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2013

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Effect Of Surfactant On Dynamics Of A Droplet Released In A Quiescent Medium, Abhijit Rao Jan 2013

Effect Of Surfactant On Dynamics Of A Droplet Released In A Quiescent Medium, Abhijit Rao

LSU Master's Theses

During the ‘Deepwater Horizon’ accident, dispersants were used as one of the remediation methods to mitigate the ill effects of oil that entered the water column. The dispersants lower the interfacial tension at the oil-water interface and cause the large oil droplets to disintegrate into finer droplets which remain dispersed in the water column for longer times. A dispersant typically is composed of a surfactant and solvent. Surfactants are chemical compounds which are chiefly responsible for the lowering of interfacial tension at oil water interface. In this study, we have investigated the effect of surfactant on the dynamics of a …


Metamorphic And Geochemical Signatures Of Calc-Silicate Gneisses From The Sawtooth Metamorphic Complex, Idaho, Usa : Implications For Crustal Evolution In Western North America, Isis Fukai Jan 2013

Metamorphic And Geochemical Signatures Of Calc-Silicate Gneisses From The Sawtooth Metamorphic Complex, Idaho, Usa : Implications For Crustal Evolution In Western North America, Isis Fukai

LSU Master's Theses

The Sawtooth Metamorphic Complex (SMC) of central Idaho contains exposures of metasupracrustal rocks that may provide constraints on Precambrian crustal evolution in northwestern United States. Petrographic textures, whole-rock geochemistry, and thermobarmetry of SMC calc-silicate gneisses, collected at high-resolution, record multiple stages of crustal development, including: contiguous deposition of a sandstone-to-shale sequence derived from post-Archean continental sediments, metamorphism during two medium-high-grade thermal events (M1, M2), and two distinct episodes of deformation (D1, D2). Whole-rock concentrations of Cr (23.97-76.43 ± 3.0 ppm), Ni (6.82-33.10 ± 3.5 ppm), Th (2.11-12.04 ± 1.6 ppm), Sc (3.81-11.53 ± 1.6 ppm), and Zr (322-658 ± 3.9 …


Alexis De Tocqueville’S Political Science Of Revolutions; Theory And Application, Michal Maciej Kuz Jan 2013

Alexis De Tocqueville’S Political Science Of Revolutions; Theory And Application, Michal Maciej Kuz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the theory of revolutions presented in the main writing of Alexis de Tocqueville and its importance in the field of political theory as well as its possible application in the field of comparative politics. Scholars specializing in the study of the writings of Alexis de Tocqueville have for many years debated on whether the works of this author offer a comprehensive political theory of regimes and political change. This work supports the idea that in all his major writings de Tocqueville works within the same theoretical framework and develops his own typology of modern regimes. At the …


Natural Fracture Characterization In The Haynesville Shale, East Texas: A Core Study, Frank Leslie Morgan Jan 2013

Natural Fracture Characterization In The Haynesville Shale, East Texas: A Core Study, Frank Leslie Morgan

LSU Master's Theses

The Haynesville Shale in East Texas and Northwest Louisiana is one of the most studied and explored shale-gas plays in the United States. With new horizontal drilling and completion strategies, energy companies can produce hydrocarbons directly from the source rock making the Haynesville Shale an attractive resource. A key component of enhanced hydrocarbon production is the presence of natural fractures. They may serve as permeable pathways for hydrocarbon flow, especially in tight shales such as in the Haynesville Shale, where the matrix permeability is very low. In the case of the Haynesville Shale, little is known about the occurrence of …


All-Women's Flat Track Roller Derby : Gender, Psychoanalysis, And Meaning, Matthew Newsom Jan 2013

All-Women's Flat Track Roller Derby : Gender, Psychoanalysis, And Meaning, Matthew Newsom

LSU Master's Theses

For over a decade, women’s flat track roller derby has grown to reach thousands of women in various countries around the world. Through roller derby, these women are engaging in a full-contact sport that has no comparable male counterpart, making this rapidly-growing sport an interesting arena for gender and cultural research. This thesis uses ethnographic information collected from two U.S. derby teams in order to demonstrate the dynamic interplay of culture and psychology in the making of cultural and personal meaning. In so doing, this research validates the role that psychology—and specifically, psychoanalysis—can play in cultural anthropology, and demonstrates a …


Geodatabase-Assisted Storm Surge Modeling, Sait Ahmet Binselam Jan 2013

Geodatabase-Assisted Storm Surge Modeling, Sait Ahmet Binselam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tropical cyclone-generated storm surge frequently causes catastrophic damage in communities along the Gulf of Mexico. The prediction of landfalling or hypothetical storm surge magnitudes in U.S. Gulf Coast regions remains problematic, in part, because of the dearth of historic event parameter data, including accurate records of storm surge magnitude (elevation) at locations along the coast from hurricanes. While detailed historical records exist that describe hurricane tracks, these data have rarely been correlated with the resulting storm surge, limiting our ability to make statistical inferences, which are needed to fully understand the vulnerability of the U.S. Gulf Coast to hurricane-induced storm …


Controversy Trend Detection In Social Media, Rajshekhar Vishwanath Chimmalgi Jan 2013

Controversy Trend Detection In Social Media, Rajshekhar Vishwanath Chimmalgi

LSU Master's Theses

In this research, we focus on the early prediction of whether topics are likely to generate significant controversy (in the form of social media such as comments, blogs, etc.). Controversy trend detection is important to companies, governments, national security agencies, and marketing groups because it can be used to identify which issues the public is having problems with and develop strategies to remedy them. For example, companies can monitor their press release to find out how the public is reacting and to decide if any additional public relations action is required, social media moderators can moderate discussions if the discussions …


An Alu Element-Based Model Of Human Genome Instability, George Wyndham Cook, Jr. Jan 2013

An Alu Element-Based Model Of Human Genome Instability, George Wyndham Cook, Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The human genome is strewn with repetitive sequence. An early estimate derived from the draft human genome sequence placed this repetitive content at ~45%. More detailed recent analyses have advanced the idea that the human repetitive and repeat derived contribution to the genome may be closer to 66-69%. The most commonly repeated sequence in the human genome is the Alu element. Alus make up 10.6 percent of all human DNA and have expanded to over one million copies in the human genome reproducing through a copy and paste mechanism. New Alu germline insertions are estimated to occur at a rate …


Study On The Performance Of Tcp Over 10gbps High Speed Networks, Cheng Cui Jan 2013

Study On The Performance Of Tcp Over 10gbps High Speed Networks, Cheng Cui

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Internet traffic is expected to grow phenomenally over the next five to ten years. To cope with such large traffic volumes, high-speed networks are expected to scale to capacities of terabits-per-second and beyond. Increasing the role of optics for packet forwarding and transmission inside the high-speed networks seems to be the most promising way to accomplish this capacity scaling. Unfortunately, unlike electronic memory, it remains a formidable challenge to build even a few dozen packets of integrated all-optical buffers. On the other hand, many high-speed networks depend on the TCP/IP protocol for reliability which is typically implemented in software and …


Model For Acid-Base Chemistry In Nanoparticle Growth (Mabnag), Taina Yli-Juuti, Kelley Barsanti, L. Hildebrandt Ruiz, Antti-Jussi Kieloaho, U. Makkonen, Tuukka Petäjä, Taina Ruuskanen, Markku Kulmala, Ilona Riipinen Jan 2013

Model For Acid-Base Chemistry In Nanoparticle Growth (Mabnag), Taina Yli-Juuti, Kelley Barsanti, L. Hildebrandt Ruiz, Antti-Jussi Kieloaho, U. Makkonen, Tuukka Petäjä, Taina Ruuskanen, Markku Kulmala, Ilona Riipinen

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climatic effects of newly-formed atmospheric secondary aerosol particles are to a large extent determined by their condensational growth rates. However, all the vapours condensing on atmospheric nanoparticles and growing them to climatically relevant sizes are not identified yet and the effects of particle phase processes on particle growth rates are poorly known. Besides sulfuric acid, organic compounds are known to contribute significantly to atmospheric nanoparticle growth. In this study a particle growth model MABNAG (Model for Acid-Base chemistry in NAnoparticle Growth) was developed to study the effect of salt formation on nanoparticle growth, which has been proposed as a potential …


The Tyrants Within Us And The Thread Of History : The Creation Of "Sic Semper Tyrannis," A One-Person Play, Benjamin Todd Koucherik Jan 2013

The Tyrants Within Us And The Thread Of History : The Creation Of "Sic Semper Tyrannis," A One-Person Play, Benjamin Todd Koucherik

LSU Master's Theses

The assigned task was to create and perform a 20-40 minute long one-person play, with no other guidelines or restrictions offered. Having never performed in or written a full one-person play, my challenge was two-fold: create a cohesive and coherent script, and craft the production and performance of that script. From several inspirational sources, I was spurred on to explore the dynamics of revolutionaries, fanatics, and vigilantes through the lens of presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth. Through the combination of Booth’s infamy and the modern day realities of fame-seeking, political divisiveness, and tragically pervasive “spectacle killing” events, I was ultimately …


Abnormal Emotional Experience In Schizophrenia, Dallas A. Callaway Jan 2013

Abnormal Emotional Experience In Schizophrenia, Dallas A. Callaway

LSU Master's Theses

Ambivalence is defined as the state of simultaneously experiencing antithetical emotions towards a single attitude object (Bleuler, 1911/1950). Recent studies have evidenced ambivalence as a prominent aspect of schizophrenia patients’ in-the-moment emotional experiences (Cohen & Minor, 2010; Trémeau et al., 2009). The present study extended this line of work through the use of an experimental mood-induction methodology to explore the amount, frequency, and average duration of univalent positive, negative, and ambivalent emotional episodes within individuals with schizophrenia and those without psychiatric disturbance. The results indicate that, when exposed to a film clip stimulus selected for its documented (Larsen & McGraw, …


Detection Of Microorganisms Using Maldi And Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry, Juaneka Monet Hayes Jan 2013

Detection Of Microorganisms Using Maldi And Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry, Juaneka Monet Hayes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Matrix-assisted laser ablation desorption ionization MALDI and ion mobility (IM) MALDI mass spectrometry (MS) were used for the detection and identification of microorganisms. MALDI MS is an analytical tool that separates ions by their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) and is routinely used for bioanalysis because of its sensitivity, selectivity, general applicability, and tolerance to impurities. Ion mobility is a gas phase technique that separates ions based on their charge and collision cross-section. In this research, MALDI-TOF MS and MALDI-IM-TOF MS analysis were conducted in parallel to assess the effectiveness of MALDI-IM-TOF MS for microorganism identification. Whole cell bacteria Escherichia coli strain …


Dynamic Modeling Of Channel Formation During Fluid Injection Into Unconsolidated Sands, Sayamik Ameen Jan 2013

Dynamic Modeling Of Channel Formation During Fluid Injection Into Unconsolidated Sands, Sayamik Ameen

LSU Master's Theses

Water injection is widely used for sweeping hydrocarbons in waterflooding operations, and also for maintaining reservoir pressure or disposing waste water. Injection at a high rate is required to maintain the economy of waterflooding projects; however, loss of injectivity is a quite common problem in unconsolidated sand formations like deep water Gulf of Mexico. Well intervention operations, hurricanes, and other issues require frequent shut-downs during the life of offshore wells; in order to minimize deteriorating effect of these shutdowns on wellbore injectivity more accurate modeling of the injection process is needed. Injection of water into a saturated, granular, porous medium …


An Examination Of The Relationship Between Measurement Methods Of Treatment Integrity Using The Good Behavior Game Classroom Intervention, Kristen Colleen O'Leary Jan 2013

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Measurement Methods Of Treatment Integrity Using The Good Behavior Game Classroom Intervention, Kristen Colleen O'Leary

LSU Master's Theses

School psychologists must often hand over the interventions they plan to be carried out by others. Collecting treatment integrity is a way to ensure that the interventions are being properly implemented according to the treatment plan. Treatment integrity can be measured in a variety of ways: direct observation, self-report, and permanent product, to name a few. However, little research has been done to see if these different methods are capturing the same information about the accuracy with which interventions are being implemented. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to collect all three types of integrity for a single intervention, …


Depositional History Of The Trinity-Tiger Shoals Region : A Transgressed Delta Complex Of The Middle Holocene Mississippi Delta, Clint Hoyt Edrington Jan 2013

Depositional History Of The Trinity-Tiger Shoals Region : A Transgressed Delta Complex Of The Middle Holocene Mississippi Delta, Clint Hoyt Edrington

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Holocene Mississippi River Delta is arguably the world’s most thoroughly researched deltaic system. However, much of this research has occurred predominantly within the present-day subaerial delta, whereas comparatively little research has been attempted downdip within the offshore, more difficult-to-reach parts. This study advances our understanding of the Holocene delta by examining deltaic sediments within the Trinity-Tiger Shoals Complex region, located ~ 30 – 40 km offshore of central Louisiana. Specifically, this study addresses two questions. Which delta complex prograded into this offshore region? Do the overlying transgressive deposits reflect that predicted by the prevailing transgressive depositional systems model? To …


Using Formative Assessment To Enhance Student Performance On Geometric Proof Writing, Benjamin Hargrave Jan 2013

Using Formative Assessment To Enhance Student Performance On Geometric Proof Writing, Benjamin Hargrave

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this research is to uncover best practices to create competent proof writers. Studies have shown the best setting to do this is in the high school geometry classroom. Throughout a yearlong study of geometry, students were exposed to theorems and their demonstrations. Despite constant exposure, students were still unable to produce their own proof of propositions. The questions then became how can an educator provide critical feedback that encourages student reasoning and develops logical argumentation skills? With the goal in mind, twenty-five students enrolled in a geometry course at Baton Rouge High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana …


Networked Learning : Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Distance Education In Comparison To Traditional Education, Tireka Patrice Cobb Jan 2013

Networked Learning : Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Distance Education In Comparison To Traditional Education, Tireka Patrice Cobb

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative course delivery methods, which can ultimately help higher education stakeholders make informed decisions for present and future educational endeavors. Emerging systems of educational technology, such as ‘networked learning’ and the increasing development of online courses have created many questions concerning the effectiveness of online learning relative to face-to-face learning. More research supporting online as an effective alternative to traditional education is needed as an evaluative tool to potentially mitigate the budgetary constraints, which pose a threat to the institution’s ability to fulfill their mission of providing a quality …


Bioremediation Of Chlorinated Ethanes And Ethenes In Vertical Flow Engineered Wetland Systems, Christopher Akudo Jan 2013

Bioremediation Of Chlorinated Ethanes And Ethenes In Vertical Flow Engineered Wetland Systems, Christopher Akudo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sustainable treatment of chlorinated ethanes and ethenes contaminated groundwater using vertical flow engineered wetland systems were investigated in microcosm and column studies. Experiments on environmental and biogeochemical factors that affect system performance were conducted, and a numerical model involving advection, sorption, and sequential biodegradation was developed to describe the fate and transport of the contaminants of concern in the treatment wetland bed. 1,1-dichloroethane (1,1-DCA) and cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-1,2-DCE) were used as the chemicals of interest. The presence of cis-1,2-DCE inhibited dechlorination of 1,1-DCA but cis-1,2-DCE dechlorination was not affected by the presence of 1,1-DCA. Simulation runs showed that the treatment bed …


The Role Of Polyamines In Osmotic Stress Tolerance In Gulf Killifish Fundulus Grandis, Ying Guan Jan 2013

The Role Of Polyamines In Osmotic Stress Tolerance In Gulf Killifish Fundulus Grandis, Ying Guan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Polyamines are a diverse class of aliphatic molecules that are highly polycationic at physiological intracellular pH. Polyamine levels are regulated by the coordinated actions of arginase (Arg), ornithine decarboxylase (Odc), and polyamine oxidase (Pao). Although little is known of their functions in fish, polyamines have been implicated in diverse physiological processes, including RNA transcription, cell growth, cell proliferation, and cell apoptosis. The main objective of this study was to describe the transcription and enzymatic activities of key enzymes for polyamine metabolism, to measure polyamine levels, and to assess putative roles of polyamines in the gills of the Gulf killifish (Fundulus …


Using A Multi-Level Model To Examine The Fidelity Of Implementation Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Support And Its Relationship To Academic Achievement In Louisiana, Michelle Farnsworth Botos Jan 2013

Using A Multi-Level Model To Examine The Fidelity Of Implementation Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Support And Its Relationship To Academic Achievement In Louisiana, Michelle Farnsworth Botos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study is to examine if implementation of the universal level of PBS is related to student achievement on the LEAP and iLEAP examinations administered as part of the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program. A second purpose is to examine whether identified student/ school characteristics contribute to any difference in academic performance. To address this question, it is necessary to take into consideration individual as well as school level factors that may act to facilitate or impede student achievement. Multilevel statistical models are ideally suited for research problems of this nature and will be the approach taken for this study. The …


The Diagnosis Of Well Control Complications During Managed Pressure Drilling, Brian Piccolo Jan 2013

The Diagnosis Of Well Control Complications During Managed Pressure Drilling, Brian Piccolo

LSU Master's Theses

The constant bottom-hole pressure method of managed pressure drilling is generally expected to reduce well control risks and apply well understood concepts when a kick is taken. Nevertheless, complications, such as operator error, leaks, plugging, equipment failures, and exceeding kick tolerance, can occur during kick circulation. By not properly interpreting the symptoms of a complication, a driller risks the consequences of additional influx, lost circulation or the simultaneous occurrence of both. To address the challenge of diagnosing complications, the implied pit gain (IPG) method is being evaluated as an enhancement to established industry practices. Traditional diagnostic methods attempt to match …


An Examination Of Induced Anxiety And Its Interaction With Trait Anxiety On Executive Functioning Tasks, Joseph Harris Jan 2013

An Examination Of Induced Anxiety And Its Interaction With Trait Anxiety On Executive Functioning Tasks, Joseph Harris

LSU Master's Theses

Anxiety is a common human experience which has been shown to have detrimental effects on cognitive abilities, particularly the executive abilities of inhibition, shifting and updating. Previous studies in this area have been highly specific in their focus, leaving gaps in the literature. As a result, the general nature of anxiety’s effect on executive functioning has yet to be fully defined. The current study attempted to establish such a definition by exploring the effects of state anxiety and trait anxiety on each of the executive functions, both in terms of task performance and efficiency. In addition, because working memory has …


Segmentation In Hispanic-Targeted Marketing, Silvia Irene Medrano Jan 2013

Segmentation In Hispanic-Targeted Marketing, Silvia Irene Medrano

LSU Master's Theses

Hispanic-oriented advertising is a growing area in the advertising industry. Findings reported in this research examined agency strategies for advertising in Hispanic-oriented advertising. Interviews with agency practitioners involved in the planning, creation and media selection provided insight into agency best practices in Hispanic-oriented advertising. In-depth interviews at two Hispanic-oriented agencies revealed that a focus on cultural understanding, client relationships, and opposition of common stereotypes and segmentation practices were key in creating successful advertising that connected to Hispanic mindsets. Research results suggest that growth in the U.S. Hispanic population will not only affect the advertising industry, but will also create changes …


Measuring Safety Climate As An Indicator Of Effective Safety And Health Programs In The Construction Industry, Charles Francis Pecquet Jan 2013

Measuring Safety Climate As An Indicator Of Effective Safety And Health Programs In The Construction Industry, Charles Francis Pecquet

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure the safety climate, safe behaviors, and EMR, of construction companies in southeastern Louisiana, and to measure selected demographic variables of construction workers employed at these companies. Two hundred and eight workers from twenty nine construction companies agreed to participate in the study. The Safety Climate Survey (SCS) was utilized to measure the safety climate level and safe behaviors of participants and collect selected demographic variables. Additionally, companies were asked to provide their Experience Modification Rates and North American Industry Classification System codes. A six-item Likert-type scale was utilized to measure safety climate …


Perception, Practice, And Theory : A Case Study Of Leadership In An Urban Middle School, Marcia Lynette Speed Jan 2013

Perception, Practice, And Theory : A Case Study Of Leadership In An Urban Middle School, Marcia Lynette Speed

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Explaining the complex nature of how leadership works within the school has proven difficult; consequently, many studies have shown little or no effects of leadership on student outcomes and school performance (Leithwood & Jantzi, 1999; Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004). Furthermore, researchers acknowledge that a gap exists in the literature between explaining models of leadership and describing the effective actions of leadership (Grissom & Loeb, 2011; Kruger et al, 2007; Robinson, 2006; Robinson et al 2008; Waters, Marzano, & McNulty, 2004). Of the research that does link leadership practices to student outcomes and school performance, the assumed indicators of …


Molecular Phylogenetics Of The North American Snake Tribe Thamnophiini, John David Mcvay Jan 2013

Molecular Phylogenetics Of The North American Snake Tribe Thamnophiini, John David Mcvay

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Advancements in phylogenetic theory and methodology coupled with improvements in computational and sequencing technology facilitate study of the divergence and diversification patterns of life. I apply our current understanding to further explore the relationships and evolution of the North American snake tribe Thamnophiini, as well as to address current topics in phylogenetic and taxonomic methodology. There are two paradigms for the phylogenetic analysis of multi-locus sequence data: one which forces all genes to share the same underlying history, and another that allows genes to follow idiosyncratic patterns of descent from ancestral alleles. The first of these approaches (concatenation) is a …


Measuring Soluble Salts In Soils Via Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, Samantha Lynn Swanhart Jan 2013

Measuring Soluble Salts In Soils Via Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, Samantha Lynn Swanhart

LSU Master's Theses

Soil scientists have been using the same quantification methods for soluble salts for decades. Yet they have long struggled with an effective method for quantifying gypsum content, because current methods are fraught with problems. Saline soil has been historically defined as soil containing salts more soluble than gypsum (e.g., various combinations of Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, K+, Cl-, SO42-, HCO3- and CO32-) to the extent that soil fertility is severely reduced across a wide array of climates and geological settings. Since salinity is not germane to specific soil characteristics such as texture or parent material, it can be challenging to predict …


Louisiana Department Of Children And Family Services : A Case Study Of Child Welfare Workers' Burnout, Crystal Ward Jan 2013

Louisiana Department Of Children And Family Services : A Case Study Of Child Welfare Workers' Burnout, Crystal Ward

LSU Master's Theses

Social work can be an extremely gratifying profession. However, social workers who are exposed to graphic realities related to vulnerable and traumatized individuals and families may experience challenging workload demands and increased levels of burnout. To best understand and support these key human service workers, it is important to investigate variables influencing levels of burnout. In this study, the author examined whether specific individual worker characteristics contribute to burnout among child welfare workers in Louisiana. Characteristics were compared to individual variables such as job tenure, agency department, supervisor/front line worker, and educational background. The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) was completed …


Automated Sensor Platform For Distribution Pattern Characterization Of Agricultural Equipment, Maziar Amirani Jan 2013

Automated Sensor Platform For Distribution Pattern Characterization Of Agricultural Equipment, Maziar Amirani

LSU Master's Theses

Design and calibration of spreading equipment for agricultural materials are critically important but is facing some limitations in time and costs. Lack of personnel and environmental constraints, as well as equipment features present challenges in the calibration process and results. The major objective of this project was to introduce and investigate the feasibility of integration of automated electrical equipment into this calibration process in order to optimize the overall procedure in terms of cost, time and precision as an ultimate goal. Specific objectives focused on optical techniques as well as novel accelerometer technology. A photo based method in detection of …