Digital Commons Network^™

Quantization Of The Poisson Type Central Limit Theorem (1), Yungang Lu

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Identifying The Components Of A Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) (Rosales: Cannabaceae) Integrated Pest Management Program In Louisiana, Nathan C. Arey

LSU Master's Theses

Hemp, Cannabis sativa (L.) (Rosales: Cannabaceae), is defined as a plant in the genus Cannabis with a delta-9 3 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis. Domestic acreage of this crop has increased in response to the ratification of the Agricultural Act of 2014 and the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018. In 2021, 21,915 hectares of hemp were planted in the United States with a production value of $712 million. There is a current lack of literature on insect related research in this reemerging crop system in the state of Louisiana. Therefore, this present …

High-Strength Concrete-Like Fluorogypsum-Based Blends And Production Method, Michele Barbato

College of Engineering Patents

High-strength concrete-like FG blends and methods for producing them are described. The blend includes FG, hydraulic cement, additional alkali material, and pozzolanic material. The blend further includes an admixture used in the formulation of concrete. The blend further includes an aggregate. The aggregate is a coarse aggregate or a fine aggregate.

Winding Down River Road, Gillian Harper

LSU Master's Theses

As a mechanism to explore my temporary home in Louisiana, Winding Down River Road is a collection of artworks that integrates natural materials collected from landscapes in southern Louisiana with steel and petroleum-based products. My interest in researching environmental issues, ecology, and industry has shaped my vehicles for observation and how I generate data. Through a variety of methodologies, I am considering how climate change is forcing many of us to re-contextualize how our home can be affected by the very industries we rely on. Personal engagement with residents living in the dystopian atmosphere of southern Louisiana’s industrial corridor and …

Baseline Differences In Driving Frequency As A Predictor Of Cognitive Decline, Luke R. Miller

LSU Master's Theses

Driving is a complex task heavily dependent on cognitive functions which can decline with age including executive functions and processing speed. Although driving cessation as a predictor of cognitive changes has been studied, driving frequency is understudied in the literature. Thus, the objective of the current study is to evaluate the predictive utility of driving frequency at baseline toward objective cognitive decline beyond other factors associated with cognitive decline (e.g., depression, general functional mobility). The sample included a subset of 1,426 older adults (M age = 77.6, SD = 7.1) from the Rush University Memory and Aging Project. Participants completed …

Control And Planning For Mobile Manipulators Used In Large Scale Manufacturing Processes, Joshua T. Nguyen

LSU Master's Theses

Sanding operations in industry is one of the few manufacturing tasks that has yet to achieve automation. Sanding tasks require skilled operators that have developed a sense of when a work piece is sufficiently sanded. In order to achieve automation in sanding with robotic systems, this developed sense, or intelligence, that human operators have needs to be understood and implemented in order to achieve, at the minimum, the same quality of work. The system will also need to have the equivalent reach of a human operator and not be constrained to a single, small workspace. This thesis developed solutions for …

Bioremediation Of Petroleum-Based Contaminants By Alkane-Degrading Bacterium Alcanivorax Borkumensis, Amber Julaine Pete

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The world’s dependence on petroleum hydrocarbons has led to significant environmental implications. For example, oil spills cause lasting environmental damage, and the increase of plastics in the marine environment has been growing, specifically, microplastics that can be difficult to detect due to their small size. Petroleum hydrocarbons occur naturally in nearly all marine environments, which has allowed hundreds of microorganisms to evolve to utilize these hydrocarbons as their primary energy source. These microbes are classified as hydrocarbonoclastic and are utilized to remove spilled oil biodegradation. Over the last ten years, progress has been made in the biodegradation of oil spills …

Evolution Of Freshwater Fishes In The Northern Neotropics, Diego Elias

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The northern Neotropics (NN) represents one of the most geologically-complex regions on the planet, composed of island-like geological blocks that have undergone multiple episodes of isolation and connectivity at various geological times. The riverscapes of the NN harbor a unique assemblage of freshwater fishes. In contrast to the freshwaters systems of South America, which are dominated by ostariophysan lineages, the aquatic systems of the NN are dominated by lineages of two families: Cichlidae (cichlids) and Poeciliidae (livebearers). It has been suggested that the geologically complex nature of the region allowed ancestors of cichlids and livebearers to colonize and radiate within …

Soil Moisture Mediated Behavioral And Physiological Alterations Of Coptotermes Formosanus And Reticulitermes Flavipes (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae), Steven J. Richardson

LSU Master's Theses

Substrate moisture is a critical environmental factor for the survival and behavior of subterranean termites (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae). The invasive Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus) and the native eastern subterranean termite (Reticulitermes flavipes) co-occur in the southeastern United States, but C. formosanus is predominant in subtropical and R. flavipes is more common in temperate regions. The difference in their geographic distributions is largely attributed to their different behavioral and physiological ecology. While ample research has been done on foraging behavior of the two species, there was no empirical evidence for the effects of constant soil moisture on …

Impact Of Oil And A Tropical Cyclone On An Omnivore And Herbivore Population In Salt Marshes Of Louisiana, Hannah K. Gordon

LSU Master's Theses

Terrestrial arthropods are the ideal ecological indicators for the health of a salt marsh. Salt marshes are under extreme continuous stressors including climate change, land loss, oil spills, and tropical cyclones. Such stressors impact trophic and species level interactions, food resources, dispersal and population size of insects. In the present study, we collected terrestrial arthropods from eleven sites around Barataria Bay, five sites were oiled and five sites were unoiled, to determine the impact of the redistribution of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Site C6 was excluded from the oiled and unoiled data because it was in close …

Footprint Of Farm To School Programs In Louisiana, Whitney R. Mckinzie

LSU Master's Theses

The farm to school (F2S) program is an initiative participated in by schools with the intent to promote healthy lifestyle choices among children and introduce agricultural lessons into school curriculums. F2S programs have gained popularity since their introduction in 1996. In Louisiana, there were 59 programs in 13 public school districts implemented throughout the state in 2013. A large increase was seen in 2015, as there were 152 programs in 13 public school districts in 2015, and again in 2019 with 606 programs in 37 public school districts. The program has been active for over 20 years, however, there has …

Local And State Climate Initiatives In Louisiana Since 2005: Content And Thematic Analyses, Jessie F. Parrott

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana is uniquely exposed to severe weather because of its geography and climate. Louisiana’s extreme weather is exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change, which will worsen in the future. The risks its population and environment are exposed to has generated several policies and planning documents, nine of which are analyzed in this thesis. Three plans are from the state level, three are from the parish level, and three are from the urban (New Orleans) level. These planning documents pose various adaptation and mitigation actions to ameliorate and address multiple climate issues. These actions utilize specific mitigation strategies. The content and thematic …

Understanding The Horse Fly Species And Species Relations Of The Tabanus Nigrovittatus Complex Along Coastal Louisiana, Darrius M. Davis

LSU Master's Theses

The Dipteran family Tabanidae is among the most diverse families of insects that is comprised of approximately 144 genera with 4455 described species (Pape et al. 2011). Members of the family Tabanidae have been studied for well over 100 years in Louisiana. Hine (1906, 1907) conducted the first surveys of the members of the tabanid family and noted the presence of 14 species. Jones and Bradley (1923) supplemented Hine’s observations with their own inventory of horse flies across four parishes and found an additional 14 species that were not recorded by Hine. Subsequently, Tidwell (1970, 1973) conducted a survey of …

Parasocial Relationships With Online Influencers, Sydney Reynolds

LSU Master's Theses

Current research on parasocial relationships has a focus on the media consumer and the media personae in television or film where the media consumer exerts time and emotional energy into the relationship while the character is unaware of their existence. The purpose of this study is to explore the Influencers and further conceptualize the term parasocial relationship to include these online mediated relationships and interactions. This study explores parasocial relationships and what is associated with them in the context of social media with respondents who consistently engage with social media Influencers. Social media Influencers address their audiences personally and share …

Toybox: A New Approach For Auxiliary Percussion Instruments At The Beginning Level, Spencer Craig Jones

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Currently, there exist little materials to introduce elementary students to auxiliary percussion instruments. There is a need for the creation of more instructional material for this age group that provides pedagogy descriptions for the instruments as well as playing examples. The purpose of this project is to create a method book that provides pedagogy examples for auxiliary percussion instruments while also providing playing examples to use.

Gendered Violence And The Family: An Analysis Of The 14th-Century Epic "Lion De Bourges", Ashley Paige Holt

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is the first to focus on gender roles within the fourteenth-century French epic Lion de Bourges and the first work to feature extensive translations into English of this medieval text. Using the cyclical dismemberment and reunification of the Bourges family as a lens, it brings into focus the various members of the family, their relationships, and the larger thematic questions about family and society put forward by the poet. Chapter one interrogates the notion of the king as a national father figure as well as the spread of injury and violence from the father/king to the members of …

Does Well-Being Moderate The Association Of Harm Avoidance With Cognitive Decline, Christopher Reed

LSU Master's Theses

The Dual-Factor Model of mental health highlights the need to consider both constructs associated with psychopathology and subjective well-being in relation to clinical outcomes. Harm avoidance, which is associated with behavioral inhibition, has been negatively associated with cognitive change. While subjective well-being has been positively associated with cognition. The current study aimed to examine both constructs in a single model to examine well-being as a moderator of the association of harm avoidance with cognitive decline. A sample of 728 older adults from the Rush University Memory and Aging Project was used. Participants completed batteries of questionnaires and neuropsychological tests at …

The Relationship Between Family Environment And Specific Phobias, Jerrica Renee Guidry

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Specific phobias are the most prevalent disorder among adults and highly common among children. Additionally, specific phobias diagnosed in childhood has been associated other serious mental illnesses later in life (de Vrie et al., 2019). Research pertaining to parenting factors associated with anxiety disorders has been extensive, including parental psychopathology, parent-child relationships, parental control, and parental stress. However, less emphasis has been placed on familial factors which may contribute to the development and maintenance of specific phobias. According to the limited literature focusing on the family factors associated with specific phobias, parent psychopathology and parent over-control are important factors. Multiple …

Understanding Children's Museums' Approaches To Diversity: A Critical And Socio-Cultural Investigation, Amber Nicole Smith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Children begin to develop self-awareness and awareness of others at an early age (Marion, 2011). Before they reach kindergarten, children begin to make distinctions about race by noticing similarities and differences between themselves and others (Winkler, 2009). Exposing young children to diversity can help each child embrace their identity, accept and celebrate differences, and be accepting of themselves and others (Cole & Verwayne, 2018).

The purpose of this study is to explore how children’s museums support diversity through their programs and planning. The research of this study focuses on four children’s museums located in the United States. There are many …

War And Peace: Grant's Peace Policy In Indian Territory And The Upper Plains, Abigail Gardner

LSU Master's Theses

Ulysses S. Grant’s tenure as United States President from 1869 to 1877 saw the creation of a new federal Indian Policy, dubbed the Peace Policy. Grant’s goal was to end hostilities between not only the US government and Natives, but between the general populace and Natives. His policy included the creation of the Board of Indian Commissioners, continuation of the reservation system, assimilation, and ending the treaty system. His plans for peaceful coexistence did not come to fruition. This thesis assesses why the Peace Policy was a failure and does so by comparing the results among the Five Tribes of …

Characterization Of Electrophoretic Deposited Zinc Oxide Nanopartices For The Fabrication Of Next-Generation Nanoscale Electronic Applications, Fawwaz Abduh A. Hazzazi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Several reports state that it is crucial to analyze nanoscale semiconductor materials and devices with potential benefits to meet the need for next-generation nanoelectronics, bio, and nanosensors. The progress in the electronics field is as significant now, with modern technology constantly evolving and a greater focus on more efficient robust optoelectronic applications. This dissertation focuses on the study and examination of the practicality of Electrophoretic Deposition (EPD) of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) for use in semiconductor applications.

The feasibility of several synthesized electrolytes, with and without surfactants and APTES surface functionalization, is discussed. The primary objective of this study …

Tunable Passive Shock And Vibration Isolators For Rotational Isolation, Chase B. Lemaire

LSU Master's Theses

Shock and vibration isolation are a critical need in helmets, which are widely used to protect athletes, workers, soldiers, and astronauts. Passive vibration isolation systems are a good option when mass and volume should be minimized and when the experienced loadings can be predicted. However, it is frequently challenging to find materials and structures which exhibit the optimal vibration and impact isolation properties for an application. As a case study illustrating a novel design paradigm for rotational shock absorption, a family of optimal solutions for the physical properties of American football helmets is presented. Lumped parameter Simulink models simulate a …

Factors Associated With Racial And Ethnic Minority Youths' Mental Health Help-Seeking At School, Sam Allouche

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Despite the high prevalence and associated consequences of mental health problems in youth, adolescents with these problems are often left untreated. This service gap is even greater in racial and ethnic minority youth who not only engage in treatment less frequently, but also experience far greater discrimination and systemic inequality than non-ethnic or racial minority students; factors further contributing to a need for service. Schools may provide an ideal location to treat mental health problems in youth, in part because schools eliminate structural barriers, but also because school staff have an opportunity to observe students across a range of functioning. …

Acidic Catalyst, James J. Spivey, Kunlun Ding, Swarom Kanitkar

College of Engineering Patents

Methods of preparing an acidic catalyst are disclosed that include heating a metal halide to produce a vapor phase metal halide, contacting an initial support material with the vapor phase metal halide in a reaction vessel causing a first chemical reaction and producing an intermediate acidic catalyst, contacting the intermediate acidic catalyst with HBr causing a second chemical reaction and producing an acidic catalyst product which is both more acidic than the intermediate acidic catalyst and more acidic than the initial support material.

Surpassing The Standard Quantum Limit Using An Optical Spring, Torrey Cullen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In 1916, Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves based on his new theory of general relativity. He predicted an accelerating mass with a non-zero quadrupole moment would emit energy in the form of gravitational waves. Often referred to as ripples in space-time, gravitational waves are extremely small by the time reach Earth, potentially having traveled hundreds of megaparsecs. It is common for these ripples in space-time to stretch and squeeze matter 1000 times smaller than the width of a proton.
Laser interferometer observatories were first built in the 1990s in the US and Europe, and as sensitivity improvements …

Capturing Wheat Phenotypes At The Genome Level, Babar Hussain, Bala A. Akpınar, Michael Alaux, Ahmed M. Algharib, Deepmala Sehgal, Zulfiqar Ali, Gudbjorg I. Aradottir, Jacqueline Batley, Arnaud Bellec, Alison R. Bentley, Halise B. Cagirici, Luigi Cattivelli, Fred Choulet, James Cockram, Francesca Desiderio, Pierre Devaux, Munevver Dogramaci, Gabriel Dorado, Susanne Dreisigacker, David Edwards, Khaoula El-Hassouni, Kellye Eversole, Tzion Fahima, Melania Figueroa, Sergio Gálvez, Kulvinder S. Gill, Liubov Govta, Alvina Gul, Goetz Hensel, Pilar Hernandez, Leonardo Abdiel Crespo-Herrera, Amir Ibrahim, Benjamin Kilian

Faculty Publications

Recent technological advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have dramatically reduced the cost of DNA sequencing, allowing species with large and complex genomes to be sequenced. Although bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the world’s most important food crops, efficient exploitation of molecular marker-assisted breeding approaches has lagged behind that achieved in other crop species, due to its large polyploid genome. However, an international public–private effort spanning 9 years reported over 65% draft genome of bread wheat in 2014, and finally, after more than a decade culminated in the release of a gold-standard, fully annotated reference wheat-genome assembly …

Development And Initial Validation Of The Adolescent Social Media Use Inventory, Johannah Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Adolescents are the largest population group that accesses social media applications (Boneva et al., 2006; Gross, 2004; Subrahmanyam, Reich, Waechter, & Espinoza, 2008). However, there is little known on how to measure the positive (i.e., enabling privacy settings, friending parents and other family members on social media platforms) and negative (i.e., public social media account, hiding posts from parents) adolescent social media use. This is an important oversight given the relationship between negative uses of social media and increased delinquency, aggression, and decreased parent-adolescent communication (Coyne et al., 2014). The present study sought to address this limitation in the research …

Breeding Ecology Of Mottled Ducks In Southwestern Louisiana, Elizabeth Sophia Bonczek

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Mottled ducks are a resident species found in the southern United States that rely on coastal marsh and associated habitat to fulfill the needs of the entirety of their annual cycle. Population monitoring has revealed declines in western Gulf Coast (WGC) mottled ducks since 2008. Mottled duck populations are influenced by survival and recruitment, and changes in these factors may contribute to population declines. The overarching goal of this project was to identify the mechanisms potentially limiting WGC mottled ducks.

I captured adult female mottled ducks during molt on Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge and adjacent lands in southwestern Louisiana from 2017–2019. …

Chloride Channels That Mediate A Transient Nitric Oxide-Dependent Synaptic Polarity Switch In Retinal Amacrine Cells., Tyler Christopher Rodriguez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cytosolic chloride (Cl^-) concentration determines whether GABAergic and glycinergic synapses are inhibitory or excitatory. Ionotropic GABA and glycine receptors passively conduct Cl­^- leading to membrane depolarization or hyperpolarization depending on the Cl^- equilibrium potential. Accordingly, the distribution of Cl^- across the plasma membrane has the potential to determine the properties of networks of retinal amacrine cells (ACs) and their postsynaptic partners. Ion channels are responsible for establishing Cl^- reversal potential. Nitric oxide (NO) is a signaling molecule that can be generated in the inner retina where ACs form synapses. We have shown that NO …

A Roadmap For Quality Control Of Hardening And Hardened Printed Concrete, Viktor Mechtcherine, Kim Van Tittelboom, Ali Kazemian, Eric Kreiger, Behzad Nematollahi, Venkatesh Naidu Nerella, Manu Santhanam, Geert De Schutter, Gideon Van Zijl, Dirk Lowke, Egor Ivaniuk, Markus Taubert, Freek Bos

Faculty Publications

This article focuses on the specifics in characterizing the properties of additively manufactured, cement-based materials in their hardening and hardened states. Such characterization is required for the material development, structural design, and quality control of both printable material and 3D-printed elements. The related challenges are associated with the printed material's layered structure, which results in higher degrees of anisotropy and inhomogeneity in comparison to conventionally cast concrete. Thus, in the production of test specimens, the particularities of the real-scale 3D-printing process must be considered. Here a distinction is made between the production of samples for material testing prior to or …