Digital Commons Network^™

Almond Milk Powder Fortification With Flaxseed Oil (Linum Usitatissimum) As An Alternative Non-Dairy Milk Powder For Infants And Toddlers, Federico Bueno

LSU Master's Theses

Lactose intolerances in toddlers have become a major concern. Almond milk (AM) has nutritional benefits and a texture like dairy milk without the content of lactose. Because of longer stability and storage, milk is often stored in powdered form. An almond milk fortified with flaxseed oil in powdered form may be an alternative. Flaxseed oil (FO) contains high amounts of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which is a precursor to DHA and EPA. The objectives of this study were: the development of an AM spray-dried powder with microencapsulated FO (AMFOP), the determination of the mass and energy balance of that AMFOP production, …

Perils Of The Fungal Kingdom: Mycotoxins In Food And Feed, Adrianna Isobel Pribil

LSU Master's Theses

Humans and fungi have a complex relationship, especially in regards to the many fungal secondary metabolites that can be produced. When secondary metabolites are toxic to animals and humans they are defined as mycotoxins. Fungi can grow on crops pre-harvest and post-harvest, and have the potential to produce mycotoxins which occur regularly in animal feed and food for human consumption. In high doses, mycotoxins cause variety of problems that result in economic losses and extreme health issues. However, multiple mycotoxins will co-occur in nature and commonly occur in low doses. Thus chronic low daily doses of multiple mycotoxins overtime may …

We Are One: A Phenomenological Study Of The Self-Perceived Experiences Of Black Students In The National Pan-Hellenic Council At A Predominately White Institution And Historically Black University In The Southeast, Loryn M. Taylor-Johnson

LSU Master's Theses

For the purpose of this study, the researcher examined the self-perceived experiences for Black students in the National Pan-Hellenic Council on the campus of at a Predominately White Institution (PWI) and a Historically College/Black University (HBCU) in the Southeast, specifically examining the support provided by Student Affairs professionals. After examining current literature, the researcher sought to understand students’ perception of support offered by Student Affairs professionals in Greek Life Offices.

Mymathlab Educational Intervention To Enhance Student Performance In Calculus I At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Sheila Duplechain Derouen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

According to the Obama Administration, we need a workforce that is going to be STEM ready because this is the only way that the U.S. will be able to compete on a global level with other nations. Louisiana will demand a total of 66,250 STEM jobs by 2018, up from 61,610 in 2008, according to Georgetown University (Carnevale, Smith, & Melton, 2014). By 2020, sixty-five percent of the nation’s jobs will require post-secondary education. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the attrition rate between first- and second-year college students is 24.5% (2017).

The purpose of this study is …

“All Of Our Skinfolk Ain’T Our Kinfolk;” A Triangulation Study Of The Impact Of Black Racial Identity On The Discourse Of Media Practitioners’ Coverage Of Social Justice, Political And Celebrity News, Gheni Nicole Platenburg

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Since its inception, in 1827, the black press worked to “plead [its] own cause.”[i] Following the 1968 Kerner Commission report, white newsrooms desegregated, and the number of black newsrooms sharply declined. Black journalists transitioning to the white press faced new editorial and psychological challenges.

Today’s black press functions as a shell of its former self, creating a vacancy for media that represent the needs and interests of the black community. Mainstream cable news programs possibly provide a solution to this void -- black journalists and pundits. Using a triangulation approach, this dissertation explores this possibility by examining the impact …

Gauge Invariant Variables For Cosmological Perturbation Theory Using Geometrical Clocks, Kristina Giesel, Adrian Herzog, Parampreet Singh

Faculty Publications

Using the extended ADM-phase space formulation in the canonical framework we analyze the relationship between various gauge choices made in cosmological perturbation theory and the choice of geometrical clocks in the relational formalism. We show that various gauge invariant variables obtained in the conventional analysis of cosmological perturbation theory correspond to Dirac observables tied to a specific choice of geometrical clocks. As examples, we show that the Bardeen potentials and the Mukhanov-Sasaki variable emerge naturally in our analysis as observables when gauge fixing conditions are determined via clocks in the Hamiltonian framework. Similarly other gauge invariant variables for various gauges …

Influences Of Spiciness And Visual Color Cue On Salty Taste Intensity Perception In Reduced-Sodium Cheese Dips, Valentina Rosasco Silva

LSU Master's Theses

The current high levels of dietary sodium intake are negatively affecting consumers’ health. Reducing sodium consumption to the recommended amount could help prevent around 2.5 million deaths yearly and save up to $18 billion dollars in health care costs worldwide. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the possibility of increasing the saltiness perception and acceptability of reduced-sodium cheese dips by using the multisensory approach and analyzing gender differences towards salty taste expectations. Two experiments were conducted: I) The combined effects of gender and visual color cue on salty taste expectations, liking, and purchase intent (PI) of cheese …

Mathematics Course For Elementary Teachers In An Alternate Certification Pathway, Rachael Cramer Williams

LSU Master's Theses

In the current alternate certification program for elementary teachers at McNeese State University, students receive course work from only one of the elementary mathematics methods courses required in the traditional certification program. To assure that candidates in the alternate path learn all the math they need, I have created a course that combines the most important concepts from the two courses in one. In this thesis I will describe how the new course was designed, present an outline of the course, detail the content at the unit level and provide a template for the final exam.

Science Inquiry In Informal Settings, Michelle Elizabeth Gomez Ms.

LSU Master's Theses

This qualitative research study aims to answer the question of whether or not informal learning settings, such as museums and zoos, are beneficial to students’ understanding of new science concepts and the nature of science. The researcher uses the term, “informal educators,” to refer to the participants because they are educators who teach in settings outside of a school setting. This study focuses on four informal educators that are employed at four different informal learning settings in South Louisiana, but specifically how the informal educators’ instruction complements classroom instruction, how informal educators incorporate inquiry within their science instruction, and what …

Effects Of Natural And Anthropogenic Forcing On Marsh Channel Evolution, Jeremiah Robinson

LSU Master's Theses

Wetlands have many ecological and physical properties that are essential for coastal communities. These ecosystems sustain local economies, provide essential habitats, are a source of numerous ecological and biological services, and protect coastal populations from storms. Of the many wetland types, salt marshes are among the most vulnerable to environmental changes. Salt marshes quickly respond to natural and human-driven perturbations and their high rate of loss in the last century is cause for concern.

In this project the rate of marsh loss driven by channel widening was measured through a comparative analysis of modern high resolution images and historic aerial …

Chemosensory Communication And Neural Substrates Of Social Behavior In The African Cichlid Fish, Astatotilapia Burtoni, Karen Elizabeth Field

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Social animals must constantly assess their environment to make appropriate decisions. In several fish species, chemosensory signaling is crucial for social communication, conveying information on sex, reproductive state, and social status. Despite its importance in fishes, relatively little is known about how they employ chemical signaling, with only a few of the over 30,000 extant species investigated thus far. Further, there is a scarcity of information about where and how socially-relevant chemosensory signals are processed in the brain of fishes, or how chemosensory signals are integrated with other senses to elicit appropriate behaviors. For my doctoral research, I examined the …

Regulation Of Epithelial Sodium Channels In Vasopressin Neurons In The Hypothalamus, Natalie Jean Mills

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Salt-sensitive individuals have blood pressure that is unusually sensitive to salt intake. Because salt-sensitivity is a common disorder and may cause high blood pressure, it is a significant public health concern. All three epithelial Na⁺ channel (ENaC) subunits (a, b, and g) and the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), a known regulator of ENaC, are expressed by vasopressin (VP) synthesizing magnocellular neurons in the hypothalamic supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) nuclei. A growing body of evidence indicates that epithelial Na⁺ channels (ENaCs) in the hypothalamus play a significant role in the development of salt-sensitivity. My dissertation research tests the hypothesis …

On Working From Within: Understanding Self And Story, Bruce Parker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Curriculum theory explores teaching and learning both in and out of schools. This research continues to engage with teachers and students as complex individuals whose identities and experiences influence their education and their approaches to teaching and learning. This research examines questions of self and story using autobiographical and autoethnographic methods. The project begins with an overview of some of the challenges public education and teachers have met with in the past two decades. One outcome of those challenges is control of the curriculum and classroom time has increasingly been taken away from students and teachers and given to administrators …

Nmr Structural Investigation Of Chlamydial Protein Complex And Lysine Glycomimetic For Drug Design, Abigael Chebichiy Songok

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Research and design of drugs for treatment against microbial infections require the study of pathogenic proteins involved during infection and replication. Drugs can be designed to interfere with the interaction network of these pathogenic proteins and inhibit the infection process. Determination of the structure and ligands of the target proteins in microbes is essential for designing mechanistic-based drugs. Two Chlamydia proteins involved in host cell invasion were investigated in this study. The goal is to identify amino acids involved at the binding interface of Chlamydia chaperon proteins Scc1 and Scc4 by solution NMR spectroscopy. This information will give a lead …

Conservation Of Freshwater Live-Bearing Fishes: Development Of Germplasm Repositories For Goodeids, Yue Liu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Fishes of the family Goodeidae are considered to be among the most imperiled taxa in the world. The goal of this project was to provide a foundation for development of sperm repositories for goodeids and to use them as a model to assist conservation programs for imperiled freshwater live-bearing fishes. Development of such repositories is challenging because of unusual reproductive characteristics of live-bearing fishes, such as sperm bundles, internal fertilization, and the bearing of live young. Standardized methods were established to evaluate quality-related attributes of sperm bundles. The different features between activation of free and bundled sperm were investigated and …

Ecology Of Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus Planipennis: Buprestidae) In Louisiana, Balwinder Kaur

LSU Master's Theses

In 2015, emerald ash borer (EAB) was detected in North Louisiana (LA). There is no information on wood inhabiting insects of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) trees, phenology and parasitoid establishment in LA. The first objective of the study was to quantify the insect assemblages and to compare their diversity, abundance and evenness within the epicenter of the EAB infestations in North LA including regions in Central and South LA where EAB has not been detected yet. We established four treatments, based on log diameter: small and large; and log condition: dead and live for green ash. All the …

Design And Performance Estimation Of A Low-Reynolds Number Unmanned Aircraft System, Sean Lauderdale King

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to conceptually design a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) with a higher flight-time and top stable speed than comparable systems. The vehicle adheres to specifications derived from the client, the market, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). To broadly meet these requirements, the vehicle must fly for a minimum of three hours, return to the original flight path quickly if perturbed, and must be hand-launched. The vehicle designed must also have a large potential center of gravity movement to allow for customization of the planform and client customization.

An iterative design process was used …

Decentralized Optimal Control With Application In Power System, Boyu Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

An output-feedback decentralized optimal controller is proposed for power systems with renewable energy penetration. Renewable energy source is modeled similar to the classical generator model and is equipped with the unified power flow controller (UPFC). The transient performance of power system is considered and stability of the dynamical states are investigated. An offline decentralized optimal controller is designed that utilizes only the local states. The network comprises conventional synchronous generators as well as renewable sources with inverter equipped with UPFC. Subsequently, the optimal decentralized controller is compared to the initial stabilizing controller used to obtain the optimal controller. An online …

Sell Yourself: Building A Foundational Structure Around An Institution's Position In The College Application Process, Brock Thomas Adams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The act of persuasion, specifically in the context of higher education recruiting, lacks both a breadth and depth of research. This could be due to economic trends inevitably promoting college attendance for high school seniors. With the recent influx of both online education, as well as for-profit institutions, there has been a shift in the approach to recruiting potential students to enroll at affiliated institutions each year. This study took a qualitative, grounded theory approach to understand both the intended persuasive strategies conceived by participating four-year Universities in the state of Utah, as well as the actual messages delivered to …

A Conductor's Guide To Gabriel Jackson's To The Field Of Stars, Joshua Glenn Cheney

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Gabriel Jackson is one of Great Britain’s most performed living composers. He is a prolific writer, having composed choral and instrumental works for ensembles and performers around the world. Currently, commissions include a setting of the Stabat Mater for the tenth anniversary of the Marian Consort, an English professional ensemble under the direction of Rory McCleery. Other recent commissions include The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ (completed for the 750th anniversary of Merton College, Oxford in April, 2014), In Nomine Domini (for the BBC Proms in 2010) and To the Field of Stars, the subject of this dissertation.

The …

Characterizing Cytoplasmic Maturation And Improving Competence Of Bovine In Vitro Matured Oocytes, Brittany Alanna Foster

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

As the necessity to improve in vitro embryo production efficiency is ever increasing, so too is the prerequisite obligation to improve oocyte competence. The ability of an oocyte to successfully produce a viable embryo requires that it both completes meiotic maturation and synchronously achieves cytoplasmic competence; an encompassing term that refers to the oocytes correct accumulation and storage of mRNAs, proteins and factors as well as the development and reorganization of organelles and the cytoskeleton. The current research was designed to analyze those methods that go into oocyte collection and pre-maturation handling to determine if there are ways to ensure …

Witnessing The Event Of Deconstruction: Cultural Encounter Between Louisiana And Japan And Its Implications For Education, Kaori Shimizu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cultural diversity is widely understood as needed, and the importance of learning about other cultures has been emphasized. However, if other cultures are located and explained within the framework where the culture of the Self invisibly maintains the fixed normative status, it would result in “a creation of cultural diversity and a containment of cultural difference” (Bhabha, 1990c, p. 208).

Addressing this issue, this dissertation study considers the curriculum that appreciates cultural differences in recognizing the alterity of the culture of the other, emerged from the engagement in the tension existing between two cultures, of the Self and of the …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Polyaniline Agglomerates And Polyaniline Nanoparticles To Use As Printed Sensors To Detect Spoilage Of Catfish During Refrigerated Storage, Vashti Martae Campbell

LSU Master's Theses

There is growing interest in the development of sensors contained in packaging for seafood that are applicable at the consumer level to monitor freshness in a non-destructive manner. Total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) analysis indicates the freshness of seafood. TVB-N analysis is sensitive to the spoilage compounds comprised of ammonia, trimethylamine, dimethylamine, and biogenic amines commonly found in seafood and whose concentration increases when spoilage microbial growth occurs. However, TVB-N analysis is laborious and is not suitable for use at the consumer level. Polyaniline (PANI) is a polymer that may be used as a sensor for detecting TVB-N in seafood. …

Le Roman Policier Francophone : Entre Esthétique Et Politiques Du Genre En Afrique Et En Haïti, Lise Madeleine Mba Ekani

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

My dissertation, “Recasting Crime Fiction: The Francophone African and Haitian Crime Novel between Aesthetics and Politics”, investigates the social and literary meanings of the concept of politics as represented in African and Haitian crime novels. In this work, selected novels were examined considering their cultural, regional and linguistic particularities, as well as their perspectives on social criticism and politics. Drawing from fields such as sociocritical theory, philosophy, and history, this work allows for a more complex exploration of popular cultural productions while calling into question the literary genres. Consequently, it provides the opportunity to question cultural productions as an ideological …

A Bayesian Phase I/Ii Trial Design For Immunotherapy, Suyu Liu, Beibei Guo, Ying Yuan

Faculty Publications

Immunotherapy is an innovative treatment approach that stimulates a patient’s immune system to fight cancer. It demonstrates characteristics distinct from conventional chemotherapy and stands to revolutionize cancer treatment. We propose a Bayesian phase I/II dose-finding design that incorporates the unique features of immunotherapy by simultaneously considering three outcomes: immune response, toxicity, and efficacy. The objective is to identify the biologically optimal dose, defined as the dose with the highest desirability in the risk–benefit tradeoff. An Emax model is utilized to describe the marginal distribution of the immune response. Conditional on the immune response, we jointly model toxicity and efficacy using …

Frequency Dependent Deformation Reversibility During Cyclic Loading, Shuai Shao, Michael M. Khonsari, Jian Wang, Nima Shamsaei, Nan Li

Faculty Publications

High-frequency testing (HFT) is useful for accelerated fatigue testing of conventional materials that typically serve under low-frequency loading conditions, as well as for the assessment of the robustness of microelectromechanical systems which typically experience high-frequency service conditions. Using discrete dislocation dynamics, we attempt to elucidate the effect of loading frequency on the reversibility of cyclic deformation. We demonstrate that the HFT induces a higher fraction of reversible cyclic deformation because of a larger portion of elastic/anelastic deformation due to limited dislocation mobility, and a higher degree of reversibility in plastic deformation owing to the less occurrence of cross-slip. (Image presented) …

Modeling And Analysis Of Thermal Effects On A Fractured Wellbore During Lost Circulation And Wellbore Strengthening Processes, Ze Wang

LSU Master's Theses

To successfully prevent fracture propagation and combat lost circulation, a thorough understanding of the stress state in the near-wellbore region with fractures is imperative. One important factor that is not yet fully understood is how temperature variation during lost circulation affects pre-existing or newly initiated fractures. To address this problem, a 3D finite element analysis was conducted in this study to simulate the transport processes and state of stresses in the near-wellbore region during mud invasion into fractures. To take the thermal effects into account, a thermo-poro-elasticity model was coupled with flow and heat transfer processes. This study included a …

Integrated Reservoir-Wellbore Nodal Analysis Workflow For Worst-Case Discharge Modeling, Florencia Anahi Vasquez Cordoba

LSU Master's Theses

According to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), worst-case discharge (WCD) is the single highest possible daily flow rate of liquid hydrocarbon during an uncontrolled wellbore flow event [49]. The main objective of this research is to develop a workflow to calculate worst case discharge (WCD) volumes for a drilling scenario using an integrated reservoir-nodal analyses approach. Using robust integrated production modeling (IPM) tools, a nodal analysis workflow is developed to compute WCD volumes and rates that operators can use easily if they have IPM, or adapt to using a different software (including excel) in absence of IPM. A …

A Study On The Direct And Moderating Effects Of Leader Facilitated Workplace Learning And Leader-Member Exchange On Employee Engagement, Candi S. Mcelheny

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Employee engagement (EE) is a problem across all industries and is especially troublesome in the nursing profession. However the existing literature, both within and outside nursing professional publications, does not offer explicit solutions for combatting the current EE dilemma. The primary purpose of this study was to test a researcher-developed causal model linking Leader Facilitated Workplace Learning (LFWL), Leader-Member Exchange (LMX), and EE. LFWL, a new construct, was proposed as an antecedent for LMX and EE. Furthermore, LFWL was posited to have a moderating effect on the LMX and EE relationship. The model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). …

Evaluation Of Oncolytic And Immunomodulatory Potential Of The Hsv-1 Live-Attenuated Vaccine Strain Vc2 In An Immunocompetent Murine Melanoma Model, Natalie Wall Fowlkes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Melanoma accounts for 90% of skin cancer-related deaths in humans. Treatment options for metastatic melanoma in people is very limited. Melanoma is considered to be an immunogenic tumor, spurring interest in development of immunotherapies for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. Oncolytic virotherapy has been widely investigated. The first ever oncolytic virotherapy to receive FDA-approval is an HSV-1-based virus (Talimogene Laherperavec (T-Vec) or Imlygic) containing a transgene for human GM-CSF to enhance anti-tumor immune responses after injection. Durable response rate in human patients was only 16% despite impressive efficacy in anti-tumor effects in vitro and in murine tumor models. Novel viruses …