Digital Commons Network^™

Polyurethane Foam Based Packing Media For Biofilters Removing Volatile Organic Compounds From Contaminated Air, Felipe A. Martinez

LSU Master's Theses

In recent years, biofiltration technology has gained acceptance worldwide as an economical and reliable air pollution control technology for treating gases contaminated by low concentrations of biodegradable volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Important applications include control of odors generated by wastewater treatment plants and control of VOC emissions from industrial sources. Although there have been many successful applications, several operational problems have been reported in the literature. These include difficulty in control over bed moisture content, high head loss caused by excessive biomass production, and inability to maintain removal efficiency during transient periods of high concentration loading. Use of a superior …

Synthesis And Analysis Of Three-Dimensional Molecular Architectures, Patricia Beck

LSU Master's Theses

The use of resorcinarenes in the study of biologically significant phenomena has been the focus of much attention, due to the versatility of these macrocyclic compounds. In this thesis, two applications of resorcinarenes are explored. First, the search for the mechanism by which tetraarylboronic acid resorcinarenes lead to colorimetric detection and quantization of saccharide analyte concentration in solution is described. Second, the extension of the lower rim conjugation of the resorcinarene macrocycle by the fourfold addition of various length oligo(p-phenylene) rods is discussed. The synthesis of these tubular materials, with potential uses as artificial ion channels and for binding and …

Analysis Of Inorganic Materials Using Advanced Nmr And Nqr Techniques, Anthony Adrian Mrse

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Several advanced solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) techniques have been applied to inorganic materials of commercial interest. The specific techniques applied to each system were chosen to solve specific obstacles which impeded the flow of industrial science.

First, the dispersion of brominated flame retardants in polymers is monitored using pulsed ⁸¹Br NQR (nuclear quadrupole resonance) techniques. The NQR spectrometer consists of a homemade NMR console and an automatically tuned loop-gap resonator probe. The two factors which affect the ⁸¹Br NQR transition frequencies of brominated aromatics are: electron-donating and withdrawing substituents on the ring …

Evaluation Of In Situ Bioremediation Approaches In Meeting International Standards For Organic And Residual Metals Toxicity In Soils, Jason Allan Mcdonald

LSU Master's Theses

Drilling fluids and muds are an essential component of the rotary drilling process used to drill for oil and gas on land and in offshore environments. However, the bioaccumulation of petroleum contaminated soils/drilling mud due to oil and natural gas exploration has posed a major environmental concern due to its prolonged environmental persistence and its leachability below the rhizosphere. The main objectives of this research were: (i) To assess initial toxicity of drilling mud and related contaminated soils from an agricultural setting in Galliano, Sicily (Phase one) and (ii) To develop a low intervention bioremediation approach using bioplug technology to …

Simulation Study And Instability Of Adaptive Control, Zhongshan Wu

LSU Master's Theses

The Minimum-degree Pole Placement algorithm for Self-tuning Regulator design and the Recursive Least-square method and the projection algorithm for plant estimation are studied first in this thesis. Simulation studies for the estimator and controller algorithms are mainly undertaken after describing how to use MATLAB S-function in detail. Not only do Simulation experiments illustrates how and how well the MDPP and RLS algorithms work, but also show how to write and debug MATLAB codes for S-function programs. The robustness of the adaptive control system is intensively discussed subsequently. By using an estimator resistant to the noise contamination, the adaptive control system …

Mass Transfer Of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene And Lower Chlorinated Benzenes From Sediment Into Water., Marti Charleen Blad

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Bioremediation and phytoremediation are in their infancy and this research addresses concerns for application of these technologies. This laboratory and mathematical modeling effort predicts the pollutant flux from soils and sediments to the overlying waters. Little work has been done on transport in surface waters such as the slow moving and stagnant areas of the southern U.S. Mass transfer is a proposed rate limiting factor for biological transformation when using phytoremediation or natural attenuation. The research quantified mass transport of two dfferent contaminants, TNT and chlorinated benzenes, under different advective conditions. The TNT study was part of a "riffle-bed reactor" …

Plant Uptake Of Desorption Resistant Organic Chemicals From Sediments., Cesar Miguel Gomez Hermosillo

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Two types of wetland plants, a woody species, black willow ( Salix nigra), and a non-woody, the macrophyte three-square bulrush (Scirpus olneyi), were used in laboratory studies to evaluate relationships between sorption, plant uptake, translocation and transpiration of phenanthrene, a model polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and chlorobenzene, a model chlorinated benzene from the reversible and desorption-resistant compartment of a sediment for Phenanthrene (PHEN) and a wetland soil for chlorobenzene (CB). The wetland soil is from The Petro Processors Inc. site (PPI), a 77-acre CERCLA facility located about 10 miles north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Other studies have evaluated the plant uptake …

On K-Conjugacy Classes Of Maximal Tori In Semi-Simple Algebraic Groups., Uroyoan Ramon-Emeterio Walker

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

An attempt was made to make this a self-contained reading. The first three chapters are intended to provide the necessary background. Chapter one develops the tools needed from Galois Cohomology. Chapter two is a brief description of involutions, and in chapter three we define the notion of (linear) algebraic group, we give some examples and discuss some of their properties. In chapter four, we discuss some variants of the classical Skolem-Noether theorem, requiring only that the subalgebra have a unique faithful representation of full degree over a separable closure. We verify that we can extend every isomorphism to the whole …

A Treatment-Based Reading Assessment., Gary Joseph Duhon Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Each year a large number of students are identified as having problems in reading. The methodology for the identification of reading problems has been established and in practice for several years, however, the tools necessary for the identification of remediation procedures appropriate for the individual student lack this level of refinement. This study is an attempt at refining current assessment practices for the purpose of identifying remediation procedures that are effective on the level of the individual student. A conceptual model of learning (instructional hierarchy) was combined with a treatment based functional assessment methodology, resulting in a behavior analytic approach …

Holding Up And Holding On: Socialization Experiences Of Beginning Teachers In Differentially Effective Schools., Pamela Sanders Angelle

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The current study examined the socialization experiences of beginning teachers within the context of differentially effective middle schools. A mixed method design, using quantitative and qualitative approaches, was employed. The sample consisted of ten middle schools in Louisiana, five matched pairs, using an intensity strategy. The study was conducted in six phases of data collection. Phase One designed and carried out a pilot study. Interview data from school principals and mentors was collected in Phase Two, while Phase Three involved the collection of survey data from beginning teachers to measure perceptions of assistance, monitoring, team-building, and intention to remain in …

The Open Gates: The Rise Of Student Loan Indebtedness And The Social Processes Of Borrowing Money In The Pursuit Of Higher Education., Wendell Wayne Brumfield

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of students at a two-year college about their student loan debt management and the level of indebtedness incurred as a result of utilizing student loans. A survey was conducted in the Spring 2001 semester at Louisiana State University at Eunice in which a systematic random sample was selected. The 37-question survey instrument used in the study included 15 demographic questions and one-open ended question requesting respondents to provide suggestions that could be used to help other students. In addition, 21 perception statements were asked loan recipients. This study found that …

Orientations Of Graphs Which Have Small Directed Graph Minors., Glenn Randolph Berman

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Graphs are characterized by whether or not they have orientations to avoid one or more of the digraphs K&ar;3 , S&ar;3 , and P&ar;3 . K&ar;3 , S&ar;3 and P&ar;3 are created by starting with a triangle, a three point star, or a path of length three respectively, and replacing each edge with a pair of arcs in opposite directions. Conditions are described when all orientations of 3-connected and 4-connected graphs must have one or more of the above digraphs as a minor. It is shown that double wheels, and double wheels without an axle, are the only 4-connected graphs …

An Exploration Of Middle And High School Students' Perceptions Of Deviant Behavior When Using Computers And The Internet., Annie Jean Harris Daniel

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

If the current trend continues, the use of computer technologies and the Internet will increase for teaching and education. It is urgent that researchers study computer and Internet deviance. The purpose of this study was to explore middle and high school students' perceptions of deviant behavior when using computers and the Internet. The target population for this study was middle and high school students. The accessible population included all students who attended a middle or high school in the East Baton Rouge Parish School which has computers that are capable of accessing the Internet (1,150 students---575 middle school students and …

Analysis And Mathematical Modeling Of Autonomously Oscillating Yeast Cultures., Abdelqader M. Zamamiri

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The conditions that precede the onset of autonomous oscillations in continuous yeast cultures were studied in three different types of experiments. It was found that the final state of the culture depends on the protocol used to start-up the reactor. Reaching the desired operating point by slow dilution rate changes gave rise to different final states, two oscillatory states and one steady state, depending on the rate of change in dilution rate. The multiplicity of stable states at a single operating point is not explained by current distributed models and points towards a segregated mechanism of these oscillations. The ability …

It Rarely Occurs: Mock Juror Reactions To A Physician's Defense In A Lack Of Informed Consent Case., Douglas J. Zickafoose

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Three experiments examine how expressions of probability concerning why a risk involved in a medical procedure was not disclosed influence mock juror decisions (e.g., liability, culpability, and damage awards). Across all three experiments, no differences were found in mock juror judgments of liability due to the probability expression used, be it verbal, quantitative, percentage, or frequency. Furthermore, differences in mean damage awards were only found when psychological uncertainty was manipulated using a frequency expression. However, an examination of the median damage awards suggests that some expressions of probability are likely to result in higher damage awards than others. Thus, while …

Development And Characterization Of Velocity Workspaces For The Human Knee., John Eric Fuller

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The knee joint is the most complex joint in the human body. A complete understanding of the physical behavior of the joint is essential for the prevention of injury and efficient treatment of infirmities of the knee. A kinematic model of the human knee including bone surfaces and four major ligaments was studied using techniques pioneered in robotic workspace analysis. The objective of this work was to develop and test methods for determining displacement and velocity workspaces for the model and investigate these workspaces. Data were collected from several sources using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). Geometric …

Molecular Systematics Of Eastern Cottonwood Using Aflp And Rapd Markers., Xiaohong Ma

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartr.) is the fastest growing tree in southeastern United States with great potential as a biomass source. DNA-based molecular marker techniques are playing increasingly important roles in elucidating genetic diversity within species. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were employed to study genetic relationships among 57 clones from subregion Lower Mississippi river, West Central, and West Gulf. A total of 101 polymorphic RAPD markers were amplified from 14 primers. Six AFLP primer pairs resulted in a total of 457 polymorphic markers. Both RAPD and AFLP markers were able to uniquely …

Compression Of Three-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Brain Images., Xiaojun Qi

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Losslessly compressing a medical image set with multiple slices is paramount in radiology since all the information within a medical image set is crucial for both diagnosis and treatment. This dissertation presents a novel and efficient diagnostically lossless compression scheme (predicted wavelet lossless compression method) for sets of magnetic resonance (MR) brain images, which are called 3-D MR brain images. This compression scheme provides 3-D MR brain images with the progressive and preliminary diagnosis capabilities. The spatial dependency in 3-D MR brain images is studied with histograms, entropy, correlation, and wavelet decomposition coefficients. This spatial dependency is utilized to design …

Production, Process Design And Quality Characterization Of Catfish Visceral Oil., Subramaniam Sathivel

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Between 45--55% of viscera, head, skin, intestine and slurries are generally generated as byproducts or waste from catfish filleting process. Our preliminary study showed that the crude fat content of the whole catfish viscera was 30--35% (wet basis) and the total o-3 fatty acids of oils recovered from the whole and/or portioned viscera ranged from 4.3--20.9 mg/g (dry basis). Catfish viscera may serve as an excellent source of health-promoting oil. Yield of purified (deodorized) catfish visceral oil was 65.7% and contained considerable amounts of DHA (1.21 mg/g of oil) and omega-3 fatty acid (4.6 mg/g of oil). A rapid microwave-assisted …

Numerical Simulations Of Incompressible Flows In Complex Geometries., Konstantinos Vogiatzis

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A mainly spectral code along with domain-decomposition, a combination that is not widely in use in complex problems, has been developed for the solution of the 3-D unsteady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The code uses fully spectral or a combination of spectral-collocation and finite difference approximations and a 3-step splitting time-marching scheme. The developed Poisson solver utilizes matrix diagonalization and incorporates a direct sub-structuring method based on the influence matrix technique. As a first step, laminar and turbulent confined flows were simulated, initially with DNS, then with LES, using a modified Smagorinksi model. The domain-decomposition technique and parallel implementation were tested …

Photoemission And Photo-Absorption Studies Of Ultrathin Iron Films On Copper(100) Oxidized At Elevated Temperature., Reginaldt Hamilton Madjoe

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

In this investigation, I have focused on understanding the structure and morphology of ultrathin iron oxide films and characterizing them by using LEED, photoemission (both angle-resolved and angle-integrated) and photoabsorption measurements. Fe films were deposited on a Cu(100) substrate at room temperature growing in a layer by layer fashion. The sample was then annealed to 810K in oxygen ambient. This oxidation process led to dramatic changes of the sample surface and electronic structure depending on initial Fe coverage. Half-metallic oxides such as CrO2 and Fe3O4 may provide opportunities for new magnetic devices since their single spin orientation at the Fermi …

A New Testament Geography: Description, Perspectives, And Implications For The Field Of Geography., George Alphin

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The general purpose of this study is to relate the fields of geography and religion at both the academic and the practical levels. Primarily, it investigates the New Testament description of the land and its human occupancy. Secondarily, it identifies New Testament attitudes toward geography and suggests implications for its study and practice. It describes the geography, both physical and human, for each of the five classes of the document's book in a separate chapter. The chapter on the synoptic gospels discusses mountains, weather, biogeography, agriculture, occupations, and urban geography. Four kinds of soil reveal different responses to the word. …

Home And Classroom Learning Environment Correlates Of Academic Self -Efficacy In Middle School Mathematics., Thaddeus Theodore Claiborne

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the relationship between home and classroom learning environment characteristics and middle school students' self-efficacy beliefs about mathematics. Specifically, the study examined linkages between sources of efficacy in the home and classroom learning environments and the strength of students' self-efficacy beliefs in mathematics. Social cognitive theory includes self-efficacy beliefs as a major source of human agency and functioning (Bandura, 1997). Enactive mastery experiences, vicarious learning (modeling), verbal persuasion, and physiological/affective states (emotional arousal) are four sources of human efficacy. While numerous studies have been completed linking self-efficacy to learning and achievement (Pajares, 1996b), no studies within schools were …

Design, Fabrication, And Testing Of Cross Flow Micro Heat Exchangers., Chad Randall Harris

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Cross flow micro heat exchangers were designed to maximize heat transfer from a liquid (water) to a gas (air) for a given frontal area while holding the pressure drop across the heat exchanger of each fluid to values characteristic of conventional scale heat exchangers (car radiators). The cross flow micro heat exchanger design is unique since it produces a very high rate of heat transfer/volume between dissimilar fluids with low fluid pressure drops. Predicted performance for two types of cross flow micro heat exchangers is compared to each other and to current innovative car radiators. Although the cross flow micro …

Superfast Dynamics Of Bipyridinium Ions At Interfaces And Polar Solutions., Yixiang Huang

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The super-fast dynamics of solutes in polar solvents and at solid-liquid interface is investigated by femtosecond time-resolved Raman scattering (RRS) and computer simulation of molecular dynamics (MD). Femtosecond RRS is used to investigate four bipyridinium radicals in aqueous solution: methylviologen monocation MV+, benzylviologen monocation, 4,4'-bipyridinium-N,N'-di(propylsulfonate) monoanion and N,N'-ethylene-2,2' -bipyridinium monocation. Time-resolution of the dynamics of the four radicals is carried out by a pump and probe technique using the time-dependent transient intensity of Stokes and anti-Stokes RRS of C-C stretching mode. It is found that the lifetime of the electronic excited state B3u is less than 350 fs and the …

Modified Mesoporous Silicates For Metal Adsorption., Allison Majorie Naquin

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Mesoporous silica materials, commonly called Hexagonal Mesoporous Sieves (HMS), are used to adsorb copper, lead, and mercury from aqueous solution. To increase metal adsorption, organic ligands with high metal affinity are grafted to the surface of the HMS materials. Three ligands were used in this research: 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MP), 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (AM), and p-(aminoethylaminomethyl)phenethyltrimethoxysilane (AB). The physical properties of HMS include large surface area and an ordered system of pores. These properties are believed to increase the extraction capabilities of the material by increasing the molar content of the chelating ligand and by making the ligand more accessible. The purpose of this …

Indium Arsenide/Gallium Arsenide Quantum Dots And Nanomesas: Multimillion-Atom Molecular Dynamics Solutions On Parallel Architectures., Xiaotao Su

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Multimillion-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed to study the flat InAs overlayers with self-limiting thickness on GaAs square nanomesas. The in-plane lattice constant of InAs layers parallel to the InAs/GaAs(001) interface starts to exceed the InAs bulk value at 12th monolayer (ML) and the hydrostatic stresses in InAs layers become tensile above ∼12 th ML. As a result, it is not favorable to have InAs overlayers thicker than 12 ML. This may explain the experimental findings of the growth of flat InAs overlayers with self-limiting thickness of ∼11 ML on GaAs nanomesas. We have also examined the lateral …

The Geometry Of Electronically -Excited States: Vibronic Intensity Distributions And Bond Length Changes., Dorothy Marie Wood

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

An exact power series expression has been obtained for the Franck-Condon integral (FCI) in the harmonic approximation. This expression is a function of a parameter Delta where Delta → 0 as the frequencies of vibration in the two combining electronic states approach equality. These two characteristics, that of a power series in Delta and the fact that Delta → 0 in certain situations, permit truncation of various functions involving FCI's. Such truncation was performed for the ratio S2v'0'' /S2v'-1 0'' , where the S2v'v'' are the FCI's, and the subscripts, in the usual notation, denote the vibrational quantum numbers in …

Control Of Supply Chain Systems By Kanban Mechanism., Shaojun Wang

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This research studies the control mechanism of a supply chain system to operate it efficiently and economically under the just-in-time (JIT) philosophy. To implement a JIT system, kanbans are employed to link different plants' production processes in a supply pipeline. Supply chain models may be categorized into single-stage, multi-stage, and assembly-line types of production systems. In order to operate efficiently and economically, the number of kanbans, the manufacturing batch size, the number of batches, and the total quantity over one period are determined optimally for these types of supply chains. The kanban operation at each stage is scheduled to minimize …

Robust Control Of Uncertain Time -Delay Systems., Yun-Ping Huang

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Time-delay systems are common in industries. Direct analysis and synthesis of control systems with time delays are complicated and approximation methods such as Pade approximation are usually applied. However, the issues of control system robustness with respect to model uncertainties and approximation errors have not been sufficiently addressed. This dissertation focus on robustness of time-delay systems, especially robustness with respect to time delays, which has been discussed extensively using Lyapunov second method. We propose two methods in this dissertation to reformulate the problems into standard mu or Hinfinity problems. The first method involves representing the systems in linear functional transformation …