Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Louisiana State University

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 6541 - 6570 of 13619

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Epidemiology And Molecular Characterization Of Human And Canine Hookworm, Ntombi B. Mudenda Jan 2013

Epidemiology And Molecular Characterization Of Human And Canine Hookworm, Ntombi B. Mudenda

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Among the soil-transmitted helminths (STH), hookworms are a worldwide problem in both humans and animals. They cause non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms, and in young children and animals, they can cause stunting, malnutrition and anemia. Canine hookworms have significant zoonotic potential as a cause of cutaneous larvae migrans and eosinophilic enteritis in humans. To determine the ecological niche of human hookworm in Brazil, two risk models were developed based on the Growing Degree Day-Water Budget (GDD-WB) concept, one based on accumulation of monthly temperatures above a base temperature of 15oC and threshold WB value >0.4. The second was based on a ‘gradient …

Go to article

Integrated Functional Anlaysis Of Quorum-Sensing In The Rice Pathogenic Bacterium Burkholderia Glumae, Ruoxi Chen Jan 2013

Integrated Functional Anlaysis Of Quorum-Sensing In The Rice Pathogenic Bacterium Burkholderia Glumae, Ruoxi Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-to-cell communication mechanism that allows bacterial cells to collectively behave like a multicellular organism. It regulates the expression of toxoflavin, one of the major virulence factors of the rice pathogen, Burkholderia glumae. The QS system of B. glumae is mediated by the core genes, tofI and tofR. N-octanoyl-L-homoserine lactone, the primary QS signal molecule of B. glumae, is synthesized by tofI and binds to the cognate receptor tofR at the quorum point. However, tofI and tofR null mutants produce toxoflavin in certain growth conditions, indicating the presence of tofI- and tofR-independent pathways for toxoflavin production. …

Go to article

Single-Crystal Metal Oxides And Supported Metal Nanoclusters As Model Catalyst Sytems, Matthew C. Patterson Jan 2013

Single-Crystal Metal Oxides And Supported Metal Nanoclusters As Model Catalyst Sytems, Matthew C. Patterson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We have investigated the morphology and electronic structure of two basic classes of systems: metal oxide surfaces that catalyze the formation of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) from aromatic precursors, and Au and Cu nanoparticles that may be suitable catalysts for the catalytic oxidation of CO or hydrogenation of CO2. First, we examine the adsorption behavior of phenol on rutile TiO2(110) and ultrathin films of alumina prepared on a NiAl(110) substrate. Electron paramagnetic resonance studies show that exposure of both γ-alumina and titania powder to phenol at 250°C results in the formation of persistent phenoxyl radicals. EELS studies of phenol …

Go to article

Studying Mechanisms Of Ionizing Radiation Resistance In Bacteria: Evidence For Multiple Pathways, Kathiresan Selvam Jan 2013

Studying Mechanisms Of Ionizing Radiation Resistance In Bacteria: Evidence For Multiple Pathways, Kathiresan Selvam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Our lab created ionizing radiation (IR) resistant populations of E. coli MG1655 through twenty cycles of exposure to IR and outgrowth. To identify the genetic alterations responsible for increased IR tolerance, a total of seven isolates from the evolved final population were re-sequenced. However, the individual isolates sequence analysis revealed wide variety of unique genomic alterations with little overlap between the seven isolates and therefore, did not reveal the clear picture of the mutations responsible for IR resistance. Our current research focused on distinguishing the relevant mutations from the non-relevant mutations that contribute to IR resistance by using two methods: …

Go to article

Development Of Safe And Ready To Eat Frozen Oyster Products Using Microwave Steam-Venting Technology, Luis Alberto Espinoza Jan 2013

Development Of Safe And Ready To Eat Frozen Oyster Products Using Microwave Steam-Venting Technology, Luis Alberto Espinoza

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Gulf Coast region, principally Louisiana, leads the nation in oyster production. The National Marine Fisheries Service reported that 19.7 million pounds of oyster meat, valued at $62.3 million dollars were harvested from the Gulf Coast region in 2010. One of the main concerns for this industry is the health risk associated with the consumption of oysters, particularly for at-risk populations. Oysters are filter feeders. They tend to concentrate microbes present in surrounding waters, some of which can cause severe illness in susceptible humans. Among pathogens that contaminate the gastrointestinal system of oysters, Vibrio spp (especially V. parahaemolyticus and V. …

Go to article

Creating A Framework For Systems-Based Graphic Analysis And The Assessment Of College-Level Introductory Biology Textbooks, Katherine Ellen Brooks Jan 2013

Creating A Framework For Systems-Based Graphic Analysis And The Assessment Of College-Level Introductory Biology Textbooks, Katherine Ellen Brooks

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ecological literacy in students has become an increasing concern for educators. Mounting environmental problems along with a growing amount of nature deficit disorder seen in children and adults alike provides the impetus for research in this area. Since many college biology classes are modeled around the same style and emphasis found in the textbooks used for those courses, this provided an avenue for an examination of these materials. This research involved the selection of five popular introductory, college-level biology textbooks for analysis. Three rubrics were created to assess the graphical components of the introductory and ecology chapters in each textbook. …

Go to article

Functional Significance Of Unique Sequences In Mycobaterium Smegmatis Ku Proteins, Ambuj Kumar Kushwaha Jan 2013

Functional Significance Of Unique Sequences In Mycobaterium Smegmatis Ku Proteins, Ambuj Kumar Kushwaha

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ku is central to the non-homologous end-joining pathway of DNA double strand break repair, first discovered in eukaryotes and more recently in prokaryotes and archaea. This study concerns the importance of two unique sequence features of Ku protein from Mycobacterium smegmatis that include a lysine-rich extension at the C-terminus and a zinc-binding motif in the DNA-binding bridge-region. The unique C-terminal tail of M. smegmatis Ku contains several lysine-rich low-complexity PAKKA repeats that are absent from homologs encoded by obligate parasitic mycobacteria, but present in other mycobacterial proteins such as histone-like proteins. Removal of the lysine-rich extension from Ku decreased thermal …

Go to article

The Influence Of Selected Perceptual And Demographic Characteristics On The Attitude Toward Mental Health Of Students Among Faculty A Public Universities In The Southeastern United States, Shannon Kuehne Walsdorf Jan 2013

The Influence Of Selected Perceptual And Demographic Characteristics On The Attitude Toward Mental Health Of Students Among Faculty A Public Universities In The Southeastern United States, Shannon Kuehne Walsdorf

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected personal and professional demographic characteristics on the attitudes toward and perceptions of selected mental health issues among currently employed faculty of four year public universities. Faculty members at two universities in Southeastern Louisiana were invited to participate in an online survey designed by the researcher to assess attitude toward mental health, willingness to help students with mental health issues, ability to identify students with mental health issues, ability to help students with mental health issues, along with a variety of personal and professional demographic characteristics. A total …

Go to article

Oligohaline Wetland Response And Recovery Following Storm-Driven Saltwater Intrusion In Coastal Louisiana, Whitney Marie Kiehn Jan 2013

Oligohaline Wetland Response And Recovery Following Storm-Driven Saltwater Intrusion In Coastal Louisiana, Whitney Marie Kiehn

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Coastal ecosystems occupy an interface between land and ocean, making them vulnerable to a variety of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Large, episodic disturbances (mega-disturbances) cause immediate and long-lasting changes to coastal wetland plant communities and soils by changing the environmental conditions in which they exist. Here I examined the impacts of storm-induced saltwater intrusion and post-intrusion conditions on the structure and growth of an oligohaline wetland plant community, and on wetland soil biogeochemistry and conditions during and after saltwater intrusion. In the greenhouse, a six-week saltwater intrusion reduced canopy cover and species richness. Once intrusion stress was alleviated, plant community …

Go to article

Palate Shape And Depth : A Shape Matching And Machine Learning Method For Assessment Of Ancestry From Skeletal Remains, Christopher Allan Maier Jan 2013

Palate Shape And Depth : A Shape Matching And Machine Learning Method For Assessment Of Ancestry From Skeletal Remains, Christopher Allan Maier

LSU Master's Theses

The assessment of ancestry from skeletal remains is a vital aspect of forensic anthropology. As such, a myriad of techniques exists for estimating this particular component of the biological profile. The most traditional of these methods utilizes the naked eye and the observer’s experience. As replicability has become more important, objective, metric techniques have been developed. This study attempts to merge these two subfields: by taking a traditionally non-metric feature, palate shape, and using a computer, evaluating it quantitatively. Using 3D digitizer technology in conjunction with shape matching and machine learning methods common in computer science, palate shape curves were …

Go to article

Framework Of Damage Detection In Vehicle-Bridge Coupled System And Application To Bridge Scour Monitoring, Xuan Kong Jan 2013

Framework Of Damage Detection In Vehicle-Bridge Coupled System And Application To Bridge Scour Monitoring, Xuan Kong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Most vibration-based damage identification methods make use of measurements directly from bridge structures with attached sensors. However, the vehicle moving on the bridge can serve as both an active actuator and a response receiver. This dissertation aimed to develop new methodologies to eventually detect bridge damages such as scour using the dynamic response of the vehicle. To reach the final objective, a framework of damage identification was developed first, which gave a guideline on the three crucial steps for damage detection. An optimization method was proposed that combines the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and the First Order (FO) method. It has …

Go to article

Microstructure And Physics-Based Structural Models For Suspended Clay-Exopolymer Flocs, Xiaoling Tan Jan 2013

Microstructure And Physics-Based Structural Models For Suspended Clay-Exopolymer Flocs, Xiaoling Tan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Costal or shoreline waters are often characterized by high concentrations of suspended cohesive sediments (or clay) affected by varied organic matters (mostly extracellular polymeric substances or exopolymers), salt, and hydrodynamic disturbance. Resulting from the flocculation-disaggregation between the colloidal clay and exopolymer, the size and structure changes of the cohesive sediments are of key importance for understanding sediment transport processes (i.e., settling, breakage, and survivability) and the geotechnical and geophysical properties of the bottom bed. Because the coastal environment is extremely complicated, with many unpredictable and uncontrollable parameters, current knowledge is still insufficient to predict or fully explain the behavior of …

Go to article

When The Mouse Meets The Elephant : A Manual For String Bass Players With Application Of The Philosophy And Principles Of The F. M. Alexander Technique, Yun-Chieh Chou Jan 2013

When The Mouse Meets The Elephant : A Manual For String Bass Players With Application Of The Philosophy And Principles Of The F. M. Alexander Technique, Yun-Chieh Chou

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study was concerned with the use of the Alexander Technique principles in avoiding unwanted muscular tension and maintaining proper use of the body in double bass playing. Of particular importance was how the Alexander Technique could facilitate the fundamentals of double bass playing. The Alexander Technique is a hands-on method which aids the individual in achieving muscular coordination which is free and lively. Applying the principles of the Alexander Technique helps one achieve a harmonious psychophysical state, which results in greater ease, poise, and physical coordination in any activity, even the most demanding of virtuoso works for double bass. …

Go to article

Identity As A Compass For Understanding Media Choice, Emily Marie Pfetzer Jan 2013

Identity As A Compass For Understanding Media Choice, Emily Marie Pfetzer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The changes to our socio-technological media environment over the past 30 years have heightened the interest in identity across the social sciences. The spread of networked digital communication technologies and mobile media have increased the urgency for media scholars to better understand how and why individuals consume media as they do. Several media choice scholars have recently started considering how individuals’ identity and self-concept relate to media choice, but have not yet systematically addressed how identity might be related. This dissertation takes the first steps toward advancing an identity-based approach to understanding individual media choice in the 21st century by: …

Go to article

Development And Evaluation Of Molecular-Based Assays For Detecting Salmonella Serovars In Various Food Commodities, Qianru Yang Jan 2013

Development And Evaluation Of Molecular-Based Assays For Detecting Salmonella Serovars In Various Food Commodities, Qianru Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

As a leading cause of foodborne illnesses and outbreaks, Salmonella poses a major public health risk in the United States and worldwide. Various food commodities including meat and poultry, eggs, and fresh produce can serve as the transmission vehicles for Salmonella infections. To better ensure the safety of these products and protect public health, rapid, accurate, and reliable detection methods for Salmonella are needed. Molecular-based methods like loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), have gained wide applications in Salmonella detection, owning to their rapidity, specificity, and sensitivity. However, there is a paucity of data on the robustness of these assays. And very …

Go to article

The Refusal Speech Acts Of Two Generations Of Korean Women : Mother-In-Law And Daughter-In-Law In Interaction, Saem Han Jan 2013

The Refusal Speech Acts Of Two Generations Of Korean Women : Mother-In-Law And Daughter-In-Law In Interaction, Saem Han

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this study is to analyze and interpretate the refusal speech acts of two generations of Korean women: mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. To be specific, it examines if daughters-in-law’s use of strategies were dependent on the age difference/ hierarchies and to see if there was any difference in the type of strategies used by daughters-in-law depending on whether mothers-in-law have social power or not. The data were collected from three soap operas. Compared with previous data collection methods, such as discourse completion tests or role-plays, this data collection method has advantages for a pragmatics study. The results indicated that …

Go to article

Investigating Soil Property And Quality Changes From Samples Submitted To The Lsu Agcenter Soil Testing Laboratory, Mark A. Williams Jan 2013

Investigating Soil Property And Quality Changes From Samples Submitted To The Lsu Agcenter Soil Testing Laboratory, Mark A. Williams

LSU Master's Theses

The primary purpose of the study is to investigate the trends in soil nutrient levels from soil samples submitted to the LSU AgCenter soil testing and plant analysis laboratory during 2008 to 2012. This study indicates the trend for soil pH, soil phosphorus and soil potassium for corn, cotton, rice, grain sorghum, soybeans, and sugarcane. These six crops were analyzed in this study because of the economic significance to the Louisiana agricultural industry. The trend in soil nutrients studied were generally within the recommended levels for sustainability and environmental stewardship. This study describes the trends for soil pH, soil phosphorus …

Go to article

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies Of Interaction Of Amphiphilic Molecules With Lipid Bilayers, Jieqiong Lin Jan 2013

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies Of Interaction Of Amphiphilic Molecules With Lipid Bilayers, Jieqiong Lin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We use molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the behavior of various amphiphilic molecules in aqueous solutions in the presence of vitamin E or lipid bilayers. Our research studies focus on two molecular systems. First, we investigate the effect of DMSO on structural properties of DMPC bilayers and calculate bilayers permeability coefficients for both water and DMSO molecules at low DMSO concentration. The simulations show that the increase of DMSO concentration in solution leads to an increase of the permeability of water through the bilayers. The permeability increase might explain the unusual ability of DMSO, even at relatively low concentrations, to …

Go to article

Academic Self-Monitoring In College Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Mindy C. Scheithauer Jan 2013

Academic Self-Monitoring In College Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Mindy C. Scheithauer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Self-monitoring is an intervention that can result in behavior change by having individuals observe and record their own behavior. Self-monitoring has received empirical support in changing Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) related behaviors in children, but there is scarce research regarding self-monitoring with adults with ADHD. The current study implemented a self-monitoring intervention aimed at improving academic behavior and medication adherence in college students with ADHD. The self-monitoring intervention included study skills training, goal-setting, identification of individualized self-monitoring behavior, and follow-up meetings to discuss progress. The participants were asked to monitor their behavior on a daily basis using an electronic system. Compared …

Go to article

Assessing Altruistic Behavior, Burnout, And Wellness Outcomes Of Entry Level, Live-In And Live On Residence Life Professionals, Erin Coquese Vaughn Jan 2013

Assessing Altruistic Behavior, Burnout, And Wellness Outcomes Of Entry Level, Live-In And Live On Residence Life Professionals, Erin Coquese Vaughn

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The current study investigated the relationship between burnout, wellness, and altruistic motivation of entry level, live in and live on residence life staff. The literature review consists of empirical research for each construct presented (burnout, wellness, and altruism). The study sampled utilized were live-in and live on full time, entry level residence life personnel employed at predominately white public and private institutions in the southeastern part of the United States. Multiple regression analysis was used answer specific research questions. Results confirmed that there was no relationship existed between constructs; however findings do suggest burnout of residence life staff. Results are …

Go to article

Polymer-Based Fluidic Devices Integrated With Perforated Micro- And Nanopore Membrane For Study Of Ionic And Dna Transport, Junseo Choi Jan 2013

Polymer-Based Fluidic Devices Integrated With Perforated Micro- And Nanopore Membrane For Study Of Ionic And Dna Transport, Junseo Choi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study aims to develop a process, allowing a low-cost and high-throughput fabrication technique to produce freestanding polymer membranes having perforated micro- and nanopores, and also to design 3D micro/nanofluidic devices with the membrane, enabling a study of ions and DNA transport through nanopores. Technically, we have designed and fabricated high quality silicon stamp. Then, they have been used as molds for modified nanoimprint lithography that takes advantages of a sacrificial layer to obtain freestanding polymer membrane. This technique allows easy fabrication of large area, fully released polymer membranes containing perforated micro- and sub-micropores. The membrane with perforated micropores has …

Go to article

The Use Of Classroom Demonstrations To Improve High School Students' Ability To Understand Concepts In Chemistry, Jessica Langlois Shelton Jan 2013

The Use Of Classroom Demonstrations To Improve High School Students' Ability To Understand Concepts In Chemistry, Jessica Langlois Shelton

LSU Master's Theses

This study was completed to determine if implementing demonstrations in specific chapters of a high school chemistry classroom would enhance students understanding of the topics the demonstrations represented. The study consisted of five sections of college preparatory high school chemistry. The sections were made up of both male and female students. The sections were randomly broken up into two groups. Each group acted as the experimental and control at different points in the study. Four chapters were used in the study. Each group represented the control group in two chapters and the experimental group in two chapters, flip flopping with …

Go to article

Sport Team Fandom, Arousal, And Communication : A Multimethod Comparison Of Sport Team Identification With Psychological, Cognitive, Behavioral, Affective, And Physiological Measures, Shaughan Alan Keaton Jan 2013

Sport Team Fandom, Arousal, And Communication : A Multimethod Comparison Of Sport Team Identification With Psychological, Cognitive, Behavioral, Affective, And Physiological Measures, Shaughan Alan Keaton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The study of sport fandom is undertaken in a variety of disciplines, including but not limited to communication, psychology, sociology, economics, marketing and business. These investigations are significant because of the ubiquitous presence of sport fandom in world culture and its interdisciplinary adaptability in academia. To date however, there has not been a consistent conceptual or operational definition of sport fandom and related factors such as spectatorship, involvement and identification. Consequently, this lack of cohesiveness has serious ramifications, including lack of comparability in results and an inability to generate consistent evidence of the validity and reliability of the various self-report …

Go to article

Detection Of Microorganisms Using Maldi And Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry, Juaneka Monet Hayes Jan 2013

Detection Of Microorganisms Using Maldi And Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry, Juaneka Monet Hayes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Matrix-assisted laser ablation desorption ionization MALDI and ion mobility (IM) MALDI mass spectrometry (MS) were used for the detection and identification of microorganisms. MALDI MS is an analytical tool that separates ions by their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) and is routinely used for bioanalysis because of its sensitivity, selectivity, general applicability, and tolerance to impurities. Ion mobility is a gas phase technique that separates ions based on their charge and collision cross-section. In this research, MALDI-TOF MS and MALDI-IM-TOF MS analysis were conducted in parallel to assess the effectiveness of MALDI-IM-TOF MS for microorganism identification. Whole cell bacteria Escherichia coli strain …

Go to article

The Tyrants Within Us And The Thread Of History : The Creation Of "Sic Semper Tyrannis," A One-Person Play, Benjamin Todd Koucherik Jan 2013

The Tyrants Within Us And The Thread Of History : The Creation Of "Sic Semper Tyrannis," A One-Person Play, Benjamin Todd Koucherik

LSU Master's Theses

The assigned task was to create and perform a 20-40 minute long one-person play, with no other guidelines or restrictions offered. Having never performed in or written a full one-person play, my challenge was two-fold: create a cohesive and coherent script, and craft the production and performance of that script. From several inspirational sources, I was spurred on to explore the dynamics of revolutionaries, fanatics, and vigilantes through the lens of presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth. Through the combination of Booth’s infamy and the modern day realities of fame-seeking, political divisiveness, and tragically pervasive “spectacle killing” events, I was ultimately …

Go to article

Structural And Synthesis Studies Of The Pro¹⁴³ Region Skp1 In Dictyostelium Discoideum, Chamini V. Karunaratne Jan 2013

Structural And Synthesis Studies Of The Pro¹⁴³ Region Skp1 In Dictyostelium Discoideum, Chamini V. Karunaratne

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In Skp1 of Dictyostelium discoideum (Dd), Pro143 is located at the N-terminus of an α-helix with four consecutive Glu residues immediately following Pro. Preceeding Pro143 is a segment of random coil. The proline residue undergoes post-translational modifications: hydroxylation and glycosylation. A cytoplasmic prolyl hydroxylase (P4H1) delivers a hydroxyl group to Pro143 and N-acetylglucosamine transferase 1 (Gnt1) transfers GlcNAc from UDP to Hyp143 of Skp1. The installation of the first GlcNAc residue in Skp1 in Dictyostelium is important for the organism to differentiate into a fruiting body to disperse spores. We describe herein some structural and synthesis studies of the Pro143 …

Go to article

Depositional History Of The Trinity-Tiger Shoals Region : A Transgressed Delta Complex Of The Middle Holocene Mississippi Delta, Clint Hoyt Edrington Jan 2013

Depositional History Of The Trinity-Tiger Shoals Region : A Transgressed Delta Complex Of The Middle Holocene Mississippi Delta, Clint Hoyt Edrington

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Holocene Mississippi River Delta is arguably the world’s most thoroughly researched deltaic system. However, much of this research has occurred predominantly within the present-day subaerial delta, whereas comparatively little research has been attempted downdip within the offshore, more difficult-to-reach parts. This study advances our understanding of the Holocene delta by examining deltaic sediments within the Trinity-Tiger Shoals Complex region, located ~ 30 – 40 km offshore of central Louisiana. Specifically, this study addresses two questions. Which delta complex prograded into this offshore region? Do the overlying transgressive deposits reflect that predicted by the prevailing transgressive depositional systems model? To …

Go to article

Dynamic Modeling Of Channel Formation During Fluid Injection Into Unconsolidated Sands, Sayamik Ameen Jan 2013

Dynamic Modeling Of Channel Formation During Fluid Injection Into Unconsolidated Sands, Sayamik Ameen

LSU Master's Theses

Water injection is widely used for sweeping hydrocarbons in waterflooding operations, and also for maintaining reservoir pressure or disposing waste water. Injection at a high rate is required to maintain the economy of waterflooding projects; however, loss of injectivity is a quite common problem in unconsolidated sand formations like deep water Gulf of Mexico. Well intervention operations, hurricanes, and other issues require frequent shut-downs during the life of offshore wells; in order to minimize deteriorating effect of these shutdowns on wellbore injectivity more accurate modeling of the injection process is needed. Injection of water into a saturated, granular, porous medium …

Go to article

Nanotube Film-Enhanced 3-D Photoanode For Application In Microsystems Technology, Fareed Dawan Jan 2013

Nanotube Film-Enhanced 3-D Photoanode For Application In Microsystems Technology, Fareed Dawan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Surface area plays an important factor in the energy conversion performance of solar cells. It has also emerged as a critical factor in the evolution of high-performance micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and multifunctional microstructures most of which will benefit from integrated on-chip solar power. Presented here is the hierarchical fabrication and characterization of TiO2 nanotubes on non-planar 3-dimensional microstructures for enhanced performance of the photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The objective is to increase photoanode performance within a 1 cm2 lateral footprint area by increasing the vertical surface area through the formation of TiO2 nanotubes on 3-D microstructures. In the …

Go to article

A Preliminary Investigation Of The Demographic, Systematic Risk, And Systematic Promotive Factors That Influence Higher Educational Attainment Among Foster Care Youths And Young Adults Who Age Out Of The Foster Care System, Dana R. Hunter Jan 2013

A Preliminary Investigation Of The Demographic, Systematic Risk, And Systematic Promotive Factors That Influence Higher Educational Attainment Among Foster Care Youths And Young Adults Who Age Out Of The Foster Care System, Dana R. Hunter

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this explanatory-descriptive study was to investigate the demographic, systematic risk, and systematic promotive factors that best predicted higher educational attainment among foster care youths and young adults who exit the foster care system. The researcher conducted a secondary data analysis on National Youth in Transition Data (NYTD) and child welfare administrative data collected by a child welfare agency in the southern region of the United States. The survey participants in this study consisted of a sample of 1,266 current foster care youths and 157 young adults who aged out of care between the ages of 14 and …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last