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Magnetic, Thermodynamic And Transport Properties Of The Magnetic Semiconductor Fe₁₋Xcoxs₂ And Superconducting Lasb₂, Song Guo Jan 2006

Magnetic, Thermodynamic And Transport Properties Of The Magnetic Semiconductor Fe₁₋Xcoxs₂ And Superconducting Lasb₂, Song Guo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years magnetic semiconductors have attracted a great deal of attention because it is thought that they can be used to generate spin polarized current in spintronics, an emerging field where the spin degree of freedom of charge carriers is utilized in microelectronic devices. In this dissertation work, we investigate the magnetic, thermodynamic, and transport properties of the magnetic semiconductor Fe1-XCoxS2 for x less than 0.14, the doping range where Insulator-to-Metal and paramagnetic-to-ferromagnetic transitions occur. We discovered that the Kondo effect is an important ingredient in the paramagnetic region of magnetic semiconductor Fe1-X …


Assessment Of Interactions Amoung Viruses Infecting Sweetpotato, Charalambos D. Kokkinos Jan 2006

Assessment Of Interactions Amoung Viruses Infecting Sweetpotato, Charalambos D. Kokkinos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Viral diseases, especially those caused by mixed infections, are among the economically most important diseases of sweetpotato. Real-time PCR assays were developed for the detection and quantification of the potyviruses Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), Sweet potato virus G (SPVG), Ipomoea vein mosaic virus (IVMV); the crinivirus Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV), and the begomovirus Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV) directly from infected sweetpotato plants. Titers of SPFMV, IVMV, and SPVG were lower in singly-infected sweetpotato plants compared to singly-infected plants of the standard indicator host Brazilian morning-glory (Ipomoea setosa) and the standard propagation host I. nil …


Say It Loud! I'M Black And I'M Proud!: A Study Of Successful Black Female Students Educated In An Urban Middle School, Menthia P. Clark Jan 2006

Say It Loud! I'M Black And I'M Proud!: A Study Of Successful Black Female Students Educated In An Urban Middle School, Menthia P. Clark

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

"Acting White" (Fordham & Ogbu, 1986) is a common term among researchers who study academic achievement and racial identity among minority students which signifies the tension some academically successful minority students experience as they excel in school. Black students who contend with such tension may be teased, alienated, or rejected by their peers who view academic achievement as characteristic of White people. In order to avoid the accusation of "acting White," many Black students underachieve, conceal their academic talents, or make no efforts to pursue academic goals. For Black female high-achieving students, "acting White" is laden with gender-specific strategies of …


Rediscovering The Delta A Reassessment Of The Linkages Between Poverty, Economic Growth And Public Policy Using Geographically Weighted Regression Analysis, Dominique Duval-Diop Jan 2006

Rediscovering The Delta A Reassessment Of The Linkages Between Poverty, Economic Growth And Public Policy Using Geographically Weighted Regression Analysis, Dominique Duval-Diop

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The nineties have witnessed broad economic growth and prosperity throughout the nation, with improvements in all major indicators of economic well-being. Yet, many rural and urban regions continued to experience economic distress during this period. At the same time, investments in infrastructure, human capital and poverty relief continue to be targeted to these failing areas. This work examines trends in demographic indicators, economic growth and federal funding experienced between 1990 and 2000 in the federally designated Mississippi Delta region in order to answer the following questions. What impact does federal funding have on poverty in the Mississippi Delta region overall? …


Nutrient Constraints On Plant Community Production And Organic Matter Accumulation Of Subtropical Floating Marshes, Guerry O., Jr. Holm Jr. Jan 2006

Nutrient Constraints On Plant Community Production And Organic Matter Accumulation Of Subtropical Floating Marshes, Guerry O., Jr. Holm Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the cycle of delta growth and decay, peat-forming wetlands span a time and space continuum. Later in the delta cycle, freshwater floating marshes become increasingly removed from external sediment subsidy and internal nutrient cycling controls plant productivity and organic matter accumulation. An interesting question is whether increased external nutrient loading can affect the basic processes that lead to peat formation—plant production and organic matter decomposition. I conducted several field studies to understand whether belowground organic matter accumulation and decomposition were affected with increased nutrient exposure; in addition, the plant community was monitored over three years. A laboratory soil respiration …


Louisiana Cotton, Rice, Soybean And Sugarcane Farmer Stakeholders: Who Are They And What Are Their Perceptions Of Farming Practices As Related To The Environment, Robert James Soileau Jan 2006

Louisiana Cotton, Rice, Soybean And Sugarcane Farmer Stakeholders: Who Are They And What Are Their Perceptions Of Farming Practices As Related To The Environment, Robert James Soileau

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study identified the stakeholders of Louisiana plant commodity farmers and rated them in terms of importance. Findings of this study show that farmers/ranchers, LSU AgCenter Experiment Station Research personnel, family, consumers, farm labor and agriculture chemical, fertilizer and seed dealers are the most important stakeholders. The second aspect of this study was to discover the stakeholder perceptions of agricultural practices and their relationship to the environment. An environmental perceptions survey was conducted with two of the most important stakeholder groups identified – Experiment Station Research Faculty associated with plant commodities and Louisiana consumers. LSU AgCenter Experiment Station Research Faculty …


Public Affairs Advertising: Corporate Influence, Public Opinion And Vote Intentions Under The Third-Person Effect, Anita Grace Day Jan 2006

Public Affairs Advertising: Corporate Influence, Public Opinion And Vote Intentions Under The Third-Person Effect, Anita Grace Day

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined corporate public affairs and brand awareness advertising under the third-person effect. Third-person effect studies examine the interaction between the media and its effect on public opinion. Past research in third-person effect indicates that individuals perceive that the media is more influential on others than oneself. However, recent studies find a reverse effect, where individuals perceive a greater effect on oneself when compared to others when media messages are positive and desirable to be influenced by. Findings from this study indicate that ExxonMobil public affairs advertisements are found to be socially desirable to be influenced by and that …


The Intersection Of News Frames: Examining The Top Two Health Problems In The United States, Lesa D'Anne Hatley Jan 2006

The Intersection Of News Frames: Examining The Top Two Health Problems In The United States, Lesa D'Anne Hatley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research tests the public health model of reporting to discover if changing the way newspaper stories frame the top two health concerns in the United States – cancer and obesity – affects readers’ view of the problem. Using an experimental design, this study manipulated the context of newspaper stories about cancer and obesity. Applying thematic (broader context) and episodic (individual or event) framing concepts and gains (emphasizes benefits – e.g. lives saved) and losses (emphasizes costs – lives lost), this research revealed how the differences in framing affect public opinion about cancer and obesity. This research expands framing theory …


An Examination Of The Differential Outcomes Effect When Teaching Discriminations To Children With Autism And Other Developmental Disabilities, Laura Addison Jan 2006

An Examination Of The Differential Outcomes Effect When Teaching Discriminations To Children With Autism And Other Developmental Disabilities, Laura Addison

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The differential outcomes effect (DOE) refers to the finding that performance in discrimination training improves when different behaviors produce different reinforcers. In the current study, the effects of two DOE procedures on the acquisition of receptive language skills were compared. Participants were four children with autism and/or developmental delay/speech and language impairment. The children were presented with two toy or food items and asked to give the experimenter the item named. The names consisted of three-letter nonsense syllables. Correct responses were followed by one of the following consequences: (a) The opportunity to manipulate or consume the item to which the …


A Nonlocal Model For Coupled Damage-Plasticity Incorporating Gradients Of Internal State Variables At Multiscales, Robert J. Dorgan Jan 2006

A Nonlocal Model For Coupled Damage-Plasticity Incorporating Gradients Of Internal State Variables At Multiscales, Robert J. Dorgan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The thermodynamically consistent formulation and the subsequent numerical implementation of a gradient enhanced continuum coupled damage-plasticity model as a constitutive framework to model ill-posed localization problems is presented. By the introduction of "nonlocal," gradient-enhanced measures in the plasticity potential function and yield criterion and in the damage potential function and damage criterion, the proposed model introduces microstructural characteristic material length scales which allows the size of localized zones to be predicted based on material constants, as opposed to local models where the loss of ellipticity causes the localized zones to be mesh dependent.
The gradient model proposed introduces non-linear functions …


Factors That Influence Traditional-Age, High-Achieving Students To Enroll At A Research-Extensive University In The Southern Region Of The United States, Roy Cleveland Brooks, Jr. Jan 2006

Factors That Influence Traditional-Age, High-Achieving Students To Enroll At A Research-Extensive University In The Southern Region Of The United States, Roy Cleveland Brooks, Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if a model existed that significantly increased the researcher's ability to accurately explain the enrollment status of high-achieving freshmen based on the influence of selected demographic and academic characteristics. Since World War II, the need for students to obtain an outstanding postsecondary education in order to compete for the best positions in today's job market has become increasingly important. Thus, the need exists for higher education institutions to offer competitive academic programs that will attract top students and faculty. Since the number of graduating high school students is predicted to decline …


Experimental And Computational Analysis Of Random Cylinder Packings With Applications, Wenli Zhang Jan 2006

Experimental And Computational Analysis Of Random Cylinder Packings With Applications, Wenli Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Random cylinder packings are prevalent in chemical engineering applications and they can serve as prototype models of fibrous materials and/or other particulate materials. In this research, comprehensive studies on cylinder packings were carried out by computer simulations and by experiments. The computational studies made use of a collective rearrangement algorithm (based on a Monte Carlo technique) to generate different packing structures. 3D random packing limits were explored, and the packing structures were quantified by their positional ordering, orientational ordering, and the particle-particle contacts. Furthermore, the void space in the packings was expressed as a pore network, which retains topological and …


The Perils Of Workplace Recognition: Antecedents And Consequences Of Discomfort Associated With Being The Target Of Threatening Upward Comparison, Stephanie Case Henagan Jan 2006

The Perils Of Workplace Recognition: Antecedents And Consequences Of Discomfort Associated With Being The Target Of Threatening Upward Comparison, Stephanie Case Henagan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores theoretical links among interpersonal, perceptual, and situational variables and sensitivity about being the target of threatening upward comparisons (STTUC) within a workplace setting. It also investigates affective and behavioral responses outperformers may enact to decrease effects thought to be associated with STTUC. Because of the novelty of investigating STTUC in a field sample, the actual nature of the relationships among STTUC and the focal study variables were examined in multiple ways. Specifically, workplace outperformers’ interpersonal sensitivity, empathic concern, and competitive psychological climate, along with actual threat experienced by the outperformed, were all expected to increase the likelihood …


How Cue-Dependent Is Memory?: Internal Reinstatement And Cueing Effects In Recognition And Source Memory, Jeffrey Joseph Starns Jan 2006

How Cue-Dependent Is Memory?: Internal Reinstatement And Cueing Effects In Recognition And Source Memory, Jeffrey Joseph Starns

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the role of internal context reinstatement in masking the effects of external context cues on recognition and source memory. Participants studied words paired with pictures of male and female faces. Following the study phase, participants completed either a source test in which they decided whether each test word was studied with a male or female face (Experiments 1, 3, and 4) or a recognition test in which they decided whether each test word appeared in the study phase (Experiment 2). On selected trials, a studied face was reinstated at test to serve as a cue for the …


College Student's Motivation For Physical Activity, Lori Lynn Delong Jan 2006

College Student's Motivation For Physical Activity, Lori Lynn Delong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine college students' motivations to be physically active by merging the perspectives of self-determination theory and the transtheoretical model. The secondary purpose was to examine the effects of a required physical activity course on college students' levels of physical activity. The premise is that both the theory and model can be used to help predict physical activity outcomes. Participants were 277 male and female students at a small private college. Motivation, self-determination, stage of change, self-efficacy, decisional balance, and leisure time activity levels were assessed using an online survey. Results revealed that activity …


Interior Revolutions: Doing Domesticity, Advocating Feminism In Contemporary American Fiction, Kalene Westmoreland Jan 2006

Interior Revolutions: Doing Domesticity, Advocating Feminism In Contemporary American Fiction, Kalene Westmoreland

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Domesticity has endured as a facet of everyday life in the late twentieth century and beyond, despite cultural acceptance of feminist beliefs and ideals which encourage women’s movement away from the private sphere of the home. A tumultuous and remarkable cultural transformation has marked the four decades since the publication of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, a key text of early second-wave feminism. Equality and choice seem viable and attainable, yet many women today feel overwhelmed by responsibilities and the pressure to live up to the idealization of motherhood. Domesticity can be used as a tool of oppression, against which …


A Distribution Kinetics Approach For Polymer Crystallization And Phase Separation, Jiao Yang Jan 2006

A Distribution Kinetics Approach For Polymer Crystallization And Phase Separation, Jiao Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The mechanism of polymer crystallization is extensively studied and still far away from consensus. This research adopted cluster size distribution kinetics approach to explore the kinetics of polymer crystallization and phase separation within spinodal region. The kinetics of polymer crystallization is studied by integrating nucleation, crystal growth and ripening. Population balance equations based on crystal size distribution and concentration of amorphous polymer segments are solved numerically and the related differential moment equations are also solved. The model accounts for nucleation and crystal growth. Different mass dependences of growth and dissociation rate coefficients are proposed to investigate the fundamental features of …


Attitudes Des Éducateurs Envers Le Français Et Le Créole: Le Cas D'Haïti, Lesly Jean-François Jan 2006

Attitudes Des Éducateurs Envers Le Français Et Le Créole: Le Cas D'Haïti, Lesly Jean-François

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Language attitudes represent a serious challenge for Haitian education policy makers. This research is the first attempt to study the attitudes of elementary school educators toward the linguistic situation in Haiti. A survey of 154 teachers addressed their attitudes toward language use, preference and choice, and their stereotypes toward other Haitian native speakers. Three instruments (quantitative questionnaire, Match-Guise-Technique, and qualitative questionnaire) were utilized and two Statistical Methods (descriptive and inference), along with Chi-Square were used in order to observe the significance of differences in independent variables. Since Haitian teachers who participated in this study were assumed bilingual, the questionnaire first …


Structural Performance Of Approach Slab And Its Effect On Vehicle Induced Bridge Dynamic Response, Xiaomin Shi Jan 2006

Structural Performance Of Approach Slab And Its Effect On Vehicle Induced Bridge Dynamic Response, Xiaomin Shi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Differential settlement often occurs between the bridge abutment and the embankment soil. It causes the approach slab to lose its contacts and supports from the soil and the slab will bend in a concave manner. Meanwhile, loads on the slab will also redistribute to the slab ends, which may result in faulting (or "bump") at the slab ends. Once a bump forms, repeating traffic vehicles can deteriorate the expansion joint in turn. In this case, the vehicle receives an initial disturbance before it reaches the bridge. This excitation introduces an extra impact load on the bridge and affects its dynamic …


A Micromechanical Approach For Predicting The Complex Shear Modulus And Accumulated Shear Strain Of Asphalt Mixtures From Binder And Mastics, Cristian Druta Jan 2006

A Micromechanical Approach For Predicting The Complex Shear Modulus And Accumulated Shear Strain Of Asphalt Mixtures From Binder And Mastics, Cristian Druta

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Asphalt mixtures are particulate composite materials consisting of uniformly distributed mineral aggregates, asphalt binder and air voids. Mixtures of asphalt binder and filler, also called mastics, are often assumed to behave as simple viscoelastic materials, where the binders are stiffened by the filler. Because the workability and performance of bituminous mixes are known to be affected by the filler-asphalt mixture (or mastic) properties, this study is intended for performing rheological tests on asphalt binder and mastics and use the results in order to estimate performance parameters of asphalt mixture. The present work uses the PG64-22 asphalt binder test data initially …


The Meaning Of Masculinity For Male Baccalaureate Nursing Program Graduates, Kenneth Tillman Jan 2006

The Meaning Of Masculinity For Male Baccalaureate Nursing Program Graduates, Kenneth Tillman

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Previous researchers have reported that societal definitions of masculinity may act as a barrier to men entering the nursing profession, and that men who do enter nursing may hold a different view of masculinity. The purpose of this study was to describe the meaning of masculinity for recent male baccalaureate nursing program graduates. In addition, the study explored how the participants’ perceived meaning of masculinity shaped or influenced their nursing education experiences, and in turn how their nursing education experiences may have shaped or influenced their perceived meaning of masculinity. A phenomenological research design was used to study eight male …


Integral Cohomology Of The Siegel Modular Variety Of Degree Two And Level Three, Mustafa Arslan Jan 2006

Integral Cohomology Of The Siegel Modular Variety Of Degree Two And Level Three, Mustafa Arslan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this thesis work Deligne's spectral sequence Ep,qr with integer coefficients for the embedding of the Siegel modular variety of degree two and level three, A2(3) into its Igusa compactification, A2(3)*, is investigated. It is shown that E3 = E and this information is applied to compute the cohomology groups of A2(3) over the integers.


Integrated Circuit Metrology By Multilevel Patterning Technology, Li Jiang Jan 2006

Integrated Circuit Metrology By Multilevel Patterning Technology, Li Jiang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A low cost, high accuracy method is described in detail for measuring image placement in integrated circuit manufacture. The method measures both the overlay between levels and the absolute placement of features in a single level. The overlay is measured by a technique which views multiple levels separately. The absolute distances between features on a test wafer are measured by comparing the features to precision gratings. Optical imaging techniques are described for viewing and analyzing the grating images, as well as for measuring distortions in the observing microscope and a video camera. These techniques permit image placement measurements to be …


Evaluation Of Cost Effective Preference Assessments For Use In General Education Settings, Jennifer Luella Resetar Jan 2006

Evaluation Of Cost Effective Preference Assessments For Use In General Education Settings, Jennifer Luella Resetar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated the effectiveness of various preference assessments when used in a general education setting. Three separate experiments were conducted to elucidate the usefulness of various forms of preference assessments with the elementary general education population. The first experiment compared the outcomes of a teacher survey, teacher ranking, child survey, and brief multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment. A Spearman rho correlation found that the indirect assessments either did not or only weakly correlated with the preference assessments. The second experiment utilized a single subject alternating treatments design to compare the reinforcing effectiveness of items identified as the …


Using The Rod: Education, Punishment, And The New Woman In Fin De Siã¨Cle British Literature, Kristin C. Ross Jan 2006

Using The Rod: Education, Punishment, And The New Woman In Fin De Siã¨Cle British Literature, Kristin C. Ross

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between female education and punishment in the British novel of the fin de siécle. It considers the “New Woman” (the emancipated, intellectualized, and unmarried prototypical feminist appearing in late nineteenth-century culture) in light of how female education affects fictional characterizations of her. Female education in the “New Woman” and her fictional counterparts worked to destabilize class and gender hierarchies for Victorian Society, producing anxiety in its culture and texts. To defuse this anxiety, authors frequently demonstrated the consequences of espousing the feminism driving the “New Woman” and the education producing her. The education she desired/received …


Socioeconomic Characteristics Of Cancer Mortality In The United States Of America: A Spatial Data Mining Approach, Srinivas Kumar Vinnakota Jan 2006

Socioeconomic Characteristics Of Cancer Mortality In The United States Of America: A Spatial Data Mining Approach, Srinivas Kumar Vinnakota

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States of America. Though it is generally known that cancer is influenced by environment, its relation to socioeconomic conditions is still widely debated. This research analyzed the spatial distribution of cancer mortalities of breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate, and their associated socioeconomic characteristics using association rule mining technique. The mortality patterns were analyzed at the county and health service area levels that corresponded to the years between 1999 – 2002 and 1988 – 1992, respectively. Distinct socioeconomic characteristics of cancer mortality were revealed by the association rule mining technique. …


The Impact Of The Louisiana Master Gardener Program On The Perceived And Actual Horticultural Knowlede Levels Of Program Participants, Bobby Hugh Fletcher Jan 2006

The Impact Of The Louisiana Master Gardener Program On The Perceived And Actual Horticultural Knowlede Levels Of Program Participants, Bobby Hugh Fletcher

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the impact of participation in the master gardener program on: a. Self-perceived knowledge in selected horticultural areas; b. Knowledge in selected areas of horticulture as measured by a researcher designed test; and c. Use of best management practices (BMPs) in horticultural practice. Gardening is a favorite pastime in the United States that has therapeutic and rewarding benefits. Currently, there is a great demand for accurate gardening (horticultural) information from green industry users such as gardeners from all backgrounds and areas. There is a need for research-based horticultural information to be provided …


How Voice Affects Perceptions Of Relationship Wih Adults, Ownership, And Engagement In Youth, Melissa D. Wade Cater Jan 2006

How Voice Affects Perceptions Of Relationship Wih Adults, Ownership, And Engagement In Youth, Melissa D. Wade Cater

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if youth voice affects the ownership and engagement experienced by youth in a county 4-H program. For the treatment group, a youth-led approach was used where "having a voice" included youth sharing decision-making power with the adults in the program. The comparison group consisted of 4-H members in three other clubs in the county. These youth experienced an adult-led approach where the decisions about the club programming were made strictly by the adults. The Youth Voice Survey instrument was developed to assess youths' perceptions of ownership, engagement, and relationship with adults at …


Belowground Biomass Of Spartina Alterniflora: Seasonal Variability And Response To Nutrients, Faith Armand Darby Jan 2006

Belowground Biomass Of Spartina Alterniflora: Seasonal Variability And Response To Nutrients, Faith Armand Darby

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Spartina alterniflora is a salt marsh macrophyte found from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico which often provides the dominant plant cover. Although S. alterniflora is well known for its high aboveground productivity, fifty to ninety percent of the total plant production occurs belowground. No previous studies address the seasonal variation of belowground biomass or the response of above-and belowground biomass to nutrients at the southern limits of its U. S. range. The objectives of this study were to: 1) document the seasonal variability of its above- and belowground biomass and test for responses to various combinations of N, P, …


Self-Determination In Physical Education: Designing Class Environments To Promote Active Lifestyles, Charity Leigh Bryan Jan 2006

Self-Determination In Physical Education: Designing Class Environments To Promote Active Lifestyles, Charity Leigh Bryan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between self-determination, perceptions of the motivational climate, attitude, perceived ability, engagement in physical activity, and health-related fitness indicators. Two structural models related to engagement/intention to engage in physical activity and health-related fitness were tested. The premise of both models is that perceived competence predicts the outcome variables (engagement or health-related fitness), with self-determination, attitude, and motivational climate predicting perceived competence. Participants were 827 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. Motivation, perceptions of the climate, attitude, perceived competence, and self-reported physical activity levels were assessed using surveys. Pedometers were used to record …