Digital Commons Network^™

University Faculty Design-Thinking Personas For Online Course Development: A Q Methodological Study, Jennifer Margaret Morrisette

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

To overcome the inherent complexities of planning and implementing effective online learning experiences at scale, it has been suggested that design-thinking tools and practices can be leveraged by faculty and collaborative support staff (e.g., instructional designers). However, little is known about what design-thinking approaches are perceived by faculty to be important to the online course design process, and what tools and practices might be prioritized or avoided given planning stage and individual context. Understanding these nuances would provide much needed insight to align support directly with faculty needs. This study used Q methodology to explore the subjective viewpoints of 20 …

Detrital Zircon (U-Th)/He Thermochronology In The Greater Caucasus: Implications For Thermal And Tectonic History Along-Strike, Kate Gutterman

LSU Master's Theses

Located along the northernmost boundary of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone, the Greater Caucasus are a young, actively deforming mountain range striking WNW-ESE between the Black and Caspian Seas. Previous thermochronometric studies predominantly focused on the western portion of the range partially constrain the thermal and tectonic history of the Greater Caucasus. However, due to the complex nature of the tectonics in the region, multiple competing tectonic models have been suggested to explain the exact timing of collision and onset of rapid uplift. Furthermore, the Greater Caucasus exhibit competing along-strike gradients in modern shortening rates, mean annual precipitation, structural architecture and …

White Paper: From Bound States To The Continuum, Calvin W. Johnson, Kristina D. Launey, Naftali Auerbach, Sonia Bacca, Bruce R. Barrett, Carl R. Brune, Mark A. Caprio, Pierre Descouvemont, W. H. Dickhoff, Charlotte Elster, Patrick J. Fasano, Kevin Fossez, Heiko Hergert, Morten Hjorth-Jensen, Linda Hlophe, Baishan Hu, Rodolfo M. Id Betan, Andrea Idini, Sebastian König, Konstantinos Kravvaris, Dean Lee, Jin Lei, Alexis Mercenne, Rodrigo Navarro Perez, Witold Nazarewicz, Filomena M. Nunes, Marek Płoszajczak, Jimmy Rotureau, Gautam Rupak, Andrey M. Shirokov, Ian Thompson, James P. Vary, Alexander Volya

Faculty Publications

This white paper reports on the discussions of the 2018 Facility for Rare Isotope Beams Theory Alliance (FRIB-TA) topical program ‘From bound states to the continuum: Connecting bound state calculations with scattering and reaction theory’. One of the biggest and most important frontiers in nuclear theory today is to construct better and stronger bridges between bound state calculations and calculations in the continuum, especially scattering and reaction theory, as well as teasing out the influence of the continuum on states near threshold. This is particularly challenging as many-body structure calculations typically use a bound state basis, while reaction calculations more …

The Implications Of The American Symphonic Heritage In Contemporary Orchestral Modeling, Mathew Lee Ward

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Disparate priorities between composers, performers, audiences, and institutions have created systemic issues in the sustainability and relevance of symphonic music in modern society. The purpose of this study is to explore the history of the symphonic heritage in the United States with the goal of forming solutions to contemporary issues in the sphere of classical symphonic music. With consideration for the breadth of repertoire, the genre of the symphony is the primary focus, with special attention given to under-represented and under-performed composers. The American symphony orchestra, nonexistent during the founding of the country, has become one of the greatest conduits …

Identification Of Novel Host Genes Required For Antiviral Immunity And Viral Genome Replication In C. Elegans, Fei Meng

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

RNA interference (RNAi) is a wide-spread gene silencing mechanism that control diverse biological functions and triggered by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) processed from the viral genome or its replication intermediates. Mechanistic studies of antiviral RNAi in Caenorhabditis elegans has led to the identification of several critical factors involved in the process. As a result, whether antiviral RNAi requires additional novel genes remains to be an open question.

Viruses are intracellular parasites that rely on host products for reproduction. Disrupting their interaction with host factors can significantly compromise their replication and keep them under control. Thus, identification of host genes …

Liminal Liberation: Courtesans And Embodied Anxieties In Sixteenth-Century Venice, Mandonesia Carter

LSU Master's Theses

Invectives against the courtesan—a more educated, erudite, and socially elite version of the ordinary prostitute—were commonplace in early modern Venice. A metropolitan center by the sixteenth century, Venice had become one of the most tolerant cities in Europe, allowing the courtesan to rapidly rise far past her social standing. The courtesan, through strategic self-fashioning and self-promotion, blurred the boundaries of gender roles, class roles, and the conventional social hierarchy. This precipitated attacks from critics seeking to provide clarity of the courtesan’s place and protect the interests of their patriarchal society. This thesis examines representations of the sixteenth-century Venetian courtesan in …

Recoding The Archive: Memory And Identity In The Photographic And Filmic Works Of Shirin Neshat, Shoja Azari, And Alia Ali, Olivia K. Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

Shirin Neshat, Shoja Azari, and Alia Ali are artists of Middle Eastern descent living and working in the United States, mainly in photographic and filmic modes. Neshat and Azari were born in Iran and immigrated to the U.S. amid the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which drastically changed the political and cultural landscape of the country. Ali was born in Yemen but her father is specifically South Yemeni and her mother Yugoslavian, two countries that no longer exist. As artists experiencing exile and diaspora, with complicated relationships to their home countries, their identities are muddled by hybridity and the struggle between being …

Self-Reported Health Without Clinically Measurable Benefits Among Adult Users Of Multivitamin And Multimineral Supplements: A Cross-Sectional Study, Manish D. Paranjpe, Alfred C. Chin, Ishan Paranjpe, Nicholas J. Reid, Phan Q. Duy, Jason K. Wang, Ross O'Hagan, Artine Arzani, Arsalan Haghdel, Clarence C. Lim, Vwaire Orhurhu, Ivan Urits, Anh L. Ngo, Benjamin S. Glicksberg, Kathryn T. Hall, Darshan Mehta, Richard S. Cooper, Girish N. Nadkarni

Faculty Publications

Objective Multiple clinical trials fail to identify clinically measurable health benefits of daily multivitamin and multimineral (MVM) consumption in the general adult population. Understanding the determinants of widespread use of MVMs may guide efforts to better educate the public about effective nutritional practices. The objective of this study was to compare self-reported and clinically measurable health outcomes among MVM users and non-users in a large, nationally representative adult civilian non-institutionalised population in the USA surveyed on the use of complementary health practices. Design Cross-sectional analysis of the effect of MVM consumption on self-reported overall health and clinically measurable health outcomes. …

Civil War Interventions: An Examination Of The Roles Of The Media, Political Executives, And The Domestic Opposition, Jonathan Charles Nickens

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines how media attention and domestic opposition parties affect third-party intervention in foreign civil wars. Previous research defines some of the ways that political executives in democratic states are constrained in their choice of actions, while also pointing out the influences and limitations of outside actors. This dissertation builds on existing research pertaining to opposition parties and the news media by providing new theories on how these outside actors can push a leader in taking an action he otherwise might not take, such as intervening in a foreign civil war. Using newly collected data, I argue that the …

Intelligent Data-Driven Energy Flow Controllers For Renewable Energy And Electrified Transportation Systems, Juan Rafael Nunez Forestieri

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, large scale deployments of electrical energy generation using renewable sources (RES) such as wind, solar and ocean wave power, along with more sustainable means of transformation have emerged in response to different initiatives oriented toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Strategies facilitating the integration of renewable generation into the grid and electric propulsion in transportation systems are proposed in this work.

Chapter 2 investigates the grid-connected operation of a wave energy converter (WEC) along with a hybrid supercapacitor/undersea energy storage system (HESS). A combined sizing and energy management strategy (EMS) based on reinforcement learning (RL) is proposed. Comparisons …

Mud-Associated Organic Matter And Its Direct And Indirect Role In Marsh Organic Matter Accumulation And Vertical Accretion, G. Mariotti, T. Elsey-Quirk, G. Bruno, K. Valentine

Faculty Publications

In situ plant production is often assumed to be the major contributor to organic matter (OM) accumulation and vertical accretion in tidal marshes. Here, we evaluate the contribution of mud-associated OM in salt and brackish marshes in Louisiana. Based on 14 soil cores, the OM content of the mud fraction—i.e., any material smaller than 64 μm—was 17% ± 7% for the salt marshes and 28% ± 14% for the brackish marshes. This remains nearly uniform over the top 35 cm depth, suggesting that this material is deposited contemporaneously with the mud. The dry bulk density of the mud (300–450 kg …

The Impacts Of Building Characteristics, Social Psychological And Cultural Factors On Indoor Environment Quality Productivity Belief, Chien Fei Chen, Selin Yilmaz, Anna Laura Pisello, Marilena De Simone, Amy Kim, Tianzhen Hong, Karol Bandurski, Mateus V. Bavaresco, Pei Ling Liu, Yimin Zhu

Faculty Publications

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) plays a key role in determining occupants' productivity at work; however, analyses of the interconnected factors among building physical, attitudinal, social and demographic components in one study are lacking. To fill this research gap, this study investigates these interconnected factors' influence on occupants’ IEQ-productivity belief, defined as a personal, subjective evaluation of the linkage between the impacts of five IEQ aspects (the quality of indoor temperature, air, natural and electric lighting, and acoustics) and productivity. A cross-sectional survey data was collected in university offices from six countries (Brazil, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Taiwan and the U.S.). Results …

Measuring The Greatest Weight: A Comprehensive Interpretation Of Nietzsche’S Doctrine Of Eternal Recurrence, Sebastian Brumfield Mejía

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Mutations In The Pectin Methyltransferase Quasimodo2 Influence Cellulose Biosynthesis And Wall Integrity In Arabidopsis, Juan Du, Alex Kirui, Shixin Huang, Lianglei Wang, William J. Barnes, Sarah N. Kiemle, Yunzhen Zheng, Yue Rui, Mei Ruan, Shiqian Qi, Seong H. Kim, Tuo Wang, Daniel J. Cosgrove, Charles T. Anderson, Chaowen Xiao

Faculty Publications

© 2020 ASPB. Pectins are abundant in the cell walls of dicotyledonous plants, but how they interact with other wall polymers and influence wall integrity and cell growth has remained mysterious. Here, we verified that QUASIMODO2 (QUA2) is a pectin methyltransferase and determined that QUA2 is required for normal pectin biosynthesis. To gain further insight into how pectin affects wall assembly and integrity maintenance, we investigated cellulose biosynthesis, cellulose organization, cortical microtubules, and wall integrity signaling in two mutant alleles of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) QUA2, qua2 and tsd2. In both mutants, crystalline cellulose content is reduced, cellulose synthase particles move …

A Theory Of Multiformat Communication: Mechanisms, Dynamics, And Strategies, Jordan W. Moffett, Judith Anne Garretson Folse, Robert W. Palmatier

Faculty Publications

Extant communication theories predate the explosion of digital formats and technological advances such as virtual reality, which likely explains their predominant focus on traditional and format-level (e.g., face-to-face, email) rather than digital or characteristic-level (e.g., visual cues, synchronicity) design decisions. Firms thus lack insights into how to create and use emerging digital formats, individually or synergistically. To establish a holistic framework of bilateral multiformat communication for relationship marketing, this article reviews communication theory to establish a foundation for understanding multiformat communication and to identify any gaps (e.g., AI agents, simulated cues). The authors then review bilateral communication research in light …

Single-Case Experimental Designs For Behavioral Neuroscience, Paul L. Soto

Faculty Publications

Single-case experimental designs (SCEDs) are commonly used in behavior analytic research but rarely used in behavioral neuroscience research. The recent development of technologies that allow control of the timing of neurobiological events such as gene expression and neuronal firing enable the fruitful application of SCEDs for the study of brain-behavior relations. There are at least 3 benefits expected from applying SCEDs to study how neurobiological events affect behavior. First, SCEDs entail direct within- and across-subject assessments of reliability, likely increasing the probability of replication across studies and encouraging a search for the causes of replication failure when they occur. Second, …

Relationships Between Emotion, Acceptance, Food Choice, And Consumption: Some New Perspectives, Witoon Prinyawiwatkul

Faculty Publications

Food is more than just a source of nutrients—it also provides basic pleasure as well as aesthetic experiences. A number of studies have reported that acceptance, food choice, and consumption are affected by a large number of factors, including both intrinsic and extrinsic factors and cues, as well as consumer characteristics. Food-elicited emotions are becoming a critical component in designing products that meet consumers’ needs and expectations. Several studies have reported emotional responses to food and their relationships to product acceptability, preference, and choice. This Special Issue brings together a small range of studies with a diversity of approaches that …

Aroma, Quality, And Consumer Mindsets For Shelf-Stable Rice Thermally Processed By Reciprocal Agitation, William R. Dixon, Blanca E. Morales-Contreras, Manoch Kongchum, Zhimin Xu, Dustin Harrell, Howard R. Moskowitz, Louise Wicker

Faculty Publications

Food engineering, food chemistry, and consumer segmentation were used to evaluate ready-to-eat rice. The aromatic Louisiana Clearfield Jazzman (CJ) and Thai Jasmine (TJ), and a non-aromatic parboiled (PB) rice were hydrated during the first 10 min of processing with reciprocal agitation followed by static retort processing. The aroma compound, 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) was more heat-stable in CJ than TJ rice but decreased 15-fold compared to the rice cooker method. Pareto analysis indicated that rice type and agitation had the main effect on amylose and total starch and chroma and hue. Color differences of rice agitated during hydration and between rice cooker …

Towards A Scalable And Distributed Infrastructure For Deep Learning Applications, Bita Hasheminezhad, Shahrzad Shirzad, Nanmiao Wu, Patrick Diehl, Hannes Schulz, Hartmut Kaiser

Faculty Publications

Although recent scaling up approaches to train deep neural networks have proven to be effective, the computational intensity of large and complex models, as well as the availability of large-scale datasets require deep learning frameworks to utilize scaling out techniques. Parallelization approaches and distribution requirements are not considered in the primary designs of most available distributed deep learning frameworks and most of them still are not able to perform effective and efficient fine-grained inter-node communication. We present Phylanx that has the potential to alleviate these shortcomings. Phylanx presents a productivity-oriented frontend where user Python code is translated to a futurized …

Evaluation Of Bagasse Ash As Cement And Sand Replacement For The Production Of Engineered Cementitious Composites (Ecc), Gabriel Arce, Marwa Hassan, Sujata Subedi, Ana Rivas, Samantha Hidalgo, Hugo Eguez

Publications

The objective of this study was to develop novel Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) materials implementing sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA). To this end, the effects on the mechanical and physical properties of ECC materials of: (1) Louisiana raw SCBA (RBA) as a partial and complete replacement of sand (i.e., class S mixtures); (2) Louisiana post-processed SCBA (PBA) as a partial replacement of cement (i.e., class C mixtures); and (3) Ecuador raw SCBA (EBA) as a partial and complete replacement of sand (i.e., class S-E mixtures) were studied. Sand replacement levels with RBA and EBA evaluated were 25, 50, 75, and 100% …

Study Of Control Schemes For Series Hybrid-Electric Powertrain For Unmanned Aerial Systems, Darren A. Dehesa Jr

LSU Master's Theses

Hybrid-Electric aircraft powertrain modeling for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) is a useful tool for predicting powertrain performance of the UAS aircraft. However, for small UAS, potential gains in range and endurance can depend significantly on the aircraft flight profile and powertrain control logic in addition to the subsequent impact on the performance of powertrain components. Small UAS aircraft utilize small-displacement engines with poor thermal efficiency and, therefore, could benefit from a hybridized powertrain by reducing fuel consumption. This study uses a dynamic simulation of a UAS, representative flight profiles, and powertrain control logic approaches to evaluate the performance of a …

The Exemplary Spartacus: Reception, Adaptation, And Reconstruction, Benjamin Franklin Howland

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

My project, “The Exemplary Spartacus: Reception, Adaptation, and Reconstruction,” focusses on various representations of the gladiator Spartacus. I assert that Spartacus has almost exclusively been and continues to be an exemplary figure, with an extensive and connected literary tradition, working as an empty signifier in differing temporalities and localities. I draw specific attention to a core issue in the study of Spartacus, namely, the plethora of modern representations of Spartacus in various genres, and the continuing influence these representations exert through their blurring of the historical figure with local themes and ideologies. Each draw from the same ancient sources, infusing …

Characterizing The Biophysical Properties And Origin Of Extracellular Matrix In The Breast Tumor Microenvironment, Connor T. King

LSU Master's Theses

Tumors derived from breast tissue possess the ability to manipulate and permanently alter their surrounding tissue. Studies demonstrate that tissues surrounding breast tumors have differences in secreted factors as well as extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and structure. However, some fundamental gaps exist within this paradigm: specifically, what exacerbates this transformation and are these changes maintained between the subtypes of breast tumors? Therefore, a targeted evaluation of the effects of the tumor on the stromal microenvironment in a subtype specific manner will be invaluable. To determine if tumor aggressiveness and subtype differentially regulate the tumor microenvironment, a model must be constructed …

Free People Of Color In West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, Evelyn Lenora Wilson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

“Free People of Color in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana” documents the presence, land ownership, business development, and personal relationships of free people of color in a rural Louisiana parish. Beginning with how free people of color came to be in the parish, it shows an absence of segregation by skin color in home ownership, business relationships, and friendships. Free people of color found themselves accepted in a community that valued their talents and skills and disregarded the color of their skin.

Free people of color bought and sold homes in whatever part of the parish suited them. Most lived surrounded …

Developing A Competency Model For Highway Safety Engineers: A Delphi Method, Garrett K. Wheat

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the core competencies needed by State DOT Highway Safety Engineers as perceived by Highway Safety experts in the United States. First, a list of competencies was identified. Next, a panel of Highway Safety experts determined the importance of each identified competency for the current year (2020) and for the future (year 2030). Finally, ratings provided by the panel were tested for the presence of consensus.

For this study, the researcher used a Delphi Method as classified by Delbecq, Van de Ven, and Gaustafson (1975). Through this method, a panel of forward-thinking …

The Hellan-Herrmann-Johnson Method With Curved Elements, Douglas N. Arnold, Shawn W. Walker

Faculty Publications

We study the finite element approximation of the Kirchhoff plate equation on domains with curved boundaries using the Hellan-Herrmann-Johnson (HHJ) method. We prove optimal convergence on domains with piecewise C^k+1 boundary for k ≥ 1 when using a parametric (curved) HHJ space. Computational results are given that demonstrate optimal convergence and how convergence degrades when curved triangles of insufficient polynomial degree are used. Moreover, we show that the lowest order HHJ method on a polygonal approximation of the disk does not succumb to the classic Babuška paradox, highlighting the geometrically nonconforming aspect of the HHJ method.

Higher Csf Strem2 Attenuates Apoe4-Related Risk For Cognitive Decline And Neurodegeneration, Nicolai Franzmeier, M. Suárez-Calvet, Lukas Frontzkowski, Annah Moore, Timothy J. Hohman, Estrella Morenas-Rodriguez, Brigitte Nuscher, Leslie Shaw, John Q. Trojanowski, Martin Dichgans, Gernot Kleinberger, Christian Haass, Michael Ewers, Michael Weiner, Paul Aisen, Gerald Novak, Robert C. Green, Tom Montine, Ronald Petersen, Anthony Gamst, Ronald G. Thomas, Michael Donohue, Sarah Walter, Devon Gessert, Tamie Sather, Laurel Beckett, Danielle Harvey, John Kornak, Clifford R. Jack, Anders Dale, Matthew Bernstein, Joel Felmlee, Nick Fox, Paul Thompson

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background: The Apolipoprotein E ϵ4 allele (i.e. ApoE4) is the strongest genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). TREM2 (i.e. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2) is a microglial transmembrane protein brain that plays a central role in microglia activation in response to AD brain pathologies. Whether higher TREM2-related microglia activity modulates the risk to develop clinical AD is an open question. Thus, the aim of the current study was to assess whether higher sTREM2 attenuates the effects of ApoE4-effects on future cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. Methods: We included 708 subjects ranging from cognitively normal (CN, n = …

Ideas And Perspectives: The Same Carbon Behaves Like Different Elements - An Insight Into Position-Specific Isotope Distributions, Yuyang He, Xiaobin Cao, Huiming Bao

Faculty Publications

It is expected that information on the source, reaction pathway, and reaction kinetics of an organic compound can be obtained from its position-specific isotope compositions or intramolecular isotope distribution (Intra-ID). To retrieve the information, we could use its predicted equilibrium Intra-ID as a reference for understanding the observed Intra-IDs. Historically, observed, apparently close-to-equilibrium carbon Intra-ID has prompted an open debate on the nature of biosystems and specifically the pervasiveness of reversible biochemical reactions. Much of the debate remains unresolved, and the discussion has not clearly distinguished between two states of equilibrium: (1) the equilibrium among the corresponding bond-breaking and bond-forming …

The Central Role Of Taxonomy In The Study Of Neotropical Biodiversity1, Laura P. Lagomarsino, Laura A. Frost

Faculty Publications

© 2020 Missouri Botanical Garden. All rights reserved. The Neotropics are the most species-rich area of the planet. Understanding the origin and maintenance of this diversity is an important goal of ecology and evolutionary biology. Success in this endeavor relies heavily on the past work of taxonomists who have collected specimens and produced the floras and monographs that constitute the foundation for the study of plant diversity. To illustrate this, we visualize collecting efforts through time and identify the importance of past taxonomic and collection efforts in generating the bulk of specimen data that broad-scale analyses rely on today. To …

Abundance Of The Species Clostridium Butyricum In The Gut Microbiota Contributes To Differences In Obesity Phenotype In Outbred Sprague-Dawley Cd Rats, Diana N. Obanda, Claudia Husseneder, Anne M. Raggio, Ryan Page, Brian Marx, Rhett W. Stout, Justin Guice, Diana Coulon, Michael J. Keenan

Faculty Publications

© 2020 Elsevier Inc. Objectives: Gut microbiota profiles contribute to differences in obesity phenotype. We examined the abundance of the species Clostridium butyricum in relation to obesity phenotype. Methods: In outbred Sprague -Dawley rats we examined effects of dietary fat, resistant starch (RS), and a microbiota transplant on obesity phenotype. Using targeted qPCR, we examined the abundance of total gut bacteria and C. butyricum in relation to the propensity of obesity prone and obesity resistant rats to accumulate abdominal fat. Results: Before inclusion of dietary RS, obesity resistant (OR) rats had higher amounts of total bacteria, and C. butyricum compared …