Digital Commons Network^™

The Stylistic Mechanics Of Implicitness: Entailment, Presupposition, And Implicature In The Work Of Ernest Hemingway And Tim O'Brien., Donna Glee Williams

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The discipline of linguistics has identified three patterns through which unstated information may be conveyed: entailment, presupposition, and implicature. Using these theoretical constructs, analysts may determine systematically how propositions which are never asserted may nonetheless be communicated. In the old writers' maxim "Show me; don't tell me," "showing" corresponds to implicit communication of unstated material, while "telling" corresponds to the overt assertion of the proposition of interest. Examination of texts by Hemingway and O'Brien reveals carefully controlled use of the linguistic strategies of implicitness to suspend meaning between and behind the fixed points of the words on the page. This …

The Studies Of Rigid Pvc Compounds: Morphology, Rheology, And Fusion Mechanism., Cheng-Ho Chen

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Morphological analyses of PVC, PVC/CPE, and PVC/CPE/OPE compounds were examined by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning-transmission electron microscopy. A correlation has also been established between the morphological analyses and the IZOD impact strength of PVC compounds. PVC compounds were prepared in a Haake Torque Rheometer using various blending conditions. The fusion level of processed compounds was evaluated by DSC thermal analysis and capillary rheological analysis, based on the heat of fusion and entrance pressure drop, respectively. S-shaped fusion curves were obtained. The effects of temperature, rotor speed, and totalized torque on the fusion level of PVC compounds …

Generalizations Of The Optimal Control Problem For The Vidale-Wolfe Advertising Model., Richard Dale Edie

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this dissertation is to study two different generalizations of the optimal control problem based on the Vidale-Wolfe Advertising Model. The first problem is an infinite horizon free endpoint one-dimensional version of the Vidale-Wolfe optimal control problem of advertising in time varying markets. A solution is obtained for this problem. Then a thorough proof using the method of dynamic programming is presented to verify that this solution is optimal under reasonable market conditions. The second problem is a finite time fixed endpoint two-dimensional version of the Vidale-Wolfe optimal control problem. Normal optimal trajectories are obtained for this problem. …

Support For Higher Education In The 1992-1993 Louisiana Legislature., Sandra Bernard Dugas

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The public higher education system in Louisiana is facing a variety of problems. The Louisiana Legislature plays a vital role in the determination of policy regarding higher education in the state. Legislators have the responsibility of addressing current and emerging issues and finding solutions to problems. The purpose of the study was to determine the voting record of members of the 1992 Louisiana Legislature on issues facing higher education so as to infer legislative support for higher education. This purpose was accomplished by studying roll call votes on bills considered important to higher education in relation to personal characteristics of …

Workplace Literacy Skills And Occupational Interests Of Dislocated Workers., Robert Francis Doyle

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to: describe Louisiana dislocated workers who participated in the Louisiana Job Link Center (LA JLC) at LSU by workplace literacy skills (reading, writing, computation), occupational interests, and the demographics of age-group, gender, educational level, and DOT code of last job; compare workplace literacy skills on selected demographics; and determine if workplace literacy skills are independent of occupational interests and selected demographics. A simple random sample of 232 dislocated workers was drawn from the accessible population. The data used in this study was obtained from a larger data base collected and held by the Director …

The Development Of Bridge Inspection Strategies Based On A Statistical Analysis Of Deterioration In Underwater Structures., Mark Deymond Fugler

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A comprehensive statistical analysis was performed on the condition data generated by a statewide underwater inspection of bridges in Louisiana. The research defined pertinent underwater structural decay characteristics and established a method for establishing a bridge's propensity for underwater deterioration based upon those relevant factors. The inspection results were reviewed to ascertain the impact of human-bias on the consistency in the bridge condition ratings. Using a set of importance factors obtained through a questionnaire submitted to a group of inspectors, the fuzzy set theory was employed to assist in the removal of data incongruities. A combination of pure fuzzy set …

Validation Study Of The Teacher Ratings Of Individual Student Skills And Achievement (Trissa)., Wayne Thomas Stewart

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the concurrent, predictive, and discriminant validity of the Teacher Ratings of Individual Student Skills and Achievement (TRISSA). The TRISSA was developed in three major phases. Phase I consisted of the generation of an item pool and review of these items by experts. Phase II involved teachers completing the original 100-item TRISSA and subjecting data to a factor analytic study. Based on the factor analysis of 1,049 cases, a revised TRISSA (i.e., TRISSA-36) was produced. The TRISSA-36 was administered to teachers as part of actual pupil appraisal evaluations in three parishes in southeastern …

Connectivity For Matroids And Graphs., Haidong Wu

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation studies connectivity for matroids and graphs. The main results generalize Tutte's Wheels and Whirls Theorem and have numerous applications. In Chapter 2, we prove two structural theorems for 3-connected matroids. An element e of a 3-connected matroid M is essential if neither the deletion M$\\$e nor the contraction M/e is 3-connected. Tutte's Wheels and Whirls Theorem proves that the only 3-connected matroids in which every element is essential are the wheels and whirls. If M is not a wheel or a whirl, we prove that the essential elements of M can be partitioned into classes where two elements …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Principal Style And Sense Of Autonomy In Differentially Effective Schools., Corinne Falterman Hebert

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was threefold. Phase I involved a reconstruction of the Change Facilitator Style of Principal (CFSP) instrument developed by Bost and Ruch (1986). Phase II was an ex post facto study that investigated teachers' perceptions of their principals' change facilitator style and of their autonomy, and Phase III encompassed the collection of qualitative data. The questionnaire originally developed by Bost and Ruch (1985) had some inadequate psychometric properties. These inadequacies were uncovered and further explored by examining the frequency distributions of the items from a previous study, and by conducting a construct validation of the instrument. …

Finite Element Analysis Of Damage And Elastic-Plastic Behavior Of Metal Matrix Composites., Taehyo Park

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Damage and elasto-plastic analysis is of particular importance to metal matrix composites since the onset of damage and plastic yielding begins very early in the loading process as compared to the composites ultimate strength. Two types of damage models are proposed using micromechanical model. A finite element analysis is presented for quantifying damage and predicting the failure loads of the center-cracked laminate metal matrix composite plates. Both the overall damage model which accounts for all types of damages as a single damage variable and the local damage model which uses the local constitutive damage relations for each of the matrix …

Micro- And Macro-Experimental Investigations For Modeling Damage In Metal Matrix Composites., Anthony Ray Venson

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Experimental investigations and procedures for the determination of damage are presented for the macro- and micro-analysis of a SiC-Titanium Aluminide metal matrix composite (MMC). Uniaxial tension tests are performed on laminate specimens of two different layups. The layups are balanced symmetric and given as (0/90)$\sb{s}$ and ($\pm45)\sb{s}$, each containing four plies. Dogbone shaped flat plate specimens are fabricated from each of the layups. Specimens for the different layups are loaded to various load levels ranging from rupture load down to 70% of the rupture load at room temperature. By loading specimens to various load levels, damage evolution is experimentally evaluated …

The Effects Of The Unit Concept On Prospective Elementary Teachers' Understanding Of Rational Number Concepts., Tena Long Golding

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to follow and describe the cognitive processes of five prospective elementary teachers as they engaged in the formation of units and to examine the role of the unit concept as a possible link between the whole number and rational number domains. An attempt was made to gain an understanding of how the students constructed units and whether or not their attention to and understanding of the unit concept would increase their understanding of rational number concepts and operations. The rational number domain is one that causes great difficulties for students and their teachers. The …

Statistical Process Control Using On-Line Sensors., Wu-Shong Jwo

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The traditional control chart method of SPC is a popular tool for monitoring a production process. The method involves randomly drawing a sample of finished items from the process at every equal-time interval to check the product quality and assess the process condition. Because of recent technological advances in computer automation, many kinds of on-line inspection and monitoring equipment, such as sensors, have been developed. This research proposes a two-phase method to monitor the production process during manufacturing operations. Basically, this method is a combination of an on-line sensor and a control-chart method. In the first phase, if the total …

Structural Results For Matroids., Sandra Reuben Kingan

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation solves some problems involving the structure of matroids. In Chapter 2, the class of binary matroids with no minors isomorphic to the prism graph, its dual, and the binary affine cube is completely determined. This class contains the infinite family of matroids obtained by sticking together a wheel and the Fano matroid across a triangle, and then deleting an edge of the triangle. In Chapter 3, we extend a graph result by D. W. Hall to matroids. Hall proved that if a simple, 3-connected graph has a $K\sb5$-minor, then it must also have a $K\sb{3,3}$-minor, the only exception …

Determining Process Target Value And Ordering Policies In Two-Echelon Hierarchy Production System., Jinshyang Roan

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Selection of the mean (target value) for a production process is a classical problem in quality control. Basically, a process mean is selected based on a balance between production cost and economical consequences associated with conforming items and nonconforming items. The process mean affects many production decisions. In particular, because it determines the process conforming and yields rates, it affects the production setup policy. These production decisions also affect the raw material requirement and, thus, its procurement policy when the raw material is supplied by outside vendors. Consequently, process mean, production and raw material procurement policies should be jointly determined …

The Effects Of Computer-Intensive Algebra On Students' Understanding Of The Function Concept., Brian Richard O'Callaghan

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the Computer-Intensive Algebra (CIA) and traditional algebra (TA) curricula on students' understanding of the function concept. CIA was developed recently in an effort to address some of the deficiencies in TA, namely, its over-emphasis of procedural skills and lack of attention to concepts and problem solving (Fey, 1992; Kieran, 1990). The major features of this innovative curriculum are (a) a problem solving approach based on the modelling and exploration of realistic problem situations, (b) an emphasis on conceptual knowledge, and (c) the extensive use of technology. This study hypothesizes …

Matrices Over Differential Fields Which Commute With Their Derivative, William A. Adkins, Jean Claude Evard, Robert M. Guralnick

Faculty Publications

A theorem is proved concerning the diagonalizability of a matrix over a differential field by means of a similarity transformation from the field of constants of the differential field. This result contains, as a special case, known results concerning the diagonalizability over the complex numbers of a Hermitian matrix of analytic functions under the hypothesis that the matrix commutes with its derivative. © 1993.

Monotone Clutters, Guoli Ding

Faculty Publications

A clutter is k-monotone, completely monotone or threshold if the corresponding Boolean function is k-monotone, completely monotone or threshold, respectively. A characterization of k-monotone clutters in terms of excluded minors is presented here. This result is used to derive a characterization of 2-monotone matroids and of 3-monotone matroids (which turn out to be all the threshold matroids). © 1993.

Collaborative Writing In Petroleum Engineering: A Case Study Of Petroleum Engineers In An Academic Setting, Michael Anne Coffey

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Interest in collaborative writing has surged in composition studies since the mid-tolate 1980s; aspects addressed include motivation, the composing process, the kinds of participants, authorship, conflict, etc. Much composition research concentrates on collaboration in the workplace to gain an understanding of collaborative writing that can be readily transferred to the classroom and that can prepare students for the social, as opposed to solitary, act of writing—to encourage collaborative thought. In this study, I attempted to find out more about what occurs in the stages (prewriting, writing, post-writing) of collaborative writing. My subjects were petroleum engineers on university campuses. Departments were …

Stable Sets Versus Independent Sets, Guoli Ding

Faculty Publications

Let G=(V, E) be a graph and let L(G) be the set of stable sets of G. The matroidal number of G, denoted by m(G), is the smallest integer m such that L(G)=J1∪J2∪⋯∪Jm for some matroids Mi=(V,Ji)(i=1,2,...,m). We characterize the graphs of matroidal number at most m for all m≥1. For m≤3, we show that the graphs of matroidal number at most m can be characterized by excluding finitely many induced subgraphs. We also consider a similar problem which replaces 'union' by 'intersection'. © 1993.

A Decomposition Of Locally Finite Graphs, Bogdan Oporowski

Faculty Publications

We prove that every infinite, connected, locally finite graph G can be expressed as an edge-disjoint union of a leafless tree T, rooted at an arbitrarily chosen vertex of G, and a collection of finite graphs H1, H2, H3,...such that, for all i less than j, the vertices common to Hi and Hj lie in T, and no vertex of Hj lies on T between a vertex of Hi∩T and the root. © 1993.

Clutters With Τ2=2Τ, Guoli Ding

Faculty Publications

Motivated by Lehman's characterization of the minor-minimal clutters without the MFMC property, we propose a conjecture about the minor-minimal clutters with τk

A Construction Heuristic For One-Dimensional Machine Location Problems, P. Sobhan Babu

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The focus of this research is to develop a new heuristic for solving the one-dimensional machine location problem. The major objective is to assign a set of machines to different locations available along a material handling path, so that the total material handling distance (or time) is minimized. One-dimensional machine layout problems with both symmetric and asymmetric flows are addressed in this research.

Based on the flow pattern of materials between the machines, a construction heuristic is developed here to solve the machine layout problem. The same heuristic is used to solve the problems with asymmetric and symmetric flows. The …

The Effect Of Ionizing Radiation Damage On Transconductance Of Short N-Channel Igfets, Vivek Subramanian

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Dissipative Effects On The Mean Square Displacement Of An Oscillator, X. L. Li, G. W. Ford, R. F. O'Connell

Faculty Publications

The localization of an oscillator in a dissipative environment may be characterized by its mean square displacement. In the case of a general heat bath, we write down an expression for this quantity as an integral involving the imaginary part of the generalized susceptibility. This integral is evaluated explicitly in the case of both Ohmic and blackbody radiation heat baths, leading us to the conclusion that localization is enhanced by an increase of dissipation or oscillator fequency (binding) and by a decrease in temperature. © 1993.

Disjoint Circuits On A Klein Bottle And A Theorem On Posets, Guoli Ding

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we consider the problem of packing disjoint directed circuits in a digraph drawn on the Klein bottle or on the torus. We formulate a problem on posets which unifies all the problems considered by Ding et al. and by Seymour. Then we generalize all the results of their two papers by proving a theorem on our special posets. © 1993.

Carbon, Nitrogen, And Phosphorus Leaching Rates From Spartina Alterniflora Salt Marshes, R. Eugene Turner

Faculty Publications

Annual carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus leachate rates from live Spartina alterniflora Loisel in a Louisiana (USA) salt marsh were estimated to be 200, 14, and 3 g m-2, respectively, and to peak in summer and higher salinit~es. Leachate losses of P, N and C are equivalent to a turnover of live plant tissues of 10, 17 and 49 d, respectively, when submerged, and 148, 250 and 721 d, respectively, when unsubmerged. Plant leachate losses during marsh submergence and non-submergence are nearly equal because release rates are 15x greater during submergence. Nitrogen and carbon concentrations relative to phosphorus are proportionately 4x …

Carbon, Nitrogen, And Phosphorus Leaching Rates From Spartina-Alterniflora Salt Marshes, R E. Turner

Faculty Publications

Annual carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus leachate rates from live Spartina alterniflora Loisel in a Louisiana (USA) salt marsh were estimated to be 200, 14, and 3 g M-2, respectively, and to peak in summer and higher salinities. Leachate losses of P, N and C are equivalent to a turnover of live plant tissues of 10, 17 and 49 d, respectively, when submerged, and 148, 250 and 721 d, respectively, when unsubmerged. Plant leachate losses during marsh submergence and non-submergence are nearly equal because release rates are 15 x greater during submergence. Nitrogen and carbon concentrations relative to phosphorus are proportionately …

Memory Bias And Body Image Disturbance In Normal Weight Body Dysphoric Women., Jeffrey Duane Baker

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Body dysphoria is common in the general population and is thought to be associated with the development of eating disorders. Few studies have examined the role of cognitive processes in normal weight body dysphoric women. This study proposed an associative memory model of body dysphoria. The model predicted an increased memory bias for negative body words and increased body image disturbance in high body dysphoric subjects induced to a depressive mood. Based on the proposed model of body dysphoria, high dysphoric subjects were also predicted to give more depressive/negative body word associates on a word association task. Finally, the Pathfinder …

Learning Styles And Selected Demographic Characteristics Of Dislocated Workers., Samuel Lewis Harvill Sr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to: (1) describe dislocated workers in Louisiana by learning styles and demographics; (2) compare learning style by demographics; and, (3) determine if learning style is independent of occupational area. A simple random sample of 235 dislocated worker participants was drawn from participants served in the Louisiana Job Link Center at Louisiana State University during FY89 through FY91. Data were collected using two instruments. The researcher designed recording form was used to enter the demographic variables gender, ethnicity, age, educational level, and occupational areas (DOT) codes. The Gregorc Style Delineator identified the preferred learning style …