Digital Commons Network^™

Characterization Of The Mesophotic Benthic Habitat And Fish Assemblages From Rov Dives On Pulley Ridge And Tortugas During 2012 And 2013 R/V Walton Smith Cruises., Stephanie Farrington, John K. Reed, Heather Moe, Stacey Harter, Dennis M. Hanisak, Andrew David, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Faculty Scholarship

Two research cruises were conducted in 2012 and 2013 to the region of Pulley Ridge and Dry Tortugas to study and survey the mesophotic reef communities and fish populations. The University of Miami’s R/V Walton Smith Cruise No. WS1213 was conducted from August 14 to 25, 2012 and Cruise No. WS1312 was conducted from August 12 to 27, 2013. Pulley Ridge is the deepest known photosynthetic coral reef in continental U.S. waters and is located in the Gulf of Mexico, 100 miles west of the Dry Tortugas at the far end of the Florida Keys. This research and cruises were …

Caves And Class: Excavations At The Lang-Jourdan House In Mandeville, Louisiana, Matthew James Chouest

LSU Master's Theses

Jean Baptiste Lang, a divorced tobacco merchant from Belgium, constructed a summer home in Mandeville, Louisiana, in the mid-1850s. The most noteworthy feature of this house (16ST248) is its cave, a semi-subterranean room which he likely used as a wine cellar. The house was continuously occupied for over a century and remained one of few examples on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain of an original Anglo-Creole cottage. There are very few extant examples of caves in Louisiana due to the difficulty in maintaining such structures. The principal research questions addressed were (1) Can the cave be identified in the …

Physico-Chemical Properties Of Green Leaf Volatiles, Harsha Satyanarayana Vempati

LSU Master's Theses

Green Leaf Volatiles (GLVs) is a class of vegetation emissions whose release is greatly enhanced in the event of thermal or mechanical stress. These oxygenated hydrocarbons that have been identified as a potential source of Secondary Organic Aerosols (SOA) via aqueous oxidation. The physico-chemical properties of GLVs are vital to understanding their fate and transport in the atmosphere, but few experimental data are available. We studied the aqueous solubility, 1-Octanol/Water Partition Coefficient, and Henry’s Constant (KH) of five GLVs at 25&176;C: methyl jasmonate, methyl salicylate, 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, and cis-3-hexenyl acetate. Henry’s constant was additionally measured at 30&176;C & 35&176;C, and …

Composition Control Of Spinel Lithium Manganese Oxide For High Voltage, High Energy Lithium Ion Batteries, Hilary Eikhuemelo

LSU Master's Theses

In the quest for renewable source of energy, a remarkable step made was in the introduction of the battery system. The lithium ion battery was revolutionary in this regard particularly for its light weight and high energy density. There has been significant progress in the development of this battery system since the present form was introduced in the 1990s. There is currently a global dependence on the use of lithium ion battery in diverse applications such as in the electronics, communications and automobiles. Unfortunately, the energy obtainable from the lithium ion battery continuously falls behind the energy demand. This setback …

Data Distribution In Hpx, Bibek Ghimire

LSU Master's Theses

High Performance Computation (HPC) requires a proper and efficient scheme for distribution of the computational workload across different computational nodes. The HPX (High Performance ParalleX) runtime system currently lacks a module that automates data distribution process so that the programmer does not have to manually perform data distribution. Further, there is no mechanism allowing to perform load balancing of computations. This thesis addresses that issue by designing and developing a user friendly programming interface conforming to the C++11/14 Standards and integrated with HPX which enables to specify various distribution parameters for a distributed vector. We present the three different distribution …

Residual Effect Of Herbicides Used In Pastures On Clover Establishment And Productivity, Angela Suzanne Laird

LSU Master's Theses

Field experiments in 2013 evaluated residual herbicide effects on ball (Trifolium nigrescens viv.) and white (Trifolium repens L.) clover. For the October planting, averaged across clovers, ground cover for 2,4-D plus aminopyralid and 2,4-D plus picloram averaged 4.4 and was less than for the nontreated (7.0). For the November and March plantings, ground cover for all herbicides was equivalent to the nontreated. Averaged across clover species and planting date, herbicide treatments except 2,4-D plus aminopyralid (4) resulted in ground cover 49/112 days after planting (DAP) equal to the non-treated (5.7). Lowest plant population 4 to 6 wk after Oct/Nov planting …

Bioavailability Of Alpha-Tocopherol Entrapped In Poly (Lactide-Co-Glycolide) (Plga) And Plga-Chitosan Nanoparticles, Lacey Caroline Simon

LSU Master's Theses

Alpha-tocopherol (áT) is a hydrophobic, antioxidant molecule shown to prevent or retard the effects of free radicals associated with diseases. It is hypothesized that the bioavailability of áT can be improved when entrapped in PLGA (Poly lactide-co-glycolide) and PLGA-Chi (PLGA-Chitosan) nanoparticles and that the mucoadhesive properties of chitosan may enhance absorption more than PLGA alone. PLGA and PLGA-Chi NPs synthesized with PVA as surfactant were characterized by measuring entrapment efficiency, size, PDI, and zeta potential when suspended in DI water. Nanoparticle physical stability was evaluated via NP exposure to environmental pH ranging from 2.5-9. Chemical stability of entrapped áT was …

Cognitive Bias And Learning From Experience: Reflective Processes For Reducing Bias, Dina Acklin

LSU Master's Theses

While heuristic processing is often useful for quickly ascertaining information in everyday situations, it can lead to inaccuracies when task demands become complex and more systematic processing is required. These inaccuracies are often the result of confirmation bias, in which information that is consistent with our beliefs is noted at the expense of disconfirming evidence. The current decision making literature suggests that highlighting disconfirming evidence – termed negative feedback - might work to engage deliberate, systematic cognitive processes that lead to more accurate information acquisition. Using a probabilistic learning task where feedback is not consistently accurate (Matchmaker), the first experiment …

Avian Biogeography And Conservation In Eastern Indonesia, John C. Mittermeier

LSU Master's Theses

Evaluating the conservation status of threatened species requires a sequential process of 1) taxonomic classification, 2) distributional mapping, and 3) evaluation of species according to criteria established by the IUCN Red List. Knowledge gaps in the first two phases of this process have been termed the Linnaean and Wallacean Shortfalls, respectively. The Indonesian archipelago is one of the most biologically diverse areas of the planet, as well as one of the most threatened and poorly studied, and the Linnaean and Wallacean Shortfalls pose substantial challenges for conservation in the region. Here I address each of the three stages of categorizing …

Coloring Graphs Drawn With Crossings, Daniel Allen Guillot

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation will examine various results for graph colorings. It begins by introducing some basic graph theory concepts, focusing on those ideas relevant to graph embeddings, and by introducing terminology to allow a formal discussion of drawings of graphs. Chapter 2 focuses on results for proper colorings of graphs with good drawings, using a previous result from Král and Stacho as inspiration. Chapter 3 expands on the ideas of Chapter 2 and focuses on cyclic colorings of embedded graphs. Chapters 5 and 6 examine results for total and list colorings, respectively, of drawings of graphs. Finally, Chapter 6 introduces generalized …

Hamiltonian Approach To The Modeling Of Internal Geophysical Waves With Vorticity, Alan Compelli

Articles

We examine a simplified model of internal geophysical waves in a rotational 2-dimensional water-wave system, under the influence of Coriolis forces and with gravitationally induced waves. The system consists of a lower medium, bound underneath by an impermeable flat bed, and an upper lid. The 2 media have a free common interface. Both media have constant density and constant (non-zero) vorticity. By examining the governing equations of the system we calculate the Hamiltonian of the system in terms of its conjugate variables and perform a variable transformation to show that it has canonical Hamiltonian structure. We then linearize the system, …

Symmetry And Reductions Of Integrable Dynamical Systems: Peakon And The Toda Chain Systems, Vladimir Gerdjikov, Rossen Ivanov, Gaetano Vilasi

Articles

We are analyzing several types of dynamical systems which are both integrable and important for physical applications. The first type are the so-called peakon systems that appear in the singular solutions of the Camassa-Holm equation describing special types of water waves. The second type are Toda chain systems, that describe molecule interactions. Their complexifications model soliton interactions in the adiabatic approximation. We analyze the algebraic aspects of the Toda chains and describe their real Hamiltonian forms.

Complex Absorbing Potential Method For Dirac Operators. Clusters Of Resonances, Jimmy Kungsman, Michael Melgaard

Articles

For both nonrelativistic and relativistic Hamiltonians, the Complex Absorbing Potential (CAP) method has been applied extensively to calculate resonances in Physics and Chemistry. We study clusters of resonances for the perturbed Dirac operator near the real axis and, in the semiclassical limit, we establish the CAP method rigorously by showing that resonances are perturbed eigenvalues of the nonselfadjoint CAP Hamiltonian, and vice versa.

Matrix G-Strands, Darryl Holm, Rossen Ivanov

Articles

We discuss three examples in which one may extend integrable Euler–Poincare ordinary differential equations to integrable Euler–Poincare partial differential
equations in the matrix G-Strand context. After describing matrix G-Strand examples for SO(3) and SO(4) we turn our attention to SE(3) where the matrix G-Strand equations recover the exact rod theory in the convective representation. We then find a zero curvature representation of these equations and establish the conditions under which they are completely integrable. Thus, the G-Strand equations turn out to be a rich source of integrable systems. The treatment is meant to be expository and most concepts are explained …

"Mais, You Talk Like Me? /Ju Ra:/": Kindergarteners' Use Of Five Cajun English Phonological Features, Hannah Joy Smitherman

LSU Master's Theses

Cajun English (CE) is an understudied dialect that is spoken in and around the Acadian triangle of Louisiana. Of the studies that exist, almost all have been completed with adults. The purpose of the current study was to determine if children whose parents have identified their family as Cajun use five phonological features of CE (/t, d/ for /θ, ð/, nonaspirated /p, t, k/, heavy vowel nasalization, monophthongization, and glide weakening on vowels) more frequently than those identified as non-Cajun. The participants were 11 kindergarteners who were identified as Cajun or non-Cajun and who resided in Assumption Parish in rural …

Evaporation Screening, Scattering, And Quantum Tunneling Near The Horizons Of Schwarzschild And Reissner-Nordstroem Black Holes, Emil Prodanov

Articles

For the radial motion of massive particles with large angular momenta in Schwarzschild geometry and that of massive charged particles with large
angular momenta or energy in a particular range in Reissner-Nordstroem geometry, there exist classically forbidden regions on the outside of
the respective event horizons which scatter certain in-falling geodesics or screen some of the black holes' evaporation by reflecting the emitted

particles back into the black holes. Quantum tunneling across this forbidden regions is studied.

Challenging Behaviors In Children With Comorbid Autism Spectrum Disorder And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Katherine Margaret Macmillan

LSU Master's Theses

Challenging behaviors, such as aggression, destruction, self-injurious behaviors, or stereotypic movements, affect the majority of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. One factor that is known to influence the frequency at which challenging behaviors occur is the presence of a comorbid disorder. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is thought to be one such disorder. This study aimed to compare the prevalence rates of challenging behaviors, according to the Autism Spectrum Disorder-Behavior Problems, Child Version (ASD-BPC), in children ages 6-16 with parent reported symptoms of ASD, ADHD, comorbid ASD/ADHD, and no diagnosis. Differences existing overall were examined as well as differences on the ASD-BPC’s …

Adult Adhd In Dsm-Iv-Tr And Dsm-5: Impact Of Increased Age-Of-Onset On Prevalence, Morgan Ashwill Grinnell

LSU Master's Theses

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent disorder estimated to affect 3%-7% of children and about 4% of the adult population. In adults, ADHD is associated with lower academic achievement, more interpersonal conflicts and a bevy of other negative outcomes. Research on the assessment and treatment of ADHD in adults has considerably lagged behind research conducted with children. Existing research has been influential in the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) decision to update the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) definition of ADHD to include more developmentally expansive criteria. Modifications to the fifth edition of the manual (DSM-5) included an …

Carbon Nanotube Inkjet Printing For Flexible Electronics And Chemical Sensor Applications, Ryan P. Tortorich

LSU Master's Theses

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are becoming a promising new material for use in many fields including the field of electronics. Their mechanical and electrical properties lend themselves to be used in a new generation of electronic devices, namely flexible electronics. Although many deposition methods for carbon nanotubes exist, inkjet printing offers many advantages including superior patterning ability and low-cost fabrication. Presented in this work is the use of inkjet printing in order to deposit carbon nanotubes onto a flexible transparency film. The methods for developing and printing an aqueous single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) ink and an aqueous multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) …

Problem Solving Strategies And Metacognitive Skills For Gifted Students In Middle School, Lorena Aguelo Java

LSU Master's Theses

This study is conducted to investigate if the designed four-step method strategy (GEAR strategy adapted from Polya, 1973) in solving math problems has improved students’ performance scores and enhanced the metacognitive skills of gifted students. The respondents of this study include middle school gifted students who took math eight course in the school year 2013-2014 at Westdale Middle School in East Baton Rouge Parish School System. There are four classes of math eight gifted students who participated in the study. The classes were chosen randomly for experimental and controlled group and were equalized on the basis of the pre-test results …

Temporal Variability Of Particulate Organic Carbon Fluxes In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Somiddho Bosu

LSU Master's Theses

There is limited data of Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) export from the Northern Gulf of Mexico and this work presents the first estimation of the efficiency of the “biological pump” in this region. In oligotrophic oceans like the Gulf of Mexico, POC is the main source of particles and POC flux is the key mechanism for the removal of particle reactive contaminants and pollutants from upper ocean water column. Particle-reactive, the naturally occurring radionuclides are useful tracers of the sinking flux of organic matter from the surface to the deep ocean. The disequilibrium between natural radioisotope pair 238U-234Th as well …

Does Subtype Matter?: Comparing The Effects Of A Self-Monitoring Intervention On Adhd-C And Adhd-I, Caleb James Corwin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recently Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) research has been confronted with questions regarding the subtype distinctions. Millich, Ballantine, and Lyman (2001) have claimed that ADHD – Combined Type (ADHD-C) and ADHD – Predominantly Inattentive Type (ADHD-I) are “distinct and separate disorders.” As important as this distinction is diagnostically, it is, possibly equally important with regards to treatment. Multiple pharmacological studies have compared the responsiveness of ADHD-C and ADHD-I to stimulant medications, yet the results are often conflicting (e.g. Grizenko, Paci, & Joober, 2010; Solanto et al., 2009; Stein et al., 2003). To date, only one study has compared ADHD subtypes with respect …

Audio-Based Visualization Of Expressive Body Movements In Music Performance: An Evaluation Of Methodology In Three Electroacoustic Compositions, Yeamin Oh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

An increase in collaboration amongst visual artists, performance artists, musicians, and programmers has given rise to the exploration of multimedia performance arts. A methodology for audio-based visualization has been created that integrates the information of sound with the visualization of physical expressions, with the goal of magnifying the expressiveness of the performance. The emphasis is placed on exalting the music by using the audio to affect and enhance the video processing, while the video does not affect the audio at all. In this sense the music is considered to be autonomous of the video. The audio-based visualization can provide the …

Exchange Rate Volatility Effects On Brics Countries Exports, David Isaias Maradiaga Pineda

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The leaders of the leading emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) claim that increased currency exchange rate volatility (CERV) from USD, EUR, and JPY (G-3) negatively impacts their exports, and expressed their desire for less trade dependence on these currencies. The literature on the impact of CERV on trade is vast. However, no consensus on the impact’s direction and significance has been reached yet. The motivation of this study was: first, to contribute to the existing empirical literature by using an alternative methodology; and second, to provide empirical evidence to the claim’s validity or nullity by …

Advanced And Novel Modeling Techniques For Simulation, Optimization And Monitoring Chemical Engineering Tasks With Refinery And Petrochemical Unit Applications, Gregory M. Robertson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Engineers predict, optimize, and monitor processes to improve safety and profitability. Models automate these tasks and determine precise solutions. This research studies and applies advanced and novel modeling techniques to automate and aid engineering decision-making. Advancements in computational ability have improved modeling software’s ability to mimic industrial problems. Simulations are increasingly used to explore new operating regimes and design new processes. In this work, we present a methodology for creating structured mathematical models, useful tips to simplify models, and a novel repair method to improve convergence by populating quality initial conditions for the simulation’s solver. A crude oil refinery application …

Screening For Resistance To Sugarcane Brown Rust With Controlled Conditions Inoculation, Mavir Carolina Avellaneda Barbosa

LSU Master's Theses

Brown rust, caused by Puccinia melanocephala, is an important disease of sugarcane. Breeding for host plant resistance is the primary control measure. Screening for resistance has relied on rating the severity of symptoms caused by natural infection; however, erratic results make this method problematic. A method accomplishing both infection and disease expression under controlled conditions could avoid the problems associated with resistance evaluations under natural infection. Inoculation of seedlings was evaluated to determine whether it could provide accurate resistance ratings in cross appraisal, and inoculation under controlled conditions was evaluated for the potential to accurately determine resistance reactions in clones …

Quantifying Phase Configuration Inside An Intact Core Based On Wettability Using X-Ray Computed Tomography, Dinara Dussenova

LSU Master's Theses

The ability to evaluate rock and fluid properties on the order of a few microns opens new areas in reservoir engineering and reservoir simulation. Multiple studies have been done on the application of x-ray computed tomography (microCT) for the pore-scale evaluation of fluid interfaces and rock-fluid interaction. A majority of the fluid flow governing interactions occur at the pore scale level and is usually overseen on large reservoir scales. Hence, it is important to carefully investigate such interactions. Multi-fluid-phase distribution and interaction of two immiscible fluids such as oil and water is one of the most important and constantly investigated …

Thermodynamics Of Dna Binding By Dna Polymerase I And Reca Recombinase From Deinococcus Radiodurans, Jaycob Dalton Warfel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Deinococcus radiodurans has a significantly more robust DNA repair response than Escherichia coli, which helps it survive high amounts of oxidative stress. D. radiodurans DNA Polymerase I (DrPolI) and RecA protein (DrRecA) play essential parts in this DNA repair capability. Structural stability studies of the DrPolI large fragment (Klendra) and examination of the DNA binding characteristics of Klendra and RecA are presented herein. In the absence of cofactors DrRecA binds to dsDNA more than 20 fold tighter than EcRecA, and binds ssDNA up to 9 fold tighter. Binding to dsDNA in the absence of cofactor presumably monitors DNA end binding. …

The Politics Of U.S. Government Debt Accumulation, Carlos Ignacio García Jiménez

LSU Master's Theses

The political factors influencing the observed patterns of federal government debt accumulation of The United States of America are investigated. Previous research has found that the political context may condition fiscal policy and macroeconomic fluctuations; however, it remains unclear as to what political components have effects on the government debt accumulation process, and how it is impacted by these factors. Thus, this research proposes a set of questions and hypotheses that aim to understand such process, and specifically how it may be affected by partisan control of political institutions, electoral considerations, Congressional ideology and political polarization, in conjunction with economic …

L'Envers De L'Histoire De Jacques Collin: On A New Approach To Balzac's Most Infamous Criminal Mastermind, Lauren Elise Pendas

LSU Master's Theses

Scholarship has failed to explore adequately how Honoré de Balzac evokes the human condition’s universal elements through his most infamous criminal mastermind: Jacques Collin, alias Vautrin. Unlike analyses of Collin that I have encountered, this thesis takes all three novels and the obscure play in which Collin appears into account, challenges the transparency of his statements and the narration’s descriptions of him, explores the conservative position framing Balzac’s critique of early nineteenth-century Paris, and actively focuses on evidence of Collin’s typical subjectivity (i.e. his insatiable desire and fallibility). Consequently, this reading does not evaluate Collin’s significance solely through his apparent …