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2014

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Composition Control Of Spinel Lithium Manganese Oxide For High Voltage, High Energy Lithium Ion Batteries, Hilary Eikhuemelo Jan 2014

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 …

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Data Distribution In Hpx, Bibek Ghimire Jan 2014

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 …

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Accounting For Travel Time Reliability, Trip Purpose And Departure Time Choice In An Agent-Based Dynamic Feedback-Control Toll Pricing Approach, Wan Li Jan 2014

Accounting For Travel Time Reliability, Trip Purpose And Departure Time Choice In An Agent-Based Dynamic Feedback-Control Toll Pricing Approach, Wan Li

LSU Master's Theses

The primary goal of this study is to modify the original strategy developed by Cheng and Ishak (2013) into an agent-based dynamic feedback-control toll pricing strategy that accounts for the trip purpose, travel time reliability, departure time choice and level of income such that the toll revenue is maximized while maintaining a minimum desired level of service on the managed lanes. An external module was developed to execute the modified strategy. An agent-based modeling was applied to simulate drivers’ learning process based on their previous commuting experience. The study also analyzed how driver’s heterogeneity in value of time, value of …

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Residual Effect Of Herbicides Used In Pastures On Clover Establishment And Productivity, Angela Suzanne Laird Jan 2014

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 …

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During And After Event Analysis Of Cell Phone Talking And Texting-A Driving Simulator Study, Raju Thapa Jan 2014

During And After Event Analysis Of Cell Phone Talking And Texting-A Driving Simulator Study, Raju Thapa

LSU Master's Theses

A number of studies have been done in the field of driver distraction, specifically on the use of cell phone for either conversation or texting while driving. However, till now, researchers have focused on the driving performance of drivers when they were actually engaged in the task, i.e. during the texting or phone conversation event. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the post event effect of cell phone usage in order to verify whether the distracting effect lingers on after the actual event had ceased. The research utilizes a driving simulator study of thirty-six participants to test …

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Identifying Local Transit Resources For Evacuation, Alaa Shams Jan 2014

Identifying Local Transit Resources For Evacuation, Alaa Shams

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this thesis is to establish a GIS that can be used to identify local human-services and special-needs transit resources in Louisiana’s 20 coastal parishes. The intention is that the system be used to identify and then call upon local transit services to assist in the evacuation of an area during an emergency. ArcGIS Online was selected as the platform on which to establish the GIS for this purpose. Socio-economic and transit vehicle data were collected from a variety of official sources and loaded on to the ArcGIS Online portal at LSU. The development of the system is …

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Bioavailability Of Alpha-Tocopherol Entrapped In Poly (Lactide-Co-Glycolide) (Plga) And Plga-Chitosan Nanoparticles, Lacey Caroline Simon Jan 2014

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 …

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Variations In Salinity And Temperature On The Flank Of An Offshore Louisiana Salt Structure, Candice M. Mccollum Jan 2014

Variations In Salinity And Temperature On The Flank Of An Offshore Louisiana Salt Structure, Candice M. Mccollum

LSU Master's Theses

Sediments located in the vicinity of salt structures in the northern Gulf of Mexico have highly complex structures and fluid dynamics associated with the dissolution and diapirism of salt. Past studies (Lin and Nunn, 1997; Bruno and Hanor, 2003; Richards, 2013) have shown that faults associated with salt structures can act both as migration pathways and barriers to the flow of formation waters. Bruno and Hanor (2003), Steen et al. (2011), and Richards (2013) also demonstrated that lithology was a controlling factor in the flow of formation waters. In this study, two sets of wireline logs, one used in salinity …

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Cognitive Bias And Learning From Experience: Reflective Processes For Reducing Bias, Dina Acklin Jan 2014

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 …

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Stroke And Aphasia Quality Of Life Scale-39: Investigating Preliminary Content Validity Of Picture Representations By People With Mild To Moderate Aphasia, Lea Jane Heise-Jensen Jan 2014

Stroke And Aphasia Quality Of Life Scale-39: Investigating Preliminary Content Validity Of Picture Representations By People With Mild To Moderate Aphasia, Lea Jane Heise-Jensen

LSU Master's Theses

Speech-language pathologists must consider the clients’ quality of life (QoL) to provide effective and meaningful evidence-based treatment (ASHA, 2005). Quality of life assessment goes beyond language impairments and is often a key part of planning intervention. However, few QoL measures exist for people with aphasia (PWA). The Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39 (SAQOL-39; Hilari, 2003) is one of the few valid and reliable measures used to assess QoL in people with mild to moderate aphasia. However, the validity and reliability of the SAQOL-39 has not been established for individuals with severe aphasia who are unable to read and …

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Effects Of Different Preparation Methods On Structure And Catalytic Behavior Of Iron-Based Catalyst Via Fischer Trospch Synthesis Of Biomass-Derived Syngas, Khietlethanh Mai Jan 2014

Effects Of Different Preparation Methods On Structure And Catalytic Behavior Of Iron-Based Catalyst Via Fischer Trospch Synthesis Of Biomass-Derived Syngas, Khietlethanh Mai

LSU Master's Theses

Lignocellulosic biomass is a promising feedstock for producing liquid fuels via synthetic gas (syngas) and Fischer Tropsch Synthesis (FTS). Syngas produced from biomass has low H2/CO ratio (~0.7/1) and high concentration of CO2. In order to produce liquid hydrocarbons from this syngas, a catalyst must be used to increase the H2/CO ratio to 2 or higher. This catalyst must also have reasonable reverse water-gas-shift (R-WGS) activity in a CO2 rich environment. In this study, two 100Fe/4Cu/4K/6Zn were prepared using coprecipitation (Cat_C) and impregnation (Cat_I) methods. The effects of these preparation methods on the catalyst structure and FTS performance in biomass …

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Avian Biogeography And Conservation In Eastern Indonesia, John C. Mittermeier Jan 2014

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 …

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Comparison Of Land Building By Mississippi River Diversion Using One And Two Dimensional Numerical Models, Gyan Prasad Basyal Jan 2014

Comparison Of Land Building By Mississippi River Diversion Using One And Two Dimensional Numerical Models, Gyan Prasad Basyal

LSU Master's Theses

River sediment diversions have been identified as one strategy for creating new land and offsetting Mississippi River delta plain land loss. Numerical modeling is one tool for estimating the amount of land, geomorphic features and ecological benefits from diversions. There are a number of models proposed to estimate sediment diversion land building, ranging from simplistic approaches that provide bulk characteristics and use little computational resources to process-based models that require a large amount of input parameters and computing power. This thesis aims to compare and contrast two approaches to simulating the land building processes in a simplified receiving basin: a …

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Message Appeals Used By Nonprofits On Twitter To Increase Public Engagement, Lilliana Laura Lopez Jan 2014

Message Appeals Used By Nonprofits On Twitter To Increase Public Engagement, Lilliana Laura Lopez

LSU Master's Theses

As social media becomes a more prominent tool for mass communication, nonprofit organizations are using social networking sites as a means to communicate with their target audiences and recruit supporters. This study explores how nonprofits are using Twitter, a microblogging website, to communicate with their audiences during the year-end charitable giving period and investigate which messaging acquires audience engagement. This was determined by investigating nonprofit organizations’ use of Twitter’s multimedia features and the different types of message appeals used when tweeting about their organization’s year-end campaign. Another aim of this study was to identify which message appeals in online charitable …

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Adapting Resilience To A New Hazard: Oil And Oysters In Coastal Louisiana, Audrey Maass Jan 2014

Adapting Resilience To A New Hazard: Oil And Oysters In Coastal Louisiana, Audrey Maass

LSU Master's Theses

Inherently resilient practices are one mechanism that communities engage in to cope with disruptive events. A community retains and passes down the practices associated with inherent resilience in their collective memory. The inherent resilience of a community is developed over time, yet the explanation provided by Colten et al. lacks a genesis of how this process developed particularly in relation to the oil industry’s entry into Louisiana. The foundations of these practices will be explored through historic court documents to find encounters between oystermen and oil spills. In addition to legal resources, I also investigate newspaper articles and other historic …

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Task-Based Assessment In Middle School Mathematics, Jessica Gaboury Jan 2014

Task-Based Assessment In Middle School Mathematics, Jessica Gaboury

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis explores tasks as an appropriate classroom tool for assessing student understanding in the age of the Common Core State Standards. I describe numerous tasks that I composed and piloted in my 6th and 7th grade mathematics classrooms, common errors and problems that the students encountered and the difficulties and challenges that I had in developing, implementing and evaluating tasks. Making good tasks is time-consuming, and meaningful judgments of task quality can only be made when student work is carefully analyzed.

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Palynology Of The Upper Cretaceous Ferron-Notom Sandstone, Utah, Isil Akyuz Jan 2014

Palynology Of The Upper Cretaceous Ferron-Notom Sandstone, Utah, Isil Akyuz

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT The Late Cretaceous Ferron-Notom Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale Formation plays a dominant role in oil production in Utah. Although numerous sedimentological and sequence stratigraphic studies have been conducted in recent years on this sequence, palynological analyses had not yet been undertaken. Here we present palynological data from one hundred twenty eight samples collected in the Ferron-Noton Sandstone Member outcroping in south-central Utah. The purpose of this study is to refine our understanding of climatic and depositional environments and to build a biostratigraphic palynological framework. The dominance of terrestrial palynomorphs, especially the high yield in moisture-loving cryptogam spores …

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A Comparison Of Capacity For Resilience Among Coastal Communities In The Northeast U.S. And The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Region, Emily Gootee Jan 2014

A Comparison Of Capacity For Resilience Among Coastal Communities In The Northeast U.S. And The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Region, Emily Gootee

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal communities face many threats from their surrounding environment, including floods and severe storms. These threats are exacerbated by climate change and sea level rise, which may cause increased frequency and severity of these events. Despite these hazards, population density along the coasts continues to rise. These areas of dense population and infrastructure are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Hurricane Sandy of 2012 was a powerful demonstration of the impact that severe storms can have on coastal populations. In the face of this reality, coastal communities must adapt and become more resilient to environmental changes. In order to assess …

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Development Of An Alternative Bait For The Louisiana Commercial Blue Crab (Callinectes Sapidus) Fishery, Angelle Nicole Anderson Jan 2014

Development Of An Alternative Bait For The Louisiana Commercial Blue Crab (Callinectes Sapidus) Fishery, Angelle Nicole Anderson

LSU Master's Theses

The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is a commercially, recreationally, and ecologically important species in Louisiana coastal waters. Louisiana landings account for more than 80% of Gulf of Mexico hard crab landings. In 2012, over 24 thousand metric tons of blue crab were landed in Louisiana with an economic value over $52 million. The blue crab fishery in the northern Gulf of Mexico relies heavily on Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) for bait, which is a species with stock concerns resulting in approximately a 20% decrease in total allowable catch beginning in 2013. Decreased landings results in increased cost of B. tyrannus …

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The Analysis & Implementation Of Key Innovation Methods In Order To Prove That Innovation Is Required For Promoting Market Growth In The United States Track & Field Industry, Michael Hays Lauro Jan 2014

The Analysis & Implementation Of Key Innovation Methods In Order To Prove That Innovation Is Required For Promoting Market Growth In The United States Track & Field Industry, Michael Hays Lauro

LSU Master's Theses

In relation to the rest of the world, the track and field industry within the United States lacks interest from the public. The market makes a name for itself during the short period of time the sport is televised in the Olympic Games. This is a problem for the elite athletes who are considered professional but have little to show for this title. The current marketing strategies and distribution of wealth within the industry are ineffective and detrimental to the future success of the sport. We must point the finger at the governing powers and demand a change. I believe …

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A Feasibility Study Of Ultra-Short Echo Time Mri For Positive Contrast Visualization Of Prostate Brachytherapy Permanent Seed Implants For Post-Implant Dosimetry, Melissa Lamberto Jan 2014

A Feasibility Study Of Ultra-Short Echo Time Mri For Positive Contrast Visualization Of Prostate Brachytherapy Permanent Seed Implants For Post-Implant Dosimetry, Melissa Lamberto

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: Ultra-short echo time (UTE) imaging is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that uses very short echo times (on the order of microseconds) to measure rapid T2 relaxation. An application of UTE is the visualization of magnetic susceptibility-induced shortening of T2 in tissues adjacent to metal, such as prostate tissue with implanted brachytherapy seeds. This study assessed UTE imaging of prostate brachytherapy seeds on a clinical 3T MRI scanner to provide images for post-implant dosimetry. Methods: A prostate tissue phantom was made of gelatin mixed with Gd and other materials to mimic the prostate peripheral zone’s T1 and T2 …

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Quantifying The Impact Of Hurricanes, Mid-Latitude Cyclones And Other Weather And Climate Extreme Events On The Mississippi-Alabama Barrier Islands Using Remotely Sensed Data, Rebekah Danielle Jones Jan 2014

Quantifying The Impact Of Hurricanes, Mid-Latitude Cyclones And Other Weather And Climate Extreme Events On The Mississippi-Alabama Barrier Islands Using Remotely Sensed Data, Rebekah Danielle Jones

LSU Master's Theses

Recent high-profile hurricanes have demonstrated the destructiveness of extreme events on coastal landscapes to the world. Barrier islands across the planet are disappearing, exposing vulnerable coastal cities to the damage caused by extreme events. Growing resolve among scientists regarding climate change's connection to tropical cyclones heightens the concern around intensifying extremes and landscape dynamics. This study uses more than 600 Landsat images to examine the role of extreme events on barrier island morphology on four of the Mississippi-Alabama barrier islands from 1972-2014. Each island, West Ship Island (WSI), East Ship Island (WSI), Petit Bois Island (PBI), and Sand Island, was …

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Assessment Of Habitat Quality For Red Snapper, Lutjanus Campechanus, In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico: Natural Vs. Artificial Reefs, Brittany Dawn Schwartzkopf Jan 2014

Assessment Of Habitat Quality For Red Snapper, Lutjanus Campechanus, In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico: Natural Vs. Artificial Reefs, Brittany Dawn Schwartzkopf

LSU Master's Theses

Habitat quality of natural and artificial reefs for red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) is important as this area is home to the majority of the Gulf’s artificial reef system, in the form of oil and gas platforms, in addition to the largest extent of high vertical relief natural habitat. This study sought to assess habitat quality of natural reefs of varying habitat complexity and an artificial reef complex located on the LA continental shelf. Habitat quality was assessed by comparing red snapper diets and foraging patterns, and nutritional condition using the liver-somatic index (LSI) …

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Development Of A Food Preference Survey, Amber Bourgeois Mcguerty Jan 2014

Development Of A Food Preference Survey, Amber Bourgeois Mcguerty

LSU Master's Theses

This study developed a food preference survey to estimate adolescents’ willingness to consume energy-dense foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. Five focus group interviews with 13 to 19 year-old students were conducted, and items representing energy-dense foods, energy-dilute foods, sweetened beverages, and unsweetened beverages were determined (5 per category). The final survey was administered to 234 students. Willingness to consume items was assessed using a 7-point Likert Scale (1, representing “Extremely Unwilling” to 7, indicating “Extremely Willing”). Exploratory Factor Analysis using Principal Axis factoring with a Promax (oblique) rotation revealed two factors. Factor one included French fries, Kool-Aid, glazed donuts, cookies, lemonade, …

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Removal Of Sustained Casing Pressure By Gravity Displacement Of Annular Fluid, Efecan Demirci Jan 2014

Removal Of Sustained Casing Pressure By Gravity Displacement Of Annular Fluid, Efecan Demirci

LSU Master's Theses

Sustained Casing Pressure (SCP) is the undesirable casing head pressure of a well annulus that rebuilds when bled-down. As the conventional methods for SCP removal using rigs are expensive, there is a need for improvement. Annular intervention for replacing the fluid above the leaking cement with a heavier fluid to stop gas migration is a solution for SCP removal; however, previous attempts failed due to miscibility of injected fluids. Using hydrophobic heavy fluids for the purpose is a newly proposed technique to the technology. Potential of theoretically selected and produced immiscible heavy fluids are investigated in characterized annular fluids. A …

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What To Expect When You're Expecting: Gaps In Utility Perceptions Of The Online Adult Learner, Byron Shane Lowery Jan 2014

What To Expect When You're Expecting: Gaps In Utility Perceptions Of The Online Adult Learner, Byron Shane Lowery

LSU Master's Theses

The adult learner can be defined as someone who, while enrolled in an academic institution, is involved in other major life responsibilities such as work or family obligations. Recently, there has been an increase in the number working adults pursuing a college education. However, empirical research regarding the job-related utility of obtaining this education is limited. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to examine not only the expectations regarding how a degree may be useful for career advancement, but the work and life outcomes associated with obtaining the degree as well. This study examined job-related utility perceptions for obtaining an …

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A Captive Audience, Holley Shinn Jan 2014

A Captive Audience, Holley Shinn

LSU Master's Theses

A Captive Audience is a permanent onsite installation of cage furniture and a wildlife garden at Louisiana State University’s Raptor Rehabilitation Center. Both the furniture and the garden are intended to enrich the lives of permanently disabled raptors who live in captivity at the center.

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Three Essays On Migration Decision, Migration Destination Choice, And Food Security: Evidence From Chitwan, Nepal, Madhav Regmi Jan 2014

Three Essays On Migration Decision, Migration Destination Choice, And Food Security: Evidence From Chitwan, Nepal, Madhav Regmi

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis research is based on data obtained from the Nepal Ethno Survey of Family, Migration and Development conducted in 396 farming households in the Eastern part of the Chitwan, Nepal. In a three essay thesis format, I explore the factors affecting migration decision and migration destination choices. I then establish a link between remittance and food security status of the surveyed households. In the first essay, I use a probit model to identify household decisions to send or not to send migrants, and identify factors affecting the decision process. I include individual, household and social network characteristics in the …

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Decomposition At Three Aquatic And Terrestrial Sites In Southern Louisiana, Paul Max Bangs Jan 2014

Decomposition At Three Aquatic And Terrestrial Sites In Southern Louisiana, Paul Max Bangs

LSU Master's Theses

To compare decomposition potential variability in geographically distinct sites, this project deposited six pigs of comparable size to adult humans in pairs at three sites within southern Louisiana. These sites were: the east bank of the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge, “Red Pass” in the Bird Foot Delta near Venice, Louisiana, and the Grande Isle and Grand Terre Islands in the Gulf of Mexico. After partial decomposition of the three pairs of remains, one pig was placed onto land to simulate beaching by tidal action or recession of flood water. Each pig was allowed to continue decomposition. Despite geographic distance …

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Investigation Of Dimensionality-Dependent Foam Rheological Properties By Using Mechanistic Foam Model, Woochan Lee Jan 2014

Investigation Of Dimensionality-Dependent Foam Rheological Properties By Using Mechanistic Foam Model, Woochan Lee

LSU Master's Theses

A numerous laboratory and field tests revealed that foam can effectively control gas mobility, improve sweep efficiency, and increase oil production, if correctly designed. It is believed that there is a significant gap between small laboratory-scale experiments and large field-scale tests because of two main reasons: (i) typical laboratory flow tests are conducted in linear systems, while field-scale foam EOR processes are performed in radial (or spherical partly) systems in general; and (ii) through the complicated in-situ lamella creation and coalescence mechanisms and non-Newtonian behavior, foam rheology is thought to depend on geometry and dimensionality and, as a result, it …

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