Digital Commons Network^™

Investigation Of Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis Of Biomass With Char In A Rectangular Waveguide Applicator With Built-In Phase-Shifting, Candice Raffaela Ellison, Ryan Hoff, Cosmin Mărculescu, Dorin Boldor

Faculty Publications

Fast biomass pyrolysis is a promising technique for thermochemical conversion of biomass into chemicals and biofuels (bio-oil and syngas). Microwave heating can increase process efficiency. The effect of microwave absorber and microwave power level are studied for their effect on pyrolysis process temperature, product yields, and product composition. A novel microwave system was designed with a continuous sliding short enabling phase shifting to mitigate standing wave effects in the low loss load. Pyrolysis experiments on pine sawdust were carried out at varying microwave input powers (600, 900, 1200, and 1500 W) and with varying amounts of biochar added to the …

Hydromechanical Modelling To Evaluate Impact Of Fault Structure On Co2 Migration In Stacked Storage System, Muhammad Zulqarnain, Mehdi Zeidouni, Richard G. Hughes

Faculty Publications

Faulting processes produce a complex fault damage zone (FDZ) having permeability variations over several orders of magnitude within a very short distance. In this study we use an example normal fault system from a depleted oil field in southern Louisiana with multiple stacked sand beds along the fault structure. Geostatistical techniques are used to introduce heterogeneities of several orders of magnitude over very short distances that honor the across- and along-fault architecture of the system. A total of 15 cases are simulated to account for the impact of a fragmented core, an intact core and a naturally fractured core on …

Highly Active Cationic Cobalt(Ii) Hydroformylation Catalysts, Drew M. Hood, Ryan A. Johnson, Alex E. Carpenter, Jarod M. Younker, David J. Vinyard, George G. Stanley

Faculty Publications

© 2020 American Association for the Advancement of Science. All rights reserved. The cobalt complexes HCo(CO)4 and HCo(CO)3(PR3) were the original industrial catalysts used for the hydroformylation of alkenes through reaction with hydrogen and carbon monoxide to produce aldehydes. More recent and expensive rhodium-phosphine catalysts are hundreds of times more active and operate under considerably lower pressures. Cationic cobalt(II) bisphosphine hydrido-carbonyl catalysts that are far more active than traditional neutral cobalt(I) catalysts and approach rhodium catalysts in activity are reported here. These catalysts have low linear-to-branched (L:B) regioselectivity for simple linear alkenes. However, owing to their high alkene isomerization activity …

Γ -Ray Spectroscopy Of Astrophysically Important States In Ca 39, M. R. Hall, D. W. Bardayan, T. Baugher, A. Lepailleur, S. D. Pain, A. Ratkiewicz, S. Ahn, J. M. Allen, J. T. Anderson, A. D. Ayangeakaa, J. C. Blackmon, S. Burcher, M. P. Carpenter, S. M. Cha, K. Y. Chae, K. A. Chipps, J. A. Cizewski, M. Febbraro, O. Hall, J. Hu, C. L. Jiang, K. L. Jones, E. J. Lee, P. D. O'Malley, S. Ota, B. C. Rasco, D. Santiago-Gonzalez, D. Seweryniak, H. Sims, K. Smith, W. P. Tan, P. Thompson, C. Thornsberry

Faculty Publications

Background: Nova explosions synthesize elements up to A≃40, and discrepancies exist between calculated and observed abundances of Ar and Ca created in the explosion. The K38(p,γ)Ca39 reaction rate has been shown to be influential on these isotopic abundances at the endpoint of nova nucleosynthesis. The energies of the three most important resonances, corresponding to Jπ=5/2+ excited states in the Ca39 nucleus above the proton separation threshold, are uncertain and one has been measured with conflicting values [Er=679(2) versus Er=701(2) keV] in previous experiments. Purpose: Reducing the uncertainties on the resonance energies would allow for a better understanding of the reaction …

Physics Of Nuclei: Key Role Of An Emergent Symmetry, T. Dytrych, K. D. Launey, J. P. Draayer, D. J. Rowe, J. L. Wood, G. Rosensteel, C. Bahri, D. Langr, R. B. Baker

Faculty Publications

We show through first-principles nuclear structure calculations that the special nature of the strong nuclear force determines highly regular patterns heretofore unrecognized in nuclei that can be tied to an emergent approximate symmetry. This symmetry is ubiquitous and mathematically tracks with a symplectic symmetry group. This, in turn, has important implications for understanding the physics of nuclei: we find that nuclei are made of only a few equilibrium shapes, deformed or not, with associated vibrations and rotations. It also opens the path for ab initio large-scale modeling of open-shell intermediate-mass nuclei without the need for renormalized interactions and effective charges.

Apparatuses For Increasing Off-Chip Bandwidth, Lu Peng, Srivastava Ashok, Shaoming Chen

College of Engineering Patents

Embodiments of the present invention include methods for increasing off-chip bandwidth. The method includes designing a circuit of switchable pins, replacing a portion of allocated pins of a processor with switchable pins, connecting the processor to a memory interface configured to switch the switchable pins between a power mode and a signal mode, providing a metric configured to identify which of the power mode and the signal mode is most beneficial during 1 millisecond intervals, and switching the switchable pins to signal mode during intervals where the signal mode provides more benefit than the power mode.

Entanglement And Secret-Key-Agreement Capacities Of Bipartite Quantum Interactions And Read-Only Memory Devices, Siddhartha Das, Stefan Bäuml, Mark M. Wilde

Faculty Publications

A bipartite quantum interaction corresponds to the most general quantum interaction that can occur between two quantum systems in the presence of a bath. In this work, we determine bounds on the capacities of bipartite interactions for entanglement generation and secret-key agreement between two quantum systems. Our upper bound on the entanglement generation capacity of a bipartite quantum interaction is given by a quantity called the bidirectional max-Rains information. Our upper bound on the secret-key-agreement capacity of a bipartite quantum interaction is given by a related quantity called the bidirectional max-relative entropy of entanglement. We also derive tighter upper bounds …

Synthesis And Preliminary Ex Vivo Testing Of Sirna Targeting Tcrb: A Proposed Therapy For The Treatment Of Autoimmunity, Nicholas J. Magazine

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

Background:

As of 2018, the United States National Institutes of Health estimate that over half a billion people worldwide are affected by autoimmune disorders. Though these conditions are prevalent, treatment options remain relatively poor, relying primarily on various forms of immunosuppression which carry potentially severe side effects and often lose effectiveness overtime. Given this, new forms of therapy are needed. We propose small-interfering RNA (siRNA) for hypervariable regions of the T-cell receptor β-chain gene (TCRb) as a highly targeted, novel means of therapy for the treatment of autoimmune disorders.

Objectives:

To develop methods to produce siRNA targeting …

Examining Interaction Effects In 2d Fermi Gases Using Renormalization Group Theory, Sri Laalitya Uppalapati

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We use the Renormalization Group (RG) method within the perturbation theory framework to study properties of a balanced, two-dimensional Fermi gas with short-range, attractive interactions in non-superfluid (normal) phase. We find that the RG method allows for the evaluation of logarithmic corrections to Equations of State in various regimes of density and temperature. We present two calculations using RG with perturbation theory. The first being a simplified RG scheme with an interpolation of crossover between RG flow in different regimes. The second calculation features a rigorous derivation whereby the Green's function within a standard perturbation theory is renormalized to derive …

National Guard Familes: The Relationship Between Institutional Discourses And Lived Experiences, Kimberly Saunier Boudreaux

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

National Guard families live in two different worlds. On the one hand, they are civilians with civilian jobs. On the other hand, they are also part of the military that can be activated at any time. Living in these two worlds simultaneously affects these families differently than families who live either entirely in the civilian world or the military world. The purpose of this qualitative study was to take an ethnographic look at how National Guard families navigate and adapt to these conditions. This study utilized three methods of data collection: analysis of self-help books aimed at helping military spouses …

A Hop-By-Hop Relay Selection Strategy In Multi-Hop Cognitive Relay Networks, Hui Sun, Mort Naraghi-Pour, Weixing Sheng, Renli Zhang

Faculty Publications

In this paper, a hop-by-hop relay selection strategy for multi-hop underlay cognitive relay networks (CRNs) is proposed. In each stage, relays that successfully decode the message from previous hop form a decoding set. Taking both maximum transmit power and maximum interference constraints into consideration, the relay in the decoding set which has the largest number of channels with an acceptable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) level to the relays in the next stage is selected for retransmission. Therefore, relay selection in each stage only relies on channel state information (CSI) of the channels in that stage and does not require the CSI …

Inter-War Maharajas As Art Patrons Betwen Traditionalism And Modernism, Humaira Hossain

LSU Master's Theses

India had carried a traditional history, some of those grew through time and some were fetched from Persia during the Mughal period. From the time of the British-Raj, India had experienced a completely diverse culture derived from western. This Thesis discusses the interests of Indian Maharajas in European culture which grew their attraction towards European art. More precisely I am going to talk about Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holker of Indore and Maharaja Jagjit Singh from Kapurthala, their changing taste away from the tradition. Both Maharaja was highly convinced by the European lifestyle, which reflects their changing tastes towards art. They …

Soil Health On A Small-Scale Sustainable Vegetable Farm In South Louisiana, Allison Guidroz

LSU Master's Theses

One of the biggest challenges facing the world today is the need to provide nutritious food to an ever-growing population in a way that does not compromise the ecosystem services of the soil that are necessary for life. The evidence for widespread degradation of the soil has been a major contributor in the increased interest in soil health. Most of the research in soil health has focused on field crops, which has led to a gap in the research of soil health on vegetable cropping systems. This objective of this study was to analyze the health of the soil on …

Using Sleep Quality And Alcohol Expectancies As Predictors For Problematic Alcohol Use, Shelby Alexandra Stewart

LSU Master's Theses

College students who experience problematic alcohol use report poorer health and endorse more health-related problems, like sleep deprivation, than their counterparts who engage in safer alcohol consumption behaviors (Demartini & Carey, 2009; Ham & Hope, 2003). Students who engage in higher rates of problematic alcohol use also report the anticipated effect of relaxation and tension reduction as part of their decision to consume alcohol than students who do not engage in problematic alcohol use (Brown, Christiansen, & Goldman, 1987). The link between sleep problems and the use of alcohol as both a relaxant and sleep aid increase the risk for …

Professional Development And Supervision Of Live-In And Live-On Housing And Residence Life Professionals For Crisis Response And Management, Juterh Nmah

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study is twofold: to examine the professional development and supervision of live-in and live-on housing and residence life professionals for crises response and management on colleges and universities. The literature review consisted of empirical research for crises, professional development and supervision. The study sample consisted of live-in and live-on housing and residence life professionals employed at colleges and universities across the United States. The researcher utilized a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design using a demographic survey, Synergistic Supervision Scale (SSS), for the first, quantitative phase, and a semi-structured interview format for the multiple case-study design for …

Noble-Transition Alloy Absorbers For Near-Infrared Hot-Carrier Optoelectronics, Sara Karoline Figueiredo Stofela

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Optoelectronics is the field of technology concerned with the study and application of electronic devices that source, detect and control light. Here we focus on the optical communications field which relies on optical fiber systems to carry signals to their destinations operating in the near-infrared range. To improve the performance of current optical fiber systems, one of the paths is to develop better near-infrared photodetectors.

The current group of materials used for near-infrared photodetection relies in the III-V semiconductor family. Although their spectral photosensitivity correlates well with the near-infrared, response time performance and electronic circuit integration remain limited for this …

Calibration Transients In Ligo Detectors, Thomas Daniel Abbott

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation describes a novel method of analyzing fluctuations in the time-dependent calibration models of the LIGO interferometers to estimate their effect on strain reconstruction for gravitational-wave detections. The time-dependence of the calibration model of each detector is tracked with a set of parameters which are continuously measured while the interferometers are operating. These parameters track slow variations in the sensing function of the detectors as well as the actuators that hold the detectors in an operational state. The time-dependent parameter data during the second observation run (O2 [November 30, 2016 16:00 UTC to August 25, 2017 22:00:00 UTC]) and …

Calorimetry For Low-Energy Electrons Using Charge And Light In Liquid Argon, W. Foreman, R. Acciarri, J. A. Asaadi, W. Badgett, F. D.M. Blaszczyk, R. Bouabid, C. Bromberg, R. Carey, F. Cavanna, J. I. Cevallos Aleman, A. Chatterjee, J. Evans, A. Falcone, W. Flanagan, B. T. Fleming, D. Garcia-Gamez, B. Gelli, T. Ghosh, R. A. Gomes, E. Gramellini, R. Gran, P. Hamilton, C. Hill, J. Ho, J. Hugon, E. Iwai, E. Kearns, E. Kemp, T. Kobilarcik, M. Kordosky, P. Kryczyński, K. Lang, R. Linehan

Faculty Publications

Precise calorimetric reconstruction of 5-50 MeV electrons in liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs) will enable the study of astrophysical neutrinos in DUNE and could enhance the physics reach of oscillation analyses. Liquid argon scintillation light has the potential to improve energy reconstruction for low-energy electrons over charge-based measurements alone. Here we demonstrate light-augmented calorimetry for low-energy electrons in a single-phase LArTPC using a sample of Michel electrons from decays of stopping cosmic muons in the LArIAT experiment at Fermilab. Michel electron energy spectra are reconstructed using both a traditional charge-based approach as well as a more holistic approach that …

Emerson's Idealist Poetics: Emerson, Rödl, And The Life Of Nature, Robert Darren Hutchinson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, I articulate a hermeneutics for reading Ralph Waldo Emerson’s seminal text Nature through drawing on the insights of the contemporary philosopher Sebastian Rödl. Particularly, the performative, literary characteristics of Rödl’s quite conceptual work resonate with the poetic strategies that Emerson employs in Nature. In the section on the work of Rödl, I make the performative aspects of his philosophy explicit through a close reading of the way self-consciousness happens in his texts through the language he employs. Rödl refers to his elucidation of self-consciousness as idealism. In the section on Emerson, I show how Emerson’s project …

Evaluation Of Space Use And Movement By Wild Turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo) During Extreme Climatic Disturbances And Annual Phenological States, David J. Moscicki

LSU Master's Theses

Space use is driven by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors across space and time. Meaning a species demography and habitat requirements may vary across landscapes. Recent studies on wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo spp., hereafter turkey) have shown both direct and indirect demographic impacts of climatically driven events on turkey populations. Similarly, there is an abundance of information documenting turkey demographic parameters and space use, but few studies have addressed breeding phenology in great detail. We evaluated the impact on space use and movement patterns of Eastern wild turkeys (M. g. silvestris; n = 20) and Rio Grande wild …

Retrospective Study Of Fmol Health System Utilization Using Geospatial Information, Deekshith Mandala

LSU Master's Theses

Medicaid Expansion and closing of Emergency Departments (ED) like Earl K. Long, Baton Rouge General Mid-City ED, and Champion Medical Center changed the health care landscape in East Baton Rouge Parish (EBRP). In this research study, a Geographical Information System (GIS) is used to analyze the impact of the expansion of Medicaid and the inauguration of Our Lady of the Lake North Baton Rouge ED (OLOL NBR ED) over the utilization of Franciscan Missionaries of our Lady Health System (FMOLHS) for both emergency and non-emergency health care services. This study is performed across the 58 neighborhoods of EBRP. Overutilization of …

Fate Of Eroding Crude Asphalt And Emulsion In Shallow Marsh Embayments, William Coronel

LSU Master's Theses

Marshes impacted by the Macondo spill continue to erode, releasing crude oil in the form of a soft asphalt or emulsion to adjacent shallow embayments. This process moves highly weathered crude oil from the marsh profile to comparatively high-energy, shallow, open-water systems where geochemical and microbiological conditions may influence additional weathering. Specifically, we hypothesize that the erosion process can accelerate biodegradation by moving crude oil asphalts and emulsions from a low-energy, anoxic environment in the marsh to a higher-energy, oxic environment in these shallow embayments. Sediment samples were taken in summer 2017 and 2018 across transects which bisect the boundary …

Experimental And Computational Tools For Single Cell Analysis In Cancer Diagnostics, Manibarathi Vaithiyanathan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Substantial evidence shows that cellular heterogeneity commonly exists within an isogenic or clonal population. Whether in isolation or caused through a combination of the above events, cellular heterogeneity can dramatically influence cellular decision making and cell fate, however, this can be masked by the average response from a population. One approach to solve this issue is to analyze a population at the individual cell level. The goal of this work is to develop high-throughput experimental and computational platforms to screen and quantify single cancer cells for specific intracellular enzyme activities. An interdisciplinary approach was taken to 1) better understand the …

Experimental Evaluation Of How Mineralogy And Microstructure Impact Micro-Geomechanics Of Shale Rocks, Hui Du

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Shales play an essential role in petroleum exploration and production because they can occur either as unconventional reservoir rocks for hydrocarbon extraction via hydraulic fracturing or as caprocks for conventional reservoirs and subsurface gas/ waste storage. For both extraction and storage applications, the success rate is directly depending on the rigorous candidate selection. Conventional rock characterization techniques normally measure rock properties by seismic/logging at the reservoir scale, and on drilled/outcrop cores at the core scale. However, shales are highly heterogeneous in composition, containing a large number of reactive minerals in micro/nanoscale with significantly different properties. The structural features and properties …

Measurement Of The Muon Neutrino Charged-Current Single Π+ Production On Hydrocarbon Using The T2k Off-Axis Near Detector Nd280, K. Abe, R. Akutsu, A. Ali, C. Alt, J. Amey, C. Andreopoulos, L. Anthony, M. Antonova, S. Aoki, A. Ariga, Y. Ashida, E. T. Atkin, Y. Awataguchi, Y. Azuma, S. Ban, M. Barbi, G. J. Barker, G. Barr, C. Barry, M. Batkiewicz-Kwasniak, A. Beloshapkin, F. Bench, V. Berardi, S. Berkman, R. M. Berner, L. Berns, S. Bhadra, S. Bienstock

Faculty Publications

We report the measurements of the single and double differential cross section of muon neutrino charged-current interactions on carbon with a single positively charged pion in the final state at the T2K off-axis near detector using 5.56×1020 protons on target. The analysis uses data control samples for the background subtraction and the cross section signal, defined as a single negatively charged muon and a single positively charged pion exiting from the target nucleus, is extracted using an unfolding method. The model-dependent cross section, integrated over the T2K off-axis neutrino beam spectrum peaking at 0.6 GeV, is measured to be σ=(11.76±0.44(stat)±2.39(syst))×10-40 …

Impacts Of The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill On Reproduction And Ontogeny Of Gulf Killifish (Fundulus Grandis), Charles Alexander Brown

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill released an estimated 779 million liters of Macondo-252 crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, making it the largest marine oil spill in history. Over a thousand kilometers of marshland that many species of fish use as a spawning grounds and nurseries was oiled, exposing breeding adult fish and their offspring to oil. My dissertation investigates the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and associated remediation efforts on the reproduction and ontogeny of a sentinel ecotoxicological species, the Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis). Concerns were raised regarding use of …

Sodium Propionate And Sodium Butyrate Promote Fatty Acid Oxidation In Hepg2 Cells Under Oxidative Stress, Kristina Jazmin Cook

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a spectrum of disturbances that includes simple steatosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. NAFLD affects individuals that consume the typical Western diet consisting of high levels of fats and carbohydrates. The increase in circulating free fatty acids, palmitate and oleate, or lipopolysaccharides (LPS), induce oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the liver, which all contribute to NAFLD progression. In this study, we are evaluating the mRNA expression of genes associated with fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and the protein expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines related to NAFLD using the HepG2 human liver …

The Desorption Kinetics Of Methane From Nonaqueous Fluids For Enhanced Well Control, James Lee Nielsen Jr.

LSU Master's Theses

The mass transfer of a dissolved gas evolving to return to the gaseous phase from a liquid is governed by many parameters. This process affects the development of an oil and gas well due to the possibility of gas contamination occurring from either an influx entering the wellbore, or drilling through gas-bearing formations. Once this dissolved hydrocarbon gas circulates up the wellbore, it will begin to evolve from solution and poses a potential risk to drilling equipment, the environment, and personnel at a drilling rig. Being able to predict the behavior of gas desorption based on a known set of …

Field Investigation On Point Bar Dynamics And Planform Evolution In Meandering Rivers, Taylor Rowley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Point bars are prominent features in meandering rivers, yet our understanding of the complex interactions among channel morphology, three-dimensional flow structure, and depositional processes associated with modern and active point bars remains incomplete. Thus, the goal of this research is to characterize the morphology, three-dimensional flow structure, and depositional packages associated with point bars along a series of bends with different curvature and channel planform through detailed field measurements and relate to previous literature and current conceptual models.

Chapter 3 investigates the morphology of point bars by comparing estimates of channel curvature to channel and point bar characteristics including width, …

First-Principle Study On The Interaction Of Ligands With Gold And Effects On Catalytic Activities, Xun Cheng

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The extensive use of fossil fuels has increased the atmospheric concentration of CO₂, resulting in global climate change. One way to mitigate the CO₂ challenge is to convert it into useful chemicals electrocatalytically using renewable energies. Recent studies suggest that ligand-modified gold electrodes can enhance the Faradaic efficiency (FE) and selectivity of the electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR). This theoretical research, primarily based on density functional theory (DFT), has been carried out to understand the interactions of ligands with Au and possible effects on electrocatalytic activities. We systematically modeled and studied the adsorption of …