Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Instrumental Noise On Searches For Generic Transient Gravitational Waves In Advanced Ligo, Marissa Walker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

One hundred years after Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves as a result of his theory of general relativity, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), made the first direct detection of a gravitational-wave signal from a binary black hole merger, GW150914. GW150914 was found not only by search methods specifically developed to find the distinctive waveform produced by coalescing binaries, but also by generic searches designed to find any arbitrary short-duration signal in the LIGO data. The impact of noise on the searches must be carefully investigated in order to reduce the search background and enable confident gravitational-wave …

Succinct Data Structures For Parameterized Pattern Matching And Related Problems, Arnab Ganguly

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Let T be a fixed text-string of length n and P be a varying pattern-string of length |P| <= n. Both T and P contain characters from a totally ordered alphabet Sigma of size sigma <= n. Suffix tree is the ubiquitous data structure for answering a pattern matching query: report all the positions i in T such that T[i + k - 1] = P[k], 1 <= k <= |P|. Compressed data structures support pattern matching queries, using much lesser space than the suffix tree, mainly by relying on a crucial property of the leaves in the tree. Unfortunately, in many suffix tree variants (such as parameterized suffix tree, order-preserving suffix tree, and 2-dimensional suffix tree), this property does not hold. Consequently, compressed representations of these suffix tree variants have been elusive. We present the first compressed data structures for two important variants of the pattern matching problem: (1) Parameterized Matching -- report a position i in T if T[i + k - 1] = f(P[k]), 1 <= k <= |P|, for a one-to-one function f that renames the characters in P to the characters in T[i,i+|P|-1], and (2) Order-preserving Matching -- report a position i in T if T[i + j - 1] and T[i + k -1] have the same relative order as that of P[j] and P[k], 1 <= j < k <= |P|. For each of these two problems, the existing suffix tree variant requires O(n*log n) bits of space and answers a query in O(|P|*log sigma + occ) time, where occ is the number of starting positions where a match exists. We present data structures that require O(n*log sigma) bits of space and answer a query in O((|P|+occ) poly(log n)) time. As a byproduct, we obtain compressed data structures for a few other variants, as well as introduce two new techniques (of independent interest) for designing compressed data structures for pattern matching.

A Mixed Methods Analysis Of School- And Student-Level Effects: Mathematics Course Completion And Achievement Beyond Algebra 2 Among Mexican American Female High School Students, Lester Archer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the United States, as the Hispanic population continues to grow, persistently low mathematics achievement among Mexican Americans continues to exist, particularly among girls. Low mathematics achievement places this group in a disadvantaged position. As such, a multistage mixed method study was implemented to investigate possible factors associated with mathematics achievement and the probability of taking mathematics courses beyond Algebra 2 among Mexican American female high school students. The Educational Longitudinal Study (ELS:2002) database provided the quantitative sample (n = 710) of respondents who self-identified as Mexican American, female, and had a math IRT score. A parallel sample (n = …

How I Got Over: A Study Of The Tenure Experiences Of Black Female Professors At Predominantly White Institutions, Veta E. Parker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the tenure experiences of seven Black female professors as they pursued tenure at select public higher/highest research activity predominantly white institutions. This study was pursued in an attempt to determine what challenges were presented during the tenure process. More importantly, this study sought to determine the role of mentorship in the pursuit of tenure. In addition, recommendations for success were offered to Black females who are currently pursuing tenure or who may choose to enter the academy. A narrative research study was utilized for this study which was informed by Black Feminist Thought. This allowed for a …

Numerical Study Of The Periodic Anderson Model With Holstein Phonons For The Description Of Cerium Volume Collapse, Enzhi Li

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The volume collapse transition of Cerium has intrigued physicists since its discovery several decades ago. Various models and mechanisms have been proposed, the most prominent scenarios are based on the Mott transition and the Kondo volume collapse transition. In this study, we explore the volume collapse by a dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) study of the periodic Anderson model with electron-phonon coupling to the conduction band. This allows us to study the effect of the electron-phonon interaction on the volume collapse. In order to faithfully account for the volume collapse, we also include the effects due to the volume and …

A Graph-Based Taxonomic Intelligent Tutoring System Utilizingbloom’S Taxonomy And Item-Response Theoretic Assessment, Dennis Gordon Castleberry Ii

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation details an intelligent tutoring system which aims to raise student trait abilities across concepts and levels of Blooms taxonomy within an educational program. The system utilizes Item Response Theory, a probabilistic theory of assessment which accounts for item discrimination, difficulty, and probability of guessing in its assessment of student trait ability. A modification to Item Response Theory which accounts for question dependencies is used to assess the probability that a student will answer a given question correctly given prior responses on the dependency questions. It also draws from theories of memory and forgetting present in the ACT-R model …

Wringing Wonder From The Arid Landscape Of Law, Robert L. Fischman

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Charles Wilkinson’s estimable contribution to public land law scholarship is widely cited but only partly understood. From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s he upended the field by elevating the diffuse public interest, displacing creation and adjudication of private property interests as the field’s focus. However, his subsequent scholarship grappled with an even more important challenge that has been far less noted. Beginning in the late 1980s, Wilkinson explored how legal institutions should determine the pluralistic, public interest. In trailblazing articles and books, he rose to the challenge with site-specific details, compelling narratives, and aspirational themes. This work undermined the dominance …

Branch And Stem Growth As Affected By Loss Of Leaf Area On Selected Branches In Loblolly Pine, Shannon Dumo Kidombo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Leaf area and crown dynamics control how trees grow through their supply of carbohydrates and growth regulators, and their influence on tree mechanical stability. The influence of leaf area and crown dynamics to tree growth was investigated by testing the interdependence between leaf area, branch, and stem growth on young loblolly pine trees. The objectives were to (1) determine the influence of current and previous year’s leaf area on elongation of branches; (2) describe and test a unique way of quantitatively measuring the effect of neighbor branches on net growth of a target branch; (3) quantify the growth impact of …

Data Protection And Humanitarian Emergencies, Fred H. Cate, Christopher Kuner, Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Orla Lynskey, Christopher Millard

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Measuring The Costs And Benefits Of Patent Pools, Michael Mattioli, Robert P. Merges

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This Article addresses a policy question that has challenged scholars and lawmakers since the 1850s: Do the transaction cost benefits of patent pools outweigh their potential for consumer harm? This question has special importance today. Patent pools are on the increase, due to large numbers of patents in critical industries such as software and mobile phones. In this Article, we present the first empirically-based estimate of the transaction costs savings engendered by patent pools. Drawing on interviews with administrators of prominent pools, we document the costs of assembling and administering a functioning pool. We then estimate the transaction costs that …

Exact Numerical Study Of Disordered Systems, Conrad Wilson Moore

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis presents work on the development of new techniques to study the problem of localization in various models of disordered systems with the goal of being able to extend these model calculations to real materials where these various mechanisms of disorder can all be present. I consider the Anderson Model with diagonal, off-diagonal disorder, multiple bands and superconductivity is included at the level of a Bogoliubov - De Gennes mean field (superconductivity is considered by adding the symmetries of the Bogoliubov - De Gennes Hamiltonian on top of the disordered lattice Hamiltonian). The localization of electrons is studied with …

Pre-College Credit And Examination Programs: One Size Fits All?, Guadalupe M. Lamadrid

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to utilize a comprehensive 9-16 dataset to quantitatively examine which pre-college credit programs are the most significant predictors of college achievement as defined by college GPA, first to second year retention, time to degree and graduation date. A qualitative analysis was conducted, which via the use of a survey allowed students to share their perceptions and feeling regarding their pre-college credit experiences. Data for this study was obtained from institutional sources and consisted of 9-16 detail high school record, admissions, financial aid, scholarship and enrolled student information. Univariate and Multi-variate statistical analyses …

Deontological Originalism: Moral Truth, Liberty, And, Constitutional Due Process: Part I - Originalism And Deontology, Peter Brandon Bayer

Scholarly Works

This article offers what has been needed but lacking in modern legal commentary: thorough, meticulous and timely proof that, pursuant to principles of Originalism, the Constitution - the highest law of the United States - mandates that any governmental act is unconstitutional if it is immoral.

Specifically, this article returns fundamental constitutional jurisprudence to where it rightly was until roughly a century ago; and, where, recently, it has been returning in the form of Supreme Court substantive due process precedents based on human dignity. The overarching concept, which I call Deontological Originalism, asserts that both the Founders of this Nation …

Revisions To Rainfall Intensity Algorithms In Przm5.0 To Improve Estimates Of Off-Field Runoff, Eroded Sediment And Pesticide Mass, Tammara Levey Estes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) model Pesticide Root Zone Model, version 5.0 (PRZM5.0) is used to estimate off-field loadings of pesticide concentrations in runoff and eroded sediment. Climate change has resulted in an increase in rainfall intensity patterns for much of the United States. This change impacts off-field runoff and eroded sediment as well as off-field pesticide loads from agricultural fields. Thus, the PRZM5.0 EPA “lookup” table for runoff curve numbers and the internal algorithm for eroded sediment estimation have become outdated since both temporal and geographical conditions have changed. This research presents (1) a revised method for estimating runoff …

Empirically Tuning Hpc Kernels With Ifko, Md Majedul Haque Sujon

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

iFKO (iterative Floating point Kernel Optimizer) is an open-source iterative empirical compilation framework which can be used to tune high performance computing (HPC) kernels. The goal of our research is to advance iterative empirical compilation to the degree that the performance it can achieve is comparable to that delivered by painstaking hand tuning in assembly. This will allow many HPC researchers to spend precious development time on higher level aspects of tuning such as parallelization, as well as enabling computational scientists to develop new algorithms that demand new high performance kernels. At present, algorithms that cannot use hand-tuned performance libraries …

Laws, Norms, And The Institutional Analysis And Development Framework, Daniel H. Cole

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Elinor Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework has been described as ‘one of the most developed and sophisticated attempts to use institutional and stakeholder assessment in order to link theory and practice, analysis and policy’. But not all elements in the framework are sufficiently well developed. This paper focuses on one such element: the ‘rules-in-use’ (a.k.a. ‘rules’ or ‘working rules’). Specifically, it begins a long-overdue conversation about relations between formal legal rules and ‘working rules’ by offering a tentative and very simple typology of relations. Type 1: Some formal legal rules equal or approximate the working rules; Type 2: …

Differential Effects Of Gratitude And Positive Peer Reporting Interventions On Student Subjective Wellbeing, Classroom Behavior, And School Connectedness, Rachel Marie Olinger Steeves

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recent research and development in the ever-growing area of systems-level change in schools, including positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), school climate, and social-emotional learning (SEL), has stressed the importance in fostering positive outcomes for students. The additional focus on encouraging and promoting positive school-based relationships and cultivating individual student strengths has shown promising outcomes, including higher academic achievement, lower levels of problem behavior, and a greater sense of belonging in schools. However, in some disadvantaged and high-needs school districts, implementing systemic approaches or obtaining the personnel to implement individualized student services can prove exceedingly difficult, namely due to limited …

Quaternary River Erosion, Provenance, And Climate Variability In The Nw Himalaya And Vietnam, Tara Nicole Jonell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The influence of Quaternary climate variation on sediment generation, storage, and transport in two mountainous Asian river basin was examined in the largest tributary to the upper Indus River in the Himalayan rain shadow, the Zanskar River basin (~15,000 km²), and the smaller, subtropical Song Gianh basin (<3,500 km²) of central Vietnam. Spatial patterns of erosion in the Zanskar River Basin were established to quantify the dominant controls on Quaternary sedimentation in the Himalayan rain shadow on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Glacial erosion and precipitation along the High Himalaya together dominate sediment production and transport …

Application Of Grating-Based Interferometry To Additive Manufacturing, Lithium-Ion Batteries, And Crystals, Adam Joseph Brooks

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

X-ray and neutron imaging are convenient ways to non-destructively observe novel materials. X-rays provide advantages of low cost and high brilliance while neutrons show bulk and isotopic sensitivity. Imaging provides a way for observing chemical and physical properties of materials without the need for destruction. The way of the imaging future is utilizing imaging with grating-based interferometry. In comparison to traditional radiography and tomography, by using absorption and phase gratings in the beam path, the absorption, phase, and scattering of a sample can be detected. In essence, three image datasets can be obtained in one experiment, saving substantially on costs …

The Treasure Of Welks-Kreer, Lance Rasmussen

LSU Master's Theses

This paper is intended to document the process of developing and performing The Treasure of Welks-Kreer, a one-man show written by Lance Rasmussen in fulfillment of the requirement for his Master of Fine Arts in Acting degree at Louisiana State University. Harkening back to the memories of his childhood and his current passions and interests, Lance wrote The Treasure of Welks-Kreer as a story of hope and exploration. The story follows The Metaphor, a superhero who finds himself transported back to the basement where he used to play table-top roleplaying games with the group of friends who eventually formed his …

The Ontological Nature Of Theology: On Heidegger's "Phenomenology And Theology", Casey Garrett Spinks

LSU Master's Theses

Following his newfound celebrity upon publication of Being and Time, Martin Heidegger delivered a lecture in 1927 and 1928, titled “Phenomenology and Theology,” where he discussed how his recent groundbreaking work in existential phenomenology relates to Christian theology. Far from offering his philosophy as a method for theology, he instead attempted to utterly separate the two, setting the former as fundamental ontology and the latter as a positive science more akin to history, with the Christian faith as its positive object of study. The lecture was left unpublished until 1969, when Heidegger added an appendix, a piece exemplary of the …

Spatial Variability Of The Depth To The Magma Reservoir Beneath The Yellowstone Caldera Inferred From Observations Of Seiche Loading Induced Strain, Kevin James Gryger

LSU Master's Theses

Seiche waves in Yellowstone Lake at ~78, ~51, and ~25 minute periods and heights <10 cm can cause measurable strain (< 40 ns) as observed on borehole strainmeters both near (<300 m) and far (~20 km) from the lake. Observations of the correlation between the seiche waves and the associated strain response can be used to constrain the rigidity of the upper crust, the depth to magma bodies in the subsurface, and the viscosity (related to melt percentage) of the magma bodies in place. Lake level was directly measured with campaign absolute pressure gauges deployed in the West Thumb basin, Breeze Channel, and central basin of Yellowstone Lake, and 13 large seiche events (¡Ý7 cm) were identified from these observations. Periodic strain transients were measured on borehole strainmeters in the caldera during the 13 large seiche events. The peak-to-trough amplitude and phase of the seiche wave and strain response were estimated by fitting a multi-frequency sinusoid to the time series over a 4-hour window during each seiche event. It was found that the relationship between an applied seiche load and the associated strain response is self-consistent and linearly proportional at each borehole strainmeter in the caldera. Over multiple seiche events the observed strain response is consistent with a modeled strain-field produced by a seiche load on a two-layered viscoelastic model defined by free parameters Young¡¯s modulus (E1), plate thickness (H), and shear modulus ratio (¦Ì2/¦Ì1). The two-layered viscoelastic model represents a solid upper crust overlying a partially molten body which may be small pockets of melt (<1 km thickness) or a larger magma reservoir. Results suggest crystallizing melt beneath Yellowstone caldera at depths (H) of ~4¨C8 km in the south-southeast and ~3-5 km in the north-northwest sections of the caldera. Temporal observations between strain meters, coupled with constraints of Young¡¯s and shear moduli suggest that melt in the shallow crust has a viscosity ¡Ü1013 Pa s.

Louisiana State University During World War I: A Military Tradition, Angela Michelli Fleming

LSU Master's Theses

When the United States first joined World War I it had long been without a large standing army, it soon became apparent that there was a need for soldiers and training facilities. To solve this problem, the United States utilized colleges and universities as training camps. Because of its strong military tradition, Louisiana State University (LSU) was mobilized for this purpose. Although this mobilization was a serious turning point in the school’s development, not many scholars have written histories of the changes during this time. LSU began as the Seminary of Learning of the State of Louisiana in 1860, but …

Assessing Entrepreneurial Attitudes And Intention To Start A Business Among College Students Majoring In Textiles, Apparel Design, And Merchandising, Charity Hope Washington

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand the factors and/or constructs that influence intent to pursue entrepreneurship. The study of entrepreneurship as a theoretical framework has increased significantly over the past two decades. Many undergraduate and graduate programs now have courses, majors, and minors dedicated to entrepreneurship education. Therefore, it is critical to understand what influences one to pursue entrepreneurship so that the most effective concepts can be taught. Eight major constructs were presented in this study to test their influence both directly and indirectly on intent: perceived desirability, perceived feasibility, subjective norm, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, prior exposure to entrepreneurship, …

Microseismic Event Characteristics Associated With The Spatial And Temporal Stages Of Hydraulic Fracture Growth In Laboratory Experiments, Abigail Arielle Maxwell

LSU Master's Theses

There are uncertainties in the exact mechanisms that occur during hydraulic fracture growth and the interactions of hydraulic fractures with pre-existing fractures. In some cases fracture growth is seen to be purely tensile and in others a combination of tensile and shear mechanisms. In order to develop a seismic model to explain fracture propagation, there is a need for a complete classification of the microseismic events occurring during fracturing using waveform characteristics such as frequency, duration and magnitude. This classification would allow for more accurate prediction of the behavior of the hydraulic fracture from its initiation to when it intersects …

Measuring Teachers' Perceptions Of Student Behavior Using The Systematic Screening For Behavior Disorders, Megan Ruth Erickson

LSU Master's Theses

As part of school- and district-wide preventative efforts, universal screening serves to identify students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders while their behavior is still amenable to treatment. However, there are few universal screeners available for middle school students, who may be at heightened risk for developing emotional and behavioral difficulties due to major academic and social changes. The Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD), often considered the “gold standard” for behavior screeners, was recently validated for use in middle schools. However, there is little research on the reliability and validity of the SSBD for screening middle school students …

Palynostratigraphy And Environmental Implication Of Organic-Walled Microfossils Recovered From Iodp Site U1435, Mitchell Clifford Gregory

LSU Master's Theses

Extensive studies have examined the syn- and post-rift sediments in the South China Sea and surrounding margins, but pre-rift, Eocene deposits are rare. Here we examine organic-walled microfossils from the South China Sea, recovered at Site U1435 of IODP Expedition 349 to provide palynostratigraphic control and characterize the environmental setting before, and in response to, the initiation of seafloor spreading in the basin ~33 Ma. The well preserved palynological assemblage recovered allow dating of sediments sampled at Site U1435. Units II and III are now subdivided in 4 subzones; Zone 1 is essentially barren, Zones 2 and 3A are assigned …

The Effectiveness Of Isco Injection Methods For Remediation Of Groundwater, Matthew Ryan Vidrine

LSU Master's Theses

In-Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO) injections were performed at Petro Stopping Centers # 10 (Petro) in December 2013 and June 2015. The methodology was direct injection of a heavy oxidizer, RegenOx®, followed by a time-release oxygen compound, ORC Advanced®, into a plume of gasoline sitting on top of the water in the aquifer in hope that this remediate the aquifer. Both chemicals are registered trademarks of the Regenesis® Company. The levels of contaminates have dropped considerably. However, Petro has not achieved closure criteria according to RECAP standards. The site is classified as a GW-1B, subject to the most stringent of remediation …

Fitness Costs And Inheritance Of Bt Cry2ab2 Resistance In Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda (J.E. Smith), Binod Acharya

LSU Master's Theses

Evolution of resistance in target pest populations is a major threat to the sustainability of transgenic crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins. Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), is a cross-crop target pest of Bt corn, Bt cotton, and Bt soybean. This pest, thus far, is the only target pest species that has developed field resistance to Bt crops in multiple areas across countries. Cry2Ab2 is a common Bt protein expressed in transgenic corn and cotton targeting lepidopteran pests including S. frugiperda. The objective of this study was to characterize fitness costs and inheritance of Cry2Ab2 resistance in S. frugiperda. …

On-Site Sperm Cryopreservation For Aquatic Repository Development And User Group Linkage, William Martin Childress

LSU Master's Theses

Although on-site cryopreservation of aquatic species sperm in nitrogen-vapor shipping dewars has been used for more than 30 yr, many limitations remain. Due to the size of shipping dewars, most studies are small scale and can only produce tens of samples. The freezing temperatures that can be achieved are also affected by the size of the dewar and the number of samples being frozen due to the heat load. In addition, often due to timing or remote location these samples cannot be shipped, and if they are shipped, quality can be lost and the samples must be discarded. The goal …