltration and plaque assay as methods for concentrating and enumerating viruses, and to assess the efficacy of UV irradiation in the inactivation of infectious viruses in ballast water. Previous studies reported high virus concentrations in ballast tanks, ranging from 109 to 1014 viral particles/L. The ultrafiltration and plaque assay were efficient in concentrating and enumerating four types of phages: MS2, PhiX174, P22, and PP7. The UV dose (radiant fluence) necessary …

Effects Of U.S. Financial Regulations On Labor Markets, Anindo U. Sarker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis is based on a collection of three essays which study the effects of financial policy on labor markets. The first two essays investigate the effects of U.S. bank branching deregulation on labor markets. The first essay studies how these regulations impacted wages and working hours of traditional payroll workers. The second essay studies the impact of these policy reforms on the occupational choice to engage in self-employed work. The main finding of this set of studies is credit access has real effects on the workforce. Estimates from the econometric analysis used in this study suggest that credit access …

Long-Term Dust Formation By Core Collapse Supernovae, Kelsie Marie Krafton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Studying long-term dust formation by CCSNe is an important step toward understanding the large dust masses found in early galaxies. The amazing new discovery of approximately a solar mass of cold dust in the ejecta of SN 1987A has caused a complete re-evaluation of dust formation in core collapse supernovae (CCSNe). CCSNe form only a small amount of dust after three years, but SN 1987A has a dust mass that is several orders of magnitude larger after 25 years. A recent study of SN 2010jl by Gall et al. (2014) made the fascinating suggestion that dust is continuously forming in …

Essays On Interplay Between Economics And Culture, Ishita Tripathi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation constitutes of two distinct essays on the influence of terrorism on individual perception and belief formation. In the first study, using micro-level data from 32 European countries, we find that an increase in terrorist activities by foreign perpetrators instigates negative sentiments towards immigrants. But the intensity of this adverse impact of terrorism decreases with time. Additionally, our analysis reveals that the effect of terrorism varies across individuals depending on various socio-economic attributes. Terrorism has a stronger negative influence on the residents, if their own country hosts relatively larger number of migrants. Individuals are not affected by terrorist attacks …

Scintillation Event Localization In Novel Hemi-Ellipsoid Detector For Spect, Hanif R. Soysal

LSU Master's Theses

A high sensitivity Cardiac SPECT system using hemi-ellipsoid crystals with pinhole collimation was previously proposed by Dey et al. To investigate detector resolution for this design, the scintillation light spread on a monolithic hemi-ellipsoidal CsI crystal was simulated using Geant4 Monte Carlo. The expected distribution of scintillation light on the outer surface of the crystal from photoelectric absorption events was obtained from the simulations for selected points inside the crystal. Two sets of simulations were performed. For the first set, a look-up table (LUT) of 12 points was created and each point mapped to its expected light distribution—four points at …

The Jeffersonian Huey Long: The Rise Of Southern Socialism, Ali Katherine Nabours

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation argues that there existed in the South between the 1890s and World War II a leftist dissenting tradition which frequently included or had a good deal in common with Socialism. Southern Socialism, broadly defined as a shared set of leftist values among a diverse population, was unique to the region because it was a native-born movement established in response to the region’s unique social, labor, and economic conditions. Huey Long capitalized on this tradition in his rise to power. He went after the voters that political machines and large interests ignored. He echoed the complaints poor Southerners had …

Analysis And Utilization Of Hip-Hop Techniques In Classical Music, William Francis Montgomery

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

As of January 4^th, 2018, R&B/Hip-Hop (including rap) had overtaken rock and roll as the most popular genre among music fans. Nielsen Music reported that rap had surpassed rock in terms of total consumption with rappers such as Drake and Kendrick Lamar leading the charge. This would lead to the second-highest growth of any genre of music, spiking at 25% over the previous year.[1] This came as a very big surprise to many, especially when we take into consideration the rocky at best relationship that rap has had with public perception.

There are many misconceptions and …

Determination Of Scatter Fractions, Albedos, And Tenth Value Layers For Shielding Of Synchrotron Beamline Hutches, Bethany Lynn Broekhoven

LSU Master's Theses

Synchrotron facilities require substantial amounts of shielding to protect facility staff and researchers. To meet mandatory exposure limits, the traditional combination of time, distance, and shielding of the radiation source are utilized. Because of continuous 24-7 operation of most synchrotrons, time is the least useful tool. The experimental stations for synchrotron x-ray beamlines, called hutches, enforce a minimum distance from the source, but shielding provided by hutch walls is still the principal tool for a synchrotron facility. Currently there is no single resource for synchrotron beamline hutch shielding design in the literature; most hutch shielding is designed through either over-simplified …

Beyond The Transcript: A Narrative Analysis Of Students' Experiences With Academic Dismissal In A Baccalaureate Nursing Program, Angela Edwards Capello

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Re-defining different is the first step in addressing inequity in nursing education and the disparities that result in a high incidence of academic dismissal in baccalaureate nursing programs. What are the students' differences that contribute to one student’s ease of progression through a baccalaureate nursing program and those who struggle from the first semester?

This study provides a private look into the experiences of nine baccalaureate nursing students who were academically dismissed from their nursing program. Each story chronological from the time they decided to pursue nursing to their experiences during nursing school and to their lives after dismissal. …

Effective Use Of Systems Beyond The Firm’S Control: The Case Of Online Review Systems, Biagio Palese

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The world is changing, and companies are becoming more exposed to systems beyond their control (e.g., online review systems, social media, shopping comparisons websites). We define systems beyond the firm’s control as any information systems neither designed nor commissioned by a company, that the firm must use to compete. Despite their importance and increasing prevalence these types of systems are surprisingly understudied in Information Systems. We focus our attention on the effective use of a specific class of systems beyond the firm’s control: online review systems. Online reviews are virtualized and broadcasted customer service systems that affect customers’ decisions. Companies …

The Effects Of Collaboration On Harmonization In College Group Piano, Yining Li

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Current university-level group piano classes may not provide adequate training on functional keyboard skills needed by non-keyboard professional musicians. Innovative teaching strategies involving collaborative learning have been successfully demonstrated in other areas of education (e.g., math, science, and English) and might efficiently improve students’ functional keyboard skills. This dissertation examined the effects of collaborative learning on harmonization in college group piano classes. This study explored the differences between performance outcomes among students who collaborated to learn harmonization, as opposed to those who worked alone. It also investigated how collaborative work influenced students’ attitudes and confidence toward learning and performing harmonization. …

The Role Of Cognitive Vulnerabilities In The Severity Of Internalizing Symptoms In Children And Adolescents, Maysa Kaskas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Contemporary theories of psychopathology suggest that cognitive vulnerabilities play a key role in the development, severity, and maintenance of internalizing symptomology across the lifespan. The two primary cognitive vulnerabilities assessed in children and adolescents are anxiety sensitivity (i.e., negative beliefs about the consequences of physiological arousal; AS) and negative self-cognitions (i.e., negative self-referential thoughts; NS-C). These cognitive vulnerabilities are theorized to have transdiagnostic qualities, as both have been evaluated as predictors of symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, existing research in youth has largely examined AS in relation to anxiety alone and NS-C primarily in relation to depression. Additionally, the …

Voices From Within: Teacher Sensitivity In An Early Childhood Elementary School, Anjenette Victoria Holmes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Using a qualitative case study approach, grounded in an ecological systems theory framework, this project sought to understand how a teacher describes her journey of becoming sensitive and uncover what helps or hinders a teacher’s ability to sensitive. This study collected and examined data from multiple data sources, which included direct and participant observations, collected documents and artifacts, semi-formal and informal interviews with school members, along with a focus-group. Data was evaluated for common codes and relevant emerging themes are discussed. Six early childhood teachers at an early childhood elementary school participated in the study. Results suggest that there are …

Mobile Music Development Tools For Creative Coders, Daniel Stuart Holmes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project is a body of work that facilitates the creation of musical mobile artworks. The project includes a code toolkit that enhances and simplifies the development of mobile music iOS applications, a flexible notation system designed for mobile musical interactions, and example apps and scored compositions to demonstrate the toolkit and notation system.

The code library is designed to simplify the technical aspect of user-centered design and development with a more direct connection between concept and deliverable. This sim- plification addresses learning problems (such as motivation, self-efficacy, and self-perceived understanding) by bridging the gap between idea and functional prototype …

A New Magnetic Topological Quantum Material Candidate By Design, Weiwei Xie, Xin Gui

Faculty Publications

Magnetism, when combined with an unconventional electronic band structure, can give rise to forefront electronic properties such as the quantum anomalous Hall effect, axion electrodynamics, and Majorana fermions. Here we report the characterization of high-quality crystals of EuSn2P2, a new quantum material specifically designed to engender unconventional electronic states plus magnetism. EuSn2P2 has a layered, Bi2Te3-type structure. Ferromagnetic interactions dominate the Curie-Weiss susceptibility, but a transition to antiferromagnetic ordering occurs near 30 K. Neutron diffraction reveals that this is due to two-dimensional ferromagnetic spin alignment within individual Eu layers and antiferromagnetic alignment between layers-this magnetic state surrounds the Sn-P layers …

Identification Of Particles With Lorentz Factor Up To 10 4 With Transition Radiation Detectors Based On Micro-Strip Silicon Detectors, J. Alozy, N. Belyaev, M. Campbell, M. Cherry, F. Dachs, S. Doronin, K. Filippov, P. Fusco, F. Gargano, E. Heijne, S. Konovalov, D. Krasnopevtsev, X. Llopart, F. Loparco, V. Mascagna, M. N. Mazziotta, H. Pernegger, D. Ponomarenko, M. Prest, D. Pyatiizbyantseva, R. Radomskii, C. Rembser, A. Romaniouk, A. A. Savchenko, D. Schaefer, E. J. Schioppa, D. Shchukin, D. Yu Sergeeva, E. Shulga, S. Smirnov, Y. Smirnov, M. Soldani, P. Spinelli

Faculty Publications

This work is dedicated to the study of a technique for hadron identification in the TeV momentum range, based on the simultaneous measurement of the energies and of the emission angles of the Transition Radiation (TR) X-rays with respect to the radiating particles. A detector setup has been built and tested with particles in a wide range of Lorentz factors (from about 10 3 to about 4×10 4 crossing different types of radiators. The measured double-differential (in energy and angle) spectra of the TR photons are in a reasonably good agreement with TR simulation predictions.

Nonlinear Optical Studies Of Bulk And Thin Film Complex Materials, Joel E. Taylor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Nonlinear optical studies of bulk and thin film materials provide a vast playground for physical and dynamical characterization. In this thesis, we have implemented experimental methods to probe novel phase transitions in single crystals using rotational anisotropic second harmonic generation (RASHG) and carrier dynamics in thin films with time-resolved pump-probe reflectivity. Furthermore, a novel low temperature ultra-high vacuum system coupled to nonlinear optics has been developed to extend lab capabilities. Doping (Bi_1-xSb_x)₂Se₃ with antimony, the surface electronic reconstruction near x=80% was identified with RASHG by deviations in the six-fold and three-fold polarization anisotropic …

A Case-Study Approach To Investigate Transmission, Co-Infection, And Clinical Sequelae During Epidemics Of Dengue And Ebola Virus Disease, Jennifer Elizabeth Giovanni

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

From within their ecologic niches, zoonotic viruses emerge from animal reservoirs into the edges and centers of human habitation to exploit opportunities for unabated transmission within immunologically–naïve populations. Our understanding of where, in whom, and how these viruses emerge is under direct challenge, driving the evolution of modern infectious disease epidemiology within a rapidly-connected global community. The studies presented herein are based on analyses of both aggregate and case-level data, which, we argue, provide unique insight into the complexities of transmission, co-infection, and clinical sequelae occurring within, and arising from, epidemics of emerging zoonotic viruses. In Chapter II, we investigate …