Digital Commons Network^™

For At-Risk Students: A Theory Based Alternative Structured School Model, Its Implementation And Evaluation., Suzan Naquin Gaston

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study has been to design, implement, and evaluate an alternative structure to traditional schools, operationalized as the Louisiana State Youth Opportunities Unlimited School. The alternative structure of the school was based on a number of theoretical concepts. The implementation of this structure intended to increase the level of coping skills in student participants who were at risk for dropping out of high school. There were two theoretical models that influenced the design of the LSYOU school. The first model suggests that the socialization of clients is most effective in organizations that are high in scope and …

Cerebral Dominance, Language, And Emotion: A Divided Visual Field Study Of Lateral Asymmetries In The Processing Of Verbal Stimuli., Margaret Helene Launius

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Thirty male and thirty female undergraduate students participated in a divided visual field study designed to examine the effects of emotional content on cerebral lateral asymmetries in the processing of verbal stimuli. The study utilized a randomized block design with a three-factor factorial arrangement of treatments. Each of the three within-subjects factors has two levels, resulting in a Task (lexical, affect-salient) x Word Type (happy, sad) x Visual Field (left, right) design. A bilateral presentation/manual response paradigm was utilized. In the lexical task, emotional words were paired with nonsense words and subjects were asked to respond to the "real English …

Double Loop Interconnection Networks With Minimal Transmission Delay., Dvora Tzvieli

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The interconnection network is a critical component in massively parallel architectures and in large communication networks. An important criterion in evaluating such networks is their transmission delay, which is determined to a large extent by the diameter of the underlying graph. The loop network is popular due to its simplicity, symmetry and expandability. By adding chords to the loop, the diameter and reliability are improved. In this work we deal with the problem of minimizing the diameter of double loop networks, which model various communication networks and also the Illiac type Mesh Connected Computer. A double loop network, (also known …

An Investigation Of Legal Reasoning In Decisions To Raise The Competency To Stand Trial Motion., Lisa Myra Berman

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Competency to stand trial evaluations lack an operational criterion for evaluation by mental health professionals. This dissertation investigated the legal reasoning behind the decision to raise the competency motion, to highlight variables which might contribute to such a definition. In the first study, 224 defendants in the Baton Rouge Public Defender's Office were described by the legal investigators using endorsements on the Pre Trial Behavior Checklist, a list of descriptors adapted from competency research conducted by Roesch and Golding (1980). A discriminant analysis using all the PTBC subscales predicted the raising of the motion at a rate greater than chance. …

Computer Anxiety Levels Of Southern Region Cooperative Extension Service Agents., Myra Lynn Nettles Smith

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The objectives of this study were: to determine the computer anxiety levels of Cooperative Extension Service agents; to describe agents' concerning computer use, skill levels, availability and use of office computers, formal computer training, and administrative support; and to determine the variance in computer anxiety explained by selected variables. A mailed questionnaire to 544 randomly selected Southern Region agents was used with a 97.8% response rate. Computer anxiety levels were measured using Oetting's (1983) Computer Anxiety Scale (COMPAS). Descriptive statistics and correlation coefficients were calculated. Stepwise multiple regression at the.05 level was used to develop a model which explained agents' …

Perceived Effectiveness Of Agricultural Education Student Teaching In The Southern Region Of The United States., Curtis Joseph Borne

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of student teaching as perceived by first year teachers, university supervisors and cooperating classroom teachers. The objectives of the study were as follows: (1) to describe student teaching in agricultural education as perceived by first year teachers, university supervisors, and cooperating classroom teachers, (2) to determine first year teachers' self-perceived preparedness for teaching vocational agriculture,(3) to identify perceptions of first year teachers of vocational agriculture regarding sources of self-perceived preparedness, and (4) to identify significant sources of variance in perceived preparedness explained by components of the preservice program and characteristics …

An Analysis Of Industrial And Occupational Stratification In Rural Labor Market Areas., Ann Ziebarth Dellenbarger

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The geographic area where workers reside and work defines the labor market area. The opportunities available in labor market areas vary considerably. For workers, these differences represent opportunity boundaries. The employment profile of rural labor market areas and the resulting impact on workers' earnings are the foci of this research. Three research phases are reported. First, a descriptive analysis of labor market area differences is provided. Second, factors contributing to earnings differences are discussed. Third, results of exploratory analysis for farm couples' off-farm earnings are reported. The data used in analysis is the U.S. Census PUMS-D individual level data which …

A Behavior Analytic Model For Nonorganic Failure To Thrive: Observations Of Parent And Child Behavior During Feeding Interactions., Robert Warren Heffer Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study was the first to apply a behavior analytic model of assessment to failure to thrive (FTT) by observing parent and child behavior during mealtimes at hospitalization for provisional diagnosis of FTT. Descriptive data (e.g., child growth parameters, temperament, and developmental status; maternal medical history and psychopathology; and demographic information) also were collected. The specific goal, however, was to identify feeding behaviors that differed in rate of occurrence in parent-child dyads in which the child was classified: (a) nonorganic failure to thrive (NOFTT) or Mixed FTT (e.g., physical and psychosocial etiology), (b) organic failure to thrive (OFTT), or (c) …

Analytical-Toxicological Studies Of Environmental Importance., Hessam Ghane

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Part One. Acidity and chemical composition of precipitation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; The synergistic effects of acidity and aluminum on fish. Acid precipitation which consists of both wet precipitation and dry deposition has recently become a significant environmental problem. It has been shown that the effects of acid rain are deleterious to soil, vegetation, aquatic life and buildings. Wet-precipitation-only samplers were used to collect acid rainfalls in the vicinity of Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge and subjected to appropriate chemical analysis for the purpose of characterization of general composition and acidity. About 50% of precipitation is within pH range of …

Ada Rehan: American Actress (1857-1916). (Volumes I And Ii)., Aileen Alana Hendricks-Wenck

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Although Ada Rehan (1857-1916) achieved international fame as America's representative actress, rivaling Ellen Terry during the last quarter of the nineteenth century, historians have forgotten her. After beginning in 1872 to perform with her sister, Kate, and brother-in-law, Oliver Doud Byron, in their company and, later, in Mrs. Louisa Lane Drew's Arch Street Theatre Company (1873-75), Ada moved upward to ingenue roles in Barney Macauley's company (1875-76). Then she assumed leading parts with John W. Albaugh's company (1876-79), followed by a few months supporting Fanny Davenport. Finally, she advanced to a position in one of the most prominent theatres in …

Semantic Constraint Modeling In Database Using The Applicative Data Language., Herman Hai-Lou Lee

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

There is a growing need to incorporate database integrity subsystems into large information systems in engineering design environments and real-time control and monitoring environments. The objectives of the integrity subsystem are to provide a user interface for constraint specification, to compile the specification into enforcement strategies, and to check data integrity at both compile-time and run-time. The approach proposed by this research is to develop the conceptual view of the database using the Entity Relationship Model (ERM). Users' queries and semantic constraints can be specified by an ER-based data language, the Applicative Data Language (ADL). Any ADL constraint specification is …

New Female Playwrights In The American Theatre, 1973-1983: A Critical Analysis Of Thought In Selected Plays., Joyce Williams O'Rourke

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Historically, the female playwright has been plagued by a lack of visibility. Long hindered by a limited number of women writers as role models, by the few receptive stages on which to mount their works, and by a public accustomed to a male dominated stage practice, female playwrights nevertheless in the last two decades have produced an extraordinary body of work, signifying a new thrust in the American theatre. Ten playwrights have been selected as representatives of this movement: Tina Howe, Rosalyn Drexler, Rose Goldemberg, Mary Gallagher, Adele Shank, Lavonne Mueller, Wendy Wasserstein, Ntozake Shange, Beth Henley and Marsha Norman. …

A Judicial Decision Under Pressure: A Dramaturgical Analysis Of The Rosenberg Case., Kenneth C. Petress

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study examines the 1951 death sentences imposed upon Ethel and Julius Rosenberg by Judge Irving R. Kaufman. This study's focus is discovering how these sentences came to be, rhetorically. The study employs the dramatistic pentad suggested by Kenneth Burke. The scene is seen as the dominant, driving force behind the judge's sentences. The scene is labeled as "betrayal"; the name betrayal resulting from: (1) the Cold War; (2) McCarthyism; (3) the Korean War; and (4) other domestic post-World War II problems. The analysis pictures the American government using the Rosenbergs as scapegoats to symbolically cleanse away betrayal images. Thus, …

An Object Oriented Paradigm For Requirements Specifications., David W. Cordes

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Software engineering defines a formalized five-step life-cycle for software development. These steps are: requirements specification, design, implementation, testing and maintenance. The requirements specification phase of the software development life-cycle is responsible for determining the functionality of the proposed system. In this work, a methodology is developed that enhances the generation of accurate requirements specifications, utilizing an object-oriented paradigm. This research realizes four objectives. First, the process of information transferral between the user and the specification team is enhanced. Second, a working base of knowledge containing the domain-specific information within the initial requirements document is established for use by the specification …

A Longitudinal Examination Of The Structure, Membership And Benefits Of The Louisiana Association Of Principals., David Strauss

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the structure, membership, and benefits provided by the Louisiana Association of Principals. A review of related literature revealed a lack of standards whereby state-level educational organizations could be systematically examined. In this study it was hypothesized that by providing benefits to members, the Louisiana Association of Principals could increase its membership. It was also hypothesized that in order to gain new members, the Louisiana Association of Principals had to effectively deal with internal and external pressures. All of the records of the organization were reviewed. Interviews were conducted with key leaders. Ineffective …

The Temporality Of Mediacy: The Time Of Narrators In Short, First-Person Fiction., John Marlon Allison Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study outlines a new theory of time in first-person narrative fiction based on the concept "mediacy." By applying a phenomenological understanding of time to narrators of first-person fiction, the study draws a distinction between narration and narratization. Narration refers to the narrative act, the act of telling. This study contends that although a literary narrative may serve as record of past events, it is primarily a notation of the narrative act. The narrative act is a unified experience that exhibits a structure of beginning, middle, and end, which is notated in a literary text. A narratization, in contrast, refers …

Constancy Of (Acoustic) Relative Timing Measures In The Fluent Utterances Of Stutterers And Nonstutterers., Phoebe Cooper Weaver

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Stuttering and nonstuttering children's articulatory timing abilities as measured by duration differences were compared as rate, stress and phonetic complexity were varied and both internal and external timing sources were used. Use of external timing sources resulted in within normal limit performance by the stutterers as compared to their nonstuttering peers. Significant average intrasubject variability occurred on phonetic complexity tasks involving a variable linguistic sentence and its reiterative counterpart and on a syllable expansion through clustering task. Use of internal timing sources resulted in within normal limit performance by the stutterers on both rate tasks but on only one of …

Molecular Analysis Of Mutant And Wild Type Alcohol Dehydrogenase Alleles From Drosophila., Mark Andrew Batzer

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Wild type alcohol dehydrogenase polypeptides (ADH) from Drosophila melanogaster transformants were examined using western blots and polyclonal antiserum specific for Drosophila melanogaster ADH. These data indicate that ADH from Hawaiian drosophilids was similar in molecular weight to Drosophila melanogaster ADH, but that the isoelectric points of the Hawaiian electromorphs were distinct. Therefore it was evident that western blots could be used to characterize ADH from different species of Drosophila. Mutants induced in Drosophila spermatozoa at the alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) locus using X-rays, 1-ethyl-1-nitrosourea (ENU) or ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) were characterized using genetic complementation tests, western blots, Southern blots, northern blots …

Estimation Of The Renewal Function., Binshan Lin

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The computation of the renewal function when the distribution function is completely known has received much attention in the literature. However, in many cases the form of the distribution function is unknown and has to be estimated nonparametrically. Several nonparametric estimators for the renewal function for complete data were suggested by Frees (1986) and Schneider et al. (1988). In many cases, however, censoring of the lifetime might occur. In this study, estimators of the renewal function based on randomly censored data is discussed. We introduce nonparametric estimators of the renewal function and show that the estimators compare well with a …

A History And Daybook Of The English Language Theatre In New Orleans During The Civil War. (Volumes I And Ii)., Paula June Thompson

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study investigates the theatrical activity in New Orleans between 1860 and 1865 and provides a daybook including all recorded performances in the city during this period. Many active theatres existed in New Orleans prior to 1860. Three theatres, the St. Charles, the Varieties, and the Academy of Music dominated professional English-language dramatic offerings. They brought in the most renowned performers of the period and presented lavish dramatic productions, minstrel shows, circuses and concerts. This study explores the impact of the war on the theatrical activity of these three theatres and attempts to chronicle the adjustments necessary to continue operation. …

Faculty Senate Resolution 87-05, Louisiana State University And Agricultural & Mechanical College

LSU Faculty Senate Publications

Faculty Senate Resolution regarding the permanent committee on academic computing, adopted on December 8, 1987.

Backfilling Canals To Mitigate Wetland Dredging In Louisiana Coastal Marshes, Christopher Neill, R. Eugene Turner

Faculty Publications

Returning canal spoil banks into canals, or backfilling, is used in Louisiana marshes to mitigate damage caused by dredging for oil and gas extraction. We evaluated 33 canals backfilled through July 1984 to assess the success of habitat restoration. We determined restoration success by examining canal depth, vegetation recolonization, and regraded spoil bank soils after backfilling. Restoration success depended on: marsh type, canal location, canal age, marsh soil characteristics, the presence or absence of a plug at the canal mouth, whether mitigation was on- or off-site, and dredge operator performance.

Backfilling reduced median canal depth from 2.4 to 1.1 m, …

"Can You Tell Me Who My People Are?" Ethnic Identity Among The Hispanic-Indian People Of Sabine Parish, Louisiana, Mary B. Van Rheenen

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the puzzle of ethnic identity for the Hispanic-Indian people of Sabine Parish. Because their unique history precludes the clear-cut ethnic identification available to immigrant American groups, the community shares the awkward social position of both the remnant Native American groups and mixed-blood communities collectively known as American Isolates. The issue of group identity for members of the Zwolle-Ebarb community has been further confounded by the internal and external stigmas attached to aspects of the group's origins as well as the negative image associated with the group's home territory. After the people have been identified historically and genealogically, …

Lsu General Catalog 1987-1988, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College

LSU General Catalog

The LSU General Catalog describes all undergraduate and graduate departments and programs with degree requirements and courses offered for each one. The General Catalog includes information on registration and financial aid as well as academic services offered to all students.

On The Nature And Origin Of Microporosity In Micritic Limestones., Stephen Oakley Moshier

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The matrix and micritic components of "chalky" limestones feature well-disseminated pores with diameters of 5-10$\mu$m. SEM studies of porous micrites reveal numerous microporosity types, including: (1) primary intercrystalline and interparticle micropores, and (2) solution-enhanced intercrystalline, moldic and vug micropores. During early diagenesis, carbonate is transfered from particles to blocky micrite and microspar cements growing in adjacent micropores. Microporosity may be retained if cementation is arrested shortly after the stabilization process is complete. Primary, intercrystalline microporosity characterizes micritic limestones in the Shuaiba Fm. (L. Cretaceous) at Sajaa field in Sharjah, U.A.E. Calcite rhombs composing matrix average 4-6 $\mu$m in diameter. Matrix …

A Critical Examination Of The Mythological And Symbolic Elements Of Two Modern Science Fiction Series: "Star Trek" And "Doctor Who"., Gwendolyn Marie Olivier

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Carl Gustav Jung and Joseph Campbell both believe that a living mythology is a necessary factor in a viable civilization. According to these two scholars it is the self-actualized individual who is the key element in a healthy society. The purpose of a mythology for Jung and Campbell is to provide the individual with a set of symbols that will assist him in the process of self-realization. Jung believed that the major source of mythology in today's world is dreams, but he acknowledged the fact that anything which provided the unconscious mind with the appropriate symbols could function on a …

Cerebroprotective Activity Of U-50488h: Relationship To Interactions With Excitatory Amino Acids And Calcium., Marlene Camacho Ochoa

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The mechanism underlying the anticonvulsant and cerebroprotective activity of U-50488H was evaluated using $\sp{45}$Ca$\sp{++}$ uptake in rat Ficoll purified synaptosomes, ($\sp3$H)-2-deoxyglucose uptake in selected mouse brain regions, ($\sp3$H)kainic acid binding to mouse forebrain synaptic membranes and incidence of KA-induced lesions in the CA3 region of the mouse hippocampus. U-50488H causes reduction in K$\sp+$-evoked $\sp{45}$Ca$\sp{++}$ uptake. These effects are comparable to those of the calcium channel blockers verapamil and nifedipine and seem to be related to calcium dependent mechanisms. Changes in saturability, specificity and dissociation constant values of kainic acid receptor binding were demonstrated in the presence of U-50488H at concentrations …

Fail-Safe Local Area Networking Using Channel Redundancy., Ibibia Karisemie Dabipi

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Local area networks represent a major development in data communications. The ring topology is the most popular of the local area networks. Its inherent problem, however, is the breakdown of the entire network in the event of a station failure resulting in total shut-down until repairs can be made. This dissertation is a study of designs for fail-safe local area networks. Two methods for maintaining the operation of a ring network are analyzed and compared. The first method uses a double-ring where the inner loop is optically coupled to the outer ring whenever a node failure occurs. The analysis performed …

Bionomics Of The Sugarcane Borer, Diatraea Saccharalis (F.), In Sweet Sorghum, Sorghum Bicolor (L.) Moench., Billy Wayne Fuller

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Economic impact studies revealed that the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), reduced sweet sorghum yield of total sugars up to 46% in artificially infested field trials. A significant relationship was found between D. saccharalis damage and yield loss that indicated an economic injury level of 10% bored internodes. Stalk weight, percent sucrose, and total sugars were negatively correlated to D. saccharalis damage; and increased fiber content was positively correlated to percent bored internodes. Information from damage levels, along with survival records, indicated that the economic threshold was reached when approximately 5% of the sweet sorghum plants contained small D. saccharalis …

Nitrone Spin Traps For Biological Studies. (Volumes I And Ii)., William Reeves Huie

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A variety of aldonitrones for spin-trapping investigations have been synthesized, purified, and characterized. The alicyclic 5-member ring nitrones 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) and 3,3,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (TMPO) and its long-chain derivatives were prepared in 3 or 4 steps. The reaction steps involved a Michael addition to yield the $\gamma$-nitrocarbonyl compound, subsequent mild reduction with zinc and aqueous ammonium chloride to yield the cyclic intermediate nitrone, a Grignard addition reaction to give the hydroxylamine, and finally copper-catalyzed aerial oxidation of the hydroxylamine to provide the aldonitrone. Poor overall yields were obtained. In contrast, the acyclic aromatic nitrone $\alpha$-phenyl-N-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN) and its derivatives were prepared …