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2011

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Recommended Regeneration Strategies For Active Diesel Particulate Filters With Electrically Induced Filtering Media To Enhance Filtration Efficiency, James Perry Jan 2011

Recommended Regeneration Strategies For Active Diesel Particulate Filters With Electrically Induced Filtering Media To Enhance Filtration Efficiency, James Perry

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The people of the world have become conscious of the effects human beings are having on the earth. This awareness has spawned a willingness to regulate the amount of pollution from fossil fuel combustion that human beings place on the environment. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) determine and regulate the emissions standards of on-and-off road engines through emissions testing. As emissions standards become more stringent, the demand to retain the efficiency of these engines is necessitated by pending fuel economy standards and customer acceptance. Diesel engines are implemented in …

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Vegetative Compatibility In Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Sonia Purin Jan 2011

Vegetative Compatibility In Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Sonia Purin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The process of anastomosis promotes interconnectivity between hyphal branches during formation of a mycelial network and between fungal colonies. Self anastomosis involves fusion within a mycelium from a germinating spore, and this process is common in all species of fungi. Non-self anastomosis involves fusion between hyphae from different spores or colonies and allows lateral gene transfer, but this process is much rarer. Anastomosis in Ascomycota is well studied, but little is known for asexual arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in Glomeromycota. Because AMF are obligate symbionts in plant roots, studies have focused on anastomosis in asymbiotic hyphae of germinating spores. To …

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Population-Level Responses Of The Mummichog, Fundulus Heteroclitus, To Chronic Nutrient Enrichment In A New England Salt Marsh, Konner Chadwick Lockfield Jan 2011

Population-Level Responses Of The Mummichog, Fundulus Heteroclitus, To Chronic Nutrient Enrichment In A New England Salt Marsh, Konner Chadwick Lockfield

LSU Master's Theses

Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) responses to chronic whole-ecosystem nutrient enrichment were examined near Plum Island Sound, Massachusetts. Dissolved fertilizer was released into replicate salt marsh creeks over 6 growing seasons to simulate agricultural run-off (bottom-up effects). Density, biomass, secondary production, growth rate, and condition factor were estimated in fertilized and reference creeks. Mummichog densities were also used to determine if mummichog growth or health varied with density. Over 7,600 mummichogs were marked and released into the treatment and control areas to measure responses. Over 900 mummichogs were recovered. Mummichog abundance was higher (p = 0.055) in nutrient-enriched creeks than reference creeks …

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The Design Of A Computer System To Determine The Causes Of Edema Using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Carl Allen Fink Jan 2011

The Design Of A Computer System To Determine The Causes Of Edema Using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Carl Allen Fink

LSU Master's Theses

Diabetes is a growing problem in the U.S.A., closely linked to the current obesity epidemic. Two common complications of diabetes, osteomyelitis of the foot, and Charcot's joint, are impossible to differentiate via traditional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The background of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, which transforms the time-domain MRI signal into the frequency domain spectrum, is explored, and its use to aid in this differentiation is proposed. Artificial Neural Networks can be employed to evaluate the MRS data and to automate the process.

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Loving Me Or Loving You: Influencing The Attitudes And Behaviors Of Children Through A Prosocial Intervention, Shawna H. Gose Jan 2011

Loving Me Or Loving You: Influencing The Attitudes And Behaviors Of Children Through A Prosocial Intervention, Shawna H. Gose

LSU Master's Theses

Research indicates that narcissism may increase antisocial tendencies in children as young as preschool. In this quasi-experimental study, manners lessons on selfless, prosocial behavior were used as an intervention to decrease narcissism and antisocial behavior within second and third grade classrooms. Manners lessons provided children with opportunities to demonstrate prosocial attitudes toward others and thus were expected to decrease narcissism, increase empathy, decrease conduct problems and peer problems, and increase prosocial behavior. The present intervention positively influenced the external behavior of children as indicated by a decrease in conduct problems and peer problems and an increase in prosocial behavior for …

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Resistant Starch In The Diet Of Rodents Promotes An Increase In Fermentation And A Reduction In Body Fat In An Animal Model Of Dietary Obesity, Jason Andrew Charrier Jan 2011

Resistant Starch In The Diet Of Rodents Promotes An Increase In Fermentation And A Reduction In Body Fat In An Animal Model Of Dietary Obesity, Jason Andrew Charrier

LSU Master's Theses

In previous studies, in has been observed that the addition of resistant starch (RS) in the diet of rodents, a non-digestible fermentable fiber, promotes increases in markers of fermentation and improvements in body weight and body fat analysis when incorporated into low to moderate fat diets. This study investigated whether the same beneficial effects observed with RS addition in these lower fat diets could be obtained in a high fat diet, and if the type of fatty acid consumed in the diet makes a difference in markers of fermentation and body fat. Sprague Dawley rats (n=96) were fed as weight …

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Priceless Portals: The Bronze Doors Of The Florentine Baptistery, Sarah P. Cambas Jan 2011

Priceless Portals: The Bronze Doors Of The Florentine Baptistery, Sarah P. Cambas

LSU Master's Theses

The Baptistery of San Giovanni represents a complex historical precedent for Italian Renaissance art. Located within the heart of Florence, across from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in the Piazza del Duomo, the Baptistery holds three sets of gilded bronze doors spanning more than a century: the south set of doors by Andrea Pisano, and the north and east sets of doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti. The stylistic qualities and compositional sources of each door have been the subject of much discussion since their completion, and these are re-examined in this paper. Special attention is also devoted to the …

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Simulation Of Cell Seeding And Retention In A Disordered Polymeric Scaffold, Tejaswini Narayana Jan 2011

Simulation Of Cell Seeding And Retention In A Disordered Polymeric Scaffold, Tejaswini Narayana

LSU Master's Theses

Historically, bone repair has been performed using materials like metals, ceramics, cements and bioactive glass. The major problem with all these materials is that they do not perform the necessary non-structural functions of bone. Engineered tissue, created by growing bone cells on porous biodegradable material (scaffold), will address this issue with current bone repair techniques. Improving engineered tissue treatments requires a thorough understanding of factors affecting cell seeding and proliferation inside a disordered porous material which is not feasible using current experimental techniques. A model for particle transport in a disordered porous material that can predict the particle deposition pattern …

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V2o5-Wo3 Composite Films And Surface-Coated Licoo2 For Enhanced Li-Ion Intercalation Properties, Chuan Cai Jan 2011

V2o5-Wo3 Composite Films And Surface-Coated Licoo2 For Enhanced Li-Ion Intercalation Properties, Chuan Cai

LSU Master's Theses

We have investigated the enhanced Li-ion intercalation properties of two different materials, which are V2O5-WO3 composite and surface-coated LiCoO2. A simple and novel solution processing method is employed to prepare V2O5-WO3 composite films that demonstrate enhanced Li-ion intercalation properties for applications in Li-ion batteries or electrochromic displays. This solution processing method employs precursors that only contain the elements of V, W, O and H, which avoids impurity elements such as Na that has been commonly used in other solution methods (e.g. using precursors of sodium metavanadate and sodium tungstate solution). The V2O5-WO3 composite films show enhanced Li-ion intercalation properties compared …

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Beating The Red Stick, Tracey Anne Duncan Jan 2011

Beating The Red Stick, Tracey Anne Duncan

LSU Master's Theses

My thesis explores the history of Roller Derby, its modern revival, and the way that it changes the lives of the women who play it. From October 2009 to March 2011, I conducted ethnographic research and interviews with the Red Stick Roller Derby in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My perspective is that of an observer turned player, and the piece centers around my own story of personal transformation. This work is part cultural history, part ethnography, and part memoir, written from an explicitly feminist perspective.

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The Multi-Institutional Study Of Leadership At Lsu: How Participation In Specific Student Groups Affects One's Leadership, Courtney Elizabeth Lambert Jan 2011

The Multi-Institutional Study Of Leadership At Lsu: How Participation In Specific Student Groups Affects One's Leadership, Courtney Elizabeth Lambert

LSU Master's Theses

Through statistical examination of the Multi-Institution Study of Leadership (MSL), conducted at Louisiana State University during the Spring of 2010, quantitative research sought to determine if different leadership outcomes are produced through membership in religious student organizations, multi-cultural fraternities and sororities, social fraternities and sororities, and intercollegiate or varsity athletic groups. The MSL is theoretically based on the Social Change Model of Leadership Development and the leadership outcomes it assesses are consciousness of self, congruence, commitment, collaboration, common purpose, controversy with civility, citizenship, and change. It was discovered that students in religious student organizations score better on many leadership outcomes, …

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Implementation Of A Wireless Sensor Network With Ez430-Rf2500 Development Tools And Msp430fg4618/F2013 Experimenter Boards From Texas Instruments, Lu De Yang Jan 2011

Implementation Of A Wireless Sensor Network With Ez430-Rf2500 Development Tools And Msp430fg4618/F2013 Experimenter Boards From Texas Instruments, Lu De Yang

LSU Master's Theses

Wireless sensor networks have found a great deal of applications in diverse areas. Recent interest has been focused on low-power feature of the sensor nodes because the power consumption is always an issue for wireless sensor nodes which are supplied from the batteries. The eZ430RF2500 Development Tool and MSP430FG4618/F2013 Experimenter Board from Texas Instruments have integrated MSP430 family of ultralow-power microcontrollers and CC2500 low-power wireless RF transceivers which are suitable for low-power, low-cost wireless applications. In this thesis, the features of these TI devices are explored and a wireless sensor network is implemented with these devices. To implement the routing …

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Permission To Perform: A Waltz With Zelda, Sarah E. Smith Jan 2011

Permission To Perform: A Waltz With Zelda, Sarah E. Smith

LSU Master's Theses

This paper discusses an artistic journey of creating a one-woman show. It is the purpose of Sarah E. Smith, creator and performer, to marry private human experience to public theatrical expression. In this project, Smith is experimenting with character development generated by abstract, physical, absurd, and unconventional explorations. This exploration will create a distance from the literal translation of the story and will allow the audience to gain a better perspective of the character and her dilemma. It is the intention of the creator to make the action and need of the character more visceral, immediate and striking by expanding …

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Modeling The Response Of A Beach Restoration Project In Louisiana To Two Consecutive Hurricanes, Naveen Khammampati Jan 2011

Modeling The Response Of A Beach Restoration Project In Louisiana To Two Consecutive Hurricanes, Naveen Khammampati

LSU Master's Theses

The current study is concentrated in modeling the cross-shore beach profile evolution and severe erosion of the dune (overwash) of a restored barrier island due to Hurricanes Gustav (2008) and Ike (2008) in coastal Louisiana. Pre-storm and post-storm survey data sets of Chaland Headland located in Plaquemines Parish, LA, were analyzed and categorized based on the overwash processes, and numerically modeled using SBEACH (Storm-induced BEAch CHange). The model results were compared with the measured topographic data. A total of 10 survey profiles were used in this study. SBEACH simulates cross-shore beach, berm and dune erosion produced by storm waves and …

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Development Of A Total Nutrient Treatment System For Alligator And Dairy Parlor Wastewater Using Hydrated Lime And Organic Bacterial Growth Media, Troy Francis Davis Jan 2011

Development Of A Total Nutrient Treatment System For Alligator And Dairy Parlor Wastewater Using Hydrated Lime And Organic Bacterial Growth Media, Troy Francis Davis

LSU Master's Theses

Over application of phosphorus and the loss of ammonia-nitrogen to runoff and volatilization have resulted in the buildup of phosphorus in agricultural top soils around the world, and especially in the United States. Over the past few decades, raising livestock has trended towards the development of the Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO’s) which produce large volumes of wastes that need to be treated before being land applied. Nutrient treatment systems have typically focused on one nutrient singularly: either nitrogen or phosphorus. In order to develop a total nutrient system a phosphorus and nitrogen system had to be developed and evaluated …

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Investigating The Use Of Graphic Organizers For Writing, Laura Nicole Delrose Jan 2011

Investigating The Use Of Graphic Organizers For Writing, Laura Nicole Delrose

LSU Master's Theses

Students are placed under increasing demands for more complex syntax and discourse structure in oral and written language as they age. Children with language and learning disabilities struggle to grasp the organization and relationships between the facts of the topic, making writing an increasingly daunting task. In addition, these students must also master conventions such as vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, and syntax to produce a written essay (Schumaker & Deshler, 2003). This study explored the efficacy of graphic organizers as a strategy to facilitate higher complexity of syntactic and discourse structures in sentence and story formation. After seven weeks of intervention, …

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A Comparative Study Of Cellulose I And Ii And Fibers And Nanocrystals, Yiying Yue Jan 2011

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 …

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An Intelligent Othello Player Combining Machine Learning And Game Specific Heuristics, Kevin Anthony Cherry Jan 2011

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, …

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Cost And Performance Modeling Of The Mu-Decoder, Raghavendra Kongari Jan 2011

Cost And Performance Modeling Of The Mu-Decoder, Raghavendra Kongari

LSU Master's Theses

In this thesis we study the implementation details of the MU-Decoders, a recently proposed hardware module that has been theoretically shown to be superior to other methods for generating subsets of large sets. Our study confirms this advantage. Specifically, we compare the performance of implementations of the LUT-Decoder (the most common configurable decoder) to the MU-Decoder. We show that for while the LUT-Decoder is slightly better than the MU-Decoder for arbitrary (and artificial) inputs, for a large class of inputs called totally ordered subsets, that have practical significance, the MU-Decoder is vastly superior in area to the LUT-Decoder. In terms …

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Influence Of Sand Topdressing On Bermudagrass Thatch Decomposition, Dustin S. Parker Jan 2011

Influence Of Sand Topdressing On Bermudagrass Thatch Decomposition, Dustin S. Parker

LSU Master's Theses

Methods to control thatch layers in mature turfgrasses have relied on sand-topdressing and/or mechanical removal. Mechanical removal of thatch through vertical mowing and aerification is effective but disruptive to playing surfaces compared to sand topdressing. As a result, many turf managers have opted to implement sand-topdressing regiments as their primary method for reducing thatch buildup. This research was conducted to 1) determine the effect of cultivar on thatch decomposition and 2) examine the effect of sand topdressing on thatch microenvironment and decomposition. Sand topdressing treatments consisting of sterilized or non-sterilized sand applied at 0.4 cm 14 d-1 or as a …

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Use Of Harvest Aid In Soybean: Application Timing, Economics And Interactions In Ipm Programs, Joseph Michael Boudreaux Jan 2011

Use Of Harvest Aid In Soybean: Application Timing, Economics And Interactions In Ipm Programs, Joseph Michael Boudreaux

LSU Master's Theses

Indeterminate and determinate soybean (Glycine max (L). Merr.) cultivars were treated with the harvest aids, paraquat and sodium chlorate, when moisture of seed collected from the uppermost four nodes of plants averaged 60, 50, 40, 30, and 20% (+ or - 2%). Harvest aid application at 60% seed moisture reduced yield of the Maturity Group (MG) IV indeterminate cultivar 15%, but yield was not affected with application at 50% seed moisture. For MG V and MG VI determinate cultivars, application at 60 and 50% seed moisture reduced yield 4 to 22%, but yield was not affected when harvest aid was …

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Interfacial Shear Bond Strength Between Old And New Concrete, Zhifu Wan Jan 2011

Interfacial Shear Bond Strength Between Old And New Concrete, Zhifu Wan

LSU Master's Theses

The quality of the bonded concrete overlay depends on the bonding at the layer’s interface, which is affected by water to cement (w/c) ratio in new concrete, moisture condition of old concrete surface. The objective of this study is to quantify the interface shear bond strength affected by these variables. At the Phase I, twelve old concrete cubes with two different moisture conditions (air dry, saturated surface dry (SSD)) at the interface were chosen. Silica fume addition with two w/c ratios of 0.45 and 0.6 were used for new overlay concrete. It was found that silica fume significantly increased both …

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Pavement Structural Evaluation Using The Rolling Wheel Deflectometer, Ahmed Moustafa Abdel-Khalek Jan 2011

Pavement Structural Evaluation Using The Rolling Wheel Deflectometer, Ahmed Moustafa Abdel-Khalek

LSU Master's Theses

The Rolling Wheel Deflectometer (RWD) offers the benefit to measure pavement deflection without causing any traffic interruption or compromising safety along the tested road segments. This study describes a detailed field evaluation of the RWD system in Louisiana in which 16 different test sites representing a wide array of pavement conditions were tested. Measurements were used to assess the repeatability of RWD measurements, to examine the effect of truck speeds, and to study the relationship between RWD and FWD deflection measurements and pavement conditions. Based on the results of the experimental program, it was determined that the repeatability of RWD …

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Teaching High School Geometry With Tasks And Activities, Margaret Ann Fazekas Jan 2011

Teaching High School Geometry With Tasks And Activities, Margaret Ann Fazekas

LSU Master's Theses

Task-based learning is an instructional method in which students complete coherently-structured activities in order to meet objectives set by the educator. This thesis illustrates learning communities as the ideal environment for a task-based learning classroom. It discusses the teacher’s role in a task-based classroom. This paper also describes three examples of tasks performed in my high school geometry classroom along with my observations of students’ interactions and discussions.

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The Design And Modification Of A Sputter System For Dc Reactive Sputtering Of Alumina And Zirconia Thin Films, Diane Van Ho Jan 2011

The Design And Modification Of A Sputter System For Dc Reactive Sputtering Of Alumina And Zirconia Thin Films, Diane Van Ho

LSU Master's Theses

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (7% YSZ) is the most used material for thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) to reduce the conductive heat transfer on turbine blades, but it is not resistant to infrared radiation. In order to reduce radiation heat transfer, alternating materials, such as alumina and zirconia, can be used to fabricate multi-layer coatings in which each layer is optimized to reflect a targeted range of wavelength. This research aims to fabricate these multi-layer coatings by reactive magnetron sputtering. Reactive magnetron sputtering is the sputtering of an elemental target in the presence of a reactive gas that will react with the target …

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"We Live In A Used World": Cultural Geographies Of American Garage Sales, Gentry Powell Hanks Jan 2011

"We Live In A Used World": Cultural Geographies Of American Garage Sales, Gentry Powell Hanks

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis seeks to understand the emotional geographies of American garage sales, which I argue are liminal. Through a methodology of narrative surveys (open-ended questionnaires), mental maps, participant-observation, and interviews, I make the case that garage sales, through absent and/or present items, narratives, and exchanged histories, can reveal much in terms of identity, values, and cultural practices. These archives on the margins hold stories, artifacts, and performances of a distant or near past, giving geographers an innovative lens through which to explore the intricacies of materiality, place, and representation. This thesis provides a range of theoretical and practical perspectives on …

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Electrochemical Reduction Of Co2 To Methanol, Minh Tuyen Hoang Le Jan 2011

Electrochemical Reduction Of Co2 To Methanol, Minh Tuyen Hoang Le

LSU Master's Theses

An efficient method to convert CO2 to fuels using renewable energy could displace crude oil without increasing CO2 emission and provide high-density energy storage reservoirs similar to liquid fuels or batteries. Although photoelectrochemical conversion of CO2 is possible, solar-to-fuel efficiencies are lower than the combination of conventional photovoltaics (up to 40% efficiency) and electrochemical cells (up to 80% Faradaic efficiency). In the electrochemical case, electrical energy from renewable sources may be converted to hydrocarbons or alcohols using electrocatalysts. The direct reduction of CO2 to CH3OH is known to occur at several types of electrocatalysts including oxidized Cu electrodes. In this …

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Transport Properties Of Nanometer-Sized Assemblies Through Nanofluidic Channels With Single Entity Electrical Detection, Franklin Ifeanyichukwu Uba Jan 2011

Transport Properties Of Nanometer-Sized Assemblies Through Nanofluidic Channels With Single Entity Electrical Detection, Franklin Ifeanyichukwu Uba

LSU Master's Theses

Recently, there have been reports on biological and solid-state nanopores that identify single biopolymers or their constituent monomers by analyzing changes in ionic current blockades when they block the flux of buffer ions while travelling through the nanopores. Nevertheless, there have been several limitations in their application, especially as DNA detectors; Poor confinement of the DNA strand within the nanopore (~0.1 % of a 10 kilobase (kb) DNA), poor signal sensitivity and random motion experienced by the DNA in solution that results in a large amount of noise in the signal. These have led to the development of nanochannel-based devices, …

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Modeling Effects Of Coupled Convection And Co2 Injection In Stimulating Geopressured Geothermal Reservoirs, Tatyana Plaksina Jan 2011

Modeling Effects Of Coupled Convection And Co2 Injection In Stimulating Geopressured Geothermal Reservoirs, Tatyana Plaksina

LSU Master's Theses

Geopressured geothermal brines are a vast geothermal resource in the US Gulf of Mexico region. In particular, geopressured sandstones near salt domes are potential sources of geothermal energy because salt diapirs with high thermal conductivities may pierce younger, cooler strata. These characteristics enhance transfer heat from older, hotter strata at the base of the diapir into shallower strata. Moreover, widespread geopressure in the Gulf region tends to preserve permeability, enhancing productivity. As an example, the Camerina A sand of South Louisiana was chosen as a geomodel for a numerical simulation study of effects of CO2 injection and coupled convection as …

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Psychometric Evaluation Of A Proposed, Alzheimer's Aggression Scale, Kristina Little Jan 2011

Psychometric Evaluation Of A Proposed, Alzheimer's Aggression Scale, Kristina Little

LSU Master's Theses

Aggressive behavior is a common symptom of mid- to late-stage Alzheimer’s disease, causing unique challenges for caregivers and healthcare professionals. In previous research, aggressive behavior related to dementia was linked to higher caregiver distress and burden. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of an aggressive behavior subscale of the Revised Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist (RMBPC) among Alzheimer’s disease caregivers. The subscale measures the frequency of aggressive behavior and the caregiver’s reaction. The sample consisted of 419 caregivers reporting some frequency of aggressive behavior by the care recipient. Exploratory factor analysis was favorable. Convergent validity …

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