Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Soft Sediment Relay Zones: A High Resolution Seismic Survey Livingston Parish, Louisiana, Erin T. Elliott

LSU Master's Theses

The southern coast of the United States, bordering the Gulf of Mexico, is home to several down-to-the-south, listric, normal fault systems striking parallel to the coast. One of these, the Baton Rouge–Tepetate Fault System located in southern Louisiana, consists of a series of near-surface, reactivated growth faults and relay ramps– a broad area of ductile strain, with contemporaneous sedimentation. Evidence of recent fault and relay ramp movement is seen in surficial fault line scarps and offset roads. This thesis utilizes two near-surface (<500 >m), high-resolution (10 - 300 Hz), continuous seismic reflection profiles (360 m and 480 m long, 3 …

Population Characteristics Of A White-Tailed Deer Herd In An Industrial Pine Forest Of North-Central Louisiana, John Henry Harrelson

LSU Master's Theses

White-tailed deer are the most important game species in Louisiana, and throughout the southeastern United States. Likewise, the forest products industry represents the most important agricultural commodity in Louisiana, and industrial landowners frequently lease their properties to sportsmen specifically for white-tailed deer hunting. I conducted research assessing survival, space use, and habitat selection of white-tailed deer on a 3885 ha industrial forest owned by Plum Creek Timber Company. I captured 61 deer in Union Parish, Louisiana in 2009-2010, radio-marked 24 females and 23 males, and ear-tagged 7 females and 6 males. Season and sex interacted to affect home range and …

Geomicrobiology Of Louisiana Coastal Marshes Before And After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Chang Liu

LSU Master's Theses

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico not only impacted open ocean and shoreline geochemical and ecological environments, but it served to promote research of microbial ecosystems in poorly studied habitats, such as Louisiana marshes. Sediment and water samples from four main marshes in southern Louisiana were collected in May 2010 (pre-oil), September 2010 (oiled), and June 2011 (post-oil). Sites near the Mississippi River had exceptionally low salinity in the immediate months following the oil spill due to freshwater diversion efforts; salinity increased by an order of magnitude one year later. Microbial diversity was evaluated from …

Carbon Sequestration And Uneven-Aged Management Of Loblolly Pine Stands In The Southern Usa: A Joint Optimization Approach, Rajan Parajuli

LSU Master's Theses

Forest carbon sequestration is regarded as a viable and cost effective option for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Several research studies analyzed the effects of joint management of carbon and timber under different even-aged forest management scenarios, and concluded that carbon benefits can alter forest management schedules significantly. However, research specifically focused on the inclusion of carbon sequestration benefits into uneven-aged management has received little attention. This study determined the optimum joint management regime of timber and carbon in uneven-aged loblolly pine stands in Louisiana, and assessed management and financial effects resulting from the integration of carbon benefits into uneven-aged …

A Look At The Integration Of Wetlands And Hazard Mitigation Planning In Coastal Louisiana, Kathleen Melissa Bowers

LSU Master's Theses

Due to the destruction of the damaging hurricanes of 2005, Katrina and Rita, more effort has gone into the rebuilding and prevention of future disasters along the Louisiana coast than ever before. This research focuses on the use of wetlands, in the ten coastal parishes of Louisiana, as a mitigation effort aiding in the protection of coastal communities. Using content analysis and decision support software, a wetland ranking was created that represents how wetlands are utilized and protected within each parish. Criteria gathered from the plans include how many times wetlands were mentioned, collaboration with the state and other agencies, …

Investigation Into The Cause Of Earthen Embankment Instability Along The "V-Line" Artificial Levee In Marrero, Louisiana, Usa, Jason Hicks

LSU Master's Theses

The “V-line” levee, located in Marrero, LA, has a crack along its crest, measuring approximately 100 meters in length, 30 centimeters in depth, and 30 centimeters in width. This crack is a sign of levee instability. Seismic shear wave, CPT, and laboratory shear strength data were collected and processed to identify the cause of the instability. A zone of low seismic shear wave velocity was interpreted approximately 3 meters deep from the berm of the levee. Because of the large spacing between laboratory shear strength test sampling and CPT sites, a similar zone of low shear strength was not found …

Temporal Changes Of Coastal Community Resilience In The Gulf Of Mexico Region, Kenan Li

LSU Master's Theses

The Gulf of Mexico Region is a region where coastal hazards are frequently occurring. To study the resilience of the counties along the Gulf of Mexico is of great importance to its sustainable planning and development. It also plays a huge role in coastal hazard mitigation. This study assesses the temporal changes of coastal community resilience of 132 counties along the Gulf of Mexico. The basic analytical framework to assess resilience consists of three dimensions (exposure, damage, and recovery) and two relationships (vulnerability and adaptability). Vulnerability refers to the relationship between exposure and damage, whereas the relationship between damage and …

Comparison Of The Age And Growth Of Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) Amongst Habitats And Regions In The Gulf Of Mexico, Courtney Rose Saari

LSU Master's Theses

The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) red snapper stock has been exploited since the mid 1800s; yet it is still one of the most economically important fisheries in the GOM. Red snapper have been managed as a unit stock and are currently overfished, but perhaps no longer undergoing overfishing. Habitat varies greatly throughout the GOM and while numerous studies have aged red snapper, none have simultaneously compared the age and size structure and growth rates among standing and toppled oil and gas platforms with natural habitats. The objectives of this study were to examine the size and age structure and growth …

An Evaluation Of Synchronization Loss Rate Calculations On High Speed Networks, Aaron Tureau

LSU Master's Theses

This paper is broken down into two parts:(1) discussion of current formulas that are used to calculate synchronized loss rates among concurrent TCP flows with the results of those equations on flows running through a bottleneck on a high speed emulated network and (2)steps to create revised forms of these equations that are more accurate and give a more reasonable estimation without having the shortcomings of the current equations. This paper brings to light three equations that were previously proposed and were used in published research projects along with their strengths and shortcomings. Through the study of these equations a …

Developmental Responses To Abiotic Conditions During Aquatic And Air Incubatoin Of The Gulf Killifish (Fundulus Grandis): Subtitle, Charles Alexander Brown

LSU Master's Theses

The Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) is a topminnow native to the tidal marshes of the Gulf of Mexico. The species is prized by anglers as effective bait for catching popular sportfish and is of interest to aquaculturists and bait dealers due to its hardy nature. Limited seasonal availability and aquaculture of this species due to low fecundity and larval cannibalism of fry has led to increased incentive to improve cultural techniques. The purpose of this study is to determine the influences of temperature, salinity, and air incubation on embryogenesis of the Gulf killifish. Temperature was found to have a negative …

Fate Of Mississippi River Diverted Nitrate On Vegetated And Non-Vegetated Coastal Marshes Of Breton Sound Estuary, Christine M. Vanzomeren

LSU Master's Theses

The Caernarvon Diversion meters Mississippi River water into coastal marshes of Breton Sound. Elevated levels of nitrogen in river water have sparked concerns that nutrient loading may affect marsh resilience and belowground biomass, as evidence from several marsh fertilization studies. These concerns resulted from observation that fresh and brackish Breton Sound marshes suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina. The goal of this study is to determine the fate of nitrate (the dominant inorganic nitrogen form in the Mississippi River) in Breton Sound Estuary marshes. We hypothesized that most nitrate would be removed by denitrification and that nitrate loading would not …

Temporal Changes In Quality Of Life And Environment In New Orleans After Hurricane Katrina, Danielle Johanna Larock

LSU Master's Theses

Understanding and assessing the spatial and temporal changes of quality of life and environment of a community is critical to its sustainable development, especially after a disaster strikes. This study explores an approach that integrates remote sensing with socioeconomic data to assess the temporal changes in quality of life and environment (QOL) using Orleans Parish as an example. Hurricane Katrina, which struck New Orleans in 2005, has had vast implications economically, socially, and environmentally for this city and the surrounding area. Empirically quantifying these concepts will help to rebuild the city more sustainably. This study investigated change in environmental quality …

Evaluation Of The Pencil Beam Algorithm And Pencil Beam Redefinition Algorithm For Bolus Electron Conformal Therapy Dose Computation, James Kavanaugh

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: This study aimed (1) to demonstrate the ability of mixed beam (MB) therapy, intensity modulated x-ray therapy (IMXT) optimized on top of a bolus electron conformal therapy (ECT) plan, to deliver a uniform dose to the planning target volume (PTV) in a homogenous phantom and (2) to evaluate the accuracy of the pencil beam algorithm (PBA) and pencil beam redefinition algorithm (PBRA) in calculating the dose distributions for the bolus ECT and MB plans. Methods: PTVs and critical structures from parotid and post-mastectomy chest wall patients were modeled in a 27cm ö polystyrene phantom. Bolus ECT treatment plans using …

Parallel Surrogate Detection In Large-Scale Simulations, Lei Jiang

LSU Master's Theses

Simulation has become a useful approach in scientific computing and engineering for its ability to model real natural or human systems. In particular, for complex systems such as hurricanes, wildfire disasters, and real-time road traffic, simulation methods are able to provide researchers, engineers and decision makers predicted values in order to help them to take appropriate actions. For large-scale problems, the simulations usually take a lot of time on supercomputers, thus making real-time predictions more difficult. Approximation models that mimic the behavior of simulation models but are computationally cheaper, namely "surrogate models", are desired in such scenarios. In the thesis, …

Geothermal And Geopressure Assessment With Implications For Carbon Dioxide Sequestration, A Regional Scale Study, Lower Tuscaloosa Formation, Louisiana, Timmon Drumm

LSU Master's Theses

The Massive Sand member of the lower Tuscaloosa formation in Louisiana has the potential to be a prolific reservoir for carbon dioxide sequestration. Proximity to near-term anthropogenic carbon dioxide sources and existing infrastructure in the area make Louisiana a viable prospect for carbon capture and storage projects. The geothermal and geopressure conditions of the reservoir indicate that high carbon dioxide densities can be maintained throughout the study area, and substantial sand thicknesses were located. Subsurface depths of the top of the Massive Sand member range from roughly -2500 ft (-762 m) to over -21,000 ft (-6400 m) with a regional …

The Design Of A Computer System To Determine The Causes Of Edema Using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Carl Allen Fink

LSU Master's Theses

Diabetes is a growing problem in the U.S.A., closely linked to the current obesity epidemic. Two common complications of diabetes, osteomyelitis of the foot, and Charcot's joint, are impossible to differentiate via traditional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The background of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, which transforms the time-domain MRI signal into the frequency domain spectrum, is explored, and its use to aid in this differentiation is proposed. Artificial Neural Networks can be employed to evaluate the MRS data and to automate the process.

An Overview Of Green Jobs In The Louisiana Forest Sector, Ryan D. Olson

LSU Master's Theses

The term “green job” is a relatively new definition that defines employment activities that are likely to have occurred since the beginning of human existence. The push to identify, to quantify and to drive the growth of these jobs has recently been brought on by climate change and the depletion of Earth’s natural resources. According to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, green jobs are either (a) Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources or (b) Jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production …

Laboratory Scale Seismic Analysis Of A Spatially Variable Hydrological Surface In Unconfined, Unconsolidated Sand, David E. Smolkin

LSU Master's Theses

The ability to measure the depth to the water table can provide information such as reservoir characteristics, soil conditions for agriculture, and actions to be taken with contaminant flow and removal. We attempt to detect this boundary in a larger-than-lab scale experiment. We attempt to simulate a spatially variable water level and attempt to image changes in the depth of this water level. We try to reduce the normally complex natural conditions to those of a nominally homogeneous and isotropic, unconfined sand volume for modeling. These simplified conditions help isolate the effects of remaining complexities such as the variable saturation …

Small And Medium Enterprise Agricultural Producers And Forest Landowners Attitudes And Perceptions Towards New Bio-Based Paths To Prosperity: A Pilot Study In Louisiana And Mississippi, Roger D. Smithhart

LSU Master's Theses

Energy producers, developers, legislators, policy makers, and the public are searching for alternative energy sources to alleviate energy demands and dependency on fossil fuels. Of the renewable energy sources, biomass from forestry, crop, and animal residues offer a clean and sustainable solution to help mitigate climate issues and stabilize energy needs. However, most forests and farms in the U.S. are privately owned. It’s important to understand forest landowners’, agricultural producers’, and poultry producers’ attitudes and perceptions towards management activities intended for producing bio-based products. Three surveys were conducted tailored for each group. We surveyed 3,500 small to medium forest landowners …

Evaluation Of Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (Vmat) Patient Specific Quality Assurance, Gordon Mark Mancuso

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to perform a comprehensive comparison of fixed-beam intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) patient specific quality assurance (QA) results, in order to investigate the appropriateness of applying IMRT QA methods and action levels to VMAT treatment plans.

Methods: QA measurements were evaluated for the test geometries provided in AAPM Task Group Report 119. The structure sets were copied onto a cylindrical water-equivalent phantom. Using the Philips Pinnacle³ treatment planning system, fixed-beam IMRT and VMAT treatment plans were constructed. The plans were delivered to the phantom and …

A Comparative Study Of Cellulose I And Ii And Fibers And Nanocrystals, Yiying Yue

LSU Master's Theses

The influence of sodium hydroxide treatment on the structure of cotton fibers was studied. Compared to raw cotton fibers, the entire bundles of mercerized fibers were converted into a swollen and roughened state. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) indicated that intermolecular hydrogen bonding was enhanced by mercerization treatment. Wide-angle X ray diffraction (WXRD) results showed decreased fiber crystallinity after mercerization. The structure of cellulose II fibers was more thermally stable than cellulose I fibers. Mechanical properties of cotton fiber-reinforced polyethylene oxide (PEO) composites demonstrated that both raw and mercerized cotton fibers enhanced their tensile strength of the PEO matrix, but …

Are Local Chemical Releases Causing An Increase In Cancer Rates In East Baton Rouge Parish?, India T. Anderson

LSU Master's Theses

Environmental pollution has become a steadily growing problem in today’s society. East Baton Rouge alone has 13 chemical plants in the parish. The goal of this research is to find out if the chemical releases in the parish are having an effect on the cancer rates in East Baton Rouge Parish. I gathered data from all 64 parishes in Louisiana. The four chemicals I chose to study specifically, Benzene, Dioxin, Formaldehyde, and Xylene. Chemical release data was taken from the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) website and software from the years1988 to 2009, which was the last reporting year. The cancers …

Developing A Gulf-Wide Oyster Reef Restoration Plan: Identification Of Spatial, Socio-Economic And Geo-Political Constraints, Elizabeth Ashby Nix

LSU Master's Theses

Oyster reefs have recently been identified as one of the most endangered coastal ecosystems, fueling efforts to restore and enhance these systems. Oyster reefs located in the northern Gulf of Mexico have been identified as some of the healthiest of reefs globally, and current efforts focus on devising an approach to Gulf-wide restoration of these reefs. As with all natural resource management and restoration, success is dependent on more than simply understanding the biological requirements of the resource; rather, they are equally dependent on understanding and working within the social and political context in which these management and restoration activities …

Development Of A Monte Carlo Based Correction Strategy For A Tg-43 Based Brachytherapy Treatment Planning System To Account For Applicator Inhomogeneities, Bobby Chon Mathews

LSU Master's Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to investigate the use of pre-calculated Monte Carlo (MC) ovoid and source-based attenuation-correction factors that would correct a commercially-available brachytherapy treatment planning system (TPS) generated plan in order to account for any dosimetric effects due to the presence of intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) applicators during treatment delivery. Methods: A MC model of an ICBT CT-MR compatible ovoid applicator set was confirmed utilizing radiochromic film (RCF). MC was used to simulate dose distributions resulting from eight source-dwell-positions within the ICBT applicator. Also, the American Association of Physicist in Medicine Task Group 43 Report (AAPM TG-43) …

Factors Structuring Zooplankton Density And Composition Within A Louisiana River And Floodplain Tributaries With Emphasis On Hydrologic Processes, William Lowe Sheftall Iv

LSU Master's Theses

Zooplankters are important members of freshwater communities, facilitating the transfer of energy from primary production to higher trophic levels. Lentic floodplain systems are important in providing zooplankters with adequate habitat for growth and reproduction. Recently, The Nature Conservancy has been interested in cataloguing the aquatic taxa that inhabit the Ouachita River and floodplain in northern Louisiana, concurrent with an attempt to reestablish a river-floodplain connection with the river and eastern floodplain (the Mollicy Farms Unit, part of the Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge). Sampling was conducted at seven sites along the Ouachita River and western floodplain monthly for one year …