Digital Commons Network^™

Ecological Factors Influencing Population Dynamics Of The Mississippi Sandhill Crane, Grus Canadensis Pulla, Henry W. Woolley

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation encompasses three studies involving ecological factors influencing the Mississippi sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pulla) population at Mississippi Sandhill National Wildlife Refuge. To examine influences on the historical population I studied trends in nesting, number of chicks fledged annually, and their environmental and biotic drivers during 1991-2018. I expected precipitation to be positively associated with population measures and drought, extreme heat, and predation to be inversely related to population measures. To examine the influence of current habitat food production on the crane population I quantified measures of production in 2018 and 2019 and their relationship to time …

Memory Of Wernher Von Braun In Rocket City: The Historians’ Vergangenheitsbewältigung Challenge In Huntsville, Alabama, 1998-2010, Susan Lloyd Mcclamroch

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the conflict that often develops between historians who aim to reveal difficult history or correct a biased view of history and influential stakeholders who possess the agency to maintain historic silences or a skewed version of history. It examines the case in Huntsville, Alabama, when historians at the University of Alabama Huntsville mounted a campaign to inform the community of World War II events in Europe that preceded the immigration and relocation of a team of German rocketeers to establish a missile development program at the US Army’s Redstone Arsenal facility in 1950. Cold War successes made …

A Gis-Swmm System To Evaluate Low Impact Development (Lid) Feature Effectiveness On Uno's Campus, Demetria C. Christo

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The EPA’s Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) includes the ability to model low impact development (LID) systems involving various types of green infrastructure (GI) for stormwater detention and infiltration.

The SWMM model requires hydrologic attribute inputs for individual subcatchments, including percent impervious surfaces, surface roughness, depression storage, and curve number. These SWMM attributes can be more accurately, consistently, and efficiently be defined in GIS by calculating the subcatchment area-weighted attribute values and importing them to SWMM. Thus, GIS becomes a valuable pre-processing input tool for SWMM-LID modeling.

The three objectives of this thesis are to 1) use GIS geoprocessing tools …

Parents Of Children With Hearing Loss: Meeting Parents’ Needs And Concerns Through The Early Intervention Process, Sara Chaddock

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop a deeper understanding of needs of parents of children with hearing loss during the crucial early years of a child’s life, to understand how those needs are met through birth-to-three Early Intervention programs, and to determine if parent identified needs align with the recommended practices for Early Intervention for children with hearing loss stated by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the Joint Committee of Infant Hearing (JCIH). This study used a quasi-structured web-based survey with both closed and open-ended questions. Three themes emerged from this study: needs for supports for …

Homeless Voices Across The Nation: How Government Assistance Is Perceived To Support The Homeless Community, Chelsea Helena-Marie Nelson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Six subtopics are found throughout homeless-related literature including definitions of homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, policy, housing models, and COVID-19. Through conduction of 323 homeless lived experience surveys across 15 diverse cities in the United States, this research has found assumptions and conclusions between firsthand perspective and literature’s subtopics. A major gap in literature exists with the inclusion of lived experience, as this was routinely an emphasized response from the homeless population themselves. Alternate needs and solutions were proposed from the participants, which found general similarities to the subtopics and included significance of perceived apathy from politicians towards the …

Effects Of Biological Cohesion On Wave Ripple Dynamics, Malcolm F. Cross

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In coastal environments, wave-generated oscillatory flow in the bottom boundary layer mobilizes sediment resulting in bedform generation and evolution. The presence of bedforms on the seafloor affects sediment transport, wave attenuation, and acoustic scattering. Many studies have examined the dynamics of sediment transport and the development of bedforms on the seafloor due to the interaction of waves and currents. However, these studies have relied heavily on laboratory experiments undertaken using sands with no biological influence. This research aims to understand the effects of increased cohesion within the sediment particles resulting from biological influences (e.g., extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)) on the …

Fast & Efficient Simulation For Long Polymeric Chains, Naeyma N. Islam

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Co-Option Of The Yolkless Oocyte Receptor For Crispr/Cas9 May Induce Transient Sterility In Female Drosophila Grimshawi Flies, Bronwyn Miller

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Evolutionary developmental biology has historically used generalist model organisms like Drosophila melanogaster. The Hawaiian Drosophilidae radiation, which occurred just 25 million years ago, is an ideal lineage for work in Evo-Devo. Hawaiian flies make up 25% of the world’s Drosophila species and extreme diversity is seen throughout the group. D. grimshawi is a generalist Hawaiian picture-wing fly that has served as a model for the Hawaiian Drosophilidae radiation. However, D. grimshawi’s power and use as a model organism is constrained by our lack of ability to manipulate its genome. In this work, I attempted to edit the genome of …

Kudzu Invasion And Control In Southern Upland Forests Of Mississippi, Gina M. Profetto

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Kudzu, Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.), is a common invasive species throughout the American South. In southern upland mixed oak-pine forests of Mississippi, kudzu invasion generally and indiscriminately suppressed the pre-invasion plant community. Three different control methods reduced kudzu density but differed in the level of reduction achieved and in their effects on the pre-existing plant community. A combination of burning and herbicides produced the most desirable outcome in terms of restoring the pre-invasion community. Kudzu invasion significantly increased nitrate pools compared to control sites, but had no effect on ammonium or nitrite, or on the microbial processes of mineralization …

Fine Grained Delta Front Sediment Transport, Sarah Noel

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Insights into transformative coastal processes are unlocked though understanding sediment transport mechanisms in fine-grained delta front environments. Movement of fine-grained sediments on delta fronts is not wholly explained through advection settling models. While advection settling models generally assume deposition into a still body, numerical modeling of sediment re-entrainment suggests there may be tidal, wave, and/or non-steady hydrograph influences allowing particles to reach greater distances by altering the decelerating velocity field. This research explores both an advection settling model and a mass conservation Rouse profile model to understand the irreducible delta front processes controlling sediment deposition. Using field data collected on …

Emerging Barrios In Metro New Orleans, Rosa Gomez-Herrin

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

As the United States experiences a demographic shift that will turn it into a majority people of color nation, with Latinxs making up the largest ethnic minority group, urban planning policies and practices require adjustment to meet the cultural needs of this and other ethnic groups. This dissertation explores how Latinxs’ ethnic identity is socially constructed and intrinsically tied to cultural manifestations that are (re)shaping the nation’s-built environment. This project studies demographic changes and emerging patterns of spatial concentration of the Latinx community in the Greater New Orleans area during the last two decades. I am developing a concept of …

A Machine Learning Method For The Prediction Of Melt Pool Geometries Created By Laser Powder Bed Fusion, Jonathan Ciaccio

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A machine learning model is created to predict melt pool geometries of Ti-6Al-4V alloy created by the laser powder bed fusion process. Data is collected through an extensive literature survey, using results from both experiments and CFD modeling. The model focuses on five key input parameters that influence melt pool geometries: laser power, scanning speed, spot size, powder density, and powder layer thickness. The two outputs of the model are melt pool width and melt pool depth. The model is trained and tested by using the k fold cross validation technique. Multiple regression models are then applied to find the …

Paint's Peeling, Nicholas A. Manning

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Home Quartet, Oliver Bonie

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Personality As A Predictor Of Patterns Of Substance Use, Cynthia Sergi

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Substance use (SU) affects many people worldwide and is an important public health concern. Personality has been theorized to play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of SU. To test how personality is related to patterns of SU, a latent profile analysis was used to cluster individuals into SU classes with multinomial logistic regression used to test the relationship between personality and patterns of SU. Results suggested that polysubstance use was common, with variations in primary substance of choice among classes. As classes became more inclusive of more substances, they increased in psychopathological personality traits. Higher domains of …

The Race To Fifty Feet: An Effort To Determine The Benefits Of Deepening The Mississippi River, Brian Miles

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research examined the benefits and drawbacks of deepening the Lower Mississippi River to fifty feet. It established that the deepening of the Lower Mississippi River will impact not only the local area but also the inland regions that rely on the river systems and lower river ports for product movement. The perspectives of vessel operators, maritime industry experts and charterers are provided to offer insight. The sources for the research include educational literature, maritime research and interviews of industry experts. Based on this research, it is clear that this project will benefit many parties. The beneficiaries will include both …

Sunday To Friday: Investigating Masculinity Using Pornography Traffic During Two Major Events, Michael K. Doherty

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper is an investigation into how Masculinity Theory can explain a shift in Pornhub traffic when specific major events take place. The paper examines two events, the recent Super Bowls and the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic framed against Pornhub traffic data at the same time. It finds that masculinity theory when combined with motivation for pornography viewing, can serve as one plausible explanation behind a shift in traffic.

Financial Market Integration In Latin America, Obed Fernando Izaguirre Lozano

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is entitled ’Financial Market Integration in Latin America" and consists of two empirical studies. The first chapter is called ’Financial Market Integration between Latin America and the US". This empirical analysis focuses on the comovement between the US and major Latin American countries around free trade agreements. The results show that comovement thus financial integration has increased after the trade agreements for all the countries except for Brazil. The studied sector indices show that countries that have a free trade agreement with the US showed an increase in integration among sectors. The second empirical study is called ’The …

Having A High-Activity Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Allele Is Associated With Elevated Anxiety And Lower Salivary Dehydroepiandrosterone But Also Lower Alpha Amylase In Children With Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome., Jessie Beebe

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) results from a hemizygous deletion located on the long arm of chromosome 22. The most common deletion sizes affect between 30 and 90 genes. Individuals with 22q11.2DS may develop serious developmental and psychiatric disorders. The phenotype is highly variable, however, and may be influenced by allelic variation of the retained copies of genes covered by the deletion. I set out to examine the effects of two genes, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and proline dehydrogenase (PRODH), in relation to anxiety in children and adolescents with 22q11.2DS. Individuals with the major COMT allele (higher activity) have significantly higher anxiety …

Merger, Efficiency, And Productivity In The Us Credit Union Industry, Khaled Q. Bataineh

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

First essay examines if mergers lead to more efficient credit unions. We use a two-step methodology of estimating efficiency scores (technical and scale efficiencies) one year before the merger and three years after the merger through using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). We find that members of acquired US credit unions benefit from improving both technical and scale efficiencies. Conversely, members of acquiring US credit unions do not benefit as the efficiency scores have been unchanged. Therefore, profitability is the primary driver of mergers for the acquiring credit unions, while efficiency is the main one for the acquired credit unions. …

From Stowaway To Emperor: Understanding Brutus Jones In Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones, Justin W. Davis

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The body of this thesis is a documentation of the process of creating the character of Brutus Jones in Eugene O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones, including research, character analysis, rehearsal journal, list of actions and activities, and the play. The Emperor Jones was produced by the University of New Orleans Department of Film and Theatre in New Orleans, Louisiana in the fall of 2020. Due to the Coronavirus, all actors and crew were tested and masked during rehearsals and filming. The play was filmed in the Robert E. Nims theatre and presented online on the evenings of November 21^st, …

Analysis Of Liquefied Natural Gas (Lng) Systems With Innovative Waste Heat Recovery, Shisir Acharya

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Due to the increase in energy needs all over the world, many nations do not have sufficient indigenous energy resources and have turned towards importing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). LNG production is an energy intensive process that produces a lot of wasted heat. The objective of this study is to review the current LNG processes and identify areas of improvement. To begin with, this study analyzes wasted energy recovery methods currently used in various power plants, followed by validation of the capability of the software, Thermoflex, against the published performance data of various power plants and corresponding gas cleanup processes. …

Incomplete Markets And Financial Innovation: Consequences For Risk-Sharing, Household Welfare, And Portfolio Choice, Nicolas Duvernois

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation consists of three chapters measuring the degree of risk-sharing in a panel of US households, and its impact on welfare and portfolio choice. Conventional wisdom suggests financial innovation improves risk-sharing by completing markets and lowering transaction costs--households engage in risk-sharing to insure against idiosyncratic income shocks to improve their own welfare. In the first chapter, using household level income and imputed consumption data, I find that households' ability to smooth permanent shocks has slightly increased while transitory insurance remained unchanged. However, I find that participating households have higher consumption insurance. Their ability to insure permanent shocks has improved …

Idiosyncratic Volatility And Interruption Mechanisms In South Korean Stock Markets, Seungho Shin

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine how the volatility interruption mechanisms affect idiosyncratic volatilities in Korean stock markets. Collecting the South Korea Stock Market (KOSPI) data from June 15, 2015 to March 31, 2019, we collect each residual„ from three different estimated models: CAPM, FF3, and FF5. To estimate the conditional idiosyncratic volatility, we employ two conditional time-varying measurements: GARCH and TGARCH. Our results show that the conditional idiosyncratic volatility increases when stock prices reach the upper and lower static limits, indicating the implementation of adopting static VI mechanism neither stabilize market conditions nor reduce excess volatility along …

Geomorphological Responses Of Biloxi Marsh Platform Due To Variation In The Volume And Distribution Of Marsh-Edge Shell Ridges During Cold Fronts And Tropical Storms, Riana A. Grout

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Wetlands in coastal Louisiana account for 37% of total wetlands in the United States, yet account for 90% of the total wetland loss. Recent research shows the percent of Louisiana’s coastal wetland loss is decreasing, likely due to the lack of major hurricanes since 2008. The study area, Biloxi marsh, is located south of Lake Borgne and was formed by progradation of the St. Bernard delta complex. One unique geomorphologic feature of Biloxi marsh is the presence of oyster and clam shells, which wash onto the marsh platform and create shell ridges. Crassostrea virginica is the most common shell found …

Catalysts And Impediments To Tax Increment Finance In Tulsa’S Historical African American Neighborhood, Bria A. Dixon

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis assesses how Tulsa, Oklahoma grew to utilize tax increment financing (TIF) to produce economic activity in Tulsa’s historic downtown area. Specifically, how the creation, history, and maintenance of ONEOK Field, a $60 million, 6,000-seat sports venue in Tulsa’s historically African American neighborhood became the catalyst for Tulsa’s current TIF policy. In examining the fiscal outcomes of ONEOK Field, this thesis finds implications for inequitable investment in and around Tulsa’s Greenwood TIF district

Kid Smart: Relief Effort Through The Arts, Adam Leblanc

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this internship report is to analyze the nonprofit organization KID smART through the lens of my Arts Administration education and training. I will provide a breakdown of the organization’s structure and the components of my internship that occurred during KID smART’s programmatic response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through my S.W.O.T. analysis, I connect KID smART’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to best practices of the Arts Administration industry. In conclusion, I offer recommendations of how KID smART can improve as it grows and continues to serve the New Orleans community

How To Lose The Big Game, Emma Seely

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

“The Very Class For Our Country”: How The Cuban Exploitation Of Chinese Coolie Laborers Inspired Louisiana Sugar Planters, Joseph Ledesma

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Sugar planters in Louisiana during Reconstruction needed to replace the enslaved labor force that had fled the plantation system after the Civil War. These Louisiana planters took inspiration from the system of coolie labor in Cuba, wherein exploited Chinese indentured servants would work on sugar plantation alongside enslaved Africans. The white Cuban planters’ goal was to ethnically diversify their plantation labor force, thus making the existing power structures easier to maintain while avoiding slave uprising by manufacturing racial divisions among the labor force. Sugar planters in Louisiana intended to recreate the Cuban system to compel Freedmen to work for less …

The Medical Treatment Of Obesity: On The Page & In The Office, Shayla J. Staley

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper sought out the causes of weight discrimination in healthcare. Through content analysis of medical journals, the study illuminated several causes. These causes were used to create a concept matrix surrounding the medicalization of fatness that illustrated how these concepts are defined relationally, as well as how they combine to form the medical conception of the “obesity epidemic”. The concept matrix carries an indirect influence upon weight stigma that can lead to weight discrimination when fat folks seek out healthcare.