Digital Commons Network^™

Photo-Induced Remote C-H Functionalization And New Thioglycoside Donor Development For O-Glycosylation, Shaofu Du

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the method development of C-H functionalization using photo-redox catalysis and the synthesis of new thioglycoside donors towards O-glycosylation. Chapter 1 describes the remote Csp³-H functionalization using photo-redox catalysis. The site-selective and high-yielding conversion of unreactive aliphatic C-H bonds has been a challenge for organic chemists for many years. In this work, inert C-H bonds were successfully converted to more useful C-C, C-N, and C-O bonds via hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), radical translocation and polar crossover. This mechanistic manifold was enacted by visible-light irradiation of o-diazoniaphenyl alkyl sulfones in the presence of Ru(bpy) …

Toward The Impact Of Particulate Matter On Human Health: Evaluation Of Fluorescent Environmentally Persistent Free Radical (Epfr) Surrogates, Ansonia Badgett

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs)—a newly discovered pollutant associated with particulate matter (PM)—form during combustion and thermal processes, such as the incineration of hazardous waste. Various chlorine- and hydroxy-substituted benzenes chemisorb on the surface of metal oxides (e.g., NiO, CuO, and Fe₂O₃) and then form EPFRs, stabilized radical species, as the result of the transfer of electrons between the adsorbate and the metal ion of the metal oxide. Previous studies have shown direct correlations between ultra-fine (d < 0.1 mm) particulate matter (PM_0.1) exposure and adverse pulmonary health effects. PM_0.1 has the potential …

The Influence Of Selected Factors On The Perceived Work Readiness Of Undergraduate Program Completers At A Research University, Karen Lynne Goodridge

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected personal, academic, and employment characteristics on the perceived work readiness of undergraduate program completers at a research university located in the Southern Region of the United States. The target population was undergraduate program completers at research universities in the United States. The accessible population was undergraduate program completers at one selected research university (RU/VH) located in the Southern Region of the United States. The sample comprised 100% of the defined accessible population who completed a graduating student survey administered by the Office of Career Services (OCS) at …

Intraguild Predation: Interactions Between Predators, Pathogens, And Their Shared Resources In Crop Pest Communities, Andrew Jason Flick

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Crop pest management requires an understanding of the complex interactions among pest species that potentially damage crop yield and species that may be crucial for controlling pest species outbreaks. For example, predators, parasitoids, and pathogens are constantly interacting via their shared prey or hosts. Predators may prefer infected prey, which can be easier to catch; however, infected prey may be less nutritious or even lethal for predators. These interactions then dictate the short-term dynamics of host and pathogen as well as between prey and predator. "How these dynamics change as the species in the system change either empirically or theoretically?" …

Temperature Transient Analysis For Reservoir Characterization, Yilin Mao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recent developments in downhole temperature measurements open new alternatives contributing to reservoir characterization. In this dissertation, novel forward and inverse models to analyze production- and injection-induced temperature signals are developed for conventional and unconventional reservoir applications. Important limitations of the proposed models are addressed by accounting for fluid property variations and complex production strategies.

Forward modeling approaches involve making relevant assumptions that allow rigorous analytical solutions to be constructed using Laplace transform, Method of Characteristics, and control volume analysis. Our results of the analytical models are benchmarked with those from commercial numerical simulation software. Multiple possible scenarios of conventional reservoirs …

Singularity Resolution In Anisotropic And Black Hole Spacetimes In Loop Quantum Cosmology, Sahil Saini

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Loop quantum cosmology (LQC) has in recent years led to successful resolution of singularities in cosmological models while agreeing with general relativity in low curvature limit. Existence of a bounce and the possibility of an effective continuum description closely approximating the quantum evolution have been notable features of this singularity resolution. The effective spacetimes of loop quantized isotropic and Bianchi-I models have been shown to be geodesically complete and free from strong singularities. In this dissertation, we extend these results to effective loop quantized Bianchi-II, Bianchi-IX and Kantowski--Sachs models with arbitrary minimally coupled matter, and also explore the possibility of …

Changing Land-Use From Pinus Elliottii To Eucalyptus Bentamii In Southwest Louisiana Affects Understory Vegetation Richness, Diversity, And Functional Diversity Patterns, Andrea De Stefano

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the Western Gulf region of the United States cold-tolerant eucalyptus have been explored as pulpwood feedstock. However, non-native plantations may alter understory species diversity, modifying environmental conditions and soil characteristics. Few studies have compared eucalyptus plantations with other ecosystems to understand the impacts of converting these land uses on understory vegetation in the United States. Three plantations were selected: (1) slash pine (Pinus elliottii) established in 2008, (2) slash pine established in 2013, and (3) and Camden white gum (Eucalyptus benthamii) established in 2013. The objectives of this study were to: (1) investigate potential changes …

A Poetics Of Temperance: Gender, Genre, And Meaning-Making In Early Modern England, Cristina Maria Rosell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

For several hundred years, the scholarly discussion of temperance was dominated by the legacy of classical models. This dissertation, titled A Poetics of Temperance: Gender, Genre, and Meaning-Making in Early Modern England, develops said discussion in a new way by forging a language about ethics and aesthetics into a poetics of temperance. The term poiesis derives from Greek and signifies “to make, create, produce” (OED). Accordingly, Aristotle uses the Greek poietes, “from which our word ‘poet’ derives,” to denote a “maker” (Murray xxxii). In brief, this project understands the role of women in emergent genres as …

Using Deep Learning To Forecast Spatiotemporal Crime Patterns, Shuzhan Fan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The distributional patterns of crime occurrences are closely related to their spatial, temporal, and environmental contexts. It has been a hot topic for researchers and crime analysts to discover such complex relationships in order to forecast crime, both spatially and temporally. Many factors play a role in the occurrences of crimes. Conventional crime forecasting research has primarily relied on historical crime records and socioeconomic data, while ignoring the rich social media and other environmental context data. The large volume of data requires a more appropriate forecasting framework with the ability to take in massive multimodal data and possibly achieve better …

Speciation And Hybridization In Jamaican-Endemic Streamertail Hummingbirds (Trochilus Polytmus And T. Scitulus), Caroline D. Judy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Streamertails hummingbirds (Trochilus polytmus and T. scitulus) are recently diverged sister taxa that appear to have speciated in situ on the island of Jamaica. They are distinguished by male bill color, a secondary sexual trait that is coral red in T. polytmus and jet black in T. scitulus. They hybridize in a narrow zone where their ranges meet in eastern Jamaica. In Chapter 2, I performed a formal population survey of T. scitulus to determine the size of the population, which was unknown. I determined that the total population contains well over 100,000 individuals despite its limited …

The Effects Of Pressure And Magnetic Field On Phase Transitions And Related Physical Properties In Solid State Caloric Materials, Ahmad Ikhwan Us Saleheen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Solid-state caloric effects, such as the magnetocaloric (MCE) and barocaloric (BCE) effects, may be utilized in future cooling technologies that are more efficient and environment-friendly. Large caloric effects often occur near phase transitions, especially near coupled first-order magnetostructural transitions (MST), and are initiated by external parameters, such as magnetic field or hydrostatic pressure. In this dissertation, the effects of pressure, temperature, and magnetic field on the phase transitions in three material systems are studied in order to elucidate how the respective caloric effects are affected.

In the first study, the realization of a coupled MST in a MnNiSi-based system through …

Molecular Level Interactions And Transformations Of Natural Organic Matter Within The Environment, Benjamin J. Haywood

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This work was done in order to deepen the understanding of interactions occurring during sorption of anthropogenic organic compounds and dissolved organic matter (DOM) onto soil. As well as the transformation DOM undergoes during the sorption process and the overall transformation OM undergoes in the environment. This was achieved through the use of a “bottom-up” synthetic investigation, “top-down” natural system study, and a combination of these approaches.

The “bottom-up” approach, discussed in Chapter 2, involved the synthesis of a modular multi-tiered engineered soil surrogate (ESS) designed to mimic OM and general trends identified in the literature that impacts sorption behavior. …

Citizen Science In 4-H: Youth Volunteer Motivations, Participation, Retention And Scientific Literacy, Veronica Del Bianco

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the influence of volunteer motivation, participation, and citizen science project type on the retention and scientific literacy of 4-H youth volunteers ages 8-19 years participating in science projects. The conceptual model of participation in organized activities (OA) proposed by Bohnert, Fredericks and Randall (2010) was used as a framework for the variables included in the study categorizing them as predictors of participation, participation, program characteristics, or outcomes. A systematic review of volunteer motivations, retention, and scientific literacy in citizen science projects exposed that the literature contains silos of information published in …

Purposeful Planning And Intentional Practice In Literacy Leadership: The Making Of An Urban Principal, Nakia Claudette Jackson Perkins

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Audubon Elementary is an urban elementary school that is the setting for this proposed study. It is a high-achieving, high-performing school where achievement goals are always centered on literacy learning, especially within the context of accountability wherein faculty and school leadership acknowledge the importance that the school district has placed on standardized testing. Pre-K through fifth grades are housed at the school. In 2018, there are approximately 554 students who are guided by 65 faculty and staff members.

Participants were purposely selected based on both convenience and criteria sampling (Collins, Onwuegbuzie, & Jiao, 2007). Initially, six participants, or classroom …

Calculation Guided Rational Design And Synthesis Of Novel Cationic Fluorescent Meso–Pyridinium Bodipys For Bio-Imaging, Daniel J. Lamaster

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Chapter 1 contains a brief overview of the history, synthesis, and properties of BODIPY dyes as well as that of the biomedical applications of bio-imaging and photodynamic therapy. Additionally, an overview of the theoretical framework of density functional theory and its time-dependent variant are provided. In Chapter 2, the effects of structural modification on the electronic structure and electron dynamics of cationic meso-(4-pyridyl)-BODIPYs were investigated. A library of 2,6-difunctionalized meso-(4-pyridyl)-BODIPYs bearing various electron-withdrawing substituents was designed and DFT calculations were used to model the redox properties, while TDDFT was used to determine the effects of functionalization on the excited …

Beam Theory For Classical And Quantum Nonlinear Optics---Exposing Classical And Quantum Correlations Of Transverse-Spatial Modes, Robert Nicholas Lanning

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Optics is arguably the most important branch of physics that has ever been studied. It is not only an essential ingredient of many other branches of physics that we study, it governs how we see, how we measure, and how we communicate in the modern world. And as the world continues to change, so do our tools and resources. In a relatively short amount of time, we have progressed from rudimentary tools that shape the world around us, to tools that harness the fundamental laws of nature. Unsurprisingly, the laws of nature governing optics remain paramount. This is because many …

Unpacking The Double Bind: Exploring How The Intersection Of Race And Gender Shape The Undergraduate Experiences Of African American Women In Engineering, Anissa Guerin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This three-part qualitative study explored the factors that contribute to the success of African American female students’ persistence in engineering majors. This study also addressed obstacles African American female students face and overcome to persist in engineering majors. Examining African American women in engineering who persist would be an effective method to provide academic support and increase participation amongst this underrepresented group. In addition to exploring the challenges and barriers faced by African American women, this study also acknowledged the skills, perspectives and resources African American women bring to engineering and engineering education. Highlighting their distinctive contributions and attributes would …

First-Principles Study On The Catalytic Role Of Cerium Dioxide In The Conversion Of Organic Compounds, Chuanlin Zhao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ceria is an earth-abundant material that has been widely used in heterogeneous catalysis, environmental catalysis, and energy applications thanks for its ability to readily convert between different oxidation states. The objective of this study is to theoretically elucidate the reaction mechanisms for the conversion of model organic compounds on ceria, in order to gain insights for the design of cost-effective and selective ceria-based catalysts. Acetaldehyde, acetic acid, and para-nitrophenyl phosphate monoester were selected as the model compounds to probe ceria surfaces. Density functional theory calculations can provide accurate predictions of adsorption and reaction energetics, which can be used to …

Tidal-, Wind-, And Buoyancy-Driven Dynamics In The Barataria Estuary And Its Impact On Estuarine-Shelf Exchange Processes, Linlin Cui

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A three-dimensional, high-resolution, Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) was used to study the dynamics of Barataria Estuary located in the Southeastern Louisiana. Three numerical experiments with different discharge scenarios, including the actual discharge (average ~ 160 m³ s^-1) from the Davis Pond Diversion (DPD) over three months from April to June 2010, no discharge (NO), and the proposed Mid-Barataria Diversion (MBD) with a constant discharge of 850 m³ s^-1, were conducted to investigate the impacts of river diversions on salinity gradients and residence times in the estuary. The three-month average salinity indicated that surface …

Effective Visualization Approaches For Ultra-High Dimensional Datasets, Gurminder Kaur

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Multivariate informational data, which are abstract as well as complex, are becoming increasingly common in many areas such as scientific, medical, social, business, and so on. Displaying and analyzing large amounts of multivariate data with more than three variables of different types is quite challenging. Visualization of such multivariate data suffers from a high degree of clutter when the numbers of dimensions/variables and data observations become too large. We propose multiple approaches to effectively visualize large datasets of ultrahigh number of dimensions by generalizing two standard multivariate visualization methods, namely star plot and parallel coordinates plot. We refine three variants …

Large Eddy Simulations Of Vertical Jets In Crossflow, Pranaya Pokharel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Jets in crossflow (JICF) have applications ranging from oil spill to film cooling of turbine blades. Hence, an understanding of the flow physics is important. The majority of the research has been conducted for low velocity ratios between jet and crossflow with round jets. JICF is demonstrated to behave differently for high velocity ratios and different jet shapes. Circular and rectangular jets are commonly used in aircraft applications. Current study focuses on high velocity ratio JICF issuing from both circular and rectangular exit.

For simulating JICF, an in house code “Chem3D” is used with Large Eddy Simulation (LES) to model …

Reinforcement Learning In Robotic Task Domains With Deictic Descriptor Representation, Harry Paul Moore

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the field of reinforcement learning, robot task learning in a specific environment with a Markov decision process backdrop has seen much success. But, extending these results to learning a task for an environment domain has not been as fruitful, even for advanced methodologies such as relational reinforcement learning. In our research into robot learning in environment domains, we utilize a form of deictic representation for the robot’s description of the task environment. However, the non-Markovian nature of the deictic representation leads to perceptual aliasing and conflicting actions, invalidating standard reinforcement learning algorithms. To circumvent this difficulty, several past research …

Observation Of High-Energy Gamma-Rays With The Calorimetric Electron Telescope (Calet) On-Board The International Space Station, Nicholas Wade Cannady

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) is a multi-instrument high-energy astrophysics observatory deployed to the International Space Station (ISS) in August 2015. The primary instrument is the calorimeter (CAL), which is intended for measurement of the cosmic ray electron flux in the energy range 10 GeV - 20 TeV. The CAL is also sensitive to gamma-rays in the energy range 1 GeV - 10 TeV and protons and nuclei up to PeV energies. Also present on the CALET payload are an Advanced Stellar Compass (ASC) for the fine determination of the pointing direction and the CALET Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (CGBM) for …

Influence Of Salinity, Sunlight, And Sediment On The Toxicity Of Pesticides In Three Non-Target Organisms, Emily Noelle Vebrosky

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Pesticides used in the United States must undergo registration by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), after a multitude of analyses ranging from environmental fate to aquatic toxicological impacts to human risk exposure. Testing varies for each chemical, some requiring more testing than others. In many cases, environmental factors are restricted in the analysis of chemical behavior and organismal testing is limited to larvae. Many pesticides are formulated to breakdown in the environment by means of photolysis, hydrolysis, or oxidation, either to ensure low-persistence, limited transport, or to form the active ingredient (pro-pesticides). Environmental influences on chemical behaviors include …

Three-Dimensional Flow, Morphologic Change, And Sediment Deposition And Distribution Of Actively Evolving Neck Cutoffs Located On The White River, Arkansas, Derek Allen Richards

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Neck cutoffs are important and prominent features of alluvial rivers yet detailed field-based research of neck cutoffs has been insufficient to fully characterize three-dimensional flow, morphologic change, and sediment deposition and distribution. The main objectives of this research are to examine the formation and evolution of neck cutoffs by characterizing the flow field, morphology, and sediment distribution through neck cutoffs with complex planform configurations located on the White River, Arkansas. Results led to the production of two conceptual models. The flow model has main hydrodynamic characteristics of (1) tight bend flow resulting from flow redirection of nearly 180° through the …

Theoretical Studies Of Ultrafast Electron Dynamics In Atoms And Molecules Via High-Order Harmonic Generation, Paul Vincent Abanador

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The interaction of atoms and molecules with strong laser pulses is of fundamental interest in physics and chemistry. Notably, the process known as high-order harmonic generation (HHG) refers to the production of extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) light, which occurs when an ensemble of atoms or molecules is subjected to a strong infrared laser field. Characterized by an attosecond time scale (1 as = 10^-18 s), the HHG process provides the capability for experimental measurements to capture the ultrafast motion of electrons in these target atoms and molecules. The underlying physical mechanism behind this process naturally leaves imprints in the properties of …

Bipartite Quantum Interactions: Entangling And Information Processing Abilities, Siddhartha Das

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to advance the theory behind quantum information processing tasks, by deriving fundamental limits on bipartite quantum interactions and dynamics. A bipartite quantum interaction corresponds to an underlying Hamiltonian that governs the physical transformation of a two-body open quantum system. Under such an interaction, the physical transformation of a bipartite quantum system is considered in the presence of a bath, which may be inaccessible to an observer. The goal is to determine entangling abilities of such arbitrary bipartite quantum interactions. Doing so provides fundamental limitations on information processing tasks, including entanglement distillation and secret key …

Selling, General, And Administrative Cost Stickiness And Gdp Predictions, Russell Barber

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines whether selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) cost stickiness is informative in predicting GDP growth and in explaining GDP forecast errors. Prior research has examined how accounting earnings growth is informative in predicting GDP. However, up to this point there has been a lack of research examining how accounting cost behavior is informative in predicting GDP growth. Managers make SG&A cost decisions based on projections of future demand, so the main hypothesis of this study is that cost stickiness has an informational role in predicting GDP growth and in explaining GDP forecast errors. The empirical findings of this …

The 'Happiest' Corner Of London: Bethnal Green, 1550-1945, Audrey Lynne Gray

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

How is a cultural identity created, defined, and used? In this study, I have traced Bethnal Green’s cultural identity in the period between 1550 and1945. It was a cultural identity defined by poverty, but also by hope; residents were poor but scrappy, able to make do with the worst of circumstances. That cultural identity defined the area to outsiders; it was also embraced by the residents. Following the area’s path from an idyllic and genteel area to an overcrowded slum, I have traced the experience of poverty, and the development and impact of poverty relief, from the perspective of both …

Techniques Of Energy-Efficient Vlsi Chip Design For High-Performance Computing, Zhou Zhao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

How to implement quality computing with the limited power budget is the key factor to move very large scale integration (VLSI) chip design forward. This work introduces various techniques of low power VLSI design used for state of art computing. From the viewpoint of power supply, conventional in-chip voltage regulators based on analog blocks bring the large overhead of both power and area to computational chips. Motivated by this, a digital based switchable pin method to dynamically regulate power at low circuit cost has been proposed to make computing to be executed with a stable voltage supply. For one of …