Digital Commons Network^™

Design Rules For Soft Materials: Insights From Precision Bottlebrush Polymers, Michael R. Dearman

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The rational design of soft materials requires a fundamental understanding of how molecular architecture governs macroscopic properties. This dissertation establishes predictive design rules for branched soft materials by exploiting the structural homogeneity of precision bottlebrush polymers (dispersity_SC, Đ_SC = 1.0). Using discrete macromonomers (Đ = 1.0) to eliminate side chain dispersity, this work systematically varies backbone and side chain lengths, chemistry, and topology to uncover universal relationships between molecular parameters and thermal or interfacial behavior. A critical backbone length (N_BB^*) is identified, above which glass transition temperature (T_g) …

Exploring Runtime Evolution In Android: A Cross-Version Analysis And Its Implications For Memory Forensics., Babangida Bappah

LSU Master's Theses

Userland memory forensics has become a critical component of smartphone investigations and incident response, enabling the recovery of volatile evidence such as deleted messages from end-to-end encrypted apps and cryptocurrency transactions. However, these forensics tools, particularly on Android, face significant challenges in adapting to different versions and maintaining reliability over time due to the constant evolution of low-level structures critical for evidence recovery and reconstruction. Structural changes, ranging from simple offset modifications to complete architectural redesigns, pose substantial maintenance and adaptability issues for forensic tools that rely on precise structure interpretation. Thus, this paper presents the first systematic study of …

Seeing What Matters: Safety-Critical Semantic Segmentation Via Transfer Learning On Construction Sites, Obiora J. Odugu

LSU Master's Theses

Autonomous robots are increasingly deployed on construction sites for tasks such as progress monitoring, inspection, and safety assessment. For these robots to operate effectively, they must perceive and interpret complex, dynamic environments populated by workers, machinery, and unstructured terrain. Achieving reliable perception depends on high performing semantic segmentation models trained on large volumes of annotated data—an expensive and logistically challenging requirement in construction due to privacy restrictions, variable site access, and slow digitalization. This research addresses the challenge of limited labeled data by investigating transfer learning as a label-efficient approach for construction-site segmentation. Specifically, it explores whether road construction imagery—abundant …

Dynamics Of Meandering River Cutoffs And Post-Cutoff Sedimentation, Dylan T. Shoemaker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Meander cutoffs are pivotal events in the life cycle of rivers, abruptly adjusting flow fields and reshaping riparian environments. The consequences of cutoffs extend beyond geomorphology, influencing aquatic ecosystems, sediment storage within the floodplain, nutrient and contaminant cycling, and risks to human infrastructure. Yet, research of cutoffs has not produced a clear conceptual understanding of the persistence of oxbow lakes, and the dynamics of post-cutoff planform change that aligns with the observations of cutoff events on a global scale. This research aims to use satellite imagery to further clarify our understanding of the post-cutoff morphometrics and processes that constrain the …

A Simple Predictive Model For Salt Marsh Internal Deterioration Under Sea-Level Rise And Sediment Deficits: Application To Chesapeake Bay, Neil K. Ganju, Katherine V. Ackerman, Zafer Defne, Giulio Mariotti, David Curson, Zachary Posnik, Joel A. Carr, Joanna Grand

Faculty Publications

Salt marshes are dynamic biogeomorphic systems reliant on autochthonous and allochthonous input to maintain their three-dimensional configuration. Sea-level rise, subsidence, and sediment deficits can lead to submergence, open-water expansion, and ultimately loss of the vegetated marsh plain and associated ecosystem services. Widely used management-focused models focus on vegetation zonation in response to sea level but neglect sediment transport processes and geomorphic change. Process-based research models attempt to represent complex physical and biogeomorphic interactions but operate on spatiotemporal scales that are not directly transferable to restoration or management. Here we bridge these two paradigms and present a novel geomorphic model (UBMorph) …

Characterization Of The Optical Model Of The T2k 3d Segmented Plastic Scintillator Detector Unit Cube, S. Abe, I. Alekseev, T. Arai, T. Arihara, S. Arimoto, N. Babu, V. Baranov, L. Bartoszek, L. Berns, S. Bhattacharjee, A. Blondel, A. V. Boikov, M. Buizza-Avanzini, J. Capó, J. Cayo, J. Chakrani, P. S. Chong, A. Chvirova, M. Danilov, C. Davis, Yu I. Davydov, A. Dergacheva, N. Dokania, D. Douqa, T. A. Doyle, O. Drapier, A. Eguchi, J. Elias, D. Fedorova, S. Fedotov, D. Ferlewicz, Y. Fuji, Y. Furui

Faculty Publications

The magnetized near detector (ND280) of the T2K long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment has been recently upgraded aiming to satisfy the requirement of reducing the systematic uncertainty from measuring the neutrino–nucleus interaction cross section, which is the largest systematic uncertainty in the search for leptonic charge-parity symmetry violation. A key component of the upgrade is SuperFGD, a 3D segmented plastic scintillator detector made of approximately 2,000,000 optically-isolated 1cm³ cubes. The SuperFGD cube unit shows promising optical performance, including a high light yield of about 40 photoelectrons (p.e.) per channel, a low cube-to-cube crosstalk rate below 3%, and a sub-nanosecond time …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Bodipy-, Azabodipy- And Chlorin-Based Conjugates For Imaging And Photodynamic Therapy Of Egfr-Overexpressing Cancers, Simran Dhingra

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation discusses the design of EGFR-targeted small-molecule agents that unite molecular imaging with photodynamic therapy. Chapter 1 frames the clinical need for early detection and selective treatment and surveys BODIPY, aza-BODIPY, and chlorin scaffolds as tunable chromophores for near-infrared imaging and photosensitization. It also outlines EGFR as a validated target and compares two ligand classes used throughout this work: the tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib and the cyclic peptide KLARLLT.

Chapter 2 describes the synthesis of a near-IR BODIPY bearing either one or two erlotinib units. Docking and SPR show specific interactions with the EGFR kinase domain, and both conjugates …

Versatile Nitration Of Bodipy Dyes Using No₂Bf₄: Effects Of Nitro Substituents On Spectroscopic And Self-Assembly Properties, Caroline Sarange Gwaro

LSU Master's Theses

This study explores the regioselective nitration of BODIPY dyes at the 2, 3- and 2,6-positions using nitronium tetrafluoroborate (NO₂BF₄), offering a high-yielding and mild synthetic route. The introduction of nitro groups significantly alters the dyes’ photophysical and self-assembly properties. Mono-nitrated BODIPYs exhibit hypsochromic shifts in absorption and emission spectra, increased dipole moments, enhanced Stokes shifts, and reduced molar absorptivity. In contrast, di-nitrated analogs show bathochromic shifts and decreased dipole moments in both ground and excited states. Spectroscopic characterization was performed using UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Self-assembly behavior was investigated in polar (acetonitrile) and …

Establishing A Framework Of Best Management Practices For Sustainable Water Quality: Integration Of Technology And Remote Sensing, Mason L. Marcantel

LSU Master's Theses

Water quality security is a complex management issue that is constantly challenged by factors of seasonal variability in climate change, urban population growth, and agricultural intensification. These factors warrant the need for innovative technological adaptations to management practices that integrate remote monitoring, predictive modeling, and sustainable resource utilization. This study establishes a framework for sustainable water quality practices through the integration of remote sensing technology for urban wastewater treatment and agricultural irrigation systems. This dual-site research study explores seasonal water quality dynamics and technological interventions to create a more proactive approach to water quality security.

In the first study, water …

Detection Of Sweet Potato Feathery Mottle Virus Infection Via Remote Hyperspectral Imaging, Clayton Blake

LSU Master's Theses

In sweetpotato, global production exceeds 90 million tons annually, yet yields are threatened by numerous pathogens, including the potyvirus sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV). Virus infections can reduce yields by 25–40%, but surveillance is hampered by asymptomatic infections and the labor-intensive nature of detection. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI), combined with machine learning (ML), offers a promising pathway to scalable, non-destructive detection; however, studies focused on virus infection in sweetpotato remain limited.

This study demonstrates the feasibility of ML-enabled HSI for SPFMV detection under greenhouse conditions via a curated spectral library of two commercial cultivars, 'Beauregard' and 'Orleans', and the biological …

Narratives Of Vietnamese Teachers: Exploring Existential Givens Of Freedom, Meaning, And Isolation, Huy D. Nguyen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Drawing on Yalom’s framework of existential givens, this study explores how Vietnamese teachers experience existential freedom, existential isolation, and life meaningfulness. The notion of experience serves as the conceptual and interpretive foundation through which participants articulate these existential dimensions. Three participants were selected, and data were collected from online journal entries, vignette responses, and semi-structured interviews. Methodologically, it adopts intuitive inquiry as both conceptual lens and analytic process, integrating multiple modes of knowing and embodied understanding to explore how teachers imagine, experience, and interpret their work. To deepen interpretation, narrative structuring was incorporated to reveal the emotional and relational textures …

Assessing The Impact Of Trap Type, Fluon Treatment, And Lure Composition On The Collection Of Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) In Two Forest Ecosystems In Subtropical Southeastern Louisiana, Chiranjivi Sharma

LSU Master's Theses

The expansion of global trade has increased the risk of unintentional introductions of non-native woodboring insects, which can cause considerable ecological and economic damage. Monitoring both native and exotic species in managed and unmanaged forests relies heavily on semiochemical-baited traps. With the goal of improving survey efforts, we conducted field bioassays with the Synergy Multi-trap System with and without Fluon, and the Synergy Funnel Trap II with Fluon, baited with multicomponent cerambycid lures and ethanol, to test the impact of trap design, attractant composition, and the application of friction reducers on the collection of longhorned beetles in two forest ecosystems …

Effects Of Hydrological Connectivity On Created Marsh Sustainability, Katie Swann

LSU Master's Theses

While efforts are being made to curb the high rate of coastal land loss in Louisiana, and even to restore ecosystem services and functions, it is generally accepted that restoration of these areas and functions is not a one-to-one value. It may take decadal time scales to reach efficient functional processing of nutrients and carbon storage rates, which may never reach true capacity comparable to similar naturally-organized systems. Although it is imperative to preserve these areas, restoration of ecosystem services and biogeochemical processes of coastal wetlands are preferable to future without action scenarios. Effectively directing the use of the limited …

Effects Of Prematuration Treatment On Developmental Competence Of Domestic Cat Oocytes, Victor F. Medina

LSU Master's Theses

Wild felids are experiencing population declines because of anthropogenic factors. As a result, there is a need for ex situassisted reproductive technologies (ART) for captive wild felids. Fortunately, domestic cats are an excellent model for developing ART for other felids. The aims of this thesis were to evaluate the potential effects of “holding” oocytes for 18 hours and different media sources, mimicking transport for ART on oocyte development and competence for ART. In the first study, 320 cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were allotted to 4 groups: group 1 COCs were fixed and DNA stained shortly after collection; group 2 …

Computational Nanoscale Investigations Of Structure, Dynamics, And Reactivity At Solid–Liquid Interfaces, Golam Azom

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Interfaces where two or more condensed phases meet govern phenomena central to catalysis, electrochemical energy conversion, separations, and environmental remediation. Their structural heterogeneity and dynamic nature make them challenging to probe experimentally, but computer simulations provide molecular-level insights into processes that remain inaccessible to experiments. This dissertation employs ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD), classical molecular dynamics, and machine-learned interatomic potentials to investigate the structure, dynamics, and proton transport at graphene oxide (GO)–liquid interfaces.

The first project explores aqueous GO interfaces across a spectrum of oxidation states that extends from highly oxidized sheets to fully reduced graphene. Deep neural network force …

Functional Cellulose Nanomaterials In Value-Added Applications, Mohammad Shayan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cellulose nanomaterials (CNMs), including cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), offer potential value-added applications. This dissertation explores their versatility through three applications. In the first application, CNCs and CNFs were combined to create a pH-sensitive film by immobilizing anthocyanins from red cabbage extract (RCE). The addition of RCE altered the suspension's rheological, optical, and mechanical properties, with films containing 30 wt.% RCE exhibiting optimal performance and rapid pH responsiveness for seafood packaging. The second application addressed zinc dendrite growth and short circuits in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) by fabricating a hybrid NFC/Al(OH)₃ /PTFE protective layer for zinc anodes. …

Modeling Nutrient Functions: Strengthening The Reliability And Applicability Of Ecosystem Service Models For Land Use Decision-Making, Mariam Gabriela Valladares Castellanos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Effective water quality management requires a clear understanding of both the magnitude and spatial distribution of nutrient retention and export across dynamic landscapes, given their direct implications for drinking water supply, ecosystem integrity, fisheries, and recreational uses. Equally important is anticipating trade-offs from management actions, which can alter ecosystem functioning and the flow of services. Modeling tools provide a means to predict nutrient outcomes, evaluate these trade-offs, and support decision-making; however, their utility is often constrained by persistent challenges, including model uncertainty, limited applicability in data-scarce regions, and insufficient empirical foundations to inform scenario-driven decision-making. This dissertation addresses these gaps …

User Privacy In The Digital Playground: An In-Depth Investigation Of Facebook Instant Games, Sideeq Bello

LSU Master's Theses

Amid growing concerns over data privacy in web and mobile applications, this study aims to assess the privacy mechanisms in instant games on Facebook, a platform with approximately 3.03 billion monthly active users and a substantial repository of personal data. Instant Games have become increasingly popular due to their ease of access and social integration features. Investigating these games can provide insights into privacy mechanisms and practices, thereby informing the development of more fair, compliant, and user privacy-centric gaming experiences. Thus, this study proposes an integrated analytical framework that leverages a combination of descriptive, memory, and network analysis techniques to …

Sustainable Robotic Construction: A Computational Particle Packing Approach For The Development Of Sustainable, Low-Cement 3d Printable Materials, Aranya Aumit Paul

LSU Master's Theses

Construction 3D Printing (C3DP) holds great potential for automated construction but faces key challenges, including the high Portland cement content of its printing materials. The high cement content raises material costs, causes shrinkage and thermal cracking, and increases its carbon footprint. This study introduces a novel hybrid computational pipeline that combines image based automated gradation analysis with 2D stochastic particle packing simulation, to design low-cement printable materials with minimal experimental testing. The image-based gradation system achieved a mean absolute error under 3.64% across six fine and coarse aggregate types. The particle packing simulation demonstrated an average error of less than …

Navigating New Technology: A Phenomenological Study Into Technology Coaches’ Experiences During Ai Expansion In Schools, Elizabeth K. Wrzesinski

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly influencing instructional practices in K–12 education, yet most states have not issued clear, binding policies to guide its integration. As a result, local school systems and support staff must interpret emerging guidance and determine how AI should be used in classrooms. This study examined how system-level technology coaches in the Deep South experience and support AI adoption in contexts where state guidance is advisory rather than mandatory. This qualitative phenomenological study used questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with technology coaches, and a content analysis of AI-related state and local policy guidance. Participants included technology coaches who …

Comparing The Consistency Between Age Estimations Across Various Three-Dimensional Model Creation Methods In An Attempt To Find A Practical Proxy For Physical Remains, Jeanne R. Wood

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine whether digital three-dimensional models can serve as a viable alternative to physical human remains to allow continued research on fragile physical specimens. As digital three-dimensional models have become increasingly prevalent in anthropological and archaeological research, it is essential to assess their limitations and capabilities, particularly for subjective assessments that rely heavily on visual interpretation (Remondino & El-Hakim, 2006). While previous studies have focused on the use of digital three-dimensional models for quantitative measurements, their effectiveness for subjective analyses remains unclear (Cooper et al., 2003; Sholts et al., 2010; Stull et al., 2014; …

A Bdg Inequality For Stochastic Volterra Integrals, Alexandre Pannier

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

We establish Burkholder-Davis-Gundy-type inequalities for stochastic Volterra integrals with a completely monotone convolution kernel, which may exhibit singular behaviour at the origin. When the supremum is taken over a finite interval, the upper bound depends linearly on the Lγ-norm of the kernel, for any γ > 2. We demonstrate the utility of this inequality in quantifying the pathwise distance between two stochastic Volterra equations with distinct kernels, with a particular emphasis on the multifactor Markovian approximation. For kernels that decay sufficiently fast, we derive an alternative inequality valid over an infinite time interval, providing uniformin- time bounds for mean-reverting stochastic Volterra …

The Increase In Global Ocean Heat Content And Favorable Conditions For Tropical Cyclone And Cyclop Intensification: Accounting For El Niño, Robert Keenan Forney, Paul W. Miller, Travis A. Smith

Faculty Publications

The ocean heat content (“OHC”)—the heat energy within the ocean integrated to a reference depth—has physical drivers spanning spatial and temporal scales, including seasonality, the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and others. The present article investigates changes in the OHC100 during the period 1994–2020 using GLORYS12 monthly averaged ocean reanalysis. OHC100–ENSO correlation patterns are explored to glean insights about the oceanic mechanisms that facilitate the ENSO’s global teleconnections. After extracting known seasonality and ENSO signals using the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI), the OHC100 residual is analyzed to investigate multidecadal drivers of the OHC100. Lagged ENSO–OHC100 correlations (±12 months) reveal basin-scale oscillations …

Competition And Soil Microbe-Mediated Interactions Following Dieback Of A Dominant Wetland Plant, Joseph Johnston, Aaron E. Devries, Rodrigo Diaz, Vinson P. Doyle, Tracy Elsey-Quirk, James T. Cronin

Faculty Publications

Plant invasions can have important consequences for the soil ecosystem which, in turn, can affect interactions with other plant species and impose serious constraints on restoration efforts. In the Mississippi River Delta (MRD), USA, widespread dieback of the dominant wetland plant, Phragmites australis, was followed by the colonization of invasive Colocasia esculenta (taro) in many areas. We conducted a common-garden experiment to investigate the competitive interactions among taro and two P. australis lineages prevalent in the MRD, Delta and European invasive (EU), and the role of taro-soil microbes in mediating those interactions. Plant types were grown alone or together and …

Introducing A Markov Chain-Based Time Calibration Procedure For Multi-Channel Particle Detectors: Application To The Superfgd And Tof Detectors Of The T2k Experiment, S. Abe, H. Alarakia-Charles, I. Alekseev, C. Alt, T. Arai, T. Arihara, S. Arimoto, A. M. Artikov, Y. Awataguchi, N. Babu, V. Baranov, G. Barr, D. Barrow, L. Bartoszek, L. Bernardi, L. Berns, S. Bhattacharjee, A. V. Boikov, A. Blanchet, A. Blondel, A. Bonnemaison, S. Bordoni, M. H. Bui, T. H. Bui, F. Cadoux, S. Cap, A. Cauchois, J. Chakrani, P. S. Chong, A. Chvirova, P. Collard, M. Danilov, C. Davis

Faculty Publications

Inter-channel mis-synchronisation can be a limiting factor to the time resolution of high performance timing detectors with multiple readout channels and independent electronics units. In these systems, time calibration methods employed must be able to efficiently correct for minimal mis-synchronisation between channels and achieve the best detector performance. We present an iterative time calibration method based on Markov Chains, suitable for detector systems with multiple readout channels. Starting from correlated hit pairs alone, and without requiring an external reference time measurement, the method solves for fixed per-channel offsets, with precision limited only by the intrinsic single-channel resolution. A mathematical proof …

Real-Time Electron Spectrometer Utilizing A Permanent Magnet And Diode Detector Array, Mason W. Heath, Kenneth L. Matthews, Garrett M. Pitcher, Kenneth R. Hogstrom

Faculty Publications

Background: Magnetic spectrometers have been previously described for measuring energy spectra of therapeutic electron beams. However, challenges for clinical utilization have been their size, weight, and limited real-time capabilities. Development of a compact, lightweight, and inexpensive device with real-time readout will make an electron spectrometer a practical clinical tool. Purpose: This work integrates a commercial diode detector array with a permanent dipole magnet to create a practical real-time energy spectrometer for therapeutic electron beams. Methods: A 4 kg, 0.55 T permanent dipole magnet was coupled to two PC boards of a Sun Nuclear SRS MapCHECK device, which provided two interlaced …

The Sensitivity Of Future Hydroclimate Projections To Topography And Large-Scale Dust Forcing In The Luquillo Mountains Of Eastern Puerto Rico, J. Preece, C. Johnson, T. Mote, P. Miller, M. Williams

Faculty Publications

Precipitation over Puerto Rico is expected to decline in coming decades, threatening an important source of surface water supply. However, earth system models neither resolve fine-scale orographic impacts nor the radiative effects of Saharan dust aerosols on precipitation over the island's mountains. Here, we use the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with chemistry (WRF-Chem) to downscale global climate model projections to a convection-resolving 4-km resolution for both dust and no-dust scenarios. We compare the regional hydroclimate during three periods: historical (2014–2018), mid- (2045–2049) and end-21st century (2085–2089), using output from an RCP8.5 simulation of the Community Earth System Model, …

The Expanded Regulatory Significance Of Saharan Dust Plumes In The United States, Paul Miller, Kimberly Hamilton-Wims, Ken Holmes, Doug Melancon, Jason Meyers, Tegan Treadaway

Faculty Publications

Given the recent reduction in the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for annual PM2.5from 12 to 9 μg m^–3, the contribution of exceptional, though natural, particulate transport events has assumed greater regulatory relevance. This study examines the evolution of a June 2022 trans-Atlantic Saharan dust outbreak and contextualizes its impact on the 2023 PM2.5design values (DVs) for continental U.S. air quality monitors. The results demonstrate that the intrusion of Saharan dust yielded mean 24 h PM2.5values > 35 μg m^–3for multiple days across the Central U.S. and single-handedly elevated the 2022 mean annual PM2.5by > 0.5 …

Time Series Changes Of Surficial Sediments On Eastern Ship Shoal, Louisiana Shelf, Adam Gartelman, Kehui Xu, Brian J. Roberts, David Samuel Johnson, Madison Liotta

Faculty Publications

Ship Shoal, a large transgressive sand body on the Louisiana continental shelf, is a critical sediment source for coastal restoration. This study evaluates spatial and temporal variability in sediment grain size, percents organic matter (%OM), and carbonate (%CO3) across the shoal crest (REF), Caminada Dredge Pit (CAM), and Terrebonne Dredge Pit (TER). Sediment samples were collected between 2020 and 2022 using box cores and analyzed for grain size, %OM, and %CO3, with temporal and spatial patterns assessed through statistical comparisons, correlation analyses, and random forest regression models. Results show that dredged areas act as sinks for fine-grained, organic-rich sediments, with …

A Comparison Of Characteristics Of Infilling Sediments In Three Mud-Capped Dredge Pits On The Louisiana Continental Shelf, Wenqiang Zhang, Kehui Xu, Chaochen Jia, Adam Gartelman, Omar Alawneh, Navid Jafari, Colin Herke, Madison Liotta, Samuel J. Bentley

Faculty Publications

Due to high sedimentation rate up to ~1 m/year, mud-capped dredge pits (MCDP) are often considered natural laboratories for studying sedimentary processes, slope stability and the impacts of dredging activities on marine environments. Although many studies have been performed on the Louisiana shelf, there is a lack of high spatial resolution research covering the eastern, central and western Louisiana shelf to comprehensively investigate sediment infilling. Eighteen vibracores were collected from the Peveto Channel dredge pit (PC), Raccoon Island dredge pit (RI) and Sandy Point dredge pit (SP), and more than 1300 samples were analyzed to study the spatial variation in …