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Accident Simulation Study For Nuclear Power Plants Impacting Louisiana, Michael D. Mcmahon

LSU Master's Theses

INTRODUCTION: Louisiana has aligned its radiological emergency program with the 2017 Environmental Protection Agency Protective Action Guides Manual, but has added a child thyroid dose evacuation threshold in lieu of distributing Potassium Iodide to the public. The nuclear power plants will continue to align with the 1992 manual for the foreseeable future, so that under some accident scenarios the state recommendations will differ from those of the utility.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to predict what accident and weather conditions will lead to a differing set of recommendations.

METHODS: More than 1000 simulations were performed of low-filtration nuclear …

Self-Healing Composite Of Thermoset Polymer And Programmed Super Contraction Fibers, Guoqiang Li, Harper Meng

College of Engineering Patents

A composition comprising thermoset polymer, shape memory polymer to facilitate macro scale damage closure, and methods for molecular scale healing are provided. The composition can resolve structural defects by a bio-mimetic close-then heal process. In use, the shape memory polymer can provide molecular scale healing in a structural defect. The methods for molecular scale healing can include heating a composition including a thermoplastic such as fibers, particles or spheres to a level at or above the thermoplastic's melting point, then cooling of the composition below the melting temperature of the thermoplastic. The compositions have the ability to close macroscopic defects …

The Nexus Of The Indoor Co2 Concentration And Ventilation Demands Underlying Co2-Based Demand-Controlled Ventilation In Commercial Buildings: A Critical Review, Xing Lu, Zhihong Pang, Yangyang Fu, Zheng O'Neill

Faculty Publications

The carbon dioxide (CO2)-based demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) has attracted prompt attention from the Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) industry since its very first invention. Since then, it has been penetrating from simple single-zone systems to complex system configurations in commercial buildings. While there has accumulated a large number of research on DCV applications, the most recent review paper on this topic was dated back to 2001 and inevitably missed a lot of recent revolutionary technologies. Therefore, to understand the opportunities and challenges associated with the CO2-based DCV, this study presents a timely review on the revolutions of the CO2-based DCV …

Induced Matrices: Recurrences And Markov Chains, Philip Feinsilver

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

From Equal-Mass To Extreme-Mass-Ratio Binary Inspirals: Simulation Tools For Next Generation Gravitational Wave Detectors, Samuel Douglas Cupp

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Current numerical codes can successfully evolve similar-mass binary black holes systems, and these numerical waveforms contributed to the success of the LIGO Collaboration's detection of gravitational waves. LIGO requires high resolution numerical waveforms for detection and parameter estimation of the source. Great effort was expended over several decades to produce the numerical methods used today. However, future detectors will require further improvements to numerical techniques to take full advantage of their detection capabilities. For example, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will require higher resolution simulations of similar-mass-ratio systems than LIGO. LISA will also be able to detect extreme-mass-ratio inspiral …

Hypothalamic Estrogen Signaling And Adipose Tissue Metabolism In Energy Homeostasis, Valeria C. Torres Irizarry, Yuwei Jiang, Yanlin He, Pingwen Xu

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Obesity has become a global epidemic, and it is a major risk factor for other metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic disease. Accumulating evidence indicates that there is sex-specific metabolic protection and disease susceptibility. For instance, in both clinical and experimental studies, males are more likely to develop obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. In line with this, males tend to have more visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) and less brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenic activity, both leading to an increased incidence of metabolic disorders. This female-specific fat distribution is partially mediated by sex hormone estrogens. Specifically, hypothalamic …

Individual Differences In The Criminogenic Effects Of Discrimination: An Exploration Of The Role Of Impulse Control And Callous-Unemotional Traits, Toni Walker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The association between perceived discrimination and engagement in criminal offending has been well studied, especially in samples of minority (predominantly Black, Hispanic, and Latinx) adolescents. Several theories have been developed (Social Schematic Theory) and adapted (General Strain Theory) in an attempt to explain how harmful, discriminatory experiences may have an effect on an individual’s behavior. There may be variability in how an individual responds to perceived discrimination, however, but the moderating role of personality characteristics has not been explored. Impulse control and callous-unemotional (CU) traits are both established predictors of offending and may also relate to the mechanisms that theories …

The Effects Of Burial Practices On The Preservation Of Bioarchaeological Remains From Caddo Sites In Northwestern Louisiana, Riley Kloostra

LSU Master's Theses

There are many variables which can impact the preservation of skeletal remains. This study attempts to understand how six specific variables present at two Native American sites may have impacted the skeletal preservation of burials at those sites. Four of the six variables are extrinsic factors, which vary on the level of the burial pit; these are presence of shell artifacts in the burial, presence of ash in the pit fill, presence of a clay cap over the burial, and depth of the burial pit. The other two variables discussed are intrinsic factors, varying on the level of the individual; …

On-Line Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing System For Friction Stir Welding Applications, Daniel J. Huggett, Mohammad W. Dewan, Muhammad A. Wahab, Thunshun W. Liao, Ayman Okeil

College of Engineering Patents

A wedge for on-line inspection of a weld includes a wedge body defining a coolant channel and at least one couplant channel, and a coolant input port in fluid connection with a first end of the coolant channel. The wedge body has a surface for disposing a phased array ultrasonic transducer comprising an array of ultrasonic elements. The coolant channel is formed in proximity to the surface for disposing the phased array ultrasonic transducer such that coolant flowing through the coolant channel maintains the phased array ultrasonic transducer below a predetermined temperature without obstructing the array of ultrasonic elements.

Adaptive Solid-State Luminescent Phosphors, James A. Dorman

College of Engineering Patents

The absorbance or emission wavelength of composite materials comprising a transition metal doped shell disposed over a rare earth doped core and a functionalizable group on the surface of the transition metal doped shell can change upon subjection to a carboxylic acid. This method of changing the absorbance or emission wavelength of a composite material can be used to identify counterfeit currency using an ink comprising a composite material.

Prevalence And Trends In Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Among Women In The United States, 2006–2017: A Population-Based Study, Tao Zhou, Shan Du, Dianjianyi Sun, Xiang Li, Yoriko Heianza, Gang Hu, Litao Sun, Xiaofang Pei, Xiaoyun Shang, Lu Qi

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has increased with the increasing rate of obesity. However, national data on the prevalence and secular trends of GDM during the past decade in the United States are lacking. This study included 37,357 women aged more than 18 years and who had ever been pregnant from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). We examined GDM prevalence in 2006, 2016, and 2017, with age-standardized to the US population in 2000. We found that the prevalence of GDM per 100 people increased from 4.6 (95% CI, 4.1–5.1) in 2006 to 8.2 (95% CI, 7.5–8.9) in …

A Century-Long Trajectory Of Phosphorus Loading And Export From Mississippi River Basin To The Gulf Of Mexico: Contributions Of Multiple Environmental Changes, Zihao Bian, Shufen Pan, Zhuonan Wang, Yuanzhi Yao, Rongting Xu, Hao Shi, Latif Kalin, Christopher Anderson, Dubravko Justic, Steven Lohrenz, Hanqin Tian

Faculty Publications

Phosphorus (P) control is critical to mitigating eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems, but the effectiveness of controlling P export from soils has been limited by our poor understanding of P dynamics along the land-ocean aquatic continuum as well as the lack of well-developed process models that effectively couple terrestrial and aquatic biogeochemical P processes. Here, we coupled riverine P biogeochemical processes and water transport with terrestrial processes within the framework of the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model to assess how multiple environmental changes, including fertilizer and manure P uses, land use, climate, and atmospheric CO2, have affected the long-term dynamics of P …

Governance Of Social Responsibility In International Infrastructure Megaprojects, Saixing Zeng, Hongquan Chen, Hanyang Ma, Jonathan Jingsheng Shi

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Phylogenetic Characterization And Genome Sequence Analysis Of Burkholderia Glumae Strains Isolated In Thailand As The Causal Agent Of Rice Bacterial Panicle Blight, Nootjarin Jungkhun, Antonio Roberto Gomes De Farias, Jutatape Watcharachaiyakup, Nuttima Kositcharoenkul, Jong Hyun Ham, Sujin Patarapuwadol

Faculty Publications

Burkholderia glumae is one of the most critical rice-pathogenic bacteria, and it causes bacterial panicle blight (BPB) in rice plants. In 2017, BPB symptoms were observed from rice fields in Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand. Sixty-one isolates obtained from the symptomatic panicles of rice were initially identified as B. glumae by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using species-specific primers. Among them, six selected strains isolated from the susceptible japonica rice cultivar DOA2 were characterized in terms of morpho-physiology, pathology, phylogenetics, and genomics. Our genome sequence analysis of the six selected strains revealed the presence of multiple prophages, which may reflect the high …

Sweat (Summer, 2022), Lsu Swine Palace

Playbills

Filled with warm humor and tremendous heart, SWEAT tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets, and laughs while working together on the factory floor. But when layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight to stay afloat.

Sustainable Gardening For School And Home Gardens: Sweet Corn, Denyse Cummins, Carl Motsenbocker

Sustainable Gardening for School and Home Gardens

Corn is a member of the Poaceae family, also known as the grass or cereal family, which includes wheat, oats, barley, rye, sugarcane and rice, as well as bamboo and many ornamentals, such as the lawn grasses. There are many types of corn that can be grown and used for human food although there are two major types: corn that is harvested when mature as a dried grain (field corn) and corn that is harvested immature as a vegetable referred to as sweet corn. Grain corn types include: popcorn, ornamental corn, flint corn, flour corn, waxy corn and dent corn. …

Influence Of Weather On Gobbling Activity Of Male Wild Turkeys, Patrick H. Wightman, James A. Martin, John C. Kilgo, Emily Rushton, Bret A. Collier, Michael J. Chamberlain

Faculty Publications

Gobbling activity of Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris; hereafter, turkeys) has been widely studied, focusing on drivers of daily variation. Weather variables are widely believed to influence gobbling activity, but results across studies are contradictory and often equivocal, leading to uncertainty in the relative contribution of weather variables to daily fluctuations in gobbling activity. Previous works relied on road-based auditory surveys to collect gobbling data, which limits data consistency, duration, and quantity due to logistical difficulties associated with human observers and restricted sampling frames. Development of new methods using autonomous recording units (ARUs) allows researchers to collect continuous data …

Recursive Movements Of Eastern Wild Turkey Broods In The Southeastern United States, Nicholas W. Bakner, Bradley S. Cohen, Bret A. Collier, Michael J. Chamberlain

Faculty Publications

Productivity of wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) populations throughout the southeastern United States has declined over the past several decades. Although population trajectory is driven primarily by annual reproduction, wild turkey managers have little information regarding the behavioral ecology of broods immediately post-hatch. Broods are known to revisit areas within their ranges, but revisitation behavior is poorly understood spatially and temporally. Thus, identifying patterns of visitation and revisitation can increase understanding of brood behavior. We monitored 94 brooding females until brood failure or 28 days after hatch to evaluate movements and to quantify landcover and vegetation density at revisited locations which …

The North American Freshwater Migratory Fish Database (Nafmfd): Characterizing The Migratory Life Histories Of Freshwater Fishes Of Canada, The United States And Mexico, Emily M. Dean, Arthur R. Cooper, Lizhu Wang, Wesley Daniel, Solomon David, Clayton Ernzen, Keith B. Gido, Edward Hale, Tim J. Haxton, William Kelso, Nancy Leonard, Chris Lido, Joseph Margraf, Michael Porter, Casey Pennock, David Propst, Jared Ross, Michelle D. Staudinger, Gary Whelan, Dana M. Infante

Faculty Publications

Aim: Migratory freshwater fishes are those that must access discrete habitats to complete their life cycles. Freshwater fish migrations occur around the world and provide numerous ecosystem services for humans and natural systems; however, many migratory species are in decline globally. A limiting factor to successfully conserve freshwater migratory fishes is that the migratory life histories of many species are unknown or only partially described. To provide researchers with critical and comprehensive information to conserve migratory fishes, we developed the North American Freshwater Migratory Fish Database (NAFMFD). Location: Canada, Mexico and the United States. Taxon: Freshwater fish. Methods: To develop …

Loss Of Function Of Renal Glut2 Reverses Hyperglycaemia And Normalises Body Weight In Mouse Models Of Diabetes And Obesity, Leticia Maria De Souza Cordeiro, Lauren Bainbridge, Nagavardhini Devisetty, David H. Mcdougal, Dorien J.M. Peters, Kavaljit H. Chhabra

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Aims/hypothesis: Renal GLUT2 is increased in diabetes, thereby enhancing glucose reabsorption and worsening hyperglycaemia. Here, we determined whether loss of Glut2 (also known as Slc2a2) specifically in the kidneys would reverse hyperglycaemia and normalise body weight in mouse models of diabetes and obesity. Methods: We used the tamoxifen-inducible CreERT2-Lox system in mice to knockout Glut2 specifically in the kidneys (Ks-Glut2 KO) to establish the contribution of renal GLUT2 to systemic glucose homeostasis in health and in insulin-dependent as well as non-insulin-dependent diabetes. We measured circulating glucose and insulin levels in response to OGTT or IVGTT under different experimental conditions in …

Natural History And Community Science Records Confirm Rapid Geographic Shifts In The Distribution Of Bachman’S Sparrow (Peucaea Aestivalis) Since 1850, Amie E. Settlecowski, Kathryn E.C. Davis, James A. Cox, Stefan Woltmann, Sabrina S. Taylor

Faculty Publications

North American grassland birds colonized emerging habitat created by expanding agriculture in a pattern of eastward expansions from the mid-1800s to mid-1900s. These birds have been declining, since at least the mid-1900s, largely as result of anthropogenic landscape change. Only one bird that now breeds predominantly in southeastern pine savannas is thought to have experienced a concurrent range expansion into this region: Peucaea aestivalis (Bachman’s Sparrow). However, our understanding of the P. aestivalis expansion, and subsequent retraction to the southeastern United States, is largely based on a contemporaneous review of only a subset of historical records from beyond its modern, …

Assessing The Initial Validity Of The Portionsize App To Estimate Dietary Intake Among Adults: Pilot And Feasibility App Validation Study, Sanjoy Saha, Chloe Panizza Lozano, Stephanie Broyles, Corby K. Martin, John W. Apolzan

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background: Accurately assessing dietary intake can promote improved nutrition. The PortionSize app (Pennington Biomedical Research Center) was designed to quantify and provide real-time feedback on the intake of energy, food groups, saturated fat, and added sugar. Objective: This study aimed to assess the preliminary feasibility and validity of estimating food intake via the PortionSize app among adults. Methods: A total of 15 adults (aged 18-65 years) were recruited and trained to quantify the food intake from a simulated meal by using PortionSize. Trained personnel prepared 15 simulated meals and covertly weighed (weigh back) the amount of food provided to participants …

Regional Human Resource Development In Asean: An Institutional Theory Perspective, Oleksandr Tkachenko, Oliver S. Crocco, Loi A. Nguyen, Victoria Jonathan

Faculty Publications

With the growing influence of intergovernmental organizations such as the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the scope and complexity of human resource development (HRD) activities have expanded. Informed by an institutional theory perspective, we examined the evolution of HRD as well as HRD-related programs in ASEAN to illuminate the mechanisms and conditions shaping HRD in ASEAN. Our primary sources were archival data from ASEAN from 1967–2021 and relevant publications of international development agencies that feature HRD-related activities in the region. Our analysis suggests that the establishment of an intergovernmental organization (i.e., ASEAN), with its continuing …

Mitochondrial Uncoupling Attenuates Sarcopenic Obesity By Enhancing Skeletal Muscle Mitophagy And Quality Control, Wagner S. Dantas, Elizabeth R.M. Zunica, Elizabeth C. Heintz, Bolormaa Vandanmagsar, Z. Elizabeth Floyd, Yongmei Yu, Hisashi Fujioka, Charles L. Hoppel, Kathryn P. Belmont, Christopher L. Axelrod, John P. Kirwan

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Background: Sarcopenic obesity is a highly prevalent disease with poor survival and ineffective medical interventions. Mitochondrial dysfunction is purported to be central in the pathogenesis of sarcopenic obesity by impairing both organelle biogenesis and quality control. We have previously identified that a mitochondrial-targeted furazano[3,4-b]pyrazine named BAM15 is orally available and selectively lowers respiratory coupling efficiency and protects against diet-induced obesity in mice. Here, we tested the hypothesis that mitochondrial uncoupling simultaneously attenuates loss of muscle function and weight gain in a mouse model of sarcopenic obesity. Methods: Eighty-week-old male C57BL/6J mice with obesity were randomized to 10 weeks of high …

More Than Rocks And Stone: Confederate Monuments, Memory Movements, And Race, Heather A. O'Connell

Faculty Publications

Iexamine why Confederate monuments were built in public spaces in counties throughout the US South with particular attention to connections to race. I use event history analysis to examine the overall likelihood of erecting the first monument in a county while accounting for dimensions of time. The data include a comprehensive accounting of public Confederate monuments, covariates spanning 150 years, and several unique historical variables. This is the first study to assess competing explanations for the construction of Confederate monuments in a generalizable analysis. Results provide support for understanding Confederate monuments as part of a larger "memory movement."Moreover, this movement …

Novel Approaches To Environmental Monitoring And Control Of Listeria Monocytogenes In Food Production Facilities, Priyanka Gupta, Achyut Adhikari

Faculty Publications

Listeria monocytogenes is a serious public health hazard responsible for the foodborne illness listeriosis. L. monocytogenes is ubiquitous in nature and can become established in food production facilities, resulting in the contamination of a variety of food products, especially ready-to-eat foods. Effective and risk-based environmental monitoring programs and control strategies are essential to eliminate L. monocytogenes in food production environments. Key elements of the environmental monitoring program include (i) identifying the sources and prevalence of L. monocytogenes in the production environment, (ii) verifying the effectiveness of control measures to eliminate L. monocytogenes, and (iii) identifying the areas and activities to …

Feedback Stabilization And Robustness Analysis Using Bounds On Fundamental Matrices, Frederic Mazenc, Michael Malisoff

Faculty Publications

We prove a new robust stabilization theorem for time-varying systems that have sampled measurements and time-varying disturbances, and we provide new observer designs, using novel bounds for fundamental matrices for systems with disturbances. Our main tools use properties of Metzler matrices and positive systems.

Thinking Outside The Box: Numerical Relativity With Particles, Stephan Rosswog, Peter Diener, Francesco Torsello

Faculty Publications

The observation of gravitational waves from compact objects has now become an active part of observational astronomy. For a sound interpretation, one needs to compare such observations against detailed Numerical Relativity simulations, which are essential tools to explore the dynamics and physics of compact binary mergers. To date, essentially all simulation codes that solve the full set of Einstein’s equations are performed in the framework of Eulerian hydrodynamics. The exception is our recently developed Numerical Relativity code SPHINCS_BSSN which solves the commonly used BSSN formulation of the Einstein equations on a structured mesh and the matter equations via Lagrangian particles. …

Genetic Variation Among The Salinity Tolerant Breeding Lines Identified From Two Multi-Parent Advanced Generation Introgression Line Populations In Rice (Oryza Sativa), Sandeep Chapagain, Jonathan Concepcion, Rajat Pruthi, Lovepreet Singh, Adam Famoso, Prasant K. Subudhi

Faculty Publications

Salinity is a major environmental constraint affecting rice production in both irrigated and non-irrigated areas and threatening global food security. Development of salt-tolerant rice varieties with desirable agronomic traits is a logical approach to maintain high yield in saline areas. Here, we report development of two multi-parent advanced generation introgression line (MAGIL) rice populations in two US cultivar backgrounds and their physiological and morphological evaluation under salinity stress at germination and seedling stages. From the initial screening of 180 MAGILs in sand culture, 36 tolerant-to-moderately salt-tolerant lines were selected and further confirmed in hydroponics experiment. The selected MAGILs showed lower …

Covid-19 Prevention Behaviors In A Cooperative Extension Audience: Findings From A Nutrition Education Study, Matthew Greene, Catherine Ruth Losavio, Denise Holston

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted the delivery of nutrition education through Cooperative Extension. This study aimed to identify a Cooperative Extension audience’s attitudes towards virus prevention behaviors, preferred sources of information regarding COVID-19, and nutrition education preferences during the pandemic. We distributed an online survey to 477 potential nutrition education participants including questions about behaviors like mask wearing, preferences for virtual nutrition lesson delivery, and attitudes towards sources of information about COVID-19. Attitudes towards mask wearing and preferred sources of information differed significantly by race, income, and age. These differences have serious implications for future outreach and program delivery