Digital Commons Network^™

First-Principles Study Of Feo2HX Solid And Melt System At High Pressures: Implications For Ultralow-Velocity Zones, Jie Deng, Bijaya B. Karki, Dipta B. Ghosh, Kanani K.M. Lee

Faculty Publications

Pyrite-type FeO H (P phase) has recently been suggested as a possible alternative to explain ultralow-velocity zones due to its low seismic velocity and high density. Here we report the results on the congruent melting temperature and melt properties of P phase at high pressures from first-principles molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that P phase would likely be melted near the core–mantle boundary. Liquid FeO H has smaller density and smaller bulk sound velocity compared to the isochemical P phase. As such, relatively small amounts of liquid FeO H could account for the observed seismic anomaly of ultralow-velocity zones. …

Data-Driven Estimation Of Significant Kinetic Parameters Applied To The Synthesis Of Polyolefins, Santiago D. Salas, Amanda L.T. Brandão, João B.P. Soares, José A. Romagnoli

Faculty Publications

A data-driven strategy for the online estimation of important kinetic parameters was assessed for the copolymerization of ethylene with 1,9-decadiene using a metallocene catalyst at different diene concentrations and reaction temperatures. An initial global sensitivity analysis selected the significant kinetic parameters of the system. The retrospective cost model refinement (RCMR) algorithm was adapted and implemented to estimate the significant kinetic parameters of the model in real time. After verifying stability and robustness, experimental data validated the algorithm performance. Results demonstrate the estimated kinetic parameters converge close to theoretical values without requiring prior knowledge of the polymerization model and the original …

S-Wave Scattering Lengths For The Be 7 +P System From An R-Matrix Analysis, S. N. Paneru, C. R. Brune, R. Giri, R. J. Livesay, U. Greife, J. C. Blackmon, D. W. Bardayan, K. A. Chipps, B. Davids, D. S. Connolly, K. Y. Chae, A. E. Champagne, C. Deibel, K. L. Jones, M. S. Johnson, R. L. Kozub, Z. Ma, C. D. Nesaraja, S. D. Pain, F. Sarazin, J. F. Shriner, D. W. Stracener, M. S. Smith, J. S. Thomas, D. W. Visser, C. Wrede

Faculty Publications

The astrophysical S factor for the radiative proton capture reaction on Be7 (S17) at low energies is affected by the s-wave scattering lengths. We report the measurement of elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections for the Be7+p system in the center-of-mass energy range 0.474-2.740 MeV and center-of-mass angular range 70-150. A radioactive Be7 beam produced at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL) Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility was accelerated and bombarded a thin polypropylene (CH2)n target. Scattered ions were detected in the segmented Silicon Detector Array. Using an R-matrix analysis of ORNL and Louvain-la-Neuve cross-section data, the s-wave scattering lengths for …

Von Neumann Stability Of Modified Loop Quantum Cosmologies, Sahil Saini, Parampreet Singh

Faculty Publications

von Neumann stability analysis of quantum difference equations in loop quantized spacetimes has often proved useful to understand the viability of quantizations and whether a general relativistic description is recovered at small spacetime curvatures. We use this technique to analyze the infrared behavior of the quantum Hamiltonian constraint in recently explored modifications of loop quantum cosmology: mLQC-I and mLQC-II, for the spatially flat FLRW model. We investigate the behavior for the μo scheme, where the minimum area of loops in the quantization procedure does not take physical metric in to account, and the μ scheme where quantization procedure uses a …

Building A Better Batture: A Regional Recreational Enhancement Around The Morganza To The Gulf Levee, Taylor N. Fehmel

LSU Master's Theses

Twenty-five years ago, the existing flood protection levees along the Louisiana coastline were removed and construction was started by Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District on a new project called ‘Morganza to the Gulf’ or MTG. This project was undertaken to construct a new flood protection levee system around Louisiana in the communities in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parish. The MTG Levee is one of the first coastal projects in Louisiana to incorporate a risk-based analysis for a double levee system containing both local parish drainage levees and future storm surge levees of MTG. It was designed to protect approximately 250,000 people …

Falling On Deaf Ears: Social Workers’ Attitudes About Deafness, Hearing Loss, And Deaf Cultural Competence, Esperanza J. Garibay

LSU Master's Theses

D/deaf and hard of hearing people have lower health literacy and higher rates of misdiagnosis of serious illnesses than their hearing counterparts (Sheier, 2009). This is, in part, a result of the inaccessible and culturally incompetent care provided to d/Deaf and hard of hearing individuals (Kuenburg, Fellinger & Fellinger, 2016; Hoang, LaHousse, Nakaji & Sadler, 2010 Sheier, 2009). Inaccessible and culturally incompetent care may be byproducts of human service providers’ attitudes towards d/Deaf and hard of hearing people (Ulloa, 2014; Cooper, Mason & Rose, 2005), and providers’ level of competence with properly caring for d/Deaf and hard of hearing clients …

Evaluation Of Ventilation Assistance For Improving Respiratory Reproducibility In Radiation Therapy, Cameron J. Sprowls

LSU Master's Theses

Background: Respiratory motion affects all tumor sites in the thorax and abdomen. Variations of the respiratory pattern cause variations of the tumor motion which can result in differences between the planned and delivered dose distributions. Previous breathing guidance techniques have been investigated to improve respiratory reproducibility; however, ventilation assistance has not been investigated. We evaluated using bi-level positive airway pressure (BIPAP) ventilation assistance for improving respiratory reproducibility in patients with tumor sites impacted by respiratory motion.

Methods: Written informed consent was obtained for 10 patients currently undergoing radiation therapy treatment. Patients participated in sessions over their course of treatment, which …

Identification And Reduction Of Uncertainties In Watershed-Scale Flow And Water Quality Modeling, Maryam Roostaee

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study identified important uncertainties affecting watershed-scale flow and water quality simulations and recommended modeling options for reducing the uncertainties by means of the Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) model. Specifically, parameter-induced uncertainties in HSPF model were estimated along with uncertainties associated with DEM resolutions and sources. National Elevation Dataset (NED) DEMs with original and resampled resolutions of 3.5, 10, 30 and 100m were utilized for manual and automatic delineation of three watersheds with different gradients in HSPF model to identify the effects of DEM resolution, DEM resampling, delineation method and watershed gradient on the simulation of streamflow, nitrate (NO_{3 …}

Plasticity, Technicity, Writing, Deborah Goldgaber

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Profoundest Problem Of Ethics: About The Possibility Of A Profound Solution, Pol Pardini Gispert

LSU Master's Theses

My thesis is concerned with the prospects for finding a solution to what Henry Sidgwick called the Profoundest Problem of Ethics. I begin by analysing Sidgwick’s The Methods of Ethics to reveal the assumptions about rationality that led Sidgwick to claim that Ethics is plagued with a profoundest problem. I then evaluate the capacity of seven accounts – those of Derek Parfit, Roger Crisp, David Brink, David Phillips, William Frankena, Owen McLeod, and Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek and Peter Singer – to solve the Profoundest Problem of Ethics; arguing that not one is able to solve it. In the conclusion, I …

Examining The Effect Of Multiple Route Choice Criteria On Hurricane Evacuation Traffic Through External Validation Of Simulations, Haggai D. Davis Iii

LSU Master's Theses

Hurricane evacuations can be a chaotic experience for individuals involved, but researchers have attempted to find patterns in the routes people take. One paper laid out a model for predicting route choice based upon features that are different than standard route choice influencers. This thesis attempted to evaluate the accuracy of that model by using TransModeler modeling software. Using the building blocks of the HEMP project, this project compared the new model to the standard model and evaluated the two based upon the ability to reproduce real-world results. Interestingly, the two did not come out significantly different possibly because the …

Intraspecific Variation In A Dominant Prey Species Can Bias Marine Predator Dietary Estimates Derived From Stable Isotope Analysis, Michael J. Polito, Wayne Z. Trivelpiece, Christian S. Reiss, Susan G. Trivelpiece, Jefferson T. Hinke, William P. Patterson, Steven D. Emslie

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Temperature-Dependent Development And Host Range Of Crapemyrtle Bark Scale, Acanthococcus Lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), Zinan Wang, Yan Chen, Rodrigo Diaz

Faculty Publications

© 2019 Florida Entomological Society. All rights reserved. The crapemyrtle bark scale, Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), is an invasive pest of crapemyrtles, Lagerstroemia spp. L. (Lythraceae) in the southeastern USA. Information about its temperature-dependent development and host range is limited. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of temperature on the immature development of A. lagerstroemiae, and to determine plant species suitable for immature development and reproduction. Developmental time and survival of eggs were evaluated at 7 constant temperatures from 17.5 to 32 °C, and of nymphs at 20, 25, and 30 °C. Results suggested that …

Exploring New Fe-Substituted Rare-Earth-Based High Entropy Alloys, Glendon Rewerts

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Hepatitis C Prevalence In A Justice-Involved Medicaid Population In Louisiana, William R. Boles Iii

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Accuracy Of Personalized 3-D Printed Phantoms For Radiotherapy Applications, Margaret Carey

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Hinge Region In Dna Packaging Terminase Pul15 Of Herpes Simplex Virus: A Potential Allosteric Target For Antiviral Drugs, Lana Faisal Thaljeh

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Time Pressure On Cue Utilization In Academic Selection Decisions, Dominique Carr

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Nanoparticle Burst Timing Optimization, Simon Grigoryan

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Search For Light Sterile Neutrinos With The T2k Far Detector Super-Kamiokande At A Baseline Of 295 Km, K. Abe, R. Akutsu, A. Ali, C. Andreopoulos, L. Anthony, M. Antonova, S. Aoki, A. Ariga, Y. Ashida, Y. Awataguchi, Y. Azuma, S. Ban, M. Barbi, G. J. Barker, G. Barr, C. Barry, M. Batkiewicz-Kwasniak, F. Bench, V. Berardi, S. Berkman, R. M. Berner, L. Berns, S. Bhadra, S. Bienstock, A. Blondel, S. Bolognesi, B. Bourguille, S. B. Boyd

Faculty Publications

We perform a search for light sterile neutrinos using the data from the T2K far detector at a baseline of 295 km, with an exposure of 14.7(7.6)×1020 protons on target in neutrino (antineutrino) mode. A selection of neutral-current interaction samples is also used to enhance the sensitivity to sterile mixing. No evidence of sterile neutrino mixing in the 3+1 model was found from a simultaneous fit to the charged-current muon, electron and neutral-current neutrino samples. We set the most stringent limit on the sterile oscillation amplitude sin2θ24 for the sterile neutrino mass splitting Δm412<3×10-3 eV2/c4.

Transitional Granulite-Facies Mafic Xenoliths In The 2.8 Ga Trondjhemite-Tonalite-Granodiorite (Ttg) Gneisses Of The Eastern Beartooth Mountains, Mt/Wy: Evidence For Variable Fluid Interactions, Andrew W. Osborne

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Salt Marsh Restoration In Louisiana: An Analysis Of Litter Decomposition, Joseph Winston

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Sedimentary Budget Of The Northwest Sub-Basin, South China Sea: Controlling Factors And Geological Implications, Peter D. Clift

Faculty Publications

We calculated the sedimentary budget of the Northwest Sub-basin (NWSB), South China Sea for different geological times based on interpretations of four multichannel seismic profiles across the basin with constraints from International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expeditions 367 and 368 drilling results. Sedimentation was generally dominated by regional tectonic events and climate change, but complicated by local tectonic events and geographic position, which resulted in a specific sedimentary budget in the NWSB compared with other marginal basins and the Southwest Sub-basin. The sedimentation rate was relatively low following the opening of the NWSB but increased gradually during the Middle Miocene, …

Differentiation Of Surface Water And Groundwater In A Karst System Using Anthropogenic Signatures, Joe Honings

Faculty Publications

Surface water-groundwater interaction within a karstic system enhances contaminant transport, making karst aquifers susceptible to anthropogenic practices. Contaminated waters related to agricultural and animal husbandry in northwestern Illinois (USA) prompted this investigation. Six streams and five springs were sampled for 16 parameters to assess anthropogenic influences. Statistical analyses revealed differences in 13 of 16 parameters between the stream and spring waters. Rock-water interaction was identified as the dominant mechanism defining the chemistry for both waters, which were classified as Ca-Mg HCO3. Elevated nitrate as nitrogen (NO3-N), chloride (Cl-), sodium, and potassium concentrations indicate that human activities have influenced the quality …

[Formula Presented] Interior Penalty Methods For An Elliptic State-Constrained Optimal Control Problem With Neumann Boundary Condition, Susanne C. Brenner, Li Yeng Sung, Yi Zhang

Faculty Publications

We study [Formula presented] interior penalty methods for an elliptic optimal control problem with pointwise state constraints on two dimensional convex polygonal domains. The approximation of the optimal state is obtained by solving a fourth order variational inequality and the approximation of the optimal control is computed by a post-processing procedure. We prove the convergence of numerical solutions with rates in the [Formula presented]-like energy error by using the complementarity form of the variational inequality. Furthermore, we develop an a posteriori analysis for a residual based error estimator and introduce an adaptive algorithm. Numerical experiments are provided to gauge the …

Stabilization And Robustness Analysis For A Chain Of Saturating Integrators With Imprecise Measurements, Frederic Mazenc, Laurent Burlion, Michael Malisoff

Faculty Publications

We solve a challenging input-to-state stabilization problem for a chain of saturated integrators when the variables are not accurately measured. We use a recent backstepping approach with pointwise delays and no distributed terms.

Retrieval-Based Word Learning In Young Typically Developing Children And Children With Developmental Language Disorder I: The Benefits Of Repeated Retrieval, Laurence B. Leonard, Jeffrey Karpicke, Patricia Deevy, Christine Weber, Sharon Christ, Eileen Haebig, Sofía Souto, Justin B. Kueser, Windi Krok

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Scholars have long noted that retention improves significantly when learners frequently test themselves on the new material rather than engage in continuous study with no intermittent testing. In this study, we apply the notion of repeated testing or retrieval to the process of word learning in preschool-age children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD). Method: Novel words and their meanings were taught to 10 children with DLD and 10 typically developing (TD) children matched on age (DLD, M = 63.4 months; TD, M = 63.2 months). Recall was assessed immediately after the 2nd learning session and then again …

Influence Of Spatial Camera Resolution In Highspeed Videoendoscopy On Laryngeal Parameters, Patrick Schlegel, Melda Kunduk, Michael Stingl, Marion Semmler, Michael Döllinger, Christopher Bohr, Anne Schützenberger

Faculty Publications

In laryngeal high-speed videoendoscopy (HSV) the area between the vibrating vocal folds during phonation is of interest, being referred to as glottal area waveform (GAW). Varying camera resolution may influence parameters computed on the GAW and hence hinder the comparability between examinations. This study investigates the influence of spatial camera resolution on quantitative vocal fold vibratory function parameters obtained from the GAW. In total 40 HSV recordings during sustained phonation (20 healthy males and 20 healthy females) were investigated. A clinically used Photron Fastcam MC2 camera with a frame rate of 4000 fps and a spatial resolution of 512×256 pixels …

Towards Reliable Uncertainties In Ir Interferometry: The Bootstrap For Correlated Statistical And Systematic Errors, Régis Lachaume, Markus Rabus, Andrés Jordán, Rafael Brahm, Tabetha Boyajian, Kaspar Von Braun, Jean Philippe Berger

Faculty Publications

We propose a method to overcome the usual limitation of current data processing techniques in optical and infrared long-baseline interferometry: most reduction pipelines assume uncorrelated statistical errors and ignore systematics. We use the bootstrap method to sample the multivariate probability density function of the interferometric observables. It allows us to determine the correlations between statistical error terms and their deviation from a Gaussian distribution. In addition, we introduce systematics as an additional, highly correlated error term whose magnitude is chosen to fit the data dispersion. We have applied the method to obtain accurate measurements of stellar diameters for underresolved stars, …

Spatiotemporal Variation Of Benthic Silica Fluxes In The Ngom Shelf, Byron Ebner

LSU Master's Theses

Dissolved silica (DSi), plays an important role in regulating primary productivity of silicifying organisms, such as diatoms which precipitate hard parts composed of biogenic silica (bSi) in coastal and shelf ecosystems fed by major rivers. In the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM), loading of nitrogen and phosphorous have increased compared to a decline in DSi in the Mississippi River. Continued decreasing in DSi loading could lead to limited diatom growth and production or shifts in community composition, therefore, it is important understand the role of benthic fluxes in providing silica to the overlying water column as there are few regional …