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Fluid Characterization And Phase Behavior Studies Of Oil From The Frozen Reservoir Of Umiat Oil Field, Alaska, Chinmay Shukla

Engineering

Umiat oil field is the largest oil accumulation in National Petroleum Reserve (NPRA) No. 4 of Alaska. Shallow reservoir depths, low reservoir pressures, and low temperatures with most of the oil-producing zone in a continuous layer of permafrost are unique characteristics that make Umiat reservoir unconventional and difficult to produce. However, unavailability of fluid characterization and phase behavior data needed for reservoir simulation studies pose challenges in developing an effective production strategy. Given the conspicuous lack of complete fluid data on Umiat oils and the unavailability of live oil samples from Umiat, an experimental study was undertaken to characterize and …

Production Modeling And Forecasting Of Natural Gas Production From Barrow Methane Hydrate Deposits, Bahram F. Novruzaliyev

Engineering

In this work, state-of-the-art existing simulation models of East Barrow and Walakpa natural gas fields with associated gas hydrates were rebuilt, tuned with additional data (some of the data used were from the Mt. Elbert Well, which significantly improved earlier models), and updated in terms of production data and history matching. Fluid contacts, saturations and hydrate dissociation/formation reactions were initialized for both models, actual production was matched and planned wells were placed accordingly. For each model, a gas hydrate saturation sensitivity study was performed. Simulation models were run and production forecasts for Walakpa field were made. There is a clear …

The Digital Folklore Project: Tracking The Oral Tradition On The World Wide Web., Jasen Bacon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I collected forty-two e-mail forwards over the course of four months, and from those I formulated a framework that adapts existing theory in collection and study of real-world folklore to the emerging folk communities that exist on the internet. Through this analysis I prove that the same genres of folklore that is routinely collected by folklorists have been adapted to fit the digital environment of the internet. I then use the framework that I lay out to perform a study of the e-mails themselves.

Communication In The Face Of Diversity: Towards A Training Model For U.S. Army Cadets, Nolan O. Lasiter

Communication

The purpose of this study was to explore the need for a communication and cultural diversity training program in a Northwestern university Reserve officer Training Corps (ROTC) department. A needs assessment was conducted identifying the need for a training program in both culture and communication. Research questions explored the need for a training program in communication and cultural diversity. Quantitative methods assessed the overall outcomes from the communication and cultural diversity workshops. Hypotheses predicted that Cadet's scores would increase from pretest to posttest as a result of the communication and cultural diversity workshop. Senior level cadets at a Northwestern university …

Novel Fungal Taxa In An Alaskan Boreal Forest: Phylogenetic Affinities, Ecologies, And Ribosomal Rna Secondary Structures, Daniel Glass

Biological Sciences

Phylogenetic analyses suggest that a novel DNA sequence (NS1) found in a boreal forest soil-clone library belongs to the fungal kingdom but does not fall unambiguously within any known class. In order to determine if NS1 codes for an authentic ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene-copy, I modeled ribosomal RNA secondary structure for four gene regions. Such analyses have never been used on environmental ribosomal sequences before. It appears that NS1 does code for an authentic gene-copy and is not a biological or lab artifact. I also elucidated the habitat preferences, horizon preferences, and fine-scale spatial structure of NS1 using molecular methods. …

And Then Okay, Summer Dorr

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Romani Place In Kosovar Space: Nationalism And Kosovo’S Roma, Melissa Hughes

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

On February 17, 2008,Kosovo declared its independence. The path to independence and the claim to Kosovo was a long process that developed in three primary phases: A) the fostering of territorial solidarity under direct rule and an emphasis on historical ties to the territory; B) the foundation of the national idea within the realms of proto-nationalism; and C) the emergence of peripheral and mass nationalism. This research seeks to define the development of nationalist ideologies in Kosovo and to explore where Roma fit within those ideologies. An historical and sociological approach to nationalism in Kosovo is critical in understanding the …

Accommodation And Curriculum Modification For Students With Special Needs: A Study Of Teachers' Attitudes, Ramona D. Williamson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of teachers towards providing accommodations and modifications required for students with special needs in general education classes. The study also examined the differences between these educators’ willingness, preparedness, and selected demographic and descriptive characteristics, which included teacher education, educational setting, and support provided for inclusion. As such, it contributed to both the theory and the practice of teaching students with disabilities in inclusive settings.

The sample included willing general and special education teachers in one suburban school district in the southeastern United States. The instrument was a modified version of …

Measuring Early Numeracy Of Kindergarten Students In A Group Setting, Stacy A. Winck

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Early identification practices in assessment are crucial to preventing academic failure as well as identifying students at-risk for later learning disabilities. The PAM Early Numeracy Screening is a set of subscales designed to measure early numeracy in kindergarten students in a group setting. Given that the existing early numeracy measures are individually administered, the purpose of the current study was to explore the psychometric properties of the PAM Early Numeracy Screening. Correlational analysis was the primary research design used to investigate the evidence of reliability, criterion-related validity, and construct validity of the PAM Early Numeracy Screening. Criterion measures …

Multivariate Models And Algorithms For Systems Biology, Lipi Rani Acharya

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Rapid advances in high-throughput data acquisition technologies, such as microarraysand next-generation sequencing, have enabled the scientists to interrogate the expression levels of tens of thousands of genes simultaneously. However, challenges remain in developingeffective computational methods for analyzing data generated from such platforms. In thisdissertation, we address some of these challenges. We divide our work into two parts. Inthe first part, we present a suite of multivariate approaches for a reliable discovery of geneclusters, often interpreted as pathway components, from molecular profiling data with replicated measurements. We translate our goal into learning an optimal correlation structure from replicated complete and incomplete …

A Dynamical Study Of The Evolution Of Pressure Waves Propagating Through A Semi-Infinite Region Of Homogeneous Gas Combustion Subject To A Time-Harmonic Signal At The Boundary, John Eslick

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the evolution of a pressure wave driven by a harmonic signal on the boundary during gas combustion is studied. The problem is modeled by a nonlinear, hyperbolic partial differential equation. Steady-state behavior is investigated using the perturbation method to ensure that enough time has passed for any transient effects to have dissipated. The zeroth, first and second-order perturbation solutions are obtained and their moduli are plotted against frequency. It is seen that the first and second-order corrections have unique maxima that shift to the right as the frequency decreases and to the left as the frequency increases. …

Self-Assemblies Driven By The Hydrophobic Effect, Haiying Gan

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Water is a simple molecule but is an essential part of life. One key aspect of the properties of water is the hydrophobic effect, and whilst there is an appreciation of this phenomenon at the macro-scale (raindrops falling off leaves) and the micro-scale (the structure of cellular systems), a complete understanding at the molecular level still eludes science. Addressing this issue, our studies involve synthetic supramolecular compounds that assemble in water via the hydrophobic effect.

First of all, a novel water-soluble deep-cavity cavitand was synthesized. It possesses four endo methyl groups on top rim of the cavitand, eight water-solubilizing carboxylic …

Evolutionary Relationships Among Duiker Antelope (Bovidae: Cephalophinae), Anne Johnston

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Duikers are a species rich subfamily of threatened African antelope whose recent origin poses a challenge to the molecular identification of taxa and estimation of their phylogeny. I test the ability of DNA barcodes to identify all taxa within this group. I then use mitochondrial and nuclear genes to estimate a multi-locus species tree and to date divergence times. DNA barcodes are unable to distinguish many sister taxa, calling into question the utility of barcodes for the regulation of duiker trade or in identification of field-collected feces. The multi-locus phylogeny provides support for the relationships among major duiker lineages and …

Investigating The Thermal Stability And Cation Ordering In Layered Cathode Lixmo2 (X ≤ 1; M = Co, Mn, Ni) Materials For Li-Ion Rechargeable Batteries And Studying The Ferroelectric Properties Of Linbo3 Nanoparticles, Debasish Mohanty

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, transition metal oxides have drawn extensive attention because of their wide application in electronic, memory, battery, informatics, and optoelectronics devices. In this dissertation, we have studied two different types of oxide materials which are technologically important: LiMO 2 (M = Co, Mn, Ni), has served as cathode materials in the rechargeable battery, and LiNbO3, has wide application in ferroelectric devices such as electronics, non-volatile memories, and thin film capacitors. LiMO2 was synthesized and characterized to understand the correlation between capacity fading and thermal stability relating to the microstructures. Our results showed that delithiated (charged) LiCoO2, forms a …

Animal Companionship And Identity Construction In The Middle English "Ywain And Gawain", Robert E. Byers

English

As a relatively recent field within literary cultural studies, "animal studies" has the potential to ask sophisticated new questions about the central and privileged place of the humanist "cogito." Through an examination of the human-animal companionship found in the Middle English romance "Ywain and Gawain", this thesis aims to contribute to the project of animal studies by tracing how questions about humanity and animality both construct and deconstruct a subject's identity. In the poem, Ywain, a knight in Arthur's court, is exiled from society and befriends a lion, who travels and fights alongside him. The dynamics of their bond highlight …

Refined Liquid Smoke: A Potential Antilisterial Supplement To Cold-Smoked Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus Nerka), Naim Montazeri Djouybari

Fisheries

Listeria monocytogenes, the causative agent of listeriosis can contaminate cold smoked salmon (CSS) and make it a high-risk ready-to-eat food product. Due to the lack of a critical control point in the cold-smoking process, a post-process elimination is essential to ensure product safety. The goal of this project was to improve safety of vacuum-packaged CSS supplemented with commercially refined liquid smoke (LS). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis showed the LS were high in carbonyl containing compounds and low in phenol derivatives. The LS (AM-10 and AM-3) producing the greatest inhibition against L. innocua in a paper disk diffusion assay were applied …

Determination Of Select Metal Ions In Commercially Available Conventional And Organic Baby Foods., Neva S. Winters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to determine whether or not there is an appreciable difference between concentrations of various metal ions present in conventionally grown and processed and organically grown and processed baby foods. Two prominent, commercially available brands were chosen to undergo comparative studies between both their own conventional and organic varieties of second stage green beans and carrots. Samples were tested for cadmium, calcium, iron, lead, nickel, and zinc. Two containers of each variety of baby food were sampled in triplicate, with purchases of foods being made in separate areas to ensure that each set came from …

The Gastonia Novels And Ecofeminism: Rereading The Works Of Fielding Burke Grace Lumpkin And Myra Page., Amanda Leigh Aubrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Fielding Burke's Call Home the Heart, Grace Lumpkin's To Make My Bread, and Myra Page's Gathering Storm through the lens of ecofeminism, an interdisciplinary theory that contributes the necessary insight into the link between the abuse of power on personal, political, and economic levels that underlies the human oppression and environmental exploitation experienced by the novels' characters and communities. A resurrection of the Gastonia novels through the framework of ecofeminism will contribute to the scholarly discourse regarding this maturing theory as well as intensify the critical body of work concerning the Gastonia novels themselves.

This …

Elementary School Teachers Perceptions Of Effective Leadership Practices Of Female Principals., Jennifer Anne Mooney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem of this qualitative study is to assess teacher perceptions of the leadership practices of female principals. The focus of this study was at the elementary school level. The data were collected from the teachers about their perceptions regarding the female principals with whom they work. This qualitative study was conducted by interviewing 8 teachers from 3 elementary schools in northeast Tennessee. The teachers were interviewed to understand their perceptions of effective leadership practices exhibited by female principals.

During the data analysis, 7 constructs were identified after examining and coding the data for related themes. These 7 constructs were: …

Survey Of Flavonoids And Their Distribution In Different Kinds Of Onions Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography And Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry., Archana Racharla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research is done to determine the distribution of flavonoids in diverse varieties of onions (commercial and wild onions). Reflux extraction method was done on dried onions and the abstracts were analyzed subsequently by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). Statistical calculations were done to see if there are significant differences in the varieties of onions studied from the chromatographic profiles obtained. The chromatograms obtained were patterned using visual observations, scatter plot study, correlation co-efficient, and ANOVA to evaluate the significant difference of the distribution of flavonoids in varieties of onions. The organic white onions seem …

Synthesis Of Resveratrol Ester Derivatives Using Selective Enzymatic Hydrolysis., Marian Osei-Mensah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Resveratrol, a naturally derived stilbene, is an interesting compound mostly talked about recently because for its anti-cancer properties. Unfortunately it has some shortcomings due to its low bioavailability and low solubility in water. For this reason, my research is to overcome resveratrol's drawbacks by improving its bioavailability and hydrophilicity. My research is focused on syntheses of novel derivatives of resveratrol such as 3, 5-di-O-isobutyroyl resveratrol and 3, 5-di-O-hexanoyl resveratrol using lipase catalyzed hydrolysis. Therefore, the tri-acylated resveratrols 3, 5, 4'-tri-O-isobutyroyl resveratrol and 3, 5,4'-tri-O-hexanoyl resveratrol were first synthesized.

3,5,4'-tri-O-isobutyroyl resveratrol and 3,5,4'-tri-O-hexanoyl resveratrol were then hydrolyzed using lipase (C. …

Use Of Hurst And Renyi Analysis To Detect And Characterize Pacific Decadal Oscillation Impacts On Climate Variability In Alaska, Jean K. Talbot

Atmospheric Sciences

While climate systems are known be nonlinear, most statistical tools used to study climate are linear. Two nonlinear analyses are introduced for indicating predictability in climate studies: Hurst analysis and Renyi analysis, the advantages of which are illustrated by applying both to characterize Alaska climate time series 'dynamics' or temporal evolution. These methods are also applied to reanalysis and model data to compare with the observational analysis. Hurst analysis is used to calculate long term predictability in data on a scale of five to 15 years; Renyi analysis is used to quantify the degree of order on a time scale …

Effects Of Climate Variability And Fishing On Gadid-Crustacean Interactions In Subarctic Ecosystems, Laurinda Marcello

Fisheries

Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) are a vital economic and biotic resource to many subarctic ecosystems. Their abundance varies greatly, but what causes large changes in production and early life survival is unknown. My overall goal is to improve our understanding of snow crab population dynamics during early life history stages. Chapter 1 provides background information on subarctic ecosystems, addresses possible mechanisms of population control and potential drivers of variability, describes snow crab life history, and reviews recent population trends in snow crab and their major cod predators. Chapter 2 details a regression study examining the effects of snow crab spawning …

Effects Of The Exotic Shrub Lonicera Maackii On The Plant Animal Interactions In The Invaded Habitat, Humberto De Paula Dutra

Dissertations

Invasive plants are an economical, political, social, and ecological problem. Some invasive species are a serious concern for society because some of them are diseases, some are agricultural pests, and some become major threats to the ecosystems. Most studies with invasive species are limited because they measure only the impact of the invasion via direct pathways. Unfortunately, the potential for non-native plant species to alter ecosystem functions via indirect pathways mediated by interactions with animals just recently became broadly recognized. This research investigates the interactions of Amur honeysuckle with native fauna and how these interactions indirectly affect other trophic levels …

December 16, 2011: Christopher Hitchens R.I.P., Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “Christopher Hitchens R.I.P.“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Marcus Wallace V. Corey Fegan

2011 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Reporter - December 16th 2011, Rit Reporter Staff

University Publications

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Analysis Of Judicial Selection Methods In Tennessee And Kentucky: Appointed V. Elected, Eileen M. Forsythe

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis explores the relationship between judicial independence and judicial accountability by investigating the question of how selection methods shape state appellate court decisions. I conducted a case study using the states of Tennessee and Kentucky and the judicial selection methods of appointments and elections. I then conducted a sample of cases and did a comparative quantitative analysis of reversal records between the two states in the hopes of finding a statistical difference from my research. The debate between judicial selection methods is not a simple question and this thesis alone cannot provide the answer, but I hope that my …

A Career Development Program For At-Risk Youth Created For Writerz Blok, Anjanette Maraya-Ramey, Nicole Miller-Coleman, Kathy Myrers, Sharon Van Bruggen

Program Design and Evaluation

Research indicates at-risk youth (ages 15-24) in Southeast San Diego are likely to be unemployed or underemployed, and lack the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue meaningful living-wage (or better) employment. A review of the literature and primary data collection is presented and suggests an individualized career development program, supported by family members, community mentors and peers, would improve the opportunity for these youth to secure meaningful living-wage (or better) employment. The researchers propose the implementation of such a program, utilizing a quasi-experimental study design to determine program effectiveness. Program objectives, work plan, assessment, social marketing, program evaluation, and proposed …

Characterization Of The Role Nuclear Bmp2 (Nbmp2) Plays In Regulating Gene Expression, Fialka Grigorova

Theses and Dissertations

The nBmp2 protein was first identified in a DNA affinity chromatography/mass spectrometry screen designed to detect proteins that interact with a cartilage-specific enhancer element (called D/E) from the type XI collagen gene Col11a2. The transcription factor SOX9, a protein from the Sox (SRY-related HMG box) family, binds to and activates gene expression from this enhancer. nBmp2 has no transcriptional activity of its own on this enhancer, but when co-transfected with SOX9 it increases SOX9's activation of D/E nearly 2-fold. SOX9 also activates cartilage-specific enhancer elements from the Col2a1, Col27a1, and Col9a1 genes. The purpose of this project …