Interfacial Engineering Of Bipolar Junctions For Electrochemical Processes, Subarna Kole

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Water and energy scarcity are two of the main problems the world is facing today. A number of industrial processes like chemical manufacturing plants, energy production, electricity generation are heavily dependent on availability of a reliable source of water. Similarly, every step of water collection, treatment, and distribution, is an energy intensive process. The efficient use of electrochemical devices can help tackle some of these problems. Bipolar membranes (BPMs) have historically been deployed in electrodialysis setups for mineral acid and base production. The need to have disparate pH environments in electrochemical cells, and prevent species crossover, have motivated researchers to …

Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study Investigation Of A Health Science System Faculty's Adaptations To An Online (Non-Traditional) Teaching Environment For Health Professional Students, Daryl Philip Lofaso

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed method study was to explore the transition to an online educational platform for future health professional students at a southern health sciences system due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The majority of health professional students received their education via face-to-face prior to the pandemic. The pandemic altered their traditional pedagogical method of face-to-face to online instruction. The health professional school faculty offer the best instruction in a lecture hall not on a computer screen using Zoom. This study was designed to analyze how the faculty adapted in moving to an online instructional method, …

The Rougarou Concerto And Initial Observations Of The Flex Ensemble, Thomas Wilson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the immediate impact of the coronavirus pandemic through a composer’s lens. It will examine the impact through a variety of means, considerably: interviews of those with first-hand experiences, analyses of prominent adaptable works, and self-analysis of how my own process adapted to meet the moment.

After discovering the Composers Repertoire Initiative and being commissioned to write a concerto by Eduard Teregulov, I wrote a cello concert. The central chapter features the Rougarou Concerto, a cello concerto with accompanying flex ensemble, written for Eduard Teregulov. The work was written over ten months …

Leveraging Multiple Data Sources: How Catch Data, Metadata, And Genetic Samples Can Aid The Recovery Of Endangered Smalltooth Sawfish (Pristis Pectinata), Kelcee Smith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The small population sizes characteristic of many imperiled species means that they are vulnerable to both demographic and genetic extinction threats. Responses to these threats (e.g., population trends, genetic diversity estimates) are often difficult to obtain, but critical for conservation. Thus, researchers studying imperiled species may have to consult multiple data sources, collaborate with a wide variety of stakeholders, or ask new questions about previously collected data. I used this approach to understand more about the United States (U.S.) population of Pristis pectinata, an endangered elasmobranch that has declined up to 95% due to habitat loss and bycatch in …

Computer Simulations Of Diffusional Isotope Effects And Dynamical Properties Of Silicate Melts, Haiyang Luo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Silicate melts have served as transport agents in the chemical and thermal evolution of Earth. Diffusional isotope effect in silicate melts is the key to interpret isotope variations in lots of geological samples. Isotopic mass dependence of diffusion is commonly expressed as (Di/Dj)=(mj/mi)^β, where Di and Dj are diffusion coefficients of two isotopes whose masses are mi and mj. However, how the dimensionless empirical parameter β depends on temperature, pressure, and composition remains poorly constrained. Viscosity and electrical conductivity are two fundamental dynamical properties of silicate melts needed to constrain melt distribution in Earth's interior but remain unclear for most …

The Use Of Problem Solving Skills Training To Treat Disruptive Behavior In Schools, Emma Larson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Disruptive behaviors in children are a class of behaviors that involve problems with impulse control, regulating emotions, compliance, aggression, and respecting the rights of others or societal norms (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Nelson, 1996). The presence of these disruptive behaviors take a negative toll on the environment including the education setting, criminal justice system, public health services, and families (Tolan and Leventhal, 2013; Cuffel, 1997). Meta-analyses have shown several evidence-based treatments for disruptive behavior with cognitive-behavioral therapy being an effective approach (Eyeberg, Nelson, & Boggs, 2008; McCart & Sheidow, 2016). One such cognitive-behavioral therapy that is effective for decreasing disruptive …

Love, Yourself: A Solo Play, Tiffany Gilly

LSU Master's Theses

This Thesis outlines the research, writing, and production process that lead up to the performance of an original Solo Play, presented by the author. The project, entitled Love, Yourself is a twenty-minute autobiographical journey about the author’s experiences as a child of a neglectful and abusive single mother, as a foster kid, then college student, and eventual aspiring performer. In the play, the author deals with writer's block from not having felt inspired to write a song in months and attempts to find inspiration by sifting through old memories and telling stories to the audience. By the end of the …

Characterization Of Resistance To Two Crambid Stem Borers Among Louisiana Sugarcane Cultivars, Leonardo D. Salgado

LSU Master's Theses

Cultivar resistance is a key management strategy for the stem borer complex (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Louisiana sugarcane, but mechanisms of resistance are not well understood. This research evaluated the potential mechanisms of cultivar resistance to Diatraea saccharalis and Eoreuma loftini among commercial sugarcane cultivars and experimental clones through a series of field screenings, greenhouse trials, and diet incorporation assays. The stem borer resistant standard HoCP 85-845 and cultivar L 01-299 were among the cultivars with the lowest borer injury levels in both field and greenhouse trials. Cultivars HoCP 00-950, L 12-201, and HoCP 14-885 were among the most heavily injured …

Modeling Of Island Block Scatter For Intensity Modulated Bolus Electron Conformal Therapy, Joseph G. Scotto

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: Bolus electron conformal therapy (BECT) benefits treatment of the post-mastectomy chest wall, head and neck, paraspinal muscles, and extremities. Patient dose heterogeneities caused by bolus can be reduced through intensity modulation (IM) across the incident electron beam. This requires passive radiotherapy intensity modulation for electrons (PRIME) devices, which utilize tungsten pins (island blocks) imbedded in machinable foam. IM-BECT treatment planning requires accurate dose calculation using the pencil beam redefinition dose algorithm (PBRA). Currently, the PBRA models island blocks as perfect collimators. This work explores models to account for electrons scattering into and out of the sides of island blocks. …

A Geospatial And Statistical Analysis Of Dropout In Louisiana Public High Schools, Michael D. Stein

LSU Master's Theses

Students dropping out of high school is a nationwide problem, plaguing communities and often greatly reducing the prospects of a quality life for those students who do not complete their high school educations. Louisiana consistently has among the highest public high school dropout rates in the United States, and often the highest. This geospatial and statistical study aims to identify the factors that correlate with high school dropout in Louisiana public high schools, specifically, and to produce detailed maps of the dropout rates across the state to identify the schools most afflicted.

Extensive school-level data from five academic years (2014-15 …

Single-Family Residential Flood Loss Reduction Through Freeboard, Ehab Said Gnan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The lack of flood loss estimation methods conducted on a micro-scale level that consider the full loss‐exceedance probabilities curve poses a significant problem in flood risk assessment. Also, the lack of robust benefit-cost analysis (BCA) that quantifies benefits at the micro-scale level leads to sub-optimal results, and therefore sub-optimal decisions when determining the optimal freeboard. Further, flood loss assessments focus on owner-occupied housing and neglect rental housing. These loss assessment deficiencies underscore the need for a robust assessment that quantifies the life-cycle benefits for all stakeholders and provides actionable information to enable informed decisions.

This research presents a comprehensive methodology …

The Relationship Between Emotion Regulation And Substance Use Treatment Attrition, Melanie Ruth Roys

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Severe substance use disorders are characterized by chronic cycles of relapse; however, individuals who complete substance use treatment are less likely to experience relapse. Research has focused on trying to identify factors that predict treatment dropout to help improve treatment outcomes. Most of this research has focused on examining demographic and patient-specific factors, with little success in reliably predicting treatment attrition. There has been less focus on investigating transdiagnostic factors that span across discrete psychological diagnoses and demographics. The present study sought to determine if self-report and behavioral measures related to emotion regulation predicted inpatient substance use treatment dropout above …

The Innocence Of Lennie Small In Carlisle Floyd's Opera Of Mice And Men In Excerpts Presented As A Performer's Guide, Michael Robert Hendrick

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Of Mice and Men is a 20th century American opera composed by Carlisle Floyd. Carlisle Floyd also served as librettist, as he did with all of his operas. Based on the American novel of the same name by John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men is Carlisle Floyd's second most performed opera. This project serves to demonstrate the innocence of the role of Lennie Small, as seen through his intellectual shortcomings, enhanced by the vocal line and music of the composer. A performer's guide is also provided.

Variações Sérias Sobre Um Tema De Anacleto De Medeiros - Piano A Quatro Mãos, By Ronaldo Miranda: A Performer’S Guide, Patricia Bretas De O Da Rosa

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

This study examines Ronaldo Miranda’s Variações Sérias Sobre um Tema de Anacleto de Medeiros – Piano a Quatro Mãos, 1998, transcribed from the original, which was composed for wind quintet (1991). The piano duet version is well-known and part of the core repertoire of most Brazilian piano duos.

Enhanced by the interview with the composer, the paper starts by addressing the relevant facts of his rich and prolific musical life while tracing four compositional phases through a list of his piano works.

A brief history of the Serious Variations (so named in this paper) deals with its genesis, characteristics, …

Embryo Development And Reproductive Parameters Of Aluteal Cycles In Mares, Chun Kuen Mak

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Progestagen is crucial for regulating early pregnancy in most mammalian species, including the horse. This dissertation research sought to elucidate the effect of endogenous and exogenous progestagens on the early development of equine embryos and to characterize reproductive parameters in the subsequent estrus using a prostaglandin F_2α-induced hypoluteal environment, namely the aluteal pregnancy model. The first chapter reviewed the life cycle of the corpus luteum and its progesterone secretory function in mares. The existing literature supports the notion that the early developing corpus luteum is responsive to prostaglandin F_2α, and complete luteolysis or prevention of luteal …

Potential Role Of Acetylation On Equine Sperm Capacitation, Luis H. De Aguiar

LSU Master's Theses

A series of biochemical and physical modifications in the sperm during the transport in the female reproductive tract that make the sperm capable of fertilization are called capacitation. It is an important process since ejaculated sperm is not capable of fertilizing an oocyte before capacitation. The sperm modifications during the capacitation process include changes in membrane fluidity, tyrosine phosphorylation, calcium influx, pH increase and hyperpolarization, leading the sperm to achieve hypermotility and the acrosome reaction, which are also required for conventional in vitrofertilization (IVF). In vitro production of embryos leading to viable offspring has been successful in different …

Isolation Of Foliar Fungi From Roseau Cane (Phragmites Australis) In Coastal Louisiana, David M. Galo Espinal

LSU Master's Theses

Roseau cane (Phragmites australis) is a wild plant with an extensive root system that is useful in areas vulnerable to soil erosion. In Louisiana, this plant plays an important role protecting the coastal infrastructure of the lower Mississippi River delta (MRD). Currently, P. australis growing in the MRD is being affected by a die-off, which has been associated with several biotic and abiotic factors.

Plant pathogenic fungi is a biotic factor that negatively affect plant growth. Therefore, foliar fungi were isolated from plants growing in one die-off affected area (MRD) and two non-affected areas (Pecan Island and Manchac) …

Impact Of An Emergent Reading Skills Intervention On Letter Recognition And Phoneme Identification In Pre-Kindergarten Children, Laura K. Simmons

LSU Master's Theses

Research in the field of early literacy has demonstrated that letter recognition and phoneme identification are two necessary components of emergent reading skills (Casbergue & Strickland, 2016). Emergent literacy refers to the reading and writing skills that young children develop prior to learning traditional literacy skills and has been linked to increased literacy achievement (Justice & Pullen, 2003). This study focused solely on emergent reading skills. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of a targeted multi-sensory intervention on the emergent reading skills of letter recognition and phoneme identification using a multiple baseline design (Kazdin, 2011). …

Mechanical Properties And Microstructure Characteristics Of Alloy Parts Produced By Laser Powder Bed Fusion (Lpbf) Method, Hong Yao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a rapid prototyping technology to produce fully functional and complex designing objects. As one of the AM methods, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) has gained the most attention from both academic researchers and industrial companies. During the LPBF process, metal powders are applied layer by layer, which can be 20 microns to 50 microns in thickness. After a layer is prepared, a high-power laser, which is commonly controlled by a scanning head, is used to selectively melt the interested area of a 2D geometry which is designed in a computer aided designing software. LPBF method can …

Effect Of Forage Management Strategies And Land Use Change On Nitrogen Budget And Soil Health Parameters In Pasture Systems, Yili Meng

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Pastures produce hay for livestock, and they conserve soil, water, and air resources. However, high nitrogen (N) fertilizer demands in pasture production have significant implication on greenhouse gas emission and environmental pollution. Appropriate forage management strategies can reduce environmental N loss and improve soil health, to enhance the long-term pasture productivity. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the effects of management strategies on N budgets and soil health parameters in subtropical pastures. Both field and laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of N stabilizers including urease inhibitor and nitrification inhibitor on pasture yield, greenhouse gas emission, …

Structural Vibration Control Of Offshore Wind Turbines, Vahid Jahangiri

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Offshore wind turbines (OWTs) are becoming more attractive than their onshore counterparts due to advantages such as high wind speed, less visual impact and less noise constraints in the marine area. However, the combined wind, wave and seismic loading and other environmental effects render the offshore wind turbines suffering from excessive vibration which adversely influences the system performance and structural integrity. In this regard, the present dissertation aims to develop effective structural control techniques to mitigate three-dimensional structural vibrations of offshore wind turbines. Analytical models of a fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind turbine are established using Euler-Lagrangian equation wherein the …

Advanced Methods For Steady-State And Stability Analyses Of Hybrid Power Systems, Mohammad Mehdi Rezvani

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The term hybrid power grids refer to the combination of two power systems with different intrinsic characteristic. For instance, ac-dc grids and transmission-distribution systems are kinds of hybrid power grids. Challenges in analyzing the hybrid power grids arise since two sets of equations should be solved either simultaneously or sequentially. In the simultaneous (unified) methods, the ac and dc system of equations are solved simultaneously, while, in the sequential approaches, these equations are solved in an error loop. In this dissertation, a unified method is proposed for steady-state and fault analyses of hybrid ac-dc power grids, while a sequential approach …

Performance Evaluation Of Gas Lift Valves Using Numerical Simulation, Felipe Simoes Maciel

LSU Master's Theses

This work aimed to assess the performance of two numerical simulation methods to replicate flow capacity test (FCT) results and predict the flow coefficient (Cv) and critical pressure ratio (Rcp) of gas lift valves (GLVs). FCT's use a modified GLV with an adjustable stem positioning system to obtain pressure as a function of flow rate for different stem positions to calculate Cv and Rcp. Therefore, this study used both a one-dimensional (1D) mechanistic model and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to predict the same variable from the FCT without tests using modified GLVs. This methodology demonstrates accurate results, which were compared …

Effects Of Beach Nourishment Project On Coastal Geomorphology And Mangrove Dynamics In Southern Louisiana, Usa, Marcelo Cancela Lisboa Cohen, Adriana Vivan De Souza, Kam-Biu Liu, Erika Rodrigues, Qiang Yao, Luiz Carlos Ruiz Pessenda, Dilce Rossetti, Junghyung Ryu, Marianne Dietz

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Vertical Feature Delineation For Flood Hazard Assessments At The Coastal Land Margin, Shu Gao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Coastal and riverine flooding constitutes a major environmental hazard that affect millions of people residing along the world’s coastline. Improved understanding of the driving mechanisms that can cause flooding within coastal watersheds requires advanced hydrologic and coastal storm surge simulation. Such advanced simulation is dependent upon an accurate digital elevation model (DEM) for the optimal topographical representation of the true domain in the discretized model grid (mesh). However, it is not possible to afford mesh resolution as fine as contemporary DEMs, resolved at sub-10 meters, due to the impractical computational expense. Therefore, significant elevation barriers such as roadbeds, levees, railroads, …

Fisheries Food Webs: Quantifying Habitat-Use, Trophic Structure, And Energetic Pathways In Coastal Tanzania, Mario Fernando Hernandez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Commercial and recreational fisheries are a valuable resource to millions of people around the world. Developing countries are particularly dependent on the revenue provided by locally harvested fish with total exports from these nations valued at $80 billion USD. For Tanzania, fisheries provide not only a source of revenue but an important source of protein with an estimated 25 to 30kg of fish consumed per person every year. There is no doubt that high fisheries production is critical to the well-being of millions of livelihoods along the Tanzanian coast. An important but poorly understood driver of fisheries production is the …

Environmental Perception In Colombia's Páramo Protected Areas, Juliana Delgado

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the gap between farmers' environmental perceptions in Téquita, a small village in Colombia, and the definition of protected areas has led to a conflict for the use of natural resources. I examine if the protected area's policies have dealt with the social and ecological issues in the páramos and recognized the social construction of the landscape, farmers' identities, and their interpretations about work and land. The case study focuses on Güina High Mountain in the Guantiva-La Rusia páramo complex, which recently the Colombian government declared as a protected area. In light of anthropologist Tim Ingold's meaning of …

“Jeszcze Polska Nie Zginęła”: Discovering The Life And Music Of Zygmunt Noskowski, Filip Starostka

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Polish music history suffers from a lack of representation. This misleads audiences to the common misconception that Polish music began and ended with Chopin. In reality, there are a number of important figures in 19^th-century Poland whose efforts were seen as vital to the restoration of music culture in a time when conquering nations were actively working on destroying Poland’s history. The purpose of this lecture recital is to bring the biography and works of Zygmunt Noskowski, one of Warsaw’s most important musical figures, to English speaking audiences.

Born in 1846, Zygmunt Noskowski was active as a musician, …

Structural Shielding Considerations For Vmat, Ana Lucia Dieguez

LSU Master's Theses

Introduction: As noted in National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) Report 151, the medical physicist or other qualified expert has the responsibility to keep abreast of any new technology or treatment method that could potentially impact structural shielding design. Volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) became prevalent after the publication of Report 151 and thus was not explicitly addressed in Report 151. If the shielding-related characteristics of VMAT differ enough from the expectations of Report 151, especially in the circumstance of a vault utilized exclusively for VMAT, a shielding design based on Report 151 could potentially be inadequate. The …

Development Of A Perineural Injection Of The Caudal Cervical Spinal Nerve Roots In Horses, Jonuel A. Cruz-Sanabria

LSU Master's Theses

Neck pain in horses can result in lameness and poor performance and can occur from arthritis of cervical articular process joints (APJs). Current treatment consists of direct injection of corticosteroids into the cervical APJs; however, this does not alleviate pain in all horses. New bone formation around the APJ can also result in compression of the spinal nerve roots and pain. The purpose of this study was to develop an ultrasound-guided cervical perineural injection technique and assess the safety of performing the technique in normal healthy horses. An ultrasound-guided cervical perineural injection technique of the caudal cervical spinal nerve roots …