Digital Commons Network^™

A Simulation Study Of Surfactant/Foam Processes In Shallow Subsurface Remediation: Using Foams For Mobility Control Vs. Blockage, Betty Cepeda

LSU Master's Theses

Many shallow ex-situ and in-situ remediation treatments come from the contamination of underground soils and groundwater sources by organic hydrocarbon components called non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs). These contaminants, if leaking, can impose long-term threats causing environmental and health concerns. One of the versatile in-situ remediation techniques is using surfactant/foam processes that can overcome subsurface heterogeneity and improve NAPL removal.

This simulation study investigates surfactant/foam processes, especially focusing on two different roles of foams during the treatment: foams for “mobility control” vs. foams for “blocking”. The first is based on the actual operations carried out in the pilot-test site for 23 …

Symmetric Functions Algebras I: Introduction And Basic Features, Philip Feinsilver

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Ranked Document Retrieval In External Memory, Rahul Shah, Cheng Sheng, Sharma Thankachan, Jeffrey Vitter

Faculty Publications

The ranked (or top-k) document retrieval problem is defined as follows: preprocess a collection {T1,T2,... ,Td} of d strings (called documents) of total length n into a data structure, such that for any given query (P,k), where P is a string (called pattern) of length p ≥ 1 and k ϵ [1,d] is an integer, the identifiers of those k documents that are most relevant to P can be reported, ideally in the sorted order of their relevance. The seminal work by Hon et al. [FOCS 2009 and Journal of the ACM 2014] presented an O(n)-space (in words) data structure …

Effective Connectivity Of Functional Mri Via Deep Learning Methods, Kai-Cheng Chuang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Effective connectivity, based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time series signals, is the quantification of how strongly brain activity in a certain source brain region contributes to brain activity in a target brain region, independent of the contributions of other source regions. Current methods to solve this problem have several limitations. They are either unable to model nonlinear relationships between source and target signals, unable to efficiently quantify time lags in source-target relationships, unable to identify time-varying relationships, or fail to account for variability in the hemodynamic response function that converts neuron activity to a measurable signal. In this …

Random Variables With Overlapping Number And Weyl Algebras I, Ruma Dutta, Gabriela Popa, Aurel Stan

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Odds And Ends, Jimmie D. Lawson

Seminar on Continuity in Semilattices

No date.

Something, Gerhard Gierz

Seminar on Continuity in Semilattices

No date.

Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Plasmonic Device And Absorber And Method For Making The Same, Kevin Michael Mcpeak

College of Engineering Patents

A metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) plasmonic device includes a substrate; a metal layer deposited on the substrate, the metal layer being substantially reflective in at least the visible wavelength range; an oxide layer deposited on the metal layer; and gold or gold alloy nanoparticles deposited on the oxide layer.

Fighting The Illicit Antiquities "Artworld": A Critical Approach To The Heritage Laws Of Guatemala, Irene Marti Gil

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the suitability of the legal framework for the protection of cultural heritage in Guatemala, which is the country of origin for over thirty percent of the Maya objects traded in the antiquities market, and proposes strategies that improve the effectiveness of the law. To examine the heritage laws enforced by the Republic of Guatemala, I implement linguistic anthropological methods of qualitative research.

Discourse Analysis, Critical Discourse Analysis, and Conceptual Analysis on the national heritage policies of Guatemala reveal the existence of ontological problems regarding the conceptualization of heritage as a monolithic entity reflecting a State-led narrative with …

Nsf/Ieee-Tcpp Curriculum On Parallel And Distributed Computing For Undergraduates - Version Ii - Big Data, Energy, And Distributed Computing, Sushil Prasad, Charles Weems, Alan Sussman, Anshul Gupta, Trilce Estrada, Ramachandran Vaidyanathan, Sheikh Ghafoor, Krishna Kant, Craig Stunkel

Faculty Publications

This special session will report on the updated NSF/IEEE-TCPP Curriculum on Parallel and Distributed Computing released in Nov 2020 by the Center for Parallel and Distributed Computing Curriculum Development and Educational Resources (CDER). The purpose of the special session is to obtain SIGCSE community feedback on this curriculum in a highly interactive manner employing the hybrid modality and supported by a full-time CDER booth for the duration of SIGCSE. In this era of big data, cloud, and multi- and many-core systems, it is essential that the computer science (CS) and computer engineering (CE) graduates have basic skills in parallel and …

“Buried In The Bones”: Medical Racial Trauma And Mistrust In Black Families, Destiny Jelks

LSU Master's Theses

This exploratory study used a mixed-methods design and phenomenological approach to examine the ways in which the United States’ history of medical racism impacts Black young adults and their attitudes toward the healthcare system as well as healthcare utilization. This study examines the phenomenon through the lense of critical race theory, family systems theory, and historical trauma theory. This study also explored the concept of the intergenerational transmission of trauma focusing on medical racial trauma and medical mistrust in Black families.

A Multiple Case Study Of Adolescent Piano Students: Examining Motivation Through The Lens Of Interest Development, Carla Lucia Salas Ruiz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

One way of understanding motivation is through the factors that influence it. These factors analyzed as psychological constructs give rise to the notion of motivation variables such as interest. Interest is a powerful variable that affects student motivation to learn (Hidi & Renninger, 2006; Hulleman et al., 2017; O’Keefe et al. 2017; Renninger & Hidi, 2016; Tin, 2013). In 2006, Hidi and Renninger proposed the “Four-Phase Interest Development Model” for the characterization of interest in learning. According to this model, learners can move from a situational level of interest development to a well-developed individual interest, in a sequential manner. This …

Autonomous Single-Molecule Manipulation Based On Reinforcement Learning, Bernhard Ramsauer, Grant J. Simpson, Johannes J. Cartus, Andreas Jeindl, Victor García-López, James M. Tour, Leonhard Grill, Oliver T. Hofmann

Faculty Publications

Building nanostructures one-by-one requires precise control of single molecules over many manipulation steps. The ideal scenario for machine learning algorithms is complex, repetitive, and time-consuming. Here, we show a reinforcement learning algorithm that learns how to control a single dipolar molecule in the electric field of a scanning tunneling microscope. Using about 2250 iterations to train, the algorithm learned to manipulate the molecule toward specific positions on the surface. Simultaneously, it generates physical insights into the movement as well as orientation of the molecule, based on the position where the electric field is applied relative to the molecule. This reveals …

Attochemistry Regulation Of Charge Migration, Aderonke S. Folorunso, François Mauger, Kyle A. Hamer, Denawakage D. Jayasinghe, Imam S. Wahyutama, Justin R. Ragains, Robert R. Jones, Louis F. Dimauro, Mette B. Gaarde, Kenneth J. Schafer, Kenneth Lopata

Faculty Publications

Charge migration (CM) is a coherent attosecond process that involves the movement of localized holes across a molecule. To determine the relationship between a molecule's structure and the CM dynamics it exhibits, we perform systematic studies of para-functionalized bromobenzene molecules (X-C6H4-R) using real-time time-dependent density functional theory. We initiate valence-electron dynamics by emulating rapid strong-field ionization leading to a localized hole on the bromine atom. The resulting CM, which takes on the order of 1 fs, occurs via an X localized → C6H4delocalized → R localized mechanism. Interestingly, the hole contrast on the acceptor functional group increases with increasing electron-donating …

The Impact Of Case Management Intervention For Insured Asthma Patients In Louisiana, An Empirical Study, Mohamed Mohamed Ohaiba

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Asthma is a chronic condition whose symptoms are managed/prevented using medication and interventions. The overarching objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of patients' demographics on case management enrollment and healthcare utilization, as well as to develop machine learning models to predict high-cost patients.

To accomplish these goals, the Man-Whiteness test, the chi-squares test, logistic regression and odds ratios, and machine learning models were implemented. The average cost of the non-enrolled CM group was significantly higher than the enrolled group (p-value .0001). In addition, the non-enrolled groups had considerably more visits to the emergency department than the other …

Temporal Variability In Soil Organic Matter Accretion Rates In Coastal Deltaic Wetlands Under Changing Depositional Environments, Yadav Sapkota, Kehui Xu, Kanchan Maiti, Patrick Inglett, John R. White

Faculty Publications

The Mississippi River Deltaic Plain experiences high relative sea level rise, limited sediment supply, and high marsh edge erosion, leading to the substantial coastal wetland and stored soil organic matter (SOM) loss. The objective of this study was to understand the SOM accumulation rates over the past 1000 years related to the changes in the depositional environment in these highly eroding coastal wetlands. Soil cores (2 m) were collected from four sites in Barataria Basin, LA and analyzed for proportion of organic and mineral matter, total C, N, P, particle size, and stable isotopic composition (δ¹³C and δ …

What Are The Most Effective Proxies In Identifying Storm-Surge Deposits In Paleotempestology? A Quantitative Evaluation From The Sand-Limited, Peat-Dominated Environment Of The Florida Coastal Everglades, Qiang Yao, Kam Biu Liu, Zhenqing Zhang, Erika Rodrigues, Marcelo Cohen, Kanchan Maiti, Yang Yang

Faculty Publications

Although many studies have attempted to reconstruct millennial-scale hurricane patterns using various proxy-based methods, it is still unclear what the most effective proxies are to identify storm surge deposits in different environmental settings. This study quantitatively compares the application of grain-size, loss-on-ignition, stable isotopes, X-ray fluorescence, and palynological proxies in paleotempestology from an organic-rich environment in the Florida Everglades. The nonparametric tests indicate that only 9 among the 27 parameters (mean diameter, %water, %organic, %carbonate, Ca, Sr, Ca/Ti, Cl/Br, and marine microfossils) exhibited significant differences between storm-surge and in situ deposits. The principal component analysis shows that five marine indicators …

The Effects Of Hurricane Harvey On Texas Coastal-Zone Chemistry, Piers Chapman, Steven F. Dimarco, Anthony H. Knap, Antonietta Quigg, Nan D. Walker

Faculty Publications

Hurricane Harvey deposited over 90×109gm3 of rainwater over central Texas, USA, during late August/early September 2017. During four cruises (June, August, September and November 2017) we observed changes in hydrography and nutrient and oxygen concentrations in Texas coastal waters. Despite intense terrestrial runoff, nutrient supply to the coastal ocean was transient, with little phytoplankton growth observed and no hypoxia. Observations suggest this was probably related to the retention of nutrients in the coastal bays and rapid uptake by phytoplankton of nutrients washed out of the bays, as well as dilution by the sheer volume of rainwater and the lack of …

Functional Seascapes: Understanding The Consequences Of Hypoxia And Spatial Patterning In Pelagic Ecosystems, Stephen B. Brandt, Sarah E. Kolesar, Cassandra N. Glaspie, Arnaud Laurent, Cynthia E. Sellinger, James J. Pierson, Michael R. Roman, William C. Boicourt

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Stratification Breakdown By Fall Cold Front Winds Over The Louisiana Shelf In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico: A Numerical Experiment, Mohammad Nabi Allahdadi, Chunyan Li, Nazanin Chaichitehrani

Faculty Publications

Cold fronts are meteorological phenomena that impact the northern Gulf of Mexico, mostly between the fall and spring seasons. On average, they pass the region every 3–7 days, with a duration ranging between 24 and 74 h. In the present study, a high-resolution FVCOM model with an unstructured mesh was used to simulate the effect of the fall cold front winds on water column mixing over the Louisiana shelf, which is often stratified in the summer, leading to hypoxia. Numerical experiments were conducted for October 2009, a period with five consecutive cold front events. Winds from an offshore station forced …

Multi-Agent Optimal Control For Central Chiller Plants Using Reinforcement Learning And Game Theory, Shunian Qiu, Zhenhai Li, Zhihong Pang, Zhengwei Li, Yinying Tao

Faculty Publications

To conserve building energy, optimal operation of a building’s energy systems, especially heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, is important. This study focuses on the optimization of the central chiller plant, which accounts for a large portion of the HVAC system’s energy consumption. Classic optimal control methods for central chiller plants are mostly based on system performance models which takes much effort and cost to establish. In addition, inevitable model error could cause control risk to the applied system. To mitigate the model dependency of HVAC optimal control, reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms have been drawing attention in the HVAC control …

The Impact Of Reimbursement For Non-Face-To-Face Chronic Care Management On Comprehensive Metabolic Biomarkers Among Multimorbid Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Yixue Shao, Charles Stoecker, Dongzhe Hong, Elizabeth Nauman, Vivian Fonseca, Gang Hu, Alessandra N. Bazzano, Daniel Fort, Edmond K. Kabagambe, Lizheng Shi

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Aims: We evaluated the impact of reimbursement for non-face-to-face chronic care management (NFFCCM) on comprehensive metabolic risk factors among multimorbid Medicare beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes in Louisiana. Materials and Methods: We implemented a propensity score method to obtain comparable treatment (n=1501 with NFFCCM) and control (n=17,524 without NFFCCM) groups. Patients with type 2 diabetes were extracted from the electronic health records stored in REACHnet. The study period was from 2013 to February 2020. The comprehensive metabolic risk factors included the primary outcome of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (as the primary outcome) and the secondary outcomes of body mass index (BMI), …

Reproducibility And Determinants Of The Metabolic Responses During A Mixed-Meal Tolerance Test, Emma J. Stinson, Paolo Piaggi, Cassie M. Mitchell, Leanne M. Redman, Jonathan Krakoff

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the reproducibility and physiological determinants of mixed-meal tolerance tests (MMTTs) on glucose and insulin responses. Methods: While inpatients on a weight-maintaining diet, 894 individuals (574 with normal and 267 with impaired glucose regulation and 53 with type 2 diabetes [T2D]) underwent 9-hour MMTTs (breakfast and lunch; 30% weight-maintaining diet each; 40% carbohydrate, 40% fat, and 20% protein). Total/incremental areas under the curve (AUC/iAUC) were calculated from MMTT plasma glucose/insulin concentrations. Acute insulin response (AIR) was quantified by intravenous glucose tolerance test and insulin action (M) via hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. A subset had …

Recovery Of Aconitic Acid From Sweet Sorghum Plant Extract Using A Solvent Mixture, And Its Potential Use As A Nematicide, K. Thomas Klasson, Yunci Qi, Gillian O. Bruni, Tristan T. Watson, Bretlyn T. Pancio, Evan Terrell

Faculty Publications

Trans-aconitic acid (TAA) is naturally present in sweet sorghum juice and syrup, and it has been promoted as a potential biocontrol agent for nematodes. Therefore, we developed a process for the extraction of aconitic acid from sweet sorghum syrup. The process economics were evaluated, and the extract was tested for its capability to suppress the motility of the nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans and Meloidogyne incognita. Aconitic acid could be efficiently extracted from sweet sorghum syrup using acetone:butanol:ethanol mixtures, and it could be recovered from this solvent with a sodium carbonate solution, with an overall extraction and recovery efficiency of 86%. The …

Field Applications Of Zein As A Precise Nanoscale Delivery System For Methoxyfenozide, C. A.R. Bonser, C. Tamez, J. C. White, C. E. Astete, C. M. Sabliov, J. A. Davis

Faculty Publications

When insecticides are applied in the environment, much of the product does not reach the target pest. Biopolymeric nanoparticles as nanocarriers have the potential to improve insecticide efficacy by improving absorption, coverage, and permeability while protecting the insecticide active ingredient from abiotic conditions and extending efficacy through controlled release. We conducted a series of experiments using a biopolymeric nanoparticle synthesized from zein, a biodegradable maize protein, to compare efficacy of a nanodelivered hydrophobic insect growth regulator (methoxyfenozide) against a commercial formulation. Positively charged zein nanoparticles (empty and loaded with methoxyfenozide) were compared to the formulated product, Intrepid 2F, as a …

Stored Rice Varietal Resistance Towards Sitophilus Oryzae, Ethan M. Doherty, Qian Sun, Blake E. Wilson

Faculty Publications

Previous research has demonstrated that varieties of rice are differentially susceptible to stored rice pests, but modern varieties are lacking evaluation. Thirteen varieties of rice, Oryzae sativa (L.), were tested for their susceptibility to the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.). Sitophilus oryzae adults were placed into vials containing one of 13 USA commercial rice varieties. Adult damage, larval damage, days to eclosion, total progeny, and progeny mass were recorded over a period of six weeks. Subsequently, varietal mixes of the resistant and susceptible varieties were evaluated for associational resistance or susceptibility using the same methodology. Rice variety impacted adult damage, …

Impact Of Nonconventional Selection By Insecticides On Susceptibility Of The Southern House Mosquito, Culex Quinquefasciatus, Vivek Pokhrel, James A. Ottea

Faculty Publications

Mosquitoes are an important target of pest control as they vector pathogens that are associated with many debilitating human diseases. Given that mosquitoes have been selected with insecticides for over 100 years, much is known about the development of insecticide resistance associated with targeted application against populations of these insects. However, off-target selection by applications of insecticides in agricultural and residential sites also impacts development of insecticide resistance and is understudied. Similarly, the impact of selecting one life stage of mosquitoes on the insecticide susceptibility of different life stages is largely unknown. Here, we show that susceptibility to chlorantraniliprole, which …

Recent Advances And Challenges In Implementing Ipm Programmes In The Entomological Context Of Indian Agriculture, Ruchika Geedi, Gadi V.P. Reddy

Faculty Publications

Integrated pest management (IPM) programmes are based on using multiple methods to maintain nuisance insects below tolerant levels in crop fields. Recent advances in IPM in developed countries have incorporated biological pesticides, microbial products, semiochemicals, and beneficial insects, but few of such programmes have been successfully implemented in developing countries, such as India. Semiochemicals play critical roles as signals in various interspecific and intraspecific interactions between insects and plants, and among interacting insects, plants, and microbes. In India IPM programmes have included mechanical, chemical, cultural, and biological management strategies. However, among these methods, biological management has its own limitations. Indian …

A New Generation Of Dense-Graded Asphalt Mixtures With Superior Performance Against Stripping And Moisture Damage, Mostafa Elseifi, Zahid Hossain, Md. T.A Sarkar, Hossam Abohamer, Mohammad Oyan

Data

The presence of moisture beneath the pavement surface is a matter of great concerns as it is responsible for significant distresses such as asphalt concrete (AC) stripping, fatigue cracking, rutting, and poor durability of asphalt mixes. The objective of this study was to evaluate and recommend an asphalt mixture design that would provide superior performance against AC stripping and cracking. To achieve this objective, a laboratory test factorial was developed to evaluate the use of nanomaterials, emerging anti-stripping agents, warm-mix asphalt technologies, and adhesion promotors. In the experimental program, the modified Lottman test (AASHTO T 283) and the Indirect Tensile …

Effects Of Other People's Facial Emotional Expression On Consumers’ Perceptions Of Chocolate Chip Cookies Containing Cricket Protein, Yupeng Gao, Pitchayapat Chonpracha, Bin Li, Witoon Prinyawiwatkul

Faculty Publications

Abstract: Edible insects are recognized as a potential alternative and sustainable source of high-quality protein for the human diet. Entomophagy is highly related to negative emotions that may cause reluctance to adopt insects as food in Western countries. During human interaction, a person's facial emotional expression (FEE) may influence other people's emotional responses. A person's emotional state may affect his/her food preference and food choice. Understanding how other people's FEE would affect consumers’ emotional profiles, liking, and subsequent willingness to try (WTT) and purchase intent (PI) toward insect-containing food products may help increase the acceptance of entomophagy. This study identified …