Digital Commons Network^™

Are Local Chemical Releases Causing An Increase In Cancer Rates In East Baton Rouge Parish?, India T. Anderson

LSU Master's Theses

Environmental pollution has become a steadily growing problem in today’s society. East Baton Rouge alone has 13 chemical plants in the parish. The goal of this research is to find out if the chemical releases in the parish are having an effect on the cancer rates in East Baton Rouge Parish. I gathered data from all 64 parishes in Louisiana. The four chemicals I chose to study specifically, Benzene, Dioxin, Formaldehyde, and Xylene. Chemical release data was taken from the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) website and software from the years1988 to 2009, which was the last reporting year. The cancers …

Stochastic Modelling Of Eukaryotic Cell Cycle, Murali Krushna Koneru

LSU Master's Theses

Stochastic models are developed to capture the inherent stochasticity of the biochemical networks associated to many biological processes. The objective of the present thesis is to present a detailed picture of stochastic approach for the mathematical modeling of eukaryotic cell cycle, to demonstrate an important application of such model in chemotherapy and to present a methodology for selecting the model parameters. The stochastic cell cycle model, developed using stochastic chemical kinetics approach, leads to the formation of an infinite dimensional differential equation in probabilities of system being in a specific state. Using Monte Carlo simulations of this model, dynamics of …

Using X-Ray Computed Tomography To Quantify Damage Of Hot-Mix Asphalt In The Dynamic Complex Modulus And Flow Number Tests, Hao Ying

LSU Master's Theses

The dynamic modulus test is conducted based on the assumption that no damage is induced during the testing process and that measurements are conducted within the linear viscoelastic region. In addition, significant damage is expected to occur during the flow number test process. While these assumptions are well-defined, the levels of damage taking place during these tests have not been quantified. The objectives of this study were to quantify the levels of damage in the dynamic complex modulus and flow number tests using x-ray computed tomography (CT) and to characterize the microstructural properties of asphalt mixtures under loading. Four Superpave …

A Partial Order On Classical And Quantum States, Arka Bandyopadhyay

LSU Master's Theses

In this work we extend the work done by Bob Coecke and Keye Martin in their paper “Partial Order on Classical States and Quantum States (2003)”. We review basic notions involving elementary domain theory, the set of probability measures on a finite set {a1, a2, ..., an}, which we identify with the standard (n-1)-simplex ∆n and Shannon Entropy. We consider partial orders on ∆n, which have the Entropy Reversal Property (ERP) : elements lower in the order have higher (Shannon) entropy or equivalently less information . The ERP property is important because of its applications in quantum information theory. We …

Carbon Sequestration And Uneven-Aged Management Of Loblolly Pine Stands In The Southern Usa: A Joint Optimization Approach, Rajan Parajuli

LSU Master's Theses

Forest carbon sequestration is regarded as a viable and cost effective option for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Several research studies analyzed the effects of joint management of carbon and timber under different even-aged forest management scenarios, and concluded that carbon benefits can alter forest management schedules significantly. However, research specifically focused on the inclusion of carbon sequestration benefits into uneven-aged management has received little attention. This study determined the optimum joint management regime of timber and carbon in uneven-aged loblolly pine stands in Louisiana, and assessed management and financial effects resulting from the integration of carbon benefits into uneven-aged …

A Comparative Study Of Cellulose I And Ii And Fibers And Nanocrystals, Yiying Yue

LSU Master's Theses

The influence of sodium hydroxide treatment on the structure of cotton fibers was studied. Compared to raw cotton fibers, the entire bundles of mercerized fibers were converted into a swollen and roughened state. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) indicated that intermolecular hydrogen bonding was enhanced by mercerization treatment. Wide-angle X ray diffraction (WXRD) results showed decreased fiber crystallinity after mercerization. The structure of cellulose II fibers was more thermally stable than cellulose I fibers. Mechanical properties of cotton fiber-reinforced polyethylene oxide (PEO) composites demonstrated that both raw and mercerized cotton fibers enhanced their tensile strength of the PEO matrix, but …

An Intelligent Othello Player Combining Machine Learning And Game Specific Heuristics, Kevin Anthony Cherry

LSU Master's Theses

Artificial intelligence applications in board games have been around as early as the 1950's, and computer programs have been developed for games including Checkers, Chess, and Go with varying results. Although general game-tree search algorithms have been designed to work on games meeting certain requirements (e.g. zero-sum, two-player, perfect or imperfect information, etc.), the best results, however, come from combining these with specific knowledge of game strategies. In this MS thesis, we present an intelligent Othello game player that combines game-specific heuristics with machine learning techniques in move selection. Five game specific heuristics, namely corner detection, killer move detection, blocking, …

A Look At The Integration Of Wetlands And Hazard Mitigation Planning In Coastal Louisiana, Kathleen Melissa Bowers

LSU Master's Theses

Due to the destruction of the damaging hurricanes of 2005, Katrina and Rita, more effort has gone into the rebuilding and prevention of future disasters along the Louisiana coast than ever before. This research focuses on the use of wetlands, in the ten coastal parishes of Louisiana, as a mitigation effort aiding in the protection of coastal communities. Using content analysis and decision support software, a wetland ranking was created that represents how wetlands are utilized and protected within each parish. Criteria gathered from the plans include how many times wetlands were mentioned, collaboration with the state and other agencies, …

Developing A Gulf-Wide Oyster Reef Restoration Plan: Identification Of Spatial, Socio-Economic And Geo-Political Constraints, Elizabeth Ashby Nix

LSU Master's Theses

Oyster reefs have recently been identified as one of the most endangered coastal ecosystems, fueling efforts to restore and enhance these systems. Oyster reefs located in the northern Gulf of Mexico have been identified as some of the healthiest of reefs globally, and current efforts focus on devising an approach to Gulf-wide restoration of these reefs. As with all natural resource management and restoration, success is dependent on more than simply understanding the biological requirements of the resource; rather, they are equally dependent on understanding and working within the social and political context in which these management and restoration activities …

Effects Of Row Spacing And Debris Distribution On Small Mammal And Vegetation Communities In Newly Established Loblolly Pine Plantations, Louisiana, Joshua Lee Grace

LSU Master's Theses

Commercial pine (Pinus spp.) forests in the southeastern United States are key to providing fiber for global wood supply needs. Concern has arisen over possible effects of intensive forest management techniques, including row spacing and distribution of woody debris after logging, on plant and wildlife communities. Therefore, we quantified response of plant and small mammal communities in replanted loblolly pine (P. taeda) stands to mechanical site preparation including 2 levels of row spacing and 2 methods of distributing woody debris following harvest in north and southeastern Louisiana, USA. Sites (n=16) were prepared with a combination of row spacing between planting …

Expression, Identification, And Bioactivity Of Recombinant Human Erythropoietin From Lmh/2a (Leghorn Male Hepatoma)Cell Line, Amanda Cecile Broussard

LSU Master's Theses

Erythropoietin (EPO) is the main cytokine regulator for red blood-cell production in the human by binding to erythropoietin receptors to promote erythroid proliferation, survival and differentiation. Administration of recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) as a therapeutic has been shown to improve renal and non-renal anemia and this success has led to a high medical global demand. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, yeast, and bacteria have been used to produce rhEPO but nevertheless there is still a need for a low-cost and high quality expression system for rhEPO. LMH/2A cells, as an alternative model, were transfected with the codon optimized human EPO …

Hurricane Induced Land And Vegetation Changes In The Breton Sound Estuary And Chandeleur Islands Using Landsat 5 Tm, Vandana Varshini Raghunathan

LSU Master's Theses

This study focuses on hurricane-induced changes in land and vegetation primarily in two study areas, the Breton Sound Estuary and the Chandeleur Islands, southeast of New Orleans, Louisiana. Breton Sound Estuary consists of the Caernarvon Diversion, a fresh water diversion of the Mississippi River that supplies this region with managed pulses of fresh water and sediments. The Chandeleur Islands are a chain of barrier islands that are uninhabited and transgressive in nature. A sequence of hurricanes in the past two decades has greatly altered both areas significantly. Satellite data were analyzed for a period of 24 years (1987-2011) of Breton …

Experimental Study Of Cognitive Radio Test-Bed Using Usrp, Venkat Vinod Patcha

LSU Master's Theses

Cognitive Radio is an emerging technology that enables efficient utilization of the spectrum. As such, it has created great interests in industrial and research fields. Many people have proposed test-bed models for the performance analysis of primary and secondary users in a real-time noise environment. However, these test-beds are generally lacking in their range of capabilities as well as accurate implementation of the proposed models. In this thesis, we develop our test-bed on USRP to achieve the spectrum sensing and co-existence of primary and secondary users, while implementing the rendezvous protocols for secondary traffic coordination. We first demonstrate the spectrum …

Layout-Based Substitution Tree Indexing And Retrieval For Mathematical Expressions, Matthew Schellenberg

Theses

We introduce a new system for layout-based indexing and retrieval of mathematical expressions using substitution trees. Substitution trees can efficiently store and find hierarchically-structured data based on similarity. Previously Kolhase and Sucan applied substitution trees to indexing mathematical expressions in operator tree representation (Content MathML) and query-by-expression retrieval. In this investigation, we use substitution trees to index mathematical expressions in symbol layout tree representation (LaTeX) to group expressions based on the similarity of their symbols, symbol layout, sub-expressions and size. We describe our novel substitution tree indexing and retrieval algorithms and our many significant contributions to the behavior of these …

Early Season Depletion Of Dissolved Iron In The Ross Sea Polynya: Implications For Iron Dynamics On The Antarctic Continental Shelf, Peter N. Sedwick, C. M. Marsay, B. M. Sohst, A. M. Aguilar-Islas, M. C. Lohan, M. C. Long, K. R. Arrigo, R. B. Dunbar, M. A. Saito, W. O. Smith, G. R. Ditullio

OES Faculty Publications

The Ross Sea polynya is among the most productive regions in the Southern Ocean and may constitute a significant oceanic CO₂sink. Based on results from several field studies, this region has been considered seasonally iron limited, whereby a "winter reserve" of dissolved iron (dFe) is progressively depleted during the growing season to low concentrations (~ 0.1 nM) that limit phytoplankton growth in the austral summer (December-February). Here we report new iron data for the Ross Sea polynya during austral summer 2005-2006 (27 December-22 January) and the following austral spring 2006 (16 November-3 December). The summer 2005-2006 data show …

A Scanning Electron Microscope Technique For Identifying The Mineralogy Of Dust In Ice Cores, Rachel Obbard, Ian Baker, David Prior

Dartmouth Scholarship

Dust particles in an ice core from East Rongbuk Glacier on the northern slope of Qomolangma (Mount Everest; 28deg 01' N, 58deg 00' E; 6518m a.s.l.), central Himalaya, have been identified as mica using a combination of scanning electron microscope-based techniques and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to identify the elements present, and electron backscatter diffraction to identify the crystal type. This technique for identifying individual crystalline dust particles in samples of glacial ice could be especially useful in the future for identifying water-soluble crystals in ice, for studying the strain history (glaciotectonics) of basal ice or in studies of icemica composites …

Intravenous Injection Of Insulin For Measuring Insulin Sensitivity In Horses: Effects Of Epinephrine, Feeding Regimen, And Supplementation With Cinnamon For Fish Oil, Lisa Rosalee Earl

LSU Master's Theses

Seven experiments were performed to assess the use of glucose responses to insulin injections as a means of estimating insulin sensitivity in horses; to compare the insulin sensitivities of normal horses vs. those displaying hyperleptinemia; and to put this method into practical application. Experiment 3.1 examined dose-responses in mares of potentially different insulin sensitivities. Recombinant human insulin was injected at doses of 8, 20, 50, and 125 mU/kg BW, as needed, to estimate the dose of insulin causing a 50% decrease in glucose concentrations (ED50). Five mares each of low leptin concentrations (LL) and low BCS, LL and high BCS, …

Let's Not Kill All The Privacy Laws (And Lawyers), Fred H. Cate, Christopher Kuner, Christopher Millard, Dan Jerker B. Svantesson

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of The Age And Growth Of Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) Amongst Habitats And Regions In The Gulf Of Mexico, Courtney Rose Saari

LSU Master's Theses

The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) red snapper stock has been exploited since the mid 1800s; yet it is still one of the most economically important fisheries in the GOM. Red snapper have been managed as a unit stock and are currently overfished, but perhaps no longer undergoing overfishing. Habitat varies greatly throughout the GOM and while numerous studies have aged red snapper, none have simultaneously compared the age and size structure and growth rates among standing and toppled oil and gas platforms with natural habitats. The objectives of this study were to examine the size and age structure and growth …

Cure-On Demand Wood Adhesives Using Frontal Polymerization Of Acrylates, Treyvon Holt

LSU Master's Theses

Frontal polymerization (FP) is when the monomer is polymerized by a zone of reaction propagating through the monomer. The reaction zone is fueled by the heat given off by the polymerization of the monomer. FP is a promisig method for curing adhesives because it allows for cure-on-demand and fast cure times. The monomers selected for the adhesive is the main factor in determining the adhesive’s properties. Trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA), pentaerythritol tetraacrylate (PETA), and other multifunctional monomers make the polymer formed more brittle. The brittleness can be reduced by using trimethylolpropane ethoxylate triacrylates (TMPEOTA) in the place of the other multifunctional …

An Investigation On Fast And Frugal Model For New Project Screening, Antonie J. Jetter, Fatima M. Albar

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research in psychology is increasingly interested in decision-makers' use of heuristics or rules of thumb because they have accuracies close to more complex decision rules and seem particularly useful in difficult decision-making contexts when uncertainty is high and speed is of the essence. One particularly difficult decision setting is the fuzzy front-end of new product development because a large number of product ideas need to be screened to identify the few that should be developed further. This process is currently poorly supported through decision tools and mainly occurs on the basis of managerial “gut-feel”. This study explores managerial “gut-feel” by …

Margin-At-Risk For Agricultural Processors: Flour Milling Scenarios, Daniel Vincent Oberholtzer

Agribusiness and Applied Economics

Historic market volatility has made risk management decisions by firms in the agricultural supply chain more challenging. Market risk measurement methods, such as Value-at-Risk, were developed in the financial industry to objectively measure, and thus better comprehend, market risk's effect on positions. This thesis gives a thorough background of the issues involved with risk measurement. Different scenarios were then used to demonstrate how the risk measurement method can be applied to the agricultural processing margin. In this thesis, the flour milling margin was used to demonstrate how a firm can incorporate sophisticated risk analytics into its risk management decision making …

Sounding Rocket Study Of Two Sequential Auroral Poleward Boundary Intensifications, M. R. Mella, Kristina A. Lynch, D. L. Hampton, H. Dahlgren, P. M. Kintner, M. Lessard, D. Lummerzheim, E. T. Lundberg, M. J. Nicolls, H. C. Stenbaek-Nielsen

Dartmouth Scholarship

The Cascades-2 sounding rocket was launched on 20 March 2009 at 11:04:00 UT from the Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska, and flew across a series of poleward boundary intensifications (PBIs). The rocket initially crosses a diffuse arc, then crosses the equatorward extent of one PBI (a streamer), and finally crosses the initiation of a separate PBI before entering the polar cap. Each of the crossings have fundamentally different in situ electron energy and pitch angle structure, and different ground optics images of visible aurora. It is found that the diffuse arc has a quasi-static acceleration mechanism, and the intensification …

A Threat Taxonomy For Mhealth Privacy, David Kotz

Dartmouth Scholarship

Networked mobile devices have great potential to enable individuals (and their physicians) to better monitor their health and to manage medical conditions. In this paper, we examine the privacy-related threats to these so-called \emphmHealth\/ technologies. We develop a taxonomy of the privacy-related threats, and discuss some of the technologies that could support privacy-sensitive mHealth systems. We conclude with a brief summary of research challenges.

Urban Water Demand Modeling: Review Of Concepts, Methods, And Organizing Principles, Heejun Chang, Lily House-Peters

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

In this paper, we use a theoretical framework of coupled human and natural systems to review the methodological advances in urban water demand modeling over the past 3 decades. The goal of this review is to quantify the capacity of increasingly complex modeling techniques to account for complex human and natural processes, uncertainty, and resilience across spatial and temporal scales. This review begins with coupled human and natural systems theory and situates urban water demand within this framework. The second section reviews urban water demand literature and summarizes methodological advances in relation to four central themes: (1) interactions within and …

Structuring Expert Input For A Knowledge-Based Approach To Watershed Condition Assessment For The Northwest Forest Plan, Usa, Sean N. Gordon, Kirsten Gallo

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

Assessments of watershed condition for aquatic and riparian species often have to rely on expert opinion because of the complexity of establishing statistical relationships among the many factors involved. Such expert-based assessments can be difficult to document and apply consistently over time and space. We describe and reflect on the process of developing a computer-based decision support application from expert judgments for assessing aquatic and riparian conditions over the 100,000 km2 managed by the US federal government under the Northwest Forest Plan. The decision support system helped structure and document the assessment process and provided consistency and transparency to the …

Atomistic Studies Of Shock-Wave And Detonation Phenomena In Energetic Materials, Mikalai Budzevich

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The major goal of this PhD project is to investigate the fundamental properties of energetic materials, including their atomic and electronic structures, as well as mechanical properties, and relate these to the fundamental mechanisms of shock wave and detonation propagation using state-of-the-art simulation methods. The first part of this PhD project was aimed at the investigation of static properties of energetic materials (EMs) with specific focus on 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB). The major goal was to calculate the isotropic and anisotropic equations of state for TATB within a range of compressions not accessible to experiment, and to make predictions of anisotropic sensitivity …

Sources And Pathways To The Environment And Environmental Presence, Tess Chadil

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

In an attempt to successfully address and reduce contamination from toxic chemicals and other pollutants in the Oregon environment, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is in the early stages of developing a comprehensive agency-wide toxics reduction plan. The plan seeks to find a more efficient, sustainable approach to addressing contaminants of concern to human and ecological health. Team Toxics, a work group compromised of members from various DEQ departments, has been created to collaborate and create the framework for developing these strategies. In summer 2009, Team Toxics was in the very early stages of development, and found the need …

The Development Of The Personal Strengths Intervention (Psi) To Improve Self-Determination And Social-Emotional Levels In Postsecondary Students With Learning Disabilities And/Or Adhd: A Multiple Baseline Study, Jennie L. Farmer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience decreased academic and social-emotional outcomes when compared to their peers without disabilities. Self-determination, positive psychology, and cognitive theories of learning offer suggestions for improving these outcomes. The purpose of this study was to develop The Personal Strengths Intervention (PSI) and investigate its impact on levels of self-determination and the social-emotional functioning of postsecondary students with learning disabilities and/or ADHD. PSI integrates key elements of self-determination, positive psychology, and cognitive theories. ADHDA multiple baseline design with seven participants was used to examine the intervention effects over time. Results indicate PSI …

A Pilot Study Of Small-Scale Variations In Outdoor Benzene Concentrations, Samantha Catherine Fridh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Benzene is an important toxic chemical in urban air and known human carcinogen released substantially by mobile sources. It's important to understand the spatial variation of benzene concentrations in order to understand exposures of susceptible sub-populations such as children and minority groups. Current monitoring networks use large and expensive air samplers that require electricity and restrict the location and number of samplers, not allowing for fine spatial resolution data.

The goals of this study are to develop and evaluate protocols for passive sampling and analysis of ambient benzene concentrations, and conduct a pilot study investigating small-scale variations over an area …