Rate Of Sea-Level Rise And Sediment Characteristics Modulate Deltaic River-Tide Interactions, Peter Bacopoulos, Celalettin E. Ozdemir, Matthew Hiatt

Faculty Publications

Due to sea-level rise, small river-dominated deltas (< 100 km²) are expected to become more exposed to tidal influences in the future. However, there remains a knowledge gap in the impending hydrodynamics of such deltas, particularly with the interactions between river and tidal flows. In addition to sea-level rise, river-tide interactions in these deltas depend on their morphology, which is influenced by the sand proportion in the particulate matter delivered by rivers. This study investigates river-tide interactions predicted for small deltas formed by different sand-to-mud ratios under various sea-level rise scenarios. Delta morphologies were generated using reduced-order complexity model (DeltaRCM), …

Novel Sequential Modeling Framework Improves Phytoplankton Biomass Predictions In Response To Multiple Environmental Stressors, Zhuyin Tong, Jiayu Guo, Yikai Liu, Lizhen Lin, Jixin Chen, Xin Liu, Bangqin Huang, Edward A. Laws, Wupeng Xiao

Faculty Publications

Understanding the impacts of multiple environmental stressors on phytoplankton biomass is crucial for predicting marine ecosystem responses under global climate change. This study employed a sequential modeling framework integrating principal component analysis, generalized additive models, and artificial neural networks to improve predictions of phytoplankton chlorophyll a concentrations in the Taiwan Strait. Analyzing a decadal dataset, we found that a 2°C rise in sea surface temperature and a 0.2 pH decline will each lead to an 11.3% reduction in chlorophyll a biomass, whereas nitrogen enrichment is expected to increase it by only 2.8%. The combined effects of these stressors will result …

Cell Death Helps To Stabilize Populations Of Prochlorococcus, P. Wang, E. A. Laws, C. Liang, X. Liu, J. Chen, Y. Zhong, C. Li, B. Huang

Faculty Publications

Prochlorococcus is one of the dominant phytoplankton species in tropical and subtropical pelagic marine ecosystems. To maintain its population equilibrium in oligotrophic waters, the dominant species Prochlorococcus requires high loss rates to offset its high abundance and growth rates. While theoretical frameworks recognize multiple loss processes for Prochlorococcus (viral lysis, environmental stress, programmed cell death), prevailing population studies attribute main mortality to grazing. This oversight stems from in situ data gaps of non-grazing mortality processes. In this study, we firstly formulated simple differential equations that took account of population losses due to both grazing and cell death. We then used …

Measuring The Impact On Landscape And Sediment Transport Of Climate And Anthropogenic Influence In The Mississippi River Since 2000 Bce, Bailey Wycoff

LSU Master's Theses

Understanding river dynamics is crucial to being able to interpret the geological history preserved in sediment deposited on continental margins, deltas, and alluvial plains. Sediment buffering can be a key control on the sediment flux to the ocean and involves sediment storage and recycling in flood plains. The efficiency of the transport varies depending on climatic and more recently anthropogenic influences. Sediment moving through meandering streams may be temporarily deposited in a point bar on the convex side of a meandering river. Meanders are sometimes cut off, creating an oxbow lake and filled in. The area of study, False River, …

A Multi-Scale Numerical Analysis Of Wave Propagation Through Coastal Vegetation Using Proteus & Xbeach, Cole M. Statler

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal vegetation attenuates waves in the nearshore zone and protects shorelines from storm surge and wave action. It also traps nutrients and sediment, and participates in the formation of land over longer time scales. These features of vegetation make it a common component of nature-based engineering projects. Interaction of water waves and flow with vegetation, however, can involve unsteady and turbulent flow, non-hyrdostatic pressure effects, and air entrainment that can hinder the use of simple parametric representations of vegetation drag. XBeach, a one- and two-dimensional production model applies reduced-order methods, prioritizing computational efficiency. Vegetation is represented in XBeach as a …

Testing The Utility Of The Three Good Things Intervention For Cannabis Misuse Among College Students, Paige Morris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

College students experience high rates of cannabis use and use-related problems. Existing brief online interventions for cannabis misuse among college students do not significantly reduce cannabis use and use-related problems relative to control conditions. This may be due to limited consideration of the role of affect, given that cannabis is frequently used for managing affect, especially among individuals with greater depression and social anxiety. The present study sought to improve the efficacy of brief online interventions for cannabis misuse among college students by testing the efficacy of the Three Good Things (3GT; Seligman et al., 2005) intervention, a daily exercise …

The Operational Performance Of Buildings In A Humid Subtropical Climate: Insights From Empirical Data And Assessment Models, Oluwafemi Awolesi

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis evaluates the operational performance of residential and non-residential buildings in a humid subtropical climate, emphasizing Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and energy performance through empirical data and assessment models. Motivated by the increasing need for integrated sustainability evaluations, this study combines a systematic review with multi-method field investigations to advance understanding in this domain. The systematic review critically analyzed 99 case study articles, identifying dominant IEQ assessment methodologies and highlighting methodological inconsistencies that hinder cross-study comparability. Emerging computational approaches, although promising, remain underutilized. The review advocates for standardized, climate-responsive, and feedback-oriented evaluation frameworks. Field investigations assessed IEQ and energy …

Adaptive Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning For Electric Vehicle Charging Optimization Under Dynamic Traffic Conditions, Shaghayegh Rabbanian

LSU Master's Theses

Electric vehicle (EV) charging optimization is a critical challenge in sustainable transportation. This study focuses on three fundamental questions: (1) when is the best time to charge an EV, (2) where is the optimal charging location, and (3) how should charging be planned considering navigation and routing decisions. Our primary objective is to determine the optimal time and location for EV charging while accounting for key factors such as real-time traffic conditions, spatial distribution of charging stations, and EV-specific attributes such as state of charge (SOC), driving range, and efficiency. To develop a robust and adaptive EV charging recommendation system, …

Be Mindful: Examining A Brief Mindfulness Intervention On Educator Well-Being, Oceann S. Gittens

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Teaching is currently rated as one of the topmost stressful occupations. Concerningly, chronic levels of stress can lead to poor mental and physical health, occupational burnout, and teacher attrition; all of which have a negative impact on student outcomes. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are commonly used to combat occupational stress by enhancing educator well-being. There is compelling evidence to support these types of interventions with teachers. However, the length of many MBIs may make them prohibitive for the average educator to participate in them. The literature suggests that a briefer format may be just as effective at reducing stress, but more …

Patterns And Processes Behind Secretive Marshbird Movement, Abundance, And Distribution Across Southeastern Louisiana, Leah Moran

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Restoration and conservation of coastal Louisiana hinges on understanding the patterns and processes underlying habitat heterogeneity on the landscape and therefore the species that inhabits this region, including secretive marshbirds. Elusive in nature, this guild of birds has evolved under dynamic hydroperiods, and myriad plant communities present within wetlands. Only recently, however, has research focused on the role of hydrologic dynamics and vegetative structure and distribution on abundance, movement and detection of marshbirds, specifically within southeastern Louisiana. This study aimed to quantify the ecological patterns and processes, particularly hydrologic processes and landscape structure, driving breeding secretive marshbird movement, abundance and …

Operator Information Quantities Of Semigroups Associated With Functions Of The Number Operator, Ryo Inayoshi, Kimiaki Saito

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

In this paper, we present recent developments on the operator information quantity acting on white noise functionals. In particular, we give a stochastic expression of the operator information quantity of a semigroup generated by some function of the number operator through a white noise delta distribution centered at an infinite dimensional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process.

Investigating The Relationships Among Suspended Sediment Concentration, And Marsh Edge Erosion In Barataria Bay, La, Lily Vowels

LSU Master's Theses

Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA exhibits a unique microtidal, wind-driven hydrodynamic climate where extensive levee infrastructure throughout Louisiana has starved Barataria Bay and similar interdistributary bays of the historic levels of terrigenous sediment import. This has contributed to extreme coastal wetland loss in Louisiana. This project seeks to understand how hydrodynamic and meteorological conditions are linked to sediments’ fate after erosion from the marsh edge. Specifically, this project seeks to differentiate the roles of wave resuspension and marsh edge erosion (MEE) in sediment dynamics in Barataria Bay. An acoustic wave and current profiler (AWAC) was used to capture hydrodynamic conditions, and …

From Devices To The Cloud: Digital Forensics In The Changing Social Media Landscape, Joseph Brown

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis presents a comprehensive digital forensic analysis of emerging and alternative social media platforms, including Truth Social, Threads, Bluesky, Nextdoor, and Neighbors. These platforms, which range from politically aligned alt-tech networks to hyperlocal neighborhood apps, present unique forensic challenges and security vulnerabilities. Across all case studies, established forensic techniques were applied using a hybrid methodology combining mobile device analysis, network traffic monitoring, and API interrogation. Findings include the discovery of plaintext credentials, session tokens, and other sensitive artifacts, particularly in platforms with weaker security postures such as Truth Social, Bluesky, Nextdoor, and Neighbors. Threads, by contrast, demonstrated greater resilience …

Shock Induced Droplet Aerobreakup For Newtonian And Non-Newtonian Fluids, James Leung

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research investigates shock-induced aerodynamic breakup (aerobreakup) of fluids with different stress-strain behaviors. The central hypothesis is that shear stress from highspeed gas flow manifests differently depending on a fluid’s strain response, influencing droplet breakup morphology, fragment size distribution, and drag-induced acceleration. To test this, experiments and simulations were performed on μm–mm sized droplets of Newtonian (water) and shear-thinning fluids (nanofluids or xanthan gum). Two experimental setups were used: an open-ended shock tube and a closed conventional shock tube. In the openended setup, a normal shock impacts a stationary droplet held by an acoustic levitator. Droplet breakup and gas dynamics …

Rethinking Green Building Development Through Policy And Operational Metrics: Insights From Baton Rouge And Beyond, Oluwafemi Awolesi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the challenges and opportunities associated with the development, adoption, and performance of green buildings in regions with relatively low certification uptake, drawing insights from Baton Rouge and its parish system as a case study. It addresses three primary research questions: (1) How can the adoption rate of green buildings be enhanced? (2) How do certified buildings perform compared to their non-certified counterparts? (3) What operational metrics can be applied to better evaluate building performance in the future?

Using a mixed-methods approach, the study examines stakeholder perceptions in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, investigates energy performance, indoor environmental quality, …

Investing In Change: Understanding The Motivations And Impact Of Young Black Alumni Donors To Pwis In The South, Evante C. Topp

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Researchers have historically overlooked Black philanthropy in higher education discourse, particularly in relation to predominantly White institutions (PWIs). This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences, motivations, and giving behaviors of young Black alumni who donate to PWIs in the American South. Using critical race theory (CRT) and the philanthropic mirroring model as guiding frameworks, in this study I examined the intersections of racial identity, institutional engagement, and alumni giving

Through in-depth interviews with twelve participants aged 30–40, five key themes emerged: (1) undergraduate experiences as a catalyst for philanthropy, (2) philanthropy as both a monetary investment and a demand for …

Super-Resolution Stimulated X-Ray Raman Spectroscopy, Kai Li, Christian Ott, Marcus Agåker, Phay J. Ho, Gilles Doumy, Alexander Magunia, Marc Rebholz, Marc Simon, Tommaso Mazza, Alberto De Fanis, Thomas M. Baumann, Jacobo Montano, Nils Rennhack, Sergey Usenko, Yevheniy Ovcharenko, Kalyani Chordiya, Lan Cheng, Jan Erik Rubensson, Michael Meyer, Thomas Pfeifer, Mette B. Gaarde, Linda Young

Faculty Publications

Propagation of intense X-ray pulses through dense media has led to the observation of phenomena such as atomic X-ray lasing^1,2, self-induced transparency³ and stimulated X-ray Raman scattering (SXRS)⁴. SXRS has been long predicted as a means to launch and probe valence-electron wavepackets and as a building block for nonlinear X-ray spectroscopies^5,6. However, experimental observations of SXRS to date^4,7,8 have not provided spectroscopic information, and theoretical modelling has largely implemented hard-to-realize phase-coherent attosecond pulses. Here we demonstrate SXRS with spectroscopic precision, that is, detection of valence-excited states in neon with a near Fourier-limited …

Quasistatic Peridynamics, Existence Of Unique Solution In The Presence Of Damage, Nuwanthi N. Samarawickrama

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A mathematical model for damage propagation based on nonlocal potentials is developed within the framework of peridynamics. This model is applied to simulate damage evolution in cyclically loaded structures. By neglecting inertial effects, a well-posed quasistatic formulation for cyclic loading is obtained.\\ The resulting equation is expressed as a nonlocal and nonlinear integral operator that couples damage evolution to the deformation field.\\ This coupling occurs through the product of a damage factor and the derivative of a force potential. The damage factor ranges between zero and one, where one represents undamaged material and zero indicates complete damage.\\ It serves to …

Retrospective Study And Predictive Modeling Of The Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health On Sepsis Outcomes, Mwembezi Aaron Nyelele

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sepsis, a life-threatening organ failure caused by the body’s abnormal and harmful response to an infection, remains a major global and national health challenge. In the United States, it contributes significantly to hospital mortality and imposes a substantial economic burden, with billions spent annually on treatment. Early diagnosis is difficult due to the nonspecific nature of sepsis symptoms, often leading to delays in care and poorer outcomes. As the incidence and severity of sepsis rise, identifying factors that influence outcomes is increasingly critical. Emerging research has shown that Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), including economic stability, education, neighborhood and built …

Towards Leveraging Social Media Data For Fostering Collaborations Among Non-Profits, Monazil Chowdhury

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Nonprofit organizations serve a crucial role in tackling a wide range of significant social, environmental, and economic issues. But it is often hard to get a clear picture of their work because their information is spread out and it is difficult to see how they are collaborating. To address this issue we developed a web-based tool to collect scattered data—from a variety of sources, such as the IRS, social media, and the Census, into one easy-to-use resource. The tool begins by taking IRS records and geocoding each nonprofit’s physical address With its coordinates. It then retrieves census tract information from …

Protecting Cultural Heritage In A Changing Climate: A Risk Assessment Model For Galleries, Libraries, Archives, And Museums In Florida, United States, Emily E. Fisher

LSU Master's Theses

The aim of this research is to develop a climate threat risk assessment scale for galleries, libraries, archives, and museums within the State of Florida. Current research neglects the localized impact of tropical cyclones, inland flash flooding, and exposure to SLR on cultural institutions. Tropical cyclone events bring in flooding, intense wind speeds, and power outages which affect these institutions. Tropical cyclone data from the National Hurricane Center are used to represent historical wind occurrence. Finally, flash flood warning data are used to represent the flooding likelihood in each county. Each threat is assessed individually across Florida counties. The range …

'There Is That Of God In All Of Us': Church, State, And Restrictive Abortion Policies, Kimsey J. Stewart

LSU Master's Theses

Unsafe abortion affects millions of women around the globe every year. Unsafe abortions are more likely to occur in countries with restrictive abortion policies. Yet, these policies persist, and the worldwide trend of liberalization of abortion laws is at risk of reversal. There is a disconcerting lack of research regarding what factors cause governments to enact, retain, and enforce restrictive abortion policies. This paper is an attempt to fill in such a gap. I theorize that countries in which the government has closer ties with religious organizations will have more restrictive abortion policies. My results indicate that this is likely …

Evaluation Of Diy Pest Management Strategies For The German Cockroach (Blattella Germanica) In The Presence Of Vitamin K Precursors And Synthetic Amorphous Silica, Mohamed S. Shaik

LSU Master's Theses

The German cockroach, Blattella germanica (Linnaeus) is a globally distributed indoor dwelling pest of medical concern. Insecticides are the preferred method of cockroach management due to their low cost, quick action, and availability. However, after continuous use, the development of insecticide resistance has emerged as a challenge for the pest management industry to effectively eliminate German cockroaches. Integrated pest management (IPM) is a sustainable framework which includes the use of glue board traps, vacuuming, in combination with different insecticide formulations such as sprays, gel or dust baits, and insecticide rotation has been successful for the management of German cockroaches. This …

Dose Characterization Of Galactic Cosmic Rays In The Human Brain: A Phits-Based Study With A Segmented Anatomical Phantom, Shanice N. Manning

LSU Master's Theses

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are chronically exposed to a complex space radiation environment composed of galactic cosmic rays (GCR), solar particles, and Earth's trapped radiation. These high-energy particles interact with spacecraft shielding, producing secondary particles that can penetrate inside and deposit energy in sensitive tissues. Although animal studies have been useful in assessing space radiation risks, anatomical and physiological differences limit their applicability to human anatomy especially neuroanatomy. To address this gap, we developed a computational framework to model radiation dose distribution within the human brain using Monte Carlo simulations in Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code …

For Us, By Us: A Digital Ethnographic Exploration Of Black Podcasts, Intimacy, & Sexual Pleasure, Dominique C. Dillard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sociological literature written about Black folks interprets their sexual behavior as unhealthy, risky, and non-normative. Black people are seldom acknowledged as humans, so it is not surprising to discover a discourse that does not portray them as sexual subjects. Studies examining Black sexual subjectivity through white and colorblind ideologies dominate the discussion, reproducing racist discourse historically ascribed to Black bodies. Guided by Audre Lorde’s concept of erotic as power, I document an alternative epistemology about Black sexuality. I argue the construction of Black sexuality must focus on sexual selfhood to grasp how this population conceptualizes and makes sense of their …

A Comparative Case Study Of Mentoring Practices By National Board Certified And Non-Certified Teacher Mentors, Bethany Mcclure

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

As preservice teacher candidates engage in field experiences that shape their development of teacher identity, it is important to examine their perceptions of the mentoring process. This study explored how preservice teacher candidates construct their own knowledge about mentoring as a process, as well as explored the perceptions of mentor teachers, both National Board Certified, and non-National Board Certified, as they facilitated the learning and growth of their mentees. Many prior studies on the mentoring process exist, however, a gap in the literature that was identified and explored through this study included the impact that National Board Certified Teachers have …

Digital Forensics And Ai: Artifact Analysis And Using Ai In The Forensics Domain, Clinton Joel Walker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Digital Forensics (DF) is a field of forensic science focusing on the acquisition, authentication, and analysis of digital evidence while maintaining integrity of that data. DF analysts use forensic tools to parse large volumes of data for investigations and depend on them for identification of pertinent digital evidence in vast amounts of data. Keeping up with innovations and ever-expanding data volumes is a constant challenge for these investigators. The prevalence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in everyday computing is rapidly expanding, with the use of Machine Learning (ML) and Large Language Models (LLM)s becoming increasingly commonplace. Innovations in technology bring new …

A Performance Guide To Christos Hatzis’ Songs On Poems By Sappho, Maria E. Thomas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

Christos Hatzis’ Three Songs of Poems by Sappho (1999) represents a compelling yet understudied contribution to contemporary art song repertoire. This study examines Hatzis’ settings of Sappho’s Fragments 1, 16, and 44, offering both scholarly analysis and practical performance guidance to make the cycle more accessible to singers and scholars. Through musical and textual analysis, this project reveals how Hatzis bridges ancient Greek lyric poetry with modern compositional techniques. The study demonstrates his innovative approach to word painting, rhythmic flexibility, and extended tonality, showing how these elements honor Sappho’s intimate first-person voice while creating a distinctive 20th-century art song …

Anxiety's Impact On Autism Spectrum Disorder Symtomology: An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Two Comorbities, Michaela Brown

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been found to be frequently comorbid with many medical and psychological disorders, one of which is anxiety disorders. Research has shown that, when anxiety is present within ASD, various areas of the child’s functioning may be impacted, such as ASD symptom severity, emotional regulation skills, adaptability, social skills and daily living skills. The current study aimed to investigate this relationship of anxiety and ASD. First, within a sample of children and adolescents with ASD, the magnitude of the correlation between specific ASD symptoms parent-reported anxiety was compared to determine if certain ASD symptoms were more …

The Design And Effect Of Continuum Robot Compliance On Locomotion, Parsa Molaei

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Continuum robots, due to their compliant structures and ability to navigate through constrained environments, offer significant advantages in applications requiring safe physical interaction and dexterous motion. However, challenges related to limited structural stiffness, payload capacity, and precise control remain open problems in the field. This dissertation presents novel contributions aimed at addressing these limitations through two main actuation units of continuum robots: tendon-driven continuum robots (TDCRs) and concentric tube robots (CTRs). In the first part, we focus on methods to improve the stability and modify the stiffness of the TDCR. A tendon decoupling strategy is introduced for planar TDCRs. The …