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2016

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Studies Of The Properties Of Designed Nanoparticles Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Steve Matthew Deese Jan 2016

Studies Of The Properties Of Designed Nanoparticles Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Steve Matthew Deese

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the research in this dissertation was to elucidate the intrinsic properties of how nanoparticles are different from bulk materials. This was done by mechanical and electronic studies of the properties of designed nanoparticles using advanced modes of atomic force microscopy. Information relating to the work functions, contact potential difference, Young’s Moduli, elasticity, and viscoelasticity can be investigated using state-of-the-art atomic force microscope (AFM) experiments. Subsurface imaging of polystyrene encapsulated cobalt nanoparticles was achieved for the first time using Force Modulation Microscopy (FMM) in conjunction with contact mode AFM. Previously prepared sample of polystyrene coated cobalt nanoparticles were …

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Integration Of Optical Remote Sensor-Based Yield Prediction And Impact Of Nitrogen Fertilization, Harvest Date, And Planting Scheme On Yield, Quality, And Biomass Chemical Composition In Energy Cane Production In Louisiana, Marilyn Sebial Dalen Jan 2016

Integration Of Optical Remote Sensor-Based Yield Prediction And Impact Of Nitrogen Fertilization, Harvest Date, And Planting Scheme On Yield, Quality, And Biomass Chemical Composition In Energy Cane Production In Louisiana, Marilyn Sebial Dalen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The established sugarcane industry in Louisiana is perceived as an advantage for biofuel industry because of the similarities of energy cane and sugarcane by way they are cultivated, harvested, and processed. This study was conducted at the LSU AgCenter Sugar Research Station in St. Gabriel, LA from 2013-2015 to evaluate the influence of planting scheme, N rate, and harvest date on energy cane yield, quality parameters, nutrient uptake, and biomass chemical composition. The relationship of vegetation indices (VI) with stalk, fiber yield, and N uptake of energy cane harvested at different dates was also evaluated. The experiments consisted of variety …

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Fundamental Studies Of Humic Acid's Influence On Pollutant Toxicity To Aquatic Organisms, Rachel Dawn Deese Jan 2016

Fundamental Studies Of Humic Acid's Influence On Pollutant Toxicity To Aquatic Organisms, Rachel Dawn Deese

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The main purpose of the research presented in this dissertation was to further understand the intricate and convoluted interactions between natural organic material, biological entities, and pollutants. This was achieved by utilizing humic acids (HAs) from differing sources, chemically modified humic acid, two biological entities (model biomembranes and Artemia Franciscana), and three types of pollutants (cations, surfactants, and carbon nanotubes). Fluorescence spectroscopy and model biomembranes were used to measure the change in HA’s ability to interact with the biomembranes in the presence of cations. Three differently sourced HAs, chemical modified HAs, and a range of cations were studied to elucidate …

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Use Of X-Ray K-Edge Tomography And Interferometry Imaging Techniques For The Studies Of Brominated Flame Retardants, Mutairu Bolaji Olatinwo Jan 2016

Use Of X-Ray K-Edge Tomography And Interferometry Imaging Techniques For The Studies Of Brominated Flame Retardants, Mutairu Bolaji Olatinwo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The work presented in this dissertation is based on the studies of flame retardancy performance of various formulations consisting of brominated flame retardants (BFRs: Saytex 8010 and Green Armor) and their synergist, antimony trioxide (Sb2O3) in high impact polystyrene (HIPS). Chemical flame retardants are incorporated in polymers to improve their flame inhibition for optimal applications in electrical and electronic devices, furniture, printers and more. These flame retardant polymer blends are studied using the Underwriters Laboratory vertical burn test (UL 94) and X-ray imaging techniques such as X-ray K-edge absorption tomography and X-ray grating interferometry. The UL 94 burn test is …

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Investigating Curriculum Use And Its Impact On Teachers And Their Practice, Tiah B. Alphonso Jan 2016

Investigating Curriculum Use And Its Impact On Teachers And Their Practice, Tiah B. Alphonso

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study provided insights into how upper elementary teachers from three southern school districts used standards based curriculum materials and the resulting changes in their beliefs, knowledge, and practice. Additionally, this study sought to identify whether the following four factors were predictors of change in teacher practice: coherence of the professional development program, opportunities to collaborate, years of teaching experience, and curriculum use. The participating school districts were selected through purposeful sampling with districts being chosen largely based on a strong commitment to implementing Eureka Math in their schools. For comparison purposes, a contrast school district was also included in …

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The Effect Of Teacher Beliefs And Self-Efficacy On Environmental Education Program Implementation, Ashley Wilson Mullens Jan 2016

The Effect Of Teacher Beliefs And Self-Efficacy On Environmental Education Program Implementation, Ashley Wilson Mullens

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study describes the development and initial validation of a tool to measure teachers’ beliefs about environmental education (EE), perceptions about their own self-efficacy in implementing EE in their classroom, perceptions about the support they receive in regards to implementing EE in their classroom, the perceived motivators towards EE, and the perceived barriers towards EE. This instrument was then utilized to measure these five constructs and compare results between participants and non-participants of a school-based environmental education program. All respondents had positive beliefs about environmental education. Participants and non-participants did differentiate between their perceptions of self-efficacy, support, and motivators, suggesting …

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Temporal Dynamics Of Benthic Responses To Habitat Disturbance In Coastal Plain Headwaters Of Southwestern Louisiana, Catherine Elizabeth Murphy Jan 2016

Temporal Dynamics Of Benthic Responses To Habitat Disturbance In Coastal Plain Headwaters Of Southwestern Louisiana, Catherine Elizabeth Murphy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Weak biotic responses to habitat gradients within Northern Gulf of Mexico streams have been attributed to spatial and temporal variability. Landscape and in-stream habitat descriptions are presented for watersheds within Pleistocene terraces of the Coastal Plains geomorphic province of Louisiana, USA. Geologic influences on stream habitat were inferred by comparing multivariate ordinations on physicochemical measurements between terraces. Seasonal variability was assessed during a drought year (2011) and a typical water year (2013). Within coastal plains of Louisiana, stream condition was more similar within terraces than within river basins. Permutational MANOVA models indicated significantly different stream habitat between Uplands and Prairie, …

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Promoting Literacy Development In The Early Childhood Classroom: An Evaluation Of Phonemic Awareness And Phonics Instruction, Elise Catherine Mciver Jan 2016

Promoting Literacy Development In The Early Childhood Classroom: An Evaluation Of Phonemic Awareness And Phonics Instruction, Elise Catherine Mciver

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Research has consistently demonstrated that literacy skills are associated with a host of benefits that are both substantial and long lasting. Given the implications of reading skill development, efforts to understand the most effective methods of teaching students how to read are consequential. Fortunately, substantial research has been conducted on this topic and has subsequently highlighted two essential building blocks of a balanced literacy framework: phonemic awareness and phonics. The current literature on the reading acquisition process shows that if students are to benefit from phonics instruction, they must have a certain level of phonemic awareness proficiency. The question remains, …

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Particulate Inorganic Carbon Flux And Sediment Transport Dynamics In Karst: Significance To Landscape Evolution And The Carbon Cycle., Randall Lee Paylor Jan 2016

Particulate Inorganic Carbon Flux And Sediment Transport Dynamics In Karst: Significance To Landscape Evolution And The Carbon Cycle., Randall Lee Paylor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Research focused on three areas of karst hydrogeology and sediment transport that have been poorly studied in the past: the role of particulate inorganic carbon transport in calculating carbon sink rates in karst; rapid changes in surface vs. subsurface sediment mixing in karst conduits; and comparison of landscape denudation calculations using dissolved carbonate load vs. total dissolved/sediment load. Carbonate bedrock weathering is a significant component of the atmospheric carbon sink. Particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) in bed and suspended sediment load of karst waters is frequently dismissed as insignificant for calculating denudation and carbon transport/sink rates, but PIC flux has not …

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Understanding Chemical Reactions In Novel Materials: From Metal Organic Frameworks To Oxyallyl Cations, Kiara Taylor-Edinbyrd Jan 2016

Understanding Chemical Reactions In Novel Materials: From Metal Organic Frameworks To Oxyallyl Cations, Kiara Taylor-Edinbyrd

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The work of this dissertation investigates the chemical processes of novel materials through quantum mechanical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. The first section of this work focuses on probing copper based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) for their ability to catalytically release nitric oxide from s-nitrosothiol (RSNO) precursors in a slow, controlled and sustained manner and compares these findings to a free copper ion/ethanol solution. Through the use of electronic structure calculations and molecular dynamics simulations, studies are carried out to better understand how the barriers of RSNOs approach to the catalytic copper center changes with modifications to the R-group (of …

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Single Crystal Growth And Physical Property Investigations Of Ca-Feas-Based Superconductors, Jiayun Pan Jan 2016

Single Crystal Growth And Physical Property Investigations Of Ca-Feas-Based Superconductors, Jiayun Pan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The discovery of Fe-based superconductors marked the beginning of a new era in unconventional superconductors. To date, the underlying superconducting mechanism has not yet been fully understood. Among Fe-based superconductors, the relatively new members are Ca10PtnAs8(Fe2As2)5 (n = 3, 4) and CaFeAs2. They are unique because they contain special adjacent layers, i.e., metallic Pt4As8 in Ca10Pt4As8(Fe2As2)5, semiconducting Pt3As8 in Ca10Pt3As8(Fe2As2)5, and As chains in CaFeAs2. The focus of this research is to understand the electrical and magnetic properties of Ca10PtnAs8(Fe2As2)5 (n = 3, 4) and CaFeAs2 in both the normal and superconducting state. Single crystals Ca10Pt4As8(Fe2As2)5 and Ca10Pt3As8(Fe2As2)5 with different …

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The Influence Of Selected Academic And Demographic Characteristics On The Success Of First-Year Students Enrolled In A Baccalaureate Nursing Program, Scelitta F. Bond Jan 2016

The Influence Of Selected Academic And Demographic Characteristics On The Success Of First-Year Students Enrolled In A Baccalaureate Nursing Program, Scelitta F. Bond

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of the study was to determine the influence of selected demographic and academic characteristics on success in nursing education among first year baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in a private college in the Southern region of the United States. The participants in the study were 102 baccalaureate students admitted to the nursing program in Fall, 2013. For the purpose of the study, success was defined as a grade of C or higher in two clinical nursing courses in the first year of the nursing program. Academic and demographic criteria were examined and compared using means, standard deviations, Independent …

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Infectivity And Physiological Effects Of White Spot Syndrome Virus (Wssv) In Farmed Louisiana Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus Clarkii), Barcley Talon Pace Jan 2016

Infectivity And Physiological Effects Of White Spot Syndrome Virus (Wssv) In Farmed Louisiana Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus Clarkii), Barcley Talon Pace

LSU Master's Theses

The red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, represents an important aquaculture species responsible for over half of all commercial aquaculture profits in Louisiana. White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is highly pathogenic and induces mass mortality in crustacean aquaculture operations worldwide. Crayfish lack the adaptive ability of the vertebrate immune system, and must depend on primitive, innate immune responses to combat viral infections. This study aims to investigate the dose-response of WSSV in P. clarkii and to examine viral-host interactions by examining the biochemical and immunological changes induced by WSSV infection in this species. Viable viral particles were isolated from naturally infected …

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Data-Driven Rational Drug Design, Yun Ding Jan 2016

Data-Driven Rational Drug Design, Yun Ding

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Vast amount of experimental data in structural biology has been generated, collected and accumulated in the last few decades. This rich dataset is an invaluable mine of knowledge, from which deep insights can be obtained and practical applications can be developed. To achieve that goal, we must be able to manage such "Big Data'' in science and investigate them expertly. Molecular docking is a field that can prominently make use of the large structural biology dataset. As an important component of rational drug design, molecular docking is used to perform large-scale screening of putative associations between small organic molecules and …

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Vaccinations: Weighing The Risks And Benefits, Yosis Shapiro Jan 2016

Vaccinations: Weighing The Risks And Benefits, Yosis Shapiro

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Research has proven that vaccines prevent disease. Important medical organizations conclusively support and advise the administration of vaccinations to prevent diseases that once caused devastating effects both in the individual who contracted, and in communities where these diseases spread. While some groups protest against the constitutionality of vaccinating, others counter that failure to do so subjects the unvaccinated to illness and death by contracting and spreading of the sickness. Despite statistics on reduced incidence of diseases with few consequences as a result of vaccine-induced passive immunity, fears of harm secondary to vaccination loom. In the 21st Century, many people are …

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Pesticide Partitioning In Louisiana Wetland Aand Ricefield Sediment, Brendan Michael Marsh Jan 2016

Pesticide Partitioning In Louisiana Wetland Aand Ricefield Sediment, Brendan Michael Marsh

LSU Master's Theses

Pesticides are used globally and are often found within bodies of water. The EPA investigates the potential environmental impact through computer modeling in order to help mitigate some of the regulatory burden of pesticide fate investigation. Currently when pesticides enter a water body, the Exposure Analysis Modeling System (EXAMS) estimates partitioning depth as 5 cm and assumes equal distribution. This assumption was tested with a wide variety of pesticides with varying Koc ranges and water solubilities. Savillex 150 ml Teflon tubes were filled with wetland and ricefield sediments with fresh and seawater as the aqueous phase. The seven pesticides tested …

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Using Tourmaline As An Indicator Of Provenance: Development And Application Of A Statistical Approach Using Random Forests, Erin Lael Walden Jan 2016

Using Tourmaline As An Indicator Of Provenance: Development And Application Of A Statistical Approach Using Random Forests, Erin Lael Walden

LSU Master's Theses

Tourmaline is a petrologic indicator mineral that is the major repository of boron in the earth’s crust. It forms readily when boron is present, accommodating multiple cations and anions with multiple possible substitutions for each site in the crystal structure. It is stable over a wide variety of pressures and temperatures, from near-surface P/T conditions to greater than 950 C and 7 GPa. It records information about conditions of formation, as well as pressure and temperature. Due to its resistance to chemical or physical weathering, and the negligible diffusion of elements in the crystal lattice, information about provenance is preserved. …

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Effects Of Truck Based Ultra-Low Volume Mosquito Adulticides On Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera) In A Real World Scenario, Vivek Pokhrel Jan 2016

Effects Of Truck Based Ultra-Low Volume Mosquito Adulticides On Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera) In A Real World Scenario, Vivek Pokhrel

LSU Master's Theses

Honey bees are crucial pollinators for many economically important fruit crops. The recent honey bee colony decline in the United States and other regions of the world has caused concern among commercial beekeepers, research groups, the government, and the general public. The role of pesticides in recent honey bee declines has not been fully determined. In Louisiana, it is a common practice to spray truck based ultra-low volume mosquito adulticides in Integrated Mosquito Management Programs to control mosquitoes and minimize the risk of vector borne viruses such as West Nile, chikungunya, and Zika. This study measured the effects of truck …

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Hydrodynamic Simulations Of The Prototype Mississippi River And Expanded Small-Scale Physical Model To Investigate Impact Of Sea Level Rise, Linsey Brooke Olivier Jan 2016

Hydrodynamic Simulations Of The Prototype Mississippi River And Expanded Small-Scale Physical Model To Investigate Impact Of Sea Level Rise, Linsey Brooke Olivier

LSU Master's Theses

The Expanded Small-Scale Physical Model (ESSPM) is a distorted-scale, moveable bed model that will complement numerical and field studies studying management strategies in the lower ~140 miles of the Mississippi River and their effect on flooding, navigation and coastal restoration. It is recognized that relative sea level rise (RSLR), the combination of eustatic sea level rise (ESLR) and subsidence, will have an impact on the hydraulics and sediment transport in the lower River. However, it is physically impossible to replicate subsidence in the ESSPM; thus, future RSLR conditions will be experimentally simulated by raising Gulf of Mexico (GoM) levels commensurate …

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New Archiving, Fingering, And Assessing Techniques For Sheet Music Using Advanced Signal Processing Approaches, Ting-Chen Hsu Jan 2016

New Archiving, Fingering, And Assessing Techniques For Sheet Music Using Advanced Signal Processing Approaches, Ting-Chen Hsu

LSU Master's Theses

In this thesis, advanced signal processing techniques are proposed to archive the musical scores, guide the novice pianists to play piano with appropriate fingerings, and assess the harmonization for musical composition. The mathematical frameworks for these three applications are established and the corresponding optimization problems are formulated. The optimal solutions are also provided. First, the hard- and soft-archiving approaches for storing and distributing musical scores are investigated. By use of the popular musical scripting language, LilyPond, as the intermediate data format, we propose to encode the LilyPond script, which is converted from the original musical score, to the two-dimensional quick-response …

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Fractal Shapes Generated By Iterated Function Systems, Mary Catherine Mckinley Jan 2016

Fractal Shapes Generated By Iterated Function Systems, Mary Catherine Mckinley

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis explores the construction of shapes and, in particular, fractal-type shapes as fixed points of contractive iterated function systems as discussed in Michael Barnsley's 1988 book ``Fractals Everywhere." The purpose of the thesis is to serve as a resource for an undergraduate-level introduction to the beauty and core ideas of fractal geometry, especially with regard to visualizations of basic concepts and algorithms.

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Option Volatility & Arbitrage Opportunities, Mikael Boffetti Jan 2016

Option Volatility & Arbitrage Opportunities, Mikael Boffetti

LSU Master's Theses

This paper develops several methods to estimate a future volatility of a stock in order to correctly price corresponding stock options. The pricing model known as Black-Scholes-Merton is presented with a constant volatility parameter and compares it to stochastic volatility models. It mathematically describes the probability distribution of the underlying stock price changes implied by the models and the consequences. Arbitrage opportunities between stock options of various maturities or strike prices are explained from the volatility smile and volatility term structure.

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Everglades Mangrove Forest Response To Large-Scale Disturbance: Long-Term Assessment Of Structural And Functional Properties, Tess Marie Danielson Jan 2016

Everglades Mangrove Forest Response To Large-Scale Disturbance: Long-Term Assessment Of Structural And Functional Properties, Tess Marie Danielson

LSU Master's Theses

The impact (i.e., defoliation and mortality) associated with large-scale natural disturbance events is capable of significantly altering ecosystem structure (e.g., biomass) and function (e.g., productivity) in mangrove wetlands. These pulsing events provide an opportunity to assess ecosystem resilience (i.e., recovery to pre-disturbance conditions) by evaluating the immediate and long-term ecosystem response trajectory (i.e., disturbance magnitude, recovery time). I hypothesized that 1) there are specific properties of disturbance that can be characterized and fit to a general forest disturbance model, and that 2) a mangrove forest recovery trajectory (i.e. recovery duration and rate) is dependent on the disturbance magnitude and initial …

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Applying Deep Learning Techniques To The Analysis Of Android Apks, Robin Andrew Nix Jan 2016

Applying Deep Learning Techniques To The Analysis Of Android Apks, Robin Andrew Nix

LSU Master's Theses

Malware targeting mobile devices is a pervasive problem in modern life and as such tools to detect and classify malware are of great value. This paper seeks to demonstrate the effectiveness of Deep Learning Techniques, specifically Convolutional Neural Networks, in detecting and classifying malware targeting the Android operating system. Unlike many current detection techniques, which require the use of relatively rigid features to aid in detection, deep neural networks are capable of automatically learning flexible features which may be more resilient to obfuscation. We present a parsing for extracting sequences of API calls which can be used to describe a …

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A Verified Information-Flow Architecture, Arthur Azevedo De Amorim, Nathan Collins, André Dehon, Delphine Demange, Cătălin Hriţcu, David Pichardie, Benjamin C. Pierce, Randy Pollack, Andrew Tolmach Jan 2016

A Verified Information-Flow Architecture, Arthur Azevedo De Amorim, Nathan Collins, André Dehon, Delphine Demange, Cătălin Hriţcu, David Pichardie, Benjamin C. Pierce, Randy Pollack, Andrew Tolmach

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

SAFE is a clean-slate design for a highly secure computer system, with pervasive mechanisms for tracking and limiting information flows. At the lowest level, the SAFE hardware supports fine-grained programmable tags, with efficient and flexible propagation and combination of tags as instructions are executed. The operating system virtualizes these generic facilities to present an information-flow abstract machine that allows user programs to label sensitive data with rich confidentiality policies. We present a formal, machine-checked model of the key hardware and software mechanisms used to dynamically control information flow in SAFE and an end-to-end proof of noninterference for this model. We …

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Madagascar’S Mangroves: Quantifying Nation-Wide And Ecosystem Specific Dynamics, And Detailed Contemporary Mapping Of Distinct Ecosystems, Trevor G. Jones, Leah Glass, Samir Gandhi, Lalao Ravaoarinorotsihoarana, Aude Carro, Lisa Benson, Harifidy Rakoto Ratsimba, Chandra Giri, Dannick Randriamanatena, Garth Cripps Jan 2016

Madagascar’S Mangroves: Quantifying Nation-Wide And Ecosystem Specific Dynamics, And Detailed Contemporary Mapping Of Distinct Ecosystems, Trevor G. Jones, Leah Glass, Samir Gandhi, Lalao Ravaoarinorotsihoarana, Aude Carro, Lisa Benson, Harifidy Rakoto Ratsimba, Chandra Giri, Dannick Randriamanatena, Garth Cripps

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mangrove ecosystems help mitigate climate change, are highly biodiverse, and provide critical goods and services to coastal communities. Despite their importance, anthropogenic activities are rapidly degrading and deforesting mangroves world-wide. Madagascar contains 2% of the world’s mangroves, many of which have undergone or are starting to exhibit signs of widespread degradation and deforestation. Remotely sensed data can be used to quantify mangrove loss and characterize remaining distributions, providing detailed, accurate, timely and updateable information. We use USGS maps produced from Landsat data to calculate nation-wide dynamics for Madagascar’s mangroves from 1990 to 2010, and examine change more closely by partitioning …

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Three Simple Experiments To Examine The Effect Of Sediment Pollution On Algae-Based Food Webs In Streams, Patrick M. Edwards, Rodney Shroufe Jan 2016

Three Simple Experiments To Examine The Effect Of Sediment Pollution On Algae-Based Food Webs In Streams, Patrick M. Edwards, Rodney Shroufe

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Streams and stream macroinvertebrates are ideal natural systems for ecological inquiry. We present three simple experiments that students can use to conduct field-based investigations which illustrate the importance of algae-based food webs in streams and measure the effects of sediment pollution (scour and deposition) on stream ecological processes. Over the past 5 years, we have conducted these experiments 19 times with our students. We report on the results and reliability of these experiments and make suggestions for other educators who may want to conduct them.

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Resident Perceptions Of Natural Resources Between Cities And Across Scales In The Pacific Northwest, Anita T. Morzillo, Betty J. Kreakie, Noelwah R. Netusil, J. Alan Yeakley Jan 2016

Resident Perceptions Of Natural Resources Between Cities And Across Scales In The Pacific Northwest, Anita T. Morzillo, Betty J. Kreakie, Noelwah R. Netusil, J. Alan Yeakley

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

As the global population becomes increasingly urban, research is needed to explore how local culture, land use, and policy will influence urban natural resource management. We used a broad-scale comparative approach and survey of residents within the Portland (Oregon)-Vancouver (Washington) metropolitan areas, USA, two states with similar geographical and ecological characteristics, but different approaches to land-use planning, to explore resident perceptions about natural resources at three scales of analysis: property level (“at or near my house”), neighborhood (“within a 20-minute walk from my house”), and metro level (“across the metro area”). At the metro-level scale, nonmetric multidimensional scaling revealed that …

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The Effects Of The Aca On Actuarial Pricing: How The Work Of Health Actuaries Has Changed Post-Aca, Alex M.S. George Jan 2016

The Effects Of The Aca On Actuarial Pricing: How The Work Of Health Actuaries Has Changed Post-Aca, Alex M.S. George

University Honors Theses

In the United States, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or ACA) drastically altered the health insurance industry. Insurers are no longer able to deny coverage or charge higher premiums based on an individual’s medical history. In order to more evenly spread the financial risks associated with these ACA reforms among insurers and stabilize health insurance premiums, risk-sharing provisions dubbed the "3 R's" (risk adjustment, risk corridors, and reinsurance) were instituted in the individual and small group market. This thesis will begin with a discussion of the "3 R's" and the other ACA regulations that have had significant …

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Understanding Multiple Sclerosis Through Retinal Cell Layer Thickness: An Insight Into The Neurodegeneration Process, Zac Festner Jan 2016

Understanding Multiple Sclerosis Through Retinal Cell Layer Thickness: An Insight Into The Neurodegeneration Process, Zac Festner

University Honors Theses

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have long been known to suffer deterioration of the retina, sometimes leading to blindness. The damage has been assumed to occur predominantly within the retinal nerve fiber layer. Using optical coherence tomography (OCT), researchers at Johns Hopkins University have determined that there is a subset of MS patients for whom the retinal deterioration is different. For this group the deterioration occurs at a deeper level within the retina, between the photoreceptors and the connecting cells. This deterioration affects the inner and outer nuclear layers of the retina. These findings are perplexing, as MS is considered …

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