Digital Commons Network^™

Plasticity, Technicity, Writing, Deborah Goldgaber

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Dynamics Of Dirac Observables In Canonical Cosmological Perturbation Theory, Kristina Giesel, Parampreet Singh, David Winnekens

Faculty Publications

The relational formalism based on geometrical clocks and Dirac observables in linearized canonical cosmological perturbation theory is used to introduce an efficient method to find evolution equations for gauge invariant variables. Our method generalizes an existing technique by Pons et al (2010 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 222 012018); (2009 Phys. Rev. D 80 084015) to relate the evolution of gauge invariant observables with the one of gauge variant quantities, and is applied as a demonstration for the longitudinal and spatially flat gauges. Gauge invariant evolution equations for the Bardeen potential and the Mukhanov-Sasaki variable are derived in the extended ADM …

Item Comparison Of Two Language Assessments In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Christina M. Hensgens

LSU Master's Theses

The language skills of children with ASD vary across the population and prove challenging to assess for many reasons. The current study was designed to compare two language assessments for children with ASD to gain understanding in determining the best method for assessment. The Preschool Language Scale-5 (PLS-5) is a standardized language assessment commonly used in the field of Speech-Language Pathology, while the Verbal Behavioral Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) is commonly used in Applied Behavior Analysis. Scores from children with ASD (N=17) on a total of 64 functionally equivalent items from both assessments were analyzed to determine the …

Making Connaught Place (New Delhi, India) Bicycle And Pedestrian Friendly, Surabhi Jain

LSU Master's Theses

India is a place where people have walked miles since ancient times for basic day-to-day needs like water, food, education, shopping, entertainment, tourism, and shelter. However, the rapid growth in population and urbanization is changing the way people live and commute. The urban sprawl is pushing people to the outskirts of the city core because of which personal automobiles is becoming the main source of transportation. This is leading to congestion on roads for most times of the day. The objective of this thesis is to explore and examine how to improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities in a prominent commercial …

We're The Ones We've Been Waiting For: A Conjuring, Monterica Sade Neil

LSU Master's Theses

The following project began as an examination of and reckoning with my family’s history of secrecy, addiction, and violence in Memphis, Tennessee. It’s centered on where that history led me, the first person in my family to graduate from high school since 1969 and a first-generation college student, and where I saw that history lead my younger brother, Kerr-Dulea Freeman Neil.

The following project is centered on why I felt it was my responsibility to save Kerr-Dulea from a path he’d carved out for himself with what he’d been given by our elders, my childhood—a little girl’s witnessing of her …

The Profoundest Problem Of Ethics: About The Possibility Of A Profound Solution, Pol Pardini Gispert

LSU Master's Theses

My thesis is concerned with the prospects for finding a solution to what Henry Sidgwick called the Profoundest Problem of Ethics. I begin by analysing Sidgwick’s The Methods of Ethics to reveal the assumptions about rationality that led Sidgwick to claim that Ethics is plagued with a profoundest problem. I then evaluate the capacity of seven accounts – those of Derek Parfit, Roger Crisp, David Brink, David Phillips, William Frankena, Owen McLeod, and Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek and Peter Singer – to solve the Profoundest Problem of Ethics; arguing that not one is able to solve it. In the conclusion, I …

Differences Between The Acoustic Parameters Of Prosody In Speakers With Asd And Typically Developing Speakers Ages Three To Six, Heather Delaune

LSU Master's Theses

The present study was designed to compare the acoustic parameters of prosody of children between the ages of three and six with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD to age matched typically developing (TD) speakers. The acoustic parameters of prosody examined were fundamental frequency (f0), intensity, speech rate, and speech rhythm. Analyzing the acoustic features of atypical expressive prosody in speakers with ASD would provide more detailed and defined information regarding the nature of the prosodic abnormality in these individuals to guide clinicians in providing a more concentrated focus for intervention. Speech samples were obtained from ten English-speaking, monolingual children (5 ASD, …

Examining The Effect Of Multiple Route Choice Criteria On Hurricane Evacuation Traffic Through External Validation Of Simulations, Haggai D. Davis Iii

LSU Master's Theses

Hurricane evacuations can be a chaotic experience for individuals involved, but researchers have attempted to find patterns in the routes people take. One paper laid out a model for predicting route choice based upon features that are different than standard route choice influencers. This thesis attempted to evaluate the accuracy of that model by using TransModeler modeling software. Using the building blocks of the HEMP project, this project compared the new model to the standard model and evaluated the two based upon the ability to reproduce real-world results. Interestingly, the two did not come out significantly different possibly because the …

Intraspecific Variation In A Dominant Prey Species Can Bias Marine Predator Dietary Estimates Derived From Stable Isotope Analysis, Michael J. Polito, Wayne Z. Trivelpiece, Christian S. Reiss, Susan G. Trivelpiece, Jefferson T. Hinke, William P. Patterson, Steven D. Emslie

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Stock Market Effects Of Amazon’S Sales Tax Collection Announcements, Andrew Chenevert

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

A 5‑Lipoxygenase-Specific Sequence Motif Impedes Enzyme Activity And Confers Dependence On A Partner Protein, Erin E. Schexnaydre, Jana Gerstmeier, Ulrike Garscha, Paul M. Jordan, Oliver Werz, Marcia E. Newcomer

Faculty Publications

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Leukotrienes (LT) are lipid mediators of the inflammatory response that play key roles in diseases such as asthma and atherosclerosis. The precursor leukotriene A 4 (LTA 4 ) is synthesized from arachidonic acid (AA) by 5‑lipoxygenase (5-LOX), a membrane-associated enzyme, with the help of 5‑lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP), a nuclear transmembrane protein. In lipoxygenases the main chain carboxylate of the C-terminus is a ligand for the non-heme iron and thus part of the catalytic center. We investigated the role of a lysine-rich sequence (KKK 653–655 ) 20 amino acids upstream of the C-terminus unique to 5-LOX that …

Rapid Plant Diversification In The Andes Does Not Require Flowers, Laura P. Lagomarsino

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

S19rs Sgfb No. 11 (Stainless Steel Straws), Georgacopoulos, Mcgovern, Menon, Bryant

Student Senate Enrolled Legislation

To Appropriate a maximum of Four Thousand Five Hundred ($4,500) from the Student Senate Initiatives Account to purchase 2,000 reusable stainless steel straws to promote sustainability on LSU Campus

S19rs Sgfb No. 2 (Turbovote), Mckinney, Brignac

Student Senate Meeting Minutes

A FINANCE BILL

To allocate a maximum of five thousand dollars and zero cents ($5,000.00) from the Student Government Initiatives Account to fund TurboVote technology for twelve months beginning on the effective launch date.

S19rs Sgfb No. 4 (Reusable Bags For The Food Pantry), Georgacopoulos, Bryant

Student Senate Meeting Minutes

A FINANCE BILL

To allocate a maximum of one thousand six hundred eleven dollars and eighty-two cents ($1,611.82) from the Student Government Initiatives Account to purchase reusable bags for the food pantry

S19rs Sgfb No. 5 (Sxsw Conference), Cheatwood

Student Senate Enrolled Legislation

A FINANCE BILL

To allocate six thousand five hundred dollars and zero cents $6,500 from the Legislative Contingency account to fund the registration costs of the students attending the 2019 SXSW conference in Austin, Texas March 8-12

S19rs Sgfb No. 6 (National Conference On Contemporary Cast Iron Art And Practices), Quadir, Veneracion

Student Senate Enrolled Legislation

A FINANCE BILL

To allocate one thousand Twenty dollars and zero cents $1,020 from the Legislative Contingency account to fund the registration costs of the students attending The National Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art & Practices (NCCCIAP) in Birmingham, Alabama April 3-6, 2019

Impacts Of Freight Consolidation And Truck Sharing On Freight Mobility, Tieming Liu, Chaoyue Zhao

Data

Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17ITSOKS02. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference:

"The trucking industry is an important sector of the U.S. economy. However, it is quite fragmented, hindering the efficiency of cargo transportation and the ability for small carriers to identify demands to fill full truck loads. The focus of this research is to study models and algorithms in order to aid online freight marketplaces to identify efficient consolidation strategies. To accomplish this aim, a new mixed integer programming model for the pickup and delivery problem has been developed. The model is geared …

Ionic Conductivity And Counterion Condensation In Nanoconfined Polycation And Polyanion Brushes Prepared From Block Copolymer Templates, Christopher G. Arges, Ke Li, Le Zhang, Yu Kambe, Guang Peng Wu, Baraka Lwoya, Julie N.L. Albert, Paul F. Nealey, Revati Kumar

Faculty Publications

© 2019 The Royal Society of Chemistry. Microphase separated block copolymer electrolyte (BCE) systems are attractive candidates for electrochemical systems because the concentrated ionic groups in one block provide pathways for facile ion transport while the non-ionic block bestows mechanical integrity and suppresses excess water uptake. Numerous researchers have prepared and studied bulk BCEs as ion conductors, but the inherent complex nature and imprecise architecture of these materials make it difficult to extract definitive conclusions on how the macromolecular structure influences ion transport. In this work, the process of block copolymer lithography was demonstrated to create model nano-confined polymer electrolyte …

Effects Of Defoliation On The Resistance And Tolerance Of Rice, Oryza Sativa, To Root Injury By The Rice Water Weevil, Lissorhoptrus Oryzophilus, Emily C. Kraus, Michael J. Stout

Faculty Publications

© 2019 The Netherlands Entomological Society Understanding plant-mediated interactions in agricultural systems may facilitate the development of novel and improved management practices, which is important, as management of these insects is currently heavily reliant on insecticides. The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Prodeniini), is a sporadic pest of rice fields in the southern USA. In southwestern Louisiana, this defoliating insect typically attacks rice early in the growth season, before fields are flooded. Defoliation by fall armyworm larvae may trigger increased expression of plant defenses, which may result in increased resistance to subsequent herbivores. The rice water weevil …

Amplification Dynamics Of Platy-1 Retrotransposons In The Cebidae Platyrrhine Lineage, Jessica M. Storer, Jackson R. Mierl, Sarah A. Brantley, Breanna Threeton, Yahor Sukharutski, Lydia C. Rewerts, Corey P. St Romain, Madeline M. Foreman, Jasmine N. Baker, Jerilyn A. Walker, Joseph D. Orkin, Amanda D. Melin, Kimberley A. Phillips, Miriam K. Konkel, Mark A. Batzer

Faculty Publications

© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. Platy-1 elements are Platyrrhine-specific, short interspersed elements originally discovered in the Callithrix jacchus (common marmoset) genome. To date,only themarmoset genomehas been analyzed for Platy-1 repeat content.Here,we report full-length Platy-1 insertions in other NewWorld monkey (NWM) genomes (Saimiri boliviensis, squirrel monkey; Cebus imitator, capuchin monkey; and Aotus nancymaae, owl monkey) and analyze the amplification dynamics of lineage-specific Platy-1 insertions. A relatively small number of full-length and lineage-specific Platy-1 elements were found in the squirrel, capuchin, and owl monkey genomes compared with the …

Genomic, Ecological, And Morphological Approaches To Investigating Species Limits: A Case Study In Modern Taxonomy From Tropical Eastern Pacific Surgeonfishes, Prosanta Chakrabarty

Faculty Publications

A wide variety of species are distinguished by slight color variations. However, molecular analyses have repeatedly demonstrated that coloration does not always correspond to distinct evolutionary histories between closely related groups, suggesting that this trait is labile and can be misleading for species identification. In the present study, we analyze the evolutionary history of sister species of Prionurus surgeonfishes in the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP), which are distinguished by the presence or absence of dark spots on their body. We examined the species limits in this system using comparative specimen-based approaches, a mitochondrial gene (COI), more than 800 nuclear loci …

Influence Of Sorghum Cultivar, Phenological Stage, And Fertilization On Development And Reproduction Of Melanaphis Sacchari (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Blake E. Wilson, Jeffrey Davis, Thomas Reagan, Luna Lama

Faculty Publications

The sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is an invasive pest of grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench (Poaceae). Since its first outbreak in sorghum in 2013, severe infestations have spread throughout the southern USA, causing major economic losses. Whereas insecticide applications can mitigate some of the pest's impacts, a sustainable ecology-based management program is needed to reduce reliance on chemical control. Two greenhouse assays examined the influence of selected host plant characteristics on M. sacchari life table parameters. We studied the effects of silicon (rates equivalent to 0 and 3,360 kg silicon per ha) and nitrogen (rates equivalent …

Hemipteran Pests Of Sugarcane In North America, Blake E. Wilson

Faculty Publications

ing-sucking herbivores (Insecta: Hemiptera) represent one of the greatest threats to agricultural production worldwide. Hemipteran pests directly injure plants as well as vector disease-causing plant pathogens. Production of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) in North America is impacted by a complex of Hemiptera including the sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari Zehntner (Aphididae); yellow sugarcane aphid, Sipha flava (Forbes) (Aphididae); West Indian canefly, Saccharosydne saccharivora (Westwood) (Delphacidae); sugarcane delphacid, Perkinsiella saccharicida Kirkaldy (Delphacidae); and sugarcane lace bug, Leptodictya tabida (Herric-Schaeffer) (Tingidae). None of these pests is consistently damaging to large amounts of sugarcane acreage, but regional outbreaks are common. The biology, ecology, and pest …

Temperature-Dependent Development And Host Range Of Crapemyrtle Bark Scale, Acanthococcus Lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), Zinan Wang, Yan Chen, Rodrigo Diaz

Faculty Publications

© 2019 Florida Entomological Society. All rights reserved. The crapemyrtle bark scale, Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), is an invasive pest of crapemyrtles, Lagerstroemia spp. L. (Lythraceae) in the southeastern USA. Information about its temperature-dependent development and host range is limited. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of temperature on the immature development of A. lagerstroemiae, and to determine plant species suitable for immature development and reproduction. Developmental time and survival of eggs were evaluated at 7 constant temperatures from 17.5 to 32 °C, and of nymphs at 20, 25, and 30 °C. Results suggested that …

Fifty Shades Of Brown: Macroevolution Of Plumage Brightness In The Furnariida, A Large Clade Of Drab Neotropical Passerines, Rafael S. Marcondes, Robb T. Brumfield

Faculty Publications

© 2019 The Author(s). Evolution © 2019 The Society for the Study of Evolution. Both natural and sexual selection are thought to affect the evolution of bird color. Most studies of the topic have focused on sexually dichromatic taxa and showy plumages, which are expected to be more influenced by social selection and usually result in increased conspicuousness. However, many bird clades display dull brown or gray plumages that vary greatly in brightness (lightness), but little in hue (shade). Here, we examine the macroevolution of brightness in one such clade, the Furnariida. We make comparisons across light environments, body parts, …

Louisiana Agriculture Spring, 2019

Louisiana Agriculture

No abstract provided.

Search For Light Sterile Neutrinos With The T2k Far Detector Super-Kamiokande At A Baseline Of 295 Km, K. Abe, R. Akutsu, A. Ali, C. Andreopoulos, L. Anthony, M. Antonova, S. Aoki, A. Ariga, Y. Ashida, Y. Awataguchi, Y. Azuma, S. Ban, M. Barbi, G. J. Barker, G. Barr, C. Barry, M. Batkiewicz-Kwasniak, F. Bench, V. Berardi, S. Berkman, R. M. Berner, L. Berns, S. Bhadra, S. Bienstock, A. Blondel, S. Bolognesi, B. Bourguille, S. B. Boyd

Faculty Publications

We perform a search for light sterile neutrinos using the data from the T2K far detector at a baseline of 295 km, with an exposure of 14.7(7.6)×1020 protons on target in neutrino (antineutrino) mode. A selection of neutral-current interaction samples is also used to enhance the sensitivity to sterile mixing. No evidence of sterile neutrino mixing in the 3+1 model was found from a simultaneous fit to the charged-current muon, electron and neutral-current neutrino samples. We set the most stringent limit on the sterile oscillation amplitude sin2θ24 for the sterile neutrino mass splitting Δm412<3×10-3 eV2/c4.

2900 Square Degree Search For The Optical Counterpart Of Short Gamma-Ray Burst Grb 180523b With The Zwicky Transient Facility, Michael W. Coughlin, Tomás Ahumada, S. Bradley Cenko, Virginia Cunningham, Shaon Ghosh, Leo P. Singer, Eric C. Bellm, Eric Burns, Kishalay De, Adam Goldstein, V. Zach Golkhou, David L. Kaplan, Mansi M. Kasliwal, Daniel A. Perley, Jesper Sollerman, Ashot Bagdasaryan, Richard G. Dekany, Dmitry A. Duev, Michael Feeney, Matthew J. Graham, David Hale, Shri R. Kulkarni, Thomas Kupfer, Russ R. Laher, Ashish Mahabal, Frank J. Masci, Adam A. Miller, James D. Neill, Maria T. Patterson, Reed Riddle, Ben Rusholme, Roger Smith, Yutaro Tachibana

Faculty Publications

There is significant interest in the models for production of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Until now, the number of known short GRBs with multi-wavelength afterglows has been small. While the Fermi GRB Monitor detects many GRBs relative to the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, the large localization regions makes the search for counterparts difficult. With the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) recently achieving first light, it is now fruitful to use its combination of depth (m AB ∼20.6), field of view (≈47 square degrees), and survey cadence (every ∼3 days) to perform Target of Opportunity observations. We demonstrate this capability on GRB …

Search For Transient Gravitational-Wave Signals Associated With Magnetar Bursts During Advanced Ligo's Second Observing Run, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, S. Abraham, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, G. Allen, A. Allocca, M. A. Aloy, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. V. Angelova, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, J. S. Areeda, M. Arène, N. Arnaud

Faculty Publications

We present the results of a search for short- and intermediate-duration gravitational-wave signals from four magnetar bursts in Advanced LIGO's second observing run. We find no evidence of a signal and set upper bounds on the root sum squared of the total dimensionless strain (h rss ) from incoming intermediate-duration gravitational waves ranging from 1.1 ×10 -22 at 150 Hz to 4.4 ×10 -22 at 1550 Hz at 50% detection efficiency. From the known distance to the magnetar SGR 1806-20 (8.7 kpc), we can place upper bounds on the isotropic gravitational-wave energy of 3.4 ×10 44 erg at 150 Hz …