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Louisiana State University

Theses/Dissertations

2004

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Pan African Narratives: Sites Of Resistance In The Black Diaspora, Anita Louise Harris Jan 2004

Pan African Narratives: Sites Of Resistance In The Black Diaspora, Anita Louise Harris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Africa as a point of reference for Africans dispersed from her shores and their descendants in the Diaspora has perpetuated discourse of longing and ambivalence. For centuries these various sentiments have emerged in Black literary expressions. The quest of this study is to advance Black narrative tradition by proposing a theoretical framework informed by these constructs and predicaments to establish a genre of literature referred to here as Pan African narratives. This work looks at Black response to the dilemma of dispersal and dislocation in the Diaspora from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. More specifically, it examines the emergence …

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The Influence Of Selected Perceptual And Demographic Factors On The Involvement Of Youth In Violent Behaviors, Nathaniel Mcclinton Jan 2004

The Influence Of Selected Perceptual And Demographic Factors On The Involvement Of Youth In Violent Behaviors, Nathaniel Mcclinton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected perceptual and demographic factors on the self-reported aggressive/violent behaviors of young adults while they were enrolled in school. Specific objectives formulated to guide the research were to: 1)determine the level of involvement in violence and violent behaviors; 2) determine the attitudes and beliefs of young adults; 3)determine the environmental conditions experienced by young adults when last in school; 4)determine if a relationship exists between the level of violence and violent behavior and selected perceptual and environmental factors among young adults, and finally 5)determine if a model exists to …

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Development Of Outdoor Educational Landscapes In Forested Wetlands Of Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin, Margaret Ann Mcclain Jan 2004

Development Of Outdoor Educational Landscapes In Forested Wetlands Of Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin, Margaret Ann Mcclain

LSU Master's Theses

Natural landscapes, formed by eons of plant succession, are changing or disappearing as a result of rapid urban development and industrial growth. In addition, the human population explosion pressures are being applied to alter the urban/wildland interface in the United States and throughout the world. Many of Louisiana wetlands are subjected to these pressures and have caused change and loss in forested wetland areas. Most of the Mississippi River Delta consists of wetlands in a state of transition to either open water or degraded hardwood forest due to the effects of several key factors. Being a native of south Louisiana, …

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Material Length Scales In Gradient-Dependent Plasticity/Damage And Size Effects: Theory And Computation, Rashid Kamel Abu Al-Rub Jan 2004

Material Length Scales In Gradient-Dependent Plasticity/Damage And Size Effects: Theory And Computation, Rashid Kamel Abu Al-Rub

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Structural materials display a strong size-dependence when deformed non-uniformly into the inelastic range: smaller is stronger. This effect has important implications for an increasing number of applications in structural failure, electronics, functional coatings, composites, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), nanostructured materials, micro/nanometer fabrication technologies, etc. The mechanical behavior of these applications cannot be characterized by classical (local) continuum theories because they incorporate no ‘material length scales’ and consequently predict no size effects. On the other hand, it is still not possible to perform quantum and atomistic simulations on realistic time and structures. It is therefore necessary to develop a scale-dependent continuum theory …

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Paul Durand-Ruel And The Market For Early Modernism, Marci Regan Jan 2004

Paul Durand-Ruel And The Market For Early Modernism, Marci Regan

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis examines the art sales and marketing of Impressionism in the late nineteenth century, focusing on the dealer Paul Durand-Ruel. Throughout the nineteenth century in Paris, the Académie des Beaux-Arts wrote the history of art by supporting certain artists who followed its ideas of what art should look like. The artists that the Academy chose to support had lucrative careers; they were offered commissions from both the church and state to paint grand historical pictures. Throughout the nineteenth century and until World War II, Paris was the artistic center of the world, and the birthplace of many avant-garde groups. …

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Study On The Termiticidal Components Of Juniperus Virginiana, Chamaecyparis Nootkatensis And Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana, Yaojian Liu Jan 2004

Study On The Termiticidal Components Of Juniperus Virginiana, Chamaecyparis Nootkatensis And Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana, Yaojian Liu

LSU Master's Theses

Termites cause serious damage to wood and wood products. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to extractives from naturally decay resistant trees. In this study, we compared the termiticidal and antifungal effects of extractives from Alaska yellow cedar (AYC), Port-Orford cedar (POC), and Eastern red cedar (ERC). Pentane and Hexane-Acetone extractives from YC and POC, and pentane extractives from ERC were most favorable in terms of termite protection among the extractives we got. Weight loss of strips treated with 5000 ppm pentane extractives from Eastern red cedar, was significantly lower than those treated with solutions of pentane extractive …

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Numerical Simulation And Field Verification Of Inclined Piezocone Penetration Test In Cohesive Soils, Lei Wei Jan 2004

Numerical Simulation And Field Verification Of Inclined Piezocone Penetration Test In Cohesive Soils, Lei Wei

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A large strain finite element analysis is performed to analyze the effect of soil anisotropy on the inclined piezocone penetration test in normally consolidated cohesive soils. The piezocone penetration is numerically simulated using the commercial finite element code ABAQUS. The saturated clay is modeled as a two-phase material and the effective stress principle is used to describe its behavior. A frictional contact interface utilizing Mohr-Coulomb's theory was chosen to represent interactions between the surface of the cone and the soil. The Anisotropic Modified Cam Clay Model (AMCCM) by Dafalias (1987) was chosen and implemented into ABAQUS through user subroutine UMAT. …

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Service Recovery And The Elusive Paradox: An Examination Of The Effects Of Magnitude Of Service Failure, Service Failure Responsiveness, Service Guarantee And Additional Recovery Effort On Service Recovery Comes, Anthony Hugh Kerr Jan 2004

Service Recovery And The Elusive Paradox: An Examination Of The Effects Of Magnitude Of Service Failure, Service Failure Responsiveness, Service Guarantee And Additional Recovery Effort On Service Recovery Comes, Anthony Hugh Kerr

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Service failure and recovery remain critical issues for both academicians and marketing practitioners. Defined as a service provider’s response to a failed service, service recovery can mean the difference between a firm’s success and failure, for increasing customer retention and limiting customer defection are integral components of organizational growth and profitability. The purpose of this dissertation was two-fold: (1) to test the effects of magnitude of service failure, service failure responsiveness, and the presence of a service guarantee on customer satisfaction levels and other service recovery outcomes (Study 1); and (2) to test the effects of additional recovery effort and …

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A Louisiana Plantswoman: Margie Yates Jenkins, Gayna B. Veltman Jan 2004

A Louisiana Plantswoman: Margie Yates Jenkins, Gayna B. Veltman

LSU Master's Theses

This biographical study of the development of Marge Yates Jenkins into Louisiana's pre-eminent plantswoman examines the issues of culture and regional history, particularly the history of the horticultural industry in Louisiana. It traces how a self-taught botanist overcame the obstacles of gender and post-war depression to become an innovator in the nursery business, experimenting with native plants of the Southeast, as well as exotics imported from as far away as New Zealand. Her experiments and the plants that she introduced to the trade would eventually change the selection of plants used in the landscape industry in the Gulf Coast region. …

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Social Protests, Asocial Media: Patterns Of Press Coverage Of Social Protests And The Influence Of The Internet Of Such Coverage, Sonora Jha Nambiar Jan 2004

Social Protests, Asocial Media: Patterns Of Press Coverage Of Social Protests And The Influence Of The Internet Of Such Coverage, Sonora Jha Nambiar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines media coverage of two social protests set more than three decades apart – “The March on the Pentagon” in October 1967, part of the anti-Vietnam war movement and “The Battle for Seattle” in November-December 1999, part of the movement for democratic globalization. Through two separate studies – a content analysis of print media coverage and qualitative in-depth interviews with journalists – this dissertation looks for patterns of sourcing and framing between the coverage of these two protests. It also examines any possible influence on these patterns caused by journalists’ access to diverse sources and research through the …

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Performance As Ministry: An Ethnographic Study Of Three Christian Repertory Theatre Troupes, Webster Ford Drake Jan 2004

Performance As Ministry: An Ethnographic Study Of Three Christian Repertory Theatre Troupes, Webster Ford Drake

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This work seeks to define, explain, and place into historical and social context the phenomena of Christian Repertory Theater (CRT). It does so by examining three CRT troupes: Acts 2 from Nashville, TN, sponsored by Two Rivers Baptist Church; The Company from Fort Worth, TX, sponsored by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; and Gen X from Clinton, MS, which operated independent of external support . Ethnographic fieldwork was the primary vehicle of information-gathering in this case study analysis. The author experienced each group as either a participant-observer, observer, and/or interviewer. CRT was ultimately defined as an activity wherein a constituted group …

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Behavior Analysis In Child Welfare: A Preliminary Program Evaluation, Carole Marie Van Camp Jan 2004

Behavior Analysis In Child Welfare: A Preliminary Program Evaluation, Carole Marie Van Camp

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Behavior Analysis Services Program provides behavioral services, in the form of parenting classes and individualized assessments and treatments, to children and caregivers receiving child welfare services throughout the state of Florida. The program has many goals, including decreasing placement disruptions and increasing parenting skills. This study was a preliminary evaluation of the program that is now in its fourth year. First, characteristics of both foster children and foster parents that were associated with differential levels of placement disruptions were identified. Results identified several characteristics (i.e., being of a certain age, or having been in care for a certain amount …

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The Importance Of Fluent Component Skills In Mathematical Comprehension, Chisato Komatsu Jan 2004

The Importance Of Fluent Component Skills In Mathematical Comprehension, Chisato Komatsu

LSU Master's Theses

The primary question to be addressed by the present study was whether fluency on component skills is important in the development of overall competency in mathematics. Reading fluency has served as an excellent predictor of one’s reading comprehension. However, few studies have investigated whether the fluency on component skills is essential in the development of overall competency in mathematics. In fact, there has been a push for instructional strategies to deemphasize the importance component skills. In the current study, 140 students in second- through fourth- grade classrooms from general education participated. Each student took three curriculum-based measurement probes (a single-skill …

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Modeling The Hydrologic And Particulate Loadings From Paved Urban Surfaces, Chad Michael Cristina Jan 2004

Modeling The Hydrologic And Particulate Loadings From Paved Urban Surfaces, Chad Michael Cristina

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation details the results of recent investigations concerning non-colloidal particulate matter found in urban rainfall-runoff and urban snowmelt. Three forms of the power law model (PLM) were used to model particle number density. It was found that significant model error could be introduced into PLMs when the median diameter particle was used to estimate the number of particles per interval, but the SSE of continuous PLMs could be significantly reduced through the use of correction factors when the sieve interval was large (P<0.05). Additionally, a multiple PLM analysis may be more appropriate than a single PLM analysis when changes in particle population occur within a single gradation. PLMs were also used to model the relationship between cumulative granulometric mass and cumulative particulate-bound metal mass. The use of such calibrated PLMs provided considerable cost reduction when compared to conventional direct measurements of particulate-bound metal mass. A first flush analysis indicated that only events with average volumetric flow rates approaching 1 L/min/m of drainage width exhibit a rapid depletion of particulate matter consistent with the concentration-based definition of the first flush. An analysis of particle separation mechanisms indicated that 90% of these particles, by mass, could be removed from the discharge with detention times of 30 min and 120 min for snowmelt and rainfall-runoff, respectively, in a typical roadside drainage system. It was also found that the kinematic wave model could accurately model significant aspects of rainfall-runoff events in traffic-impacted watersheds provided that abstractions were incorporated into the modeling process. For this watershed the source of abstraction was attributable to vehicular traffic. For high-intensity events with more than 10 vehicles per runoff volume (VPV) the runoff coefficient varied between 0.6 and 0.9 while for low-intensity events with fewer than 10 VPV the coefficient ranged between 0.2 and 0.4.

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Geography, Coloration And Speciation In A Genus Of Neotropical Reef Fishes (Gobiidae: Elacatinus), Michael S. Taylor Jan 2004

Geography, Coloration And Speciation In A Genus Of Neotropical Reef Fishes (Gobiidae: Elacatinus), Michael S. Taylor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Studies of speciation in the marine environment have historically compared broad-scale distributions and presumed larval dispersal to infer the geographic barriers responsible for allopatric speciation. However, many marine clades show high species diversity in geographically restricted areas where barriers are not obvious and larval dispersal should bring sister taxa into contact. Genetic differentiation at spatial scales <1000 km could facilitate speciation by mechanisms other than the gradual accumulation of reproductive isolation during extended allopatry, such as ecological adaptation to local environmental conditions or the rapid evolution of genes tied to mate recognition. The role of each of these possibilities has not been simultaneously explored for any species-rich marine taxon. The most species-rich genus of Neotropical reef fishes is Elacatinus (Gobiidae), with 27 species. I examine potential mechanisms underlying this richness through analyses of three genetic markers to investigate genetic and ecological differentiation between closely related taxa and among island populations. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that sister taxa of Elacatinus occur within the same oceans but occupy geographically separate ranges. Sister taxa usually differ by coloration, and distantly related sympatric species frequently differ by habitat. These differences suggest that some combination of coloration and ecological differences may facilitate assortative mating in sympatry or at range boundaries. The ranges of several Elacatinus taxa adjoin at Mona Passage and in the central Bahamas, both in the Caribbean Sea. These boundaries separate island populations by as few as 23 km, yet these populations are genetically distinct. Populations not separated by these breaks also show strong genetic structuring. Coalescent analyses suggest these populations have been demographically closed for up to 800,000 years. Such strong genetic structuring suggests that pelagic larvae are retained at natal populations, despite a three week larval duration (determined from otolith growth rings). My results suggest that local retention of pelagic larvae, coupled with biogeographic breaks, has generated or maintained strong genetic population structure which may facilitate adaptation to local ecological conditions. Such adaptations may explain observed divergence along ecological and coloration gradients. Repeated radiations among allopatrically distributed sister taxa may explain much of the high diversity in Elacatinus.

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Biological Treatment Of Industrial Wastewater Containing High Concentrations Of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (Las), Luis Alberto Espinoza Jan 2004

Biological Treatment Of Industrial Wastewater Containing High Concentrations Of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (Las), Luis Alberto Espinoza

LSU Master's Theses

Lauryl Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS) is the major anionic surfactant used worldwide in detergent and household cleaning product formulations. Its biodegradation and removal has been extensively studied in wastewater treatment facilities and laboratory-scale tests at low concentrations (<10 mg/L) typical of those encountered in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Less effort, however, has been expended investigating degradation of higher concentrations of LAS representative of those expected in wastewater generated at LAS manufacturing operations. The research described in this thesis was conducted to study biological processes for treating wastewaters containing high concentrations (e.g., 400 mg/L) of LAS. Initial experiments were carried out using a respirometry technique, and subsequently, three different laboratory-scale bioreactor systems. The three systems studied were a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), a Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor (SBBR), and an Intermittent Cycle Extension Aeration System (ICEAS). The SBR and ICEAS were operated on a five-day cycle basis with a hydraulic retention time of four days. The SBBR was operated mainly in a two-day cycle having a hydraulic retention time of ten days as well, and polyurethane foam cubes were used as a support medium for attached biomass growth. The three systems were compared on their ability to remove LAS measured in terms of total organic carbon (TOC) and methylene blue active substances (MBAS). The reactors were also compared on the basis of foam production. The ICEAS showed the best performance in terms of controllable foam production while exhibiting a capacity for effectively dealing with transient periods of elevated loading. When a short Fill period was used, the SBR and SBBR had the disadvantage of producing excessive foaming, and an intermittent aeration strategy was required avoid overflow.

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A Simplified Thermohydrodynamic Stability Analysis Of The Plain Cylindrical Hydrodynamic Journal Bearings, Sumit Singhal Jan 2004

A Simplified Thermohydrodynamic Stability Analysis Of The Plain Cylindrical Hydrodynamic Journal Bearings, Sumit Singhal

LSU Master's Theses

A journal bearing is used to support radial loads under high speed operating conditions. In a journal bearing, pressure or hydrodynamic lift is generated in the thin lubricant oil film that separates the shaft and the bushing, thus preventing metal-to-metal contact. Some journal-bearing configurations are susceptible to large-amplitude, lateral vibrations due to a “self-excited instability” known as oil whirl. In order to investigate the effects of lubricant viscosity on oil whirl, a simplified Thermohydrodynamic analysis (THD) analysis of a plain cylindrical journal bearing system has been developed. The “classical” form of the Reynolds equation coupled with simplified, first-order energy equations …

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The Effects Of A Recess Or Break And Stimulant Medication On The Classroom Behavior Of Children With Adhd, Andrea Ridgway Jan 2004

The Effects Of A Recess Or Break And Stimulant Medication On The Classroom Behavior Of Children With Adhd, Andrea Ridgway

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Only two empirical studies of recess have been extended to children with a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and only one has included a single-case analysis. In addition, no studies have been found that specifically evaluated the effects of a quiet, indoor break on the classroom behavior of children in general, and children with ADHD in particular. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a recess, break, and continuous classroom schedule on the subsequent classroom behavior of children with a diagnosis of ADHD both when participants did and did not receive stimulant medication. …

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Developing Embryo Technologies For The Eland Antelope (Taurotragus Oryx), Gemechu G. Wirtu Jan 2004

Developing Embryo Technologies For The Eland Antelope (Taurotragus Oryx), Gemechu G. Wirtu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Assisted reproductive technologies developed in domestic cattle serve as a starting point in similar studies on nondomestic bovids. The common eland is a useful model species for studies on rare tragelaphine antelopes. In Chapter 3 of the present study, effects of components/attributes of protein-free embryo culture media on the in vitro development of in vitro-derived bovine embryos were evaluated. A 2 x 2 factorial study comparing effects of groups of amino acids (20aa or 11aa) in two base media (modified KSOM or BM-3) demonstrated that amino acids and base medium affected embryonic development. A subsequent 7 x 2 factorial experiment …

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Color, Texture And Rehydration Characteristics Of Ohmically Treated Sweet Potatoes, Sireesha Bhattiprolu Jan 2004

Color, Texture And Rehydration Characteristics Of Ohmically Treated Sweet Potatoes, Sireesha Bhattiprolu

LSU Master's Theses

Ohmic heating has been shown to affect the drying rate and texture of foods. This research was designed to determine the effect of ohmic heating on rehydration, color and texture properties of sweet potatoes. Three combinations: 60Hz, 40V, 60Hz, 60V and 1Hz, 40V were applied to ohmically heat sweet potato cubes. The ohmic treated cubes and untreated cubes or controls were stored for six days in four different %relative humidities of 11.15%, 32.73%, 57.70% and 75.32%. Results showed that there was no significant difference in the rehydration properties of ohmic treated samples and control samples. The % moisture gain varied …

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Development Of A Predictive Model For Student-Athlete Retention And Graduation At Louisiana State University, Mary Allyn Boudreaux Jan 2004

Development Of A Predictive Model For Student-Athlete Retention And Graduation At Louisiana State University, Mary Allyn Boudreaux

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The National Collegiate Athletic Association through its member institutions has implemented academic standards governing initial athletic eligibility and has led reform initiatives tying the ability to compete athletically to student-athlete retention and graduation. Louisiana State University (LSU), like many Division I institutions, admitted its scholarship athletes using these initial eligibility standards as a minimum qualification for admission. However, as NCAA requirements have become less stringent, the admissions requirements at LSU have increased. Concerns about the retention and graduation of student-athletes and an increasing gap between the academic credentials of the student body and student-athletes led administrators to question the wisdom …

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A Novel Strategy Of Controlling Bovine Pneumonic Pasteurellosis: Transfecting The Upper Respiratory Tract Of Cattle With A Gene Coding For The Antimicrobial Peptide Cecropin B, Charles Mitchell Boudreaux Jan 2004

A Novel Strategy Of Controlling Bovine Pneumonic Pasteurellosis: Transfecting The Upper Respiratory Tract Of Cattle With A Gene Coding For The Antimicrobial Peptide Cecropin B, Charles Mitchell Boudreaux

LSU Master's Theses

The very potent antibacterial activity of cecropin B makes it a likely candidate to prevent and/or treat Mannheimia haemolytica 1:A infection in the upper respiratory tract (URT) of cattle. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if the URT could be transfected with a gene coding for the antimicrobial peptide cecropin B. By transfecting cattle with a gene coding for cecropin B, this study attempted to inhibit colonization of a virulent strain of M. haemolytica 1:A in the URT while investigating any possible changes in the indigenous and transient nasal flora. In this study the antibacterial efficacy of cecropin …

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Modeling Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill) Wood Properties Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Brian Kipling Via Jan 2004

Modeling Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill) Wood Properties Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Brian Kipling Via

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research demonstrated model development for important wood properties using near infrared spectroscopy (NIR); it considered the effect of outside sources of error, and the ability of NIR to measure fiber morphology. Strength, stiffness, and density were successfully modeled from wood samples taken throughout 10 longleaf (Pinus palustris Mill) trees. Principal components and multiple linear regression were compared for performance in prediction of density, strength, and stiffness. I found both modeling techniques to yield similar prediction accuracies. However, I found that density could be estimated through Beer-Lambert’s law since the absorbance at all wavelengths increased with density. Also, 5 of …

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Development Of A Methodology To Delineate Hurricane Evacuation Zones, Nandagopal Meduri Jan 2004

Development Of A Methodology To Delineate Hurricane Evacuation Zones, Nandagopal Meduri

LSU Master's Theses

The main focus of this study is to exhibit a simple and easily implemented process to identify hurricane evacuation zones. The proposed study presents a new methodology to delineate hurricane evacuation zones. The new methodology helps in easier identification of zones, thereby making the task of evacuation officials easier. Hurricane evacuation zones were identified based on the elevation of the points comprising the study area. An area layer was created based on the storm surge models run, and were overlaid with zip code boundary layer and land use data available. Elevation point file data was superimposed on the study area …

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Internal Revenue Service Restructuring And Reform Act Of 1998: A Test Of New Public Management, William Meriwether Vandenburgh Jan 2004

Internal Revenue Service Restructuring And Reform Act Of 1998: A Test Of New Public Management, William Meriwether Vandenburgh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The enactment of the 1998 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Reform Act resulted directly from perceived lapses in the federal taxation administration, which was publicly highlighted in Congressional hearings. Congress reacted by fundamentally altering the IRS’s implementation of the Internal Revenue Code (for the first time since 1952). The Joint Committee on Taxation noted that the overall objective of the 1998 IRS Reform Act was to have “a well-run IRS [which] is critical to the operation of our tax system.” From a public administration paradigm, the IRS moved from a traditional tax management methodology to a New Public Management (NPM) methodology. …

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Effects Of Presentation Duration On Source Attributions Of False Memory And The Importance Of Backward Associative Strength, Mia Deangelis Jan 2004

Effects Of Presentation Duration On Source Attributions Of False Memory And The Importance Of Backward Associative Strength, Mia Deangelis

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

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Being Otherworldly In The World: Michael Oakeshott On Religion, Aesthetics And Politics, Elizabeth Campbell Corey Jan 2004

Being Otherworldly In The World: Michael Oakeshott On Religion, Aesthetics And Politics, Elizabeth Campbell Corey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of the thought of Michael Oakeshott with particular emphasis on his writings about the character of religion and aesthetics. The dissertation as a whole makes the case that a certain moral vision-one informed by religious and aesthetic considerations-lies at the center of Oakeshott's thought and informs his political philosophy. The dissertation begins as an examination of Oakeshott's debts to St. Augustine and to British Idealist thinkers such as F. H. Bradley, and moves to a study of Oakeshott's own views on religion and aesthetics. It turns next to a consideration of Oakeshott's two essays entitled …

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Ceria-Zirconia Oxide High Temperature Desulfurization Sorbent, Kwang Bok Yi Jan 2004

Ceria-Zirconia Oxide High Temperature Desulfurization Sorbent, Kwang Bok Yi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

High temperature desulfurization of highly reducing coal-derived gases using ceria and ceria-zirconia sorbents is the primary object of this dissertation research. If H2S concentration is reduced to less than 1 ppmv the product gas may be used with fuel cells and downstream catalytic process. CeO2 is reduced to a non-stoichiometric oxide, which is superior to CeO2 in removing H2S. Moreover, ZrO2 addition to CeO2 to form a solid solution, Ce1-xZrxO2, increases the reducibility of CeO2. This should also result in improved desulfurization performance. Pure CeO2 and sorbents, both commercially available and prepared at LSU, were tested. XRD analysis indicated that …

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Post Monitoring Of A Cyclodextrin Remediated Chlorinated Solvent Contaminated Aquifer, Rebecca Mary Hinrichs Jan 2004

Post Monitoring Of A Cyclodextrin Remediated Chlorinated Solvent Contaminated Aquifer, Rebecca Mary Hinrichs

LSU Master's Theses

Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) has been tested successfully in the laboratory and in the field for enhanced flushing of low-polarity contaminants from aquifers. The cyclodextrin molecule forms a toroidal structure, which has a hydrophobic cavity. Within this cavity, organic compounds of appropriate shape and size can form inclusion complexes, which is the basis for the use of cyclodextrin in groundwater remediation. The hydrophilic exterior of the molecule makes cyclodextrin highly water-soluble. The solubility of cyclodextrins can be further enhanced by adding functional groups, such as hydroxypropyl groups, to the cyclodextrin core. The aqueous solubility of HPβCD exceeds 950 g/L. These high solubilities …

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The Myth Of Charismatic Leadership And Fantasy Rhetoric Of Crypto-Charismatic Memberships, Shaun Robert Treat Jan 2004

The Myth Of Charismatic Leadership And Fantasy Rhetoric Of Crypto-Charismatic Memberships, Shaun Robert Treat

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study will analyze the relationship between myth and the fantasy rhetoric of charismatic leadership by employing Fantasy Theme Analysis to examine the pervasive discourses invoking this enduring folk belief. Fantasies of the Charismatic Superhero are explored within the popular leadership treatises of successful “management gurus” and in our popular culture entertainments. The rhetorical visions of Stephen Covey’s “Principle-Centered Leadership,” Jim Collins’ “Level 5 Leadership,” and Manz and Sims' “SuperLeadership” are examined for their displacement of charismatic leadership in favor of the empowered crypto-charisma of self-leading memberships. Findings suggest “empowerment” rhetorics, like the rhetorical visions championed by many populist “gurus,” …

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