Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of William Bolcom's "Three Classical Rags", Thomas A. Owens

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This document aims to provide insight into William Bolcom’s Three Classical Rags through harmonic and formal analysis of each rag, investigating the ways in which they fulfill or subvert the expectations of ragtime. The study begins with a description of the harmonic language, form, and metric structure typical of ragtime composers like Scott Joplin and Joseph Lamb. Examples of rags that maintain these characteristics are The Entertainer by Joplin, Heliotrope Bouquet by Louis Chauvin and Joplin, and Top Liner Rag by Lamb. Analysis of Bolcom’s Three Classical Rags ensues, exploring the ways they both honor and subvert the expectations …

Complexity Of Avian Evolution Revealed By Family-Level Genomes, Josefin Stiller, Shaohong Feng, Al Aabid Chowdhury, Iker Rivas-González, David A. Duchêne, Qi Fang, Yuan Deng, Alexey Kozlov, Alexandros Stamatakis, Santiago Claramunt, Jacqueline M.T. Nguyen, Simon Y.W. Ho, Brant C. Faircloth, Julia Haag, Peter Houde, Joel Cracraft, Metin Balaban, Uyen Mai, Guangji Chen, Rongsheng Gao, Chengran Zhou, Yulong Xie, Zijian Huang, Zhen Cao, Zhi Yan, Huw A. Ogilvie, Luay Nakhleh, Bent Lindow, Benoit Morel, Jon Fjeldså, Peter A. Hosner, Rute R. Da Fonseca, Bent Petersen

Faculty Publications

Despite tremendous efforts in the past decades, relationships among main avian lineages remain heavily debated without a clear resolution. Discrepancies have been attributed to diversity of species sampled, phylogenetic method and the choice of genomic regions^1–3. Here we address these issues by analysing the genomes of 363 bird species⁴ (218 taxonomic families, 92% of total). Using intergenic regions and coalescent methods, we present a well-supported tree but also a marked degree of discordance. The tree confirms that Neoaves experienced rapid radiation at or near the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary. Sufficient loci rather than extensive taxon sampling were more effective …

Hydrodynamic And Biochemical Impacts On The Development Of Hypoxia In The Louisiana-Texas Shelf - Part 1: Roles Of Nutrient Limitation And Plankton Community, Yanda Ou, Z. George Xue

Faculty Publications

A three-dimensional coupled hydrodynamic-biogeochemical model with multiple nutrient and plankton functional groups was developed and adapted to the Gulf of Mexico to investigate the role of nutrients and the complexity of plankton community in dissolved oxygen (DO) dynamics. A 15-year hindcast was achieved covering the period of 2006-2020. Extensive model validation against in situ data demonstrates that the model was capable of reproducing vertical distributions of DO and spatial distributions of bottom DO concentration, as well as their interannual variations. The study demonstrates that bottom DO dynamics and hypoxia evolution are significantly influenced by both physical processes and local biochemistry, …

Optimal Planning And Design Of Operations And Maintenance Systems For Offshore Wind Farms, Md Imran Hasan Tusar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Feasible and sustainable sources of power are a critical issue nowadays. Offshore wind farms (OWF) can be a solution to power generation problems, but it is relatively more expensive— their installation cost is more than twice of their comparable size onshore counterparts. The cost that matters most is the operations and maintenance (O&M) cost. Expensive and sophisticated transfer vehicles and highly skilled technicians are needed to conduct O&M activities, resulting in a remarkably higher O&M cost for an offshore wind farm project. Offshore wind turbines can capture more wind than onshore turbines because of their larger structure and location in …

Sexual Abuse: A Multi-Faceted Problem, Marcus Venable

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

On average, US citizens have experienced approximately 400,000 sexual assaults per year, which results in enormous immediate and long-term consequences for individuals, as well as society in general.

In the U.S., the principal method of combatting this crime has been the creation of Sex Offender Registries used to notify the public of the identity and location of convicted sex offenders who may be living in proximity to their residence. In addition to the Registry, laws have been passed forbidding convicted sex offenders from residing within buffer zones around areas of high child concentration [schools/parks/etc.].

The efficacy and consequences of these …

The Influence Of Stage Of Ripeness On Consumer Perceptions Regarding Selected Aspects Of Non-Astringent Asian Persimmons (Diospyros Kaki Thunb), Robert A. Mirabello Jr

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Asian Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) is an important fruit crop in Asia and in recent decades has experienced expanding production around the world. Non-astringent cultivars are highly desirable in world markets. In the United States the Asian Persimmon is lesser known and consumed although it can be successfully grown in California and the Southeastern United States.This novel study examined the physical/chemical properties of the non-astringent Asian Persimmon ‘Jiro’ grown in Southern Louisiana at three distinct stages of ripeness described as Green (mid-September harvest), Light Orange (mid-October harvest) and Dark Orange (mid-November harvest). Data collected included color, weight, size, soluble …

The Effect Of A Lactobacillus Containing Gel On The Clitoral Microbiome Of The Mare, Fiona E. Herzog

LSU Master's Theses

The equine lower reproductive tract harbors bacterial populations that serve as a reservoir for potential pathogens. Dysbiosis of urogenital sites may play a role in reproductive disease of the mare, including endometritis. Metagenetic studies have evaluated microbiomes in the uterus, vagina and placenta, while the clitoral microbiome has yet to be described. In this study, the following hypotheses were tested; 1) the clitoris harbors a unique microbiome, 2) topical Lactobacillus genus complex (LGC) probiotic will alter this microbiome, 3) acceptable per cycle pregnancy rates (PCPR) following probiotic application will be achieved. Reproductively normal mares (n=14) were selected, and clitoral fossa …

Optics Design And Fabrication For A Lung Interferometry-Radiography System, Rachael Lyn Blair

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: High prevalence of lung diseases leads to many people worldwide needing spirometry and imaging testing. The typical imaging done uses chest radiography and/or low-dose CT. Lung tissue is difficult to visualize, making them substandard for monitoring lung disease progression. An improvement on these systems is x-ray interferometry which produces additional images that provide better visualization of changes in the lung tissue. The set-up of x-ray interferometry builds upon other imaging systems in that it includes diffraction gratings.

Materials: This thesis focused on implementing the fabrication processes to create diffraction gratings for a lung imager prototype that is currently under …

Decay Spectroscopy Of 134sb Using X-Array And Saturn, Graeme E. Morgan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The ground-state decay of ¹³⁴Sb is reported by the current evaluated nuclear data to be dominated by a 0^-→0⁺ first-forbidden Gamow-Teller transition to the ground state of ¹³⁴Te. In 2013, a recoil-ion time-of-flight (RI-TOF) spectroscopy measurement of ¹³⁴Sb with the Beta-decay Paul Trap (BPT) indicated that the ground-state feeding of ¹³⁴Te is weaker than reported. Simulation work of ¹³⁴Sb ground-state decays replicated the RI-TOF results with the addition of a theorised 5-MeV state that was fed with ~17% of the total β-decay strength. To search for higher energy states and transitions that …

Struggling To Be Positive Problem Solvers – A Study On The Relationship Of Elementary Mathematical Self-Concept, Gender, Learner Identification, And Productive Struggle Trajectories On Constructed Response Questions When Being Taught With A Standardized Curriculum, Kali D. Rogers

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Mathematical word problems are some of the most difficult problems for students to solve due to their complexity and relationship to real-world situations (Şahin et al., 2014; Verschaffel et al., 2020). With math being known for right-or-wrong answers, these open-ended questions cause much confusion and frustration, specifically for students of various subgroups. In the last several decades, educational teaching expectations have shifted from engaging, self-created learning to robotic and redundant curriculum expectations that induce a ‘teaching to the test’ environment (Shafiyeva, 2021). Mathematics is the powerhouse of where students can experience and succeed with productive struggle learning that teaches the …

Vibrato Rate And Extent In The Baritone Voice Through The Twentieth And Early Twenty-First Century, Scott Purcell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Observations of vibrato rate and extent through the twentieth and early twenty-first century point to an overall decrease in rate and increase in extent. This descriptive analysis studied fifty-five randomly selected recordings of professional operatic baritones, five from each decade from 1910 to 2021, and analyzed their vibrato rate and extent with VoceVista Video Pro. Results showed a consistent decrease in mean vibrato rate from 1910 to 1960, with small increases and decreases from 1960-2021. Vibrato extent was less consistent, but still increased from 1910-2021. The mean vibrato rate was 5.84 Herz (Hz), with a coefficient of variation (CV) of …

Examining The Use Of Vr As A Study Aid For University Students With Adhd, Isabelle Cuber, Juliana G. Goncalves De Souza, Irene Jacobs, Caroline Lowman, David Shepherd, Thomas Fritz, Joshua M. Langberg

Faculty Publications

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by patterns of inattention and impulsivity, which lead to difficulties maintaining concentration and motivation while completing academic tasks. University settings, characterized by a high student-to-staf ratio, make treatments relying on human monitoring challenging. One potential replacement is Virtual Reality (VR) technology, which has shown potential to enhance learning outcomes and promote fow experience. In this study, we investigate the usage of VR with 27 university students with ADHD in an efort to improve their performance in completing homework, including an exploration of automated feedback via a technology probe. Quantitative results show significant …

Multiphoton Quantum Sensing, Fatemeh Mostafavikhatam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

While the fundamental principles of light-matter interaction are well-understood and drive countless technologies, the world of multiphoton processes remains a fascinating puzzle, holding the potential to drastically alter our understanding of how light interacts with matter at its most basic level [1–4]. This rich interplay of light and matter unveils novel phenomena that can be harnessed for sensing with exceptional precision, as exemplified by multiphoton quantum sensing. This thesis delves into the applications of multiphoton quantum protocols, particularly in imaging, communication, and plasmonic sensing, to surpass classical limitations and achieve enhanced sensitivity. We explore the potential of multiphoton quantum processes, …

Restricting Bioenergetic Efficiency Enhances Longevity And Mitochondrial Redox Capacity In Drosophila Melanogaster, Analisa L. Taylor, Olga Dubuisson, Pritika Pandey, Elizabeth R.M. Zunica, Bolormaa Vandanmagsar, Wagner S. Dantas, Alyssa Johnson, Christopher L. Axelrod, John P. Kirwan

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Mitochondria are essential for survival and as such, impairments in organelle homeostasis significantly accelerate age-related morbidity and mortality. Here, we determined the contribution of bioenergetic efficiency to life span and health span in Drosophila melanogaster utilizing the mitochondrial uncoupler BAM15. Life span was determined in flies fed a normal diet (ND) or high fat diet (HFD) supplemented with vehicle or BAM15. Locomotor function was determined by negative geotaxis assay in middle-aged flies fed vehicle or BAM15 under ND or HFD conditions. Redox capacity (high-resolution respirometry/fluorometry), citrate synthase (enzyme activity), mtDNA content (qPCR), gene expression (qPCR), and protein expression (western blot) …

Detection Of Ochyromera Ligustri (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae) In Ligustrum Spp. (Oleaceae) Using Newly Developed Pcr Primers, Ilgoo Kang, Amy Roda, Brandi Misiaszek, Tanner Sparks, Rodrigo Diaz

Faculty Publications

Ligustrum spp. (Oleaceae) have become invasive species in the US and negatively affect native plant diversity and richness in forests. Ochyromera ligustri (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is considered a potential biological control agent in the US because adults feed on the foliage and larvae are seed-feeders of Ligustrum spp. To discover the relationships between O. ligustri and Ligustrum spp., fruit dissections or rearing and field observations are required. In the current research project, novel PCR primers were developed to rapidly detect the DNA of O. ligustri in molecular analyses without rearing and observation. The developed PCR primers worked even with 0.01 ng …

Speech, Voice, And Language Outcomes Following Deep Brain Stimulation: A Systematic Review, Fatemeh Tabari, Joel I. Berger, Oliver Flouty, Brian Copeland, Jeremy D. Greenlee, Karim Johari

Faculty Publications

Background Deep brain stimulation (DBS) reliably ameliorates cardinal motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET). However, the effects of DBS on speech, voice and language have been inconsistent and have not been examined comprehensively in a single study. Objective We conducted a systematic analysis of literature by reviewing studies that examined the effects of DBS on speech, voice and language in PD and ET. Methods A total of 675 publications were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, CINHAL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Scopus databases. Based on our selection criteria, 90 papers were included in our analysis. The …

Clear Speech Effects In Production Of Sentence-Medial Mandarin Lexical Tonesa), Jack Rittenberry, Irina A. Shport

Faculty Publications

Adding to limited research on clear speech in tone languages, productions of Mandarin lexical tones were examined in pentasyllabic sentences. Fourteen participants read sentences imagining a hard-of-hearing addressee or a friend in a casual social setting. Tones produced in clear speech had longer duration, higher intensity, and larger F0 values. This style effect was rarely modulated by tone, preceding tonal context, or syllable position, consistent with an overall signal enhancement strategy. Possible evidence for tone enhancement was observed only in one set of analysis for F0 minimum and F0 range, contrasting tones with low targets and tones with high targets.

Transitioning From A Research Protocol To A Scalable Applied Pathway For Xenopus Laevis Sperm Cryopreservation At A National Stock Center: The Effect Of Cryoprotectants, Lucía Arregui, Jack C. Koch, Terrence R. Tiersch

Faculty Publications

Sperm cryopreservation is a critical tool for safeguarding and managing valuable genetic resources. Protocols for cryopreservation of Xenopus laevis sperm were available but lacking sperm quality evaluation and scalability and the outcomes were inconsistent. The goal of this study was to begin developing a center-level cryopreservation pathway for this species by integrating French straws as containers that would facilitate germplasm repository development. The objectives were to analyze the effect of: (1) three sperm concentrations (33, 50, and 100 × 106 sperm/mL) on post-thaw fertilization, (2) three final concentrations (2.5%, 5%, and 10%) of dimethyl sulfoxide, methanol, and dimethylformamide (DMFA) on …

Song And Genetic Divergence Within A Subspecies Of White-Crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia Leucophrys Nuttalli), Amy Rongyan Luo, Sara Lipshutz, Jennifer Phillips, Robb T. Brumfield, Elizabeth Perrault Derryberry

Faculty Publications

Animal culture evolves alongside genomes, and the two modes of inheritance-culture and genes-interact in myriad ways. For example, stable geographic variation in culture can act as a reproductive barrier, thereby facilitating genetic divergence between "cultural populations."White-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) are a well-established model species for bird song learning and cultural evolution, as they have distinct, geographically discrete, and culturally transmitted song types (i.e., song dialects). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that divergence between culturally transmitted songs drives genetic divergence within Nuttall's white-crowned sparrows (Z. l. nuttalli). In accordance with sexual selection theory, we hypothesized that cultural divergence between …

Associations Of Epigenetic Age Acceleration With Cvd Risks Across The Lifespan: The Bogalusa Heart Study, Xiao Sun, Wei Chen, Alexander C. Razavi, Mengyao Shi, Yang Pan, Changwei Li, Maria Argos, Brian T. Layden, Martha L. Daviglus, Jiang He, Owen T. Carmichael, Lydia A. Bazzano, Tanika N. Kelly

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Although epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) might serve as a molecular signature of childhood cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and further promote midlife subclinical CVD, few studies have comprehensively examined these life course associations. This study sought to test whether childhood CVD risk factors predict EAA in adulthood and whether EAA mediates the association between childhood CVD risks and midlife subclinical disease. Among 1,580 Bogalusa Heart Study participants, we estimated extrinsic EAA, intrinsic EAA, PhenoAge acceleration (PhenoAgeAccel), and GrimAge acceleration (GrimAgeAccel) during adulthood. We tested prospective associations of longitudinal childhood body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, lipids, and glucose with EAAs …

The Roles Of Perceived Safety Climate And Innovativeness In The Performance Of Sport And Recreation Organizations, Minjung Kim, Han Soo Kim, Brent D. Oja, Jasamine Hill, Claire Zvosec, Paul Yuseung Doh

Faculty Publications

The recent COVID-19 pandemic created an unpredictable environment regarding the safety operations of sport and recreation organizations. This study was designed to examine how safety climate and organizational innovativeness could promote preferred organizational behavior outcomes in college campus sport and recreation centers. A total of 227 sport and recreation employees were recruited through the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association. With the collected data, we employed structural equation modeling to assess the research hypotheses. The results indicated that safety climate and innovativeness positively influenced job engagement, therefore leading to enhanced safety compliance and employee innovativeness, which ultimately resulted in higher …

The Sequential Direct And Indirect Effects Of Mountain Uplift, Climatic Niche, And Floral Trait Evolution On Diversification Dynamics In An Andean Plant Clade, Agnes S. Dellinger, Laura Lagomarsino, Fabián Michelangeli, Stefan Dullinger, Stacey D. Smith

Faculty Publications

Why and how organismal lineages radiate is commonly studied through either assessing abiotic factors (biogeography, geomorphological processes, and climate) or biotic factors (traits and interactions). Despite increasing awareness that both abiotic and biotic processes may have important joint effects on diversification dynamics, few attempts have been made to quantify the relative importance and timing of these factors, and their potentially interlinked direct and indirect effects, on lineage diversification. We here combine assessments of historical biogeography, geomorphology, climatic niche, vegetative, and floral trait evolution to test whether these factors jointly, or in isolation, explain diversification dynamics of a Neotropical plant clade …

Associations Of Adhd Symptoms, Anxiety Symptoms, And Executive Functions In College-Age Women, Micayla Carter

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Analysis Of Tourmaline: Protocols, Procedures, And Predicaments, Nancy J. Mcmillan, Barbara L. Dutrow

Faculty Publications

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an appropriate choice of analytical tool for analysis of complex minerals because it is rapid, requires little sample preparation, and acquires major and trace element compositional information on all naturally occurring elements at concentrations above their intrinsic levels of detection for the specific analyte material. Tourmaline, a complex borosilicate mineral supergroup, was chosen as a test mineral due to the complexity of its major and minor element composition. Four analytical issues were investigated during project development: (1) the spacing between analytical laser shots to avoid analysis of the recast from previous laser ablations, (2) the …

Benthic Community Response To The Impacts Of Proposed Sediment Diversions In Louisiana Estuaries, Jillian C. Tupitza

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sediment diversions designed to mitigate land loss in coastal Louisiana will likely cause ecosystem-wide shifts. The first diversion, planned for Barataria Bay, will divert fresh water and sediment from the Mississippi River into the surrounding wetlands to help them keep pace with high rates of relative sea-level rise (RSLR). Estuarine benthic communities were used in this study as tools to characterize ecological patterns in the context of anticipated salinity changes. I reviewed relevant literature, conducted a two-year survey of Barataria Bay benthos, executed a reciprocal transplant experiment to describe changes that might occur in both community composition and trophic dynamics, …

Analysis Of Close Contact Melting, Mohana Durga Gurunadhan

LSU Master's Theses

This report presents a numerical transient analysis of Close Contact Melting (CCM), intended to help in accurate prediction of melt rate and interface configuration, which is to be utilized for a prospective frozen propellant based propulsion system. Three different substrate shapes namely- Flat, Cylindrical and Wedge, are chosen for the study. The domain discretization is based on generation of boundary fitted mesh and the time varying physical domain is transformed to a fixed computational domain, wherein the associated governing equations are solved. Apart from the conventional linear system solvers, an algebraic multigrid based solver is implemented. A non-iterative implicit/explicit melt …

Improved Modeling And Application Of Data Assimilation In Gas Influx Management During Managed Pressure Drilling, Chen Wei

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The management of gas influxes in a drilling well has been considered one of the most critical topics for maintaining petroleum drilling safety and efficiency. Reliable modeling of gas influx behaviors in a wellbore or a marine riser greatly benefits the improved understanding of a gas kick event and the development of optimized influx management strategies. However, the current studies on transient multiphase flow modeling show varying limitations on both the model rigorousness and the overall numerical efficiency. Meanwhile, the existence of great system uncertainties, such as the unclear influx sizes and distributions in the well/riser, has brought significant challenges …

A Feasibility Study Of Drilling Fluid Slippage For Wellbore Displacement, John Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

In the ideal plug-flow mode viscoplastic drilling fluids display uniform frontal velocity due to wall slippage (at very low flowrate limited by the fluid’s yield strength). The flow rate could be increased by raising the yield strength that would make the fluid best candidate for frontal displacement. Based on this concept the study qualifies wall slippage effect for wellbore displacement. Using a conceptual model of fluid motion between two parallel plates defines maximum velocity as a function of shearing rate and yield stress. Conversion to coaxial geometry gives practical formulas for fluid testing with rotational viscometer. A new analysis of …

Probing The Electrode-Electrolyte Interface Of Sodium/Glyme-Based Battery Electrolytes, Dodangodage Ishara Senadheera, Orlando Carrillo-Bohorquez, Ernest O. Nachaki, Ryan Jorn, Daniel G. Kuroda, Revati Kumar

Faculty Publications

Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) are promising systems for large-scale energy storage solutions; yet, further enhancements are required for their commercial viability. Improving the electrochemical performance of NIBs goes beyond the chemical description of the electrolyte and electrode materials as it requires a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms that govern the interface between electrodes and electrolytes. In particular, the decomposition reactions occurring at these interfaces lead to the formation of surface films. Previous work has revealed that the solvation structure of cations in the electrolyte has a significant influence on the formation and properties of these surface films. Here, an experimentally …

Lithium Ion Speciation In Cyclic Solvents: Impact Of Anion Charge Delocalization And Solvent Polarizability, Ernest O. Nachaki, Daniel G. Kuroda

Faculty Publications

The increasing demand for lithium batteries has triggered the search for safer and more efficient electrolytes. Insights into the atomistic description of electrolytes are critical for relating microscopic and macroscopic (physicochemical) properties. Previous studies have shown that the type of lithium salt and solvent used in the electrolyte influences its performance by dictating the speciation of the ionic components in the system. Here, we investigate the molecular origins of ion association in lithium-based electrolytes as a function of anion charge delocalization and solvent chemical identity. To this end, a family of cyano-based lithium salts in organic solvents, having a cyclic …