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The Effectiveness Of Language-Literacy Training For Child Care Workers, Katelyn Beth Venturella Jan 2004

The Effectiveness Of Language-Literacy Training For Child Care Workers, Katelyn Beth Venturella

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of group-based language-literacy training for child care workers. The first phase of the study followed a pre-post single group comparison design and involved 23 child care providers. The independent variable was the teacher training and the dependant variable was scores from a questionnaire. The second phase of the study involved a sub-group of four child care workers who received one-on-one follow up training after the group sessions. The questionnaire was administered a third time to the follow-up group. An analysis of the questionnaire items at pretest indicated that the …


The Impact Of Brief Intervention On Adherence To Medication Regimen Of Low-Income Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Kathleen E. Kendra Jan 2004

The Impact Of Brief Intervention On Adherence To Medication Regimen Of Low-Income Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Kathleen E. Kendra

LSU Master's Theses

Patient nonadherence with medication regimen is a common problem facing health care providers treating adult patients with Type 2 diabetes. Poor glycemic control, diabetes related complications, and increased utilization and health care costs are among the outcomes of poor compliance with medical regimen. Prior research indicates moderate success with several techniques to improve medication adherence when used alone. However, the literature suggests a need for an intervention providing a multi-component technique, implementing self-motivating skills and follow-up prompts. Using a 15- minute single exposure intervention, the current study attempted to combine these two procedures (brief intervention including motivational interviewing with follow-up …


Optimal Test Case Selection For Multi-Component Software System, Praveen Babu Kysetti Jan 2004

Optimal Test Case Selection For Multi-Component Software System, Praveen Babu Kysetti

LSU Master's Theses

The omnipresence of software has forced upon the industry to produce efficient software in a short time. These requirements can be met by code reusability and software testing. Code reusability is achieved by developing software as components/modules rather than a single block. Software coding teams are becoming large to satiate the need of massive requirements. Large teams could work easily if software is developed in a modular fashion. It would be pointless to have software that would crash often. Testing makes the software more reliable. Modularity and reliability is the need of the day. Testing is usually carried out using …


Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Venous Function And Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption Recovery Kinetics, Eric Joseph Tisdell Jan 2004

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Venous Function And Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption Recovery Kinetics, Eric Joseph Tisdell

LSU Master's Theses

Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) has been attributed to metabolic, hemodynamic, neuroendocrine, and pulmonary factors. In one particular study, Barclay (J Appl Physiol 1986;61(3):1084-90) suggested that a lower rate of fatigue and hyperperfusion following a bout of exercise was due to a mechanism other than increased oxygen and substrate delivery. Interestingly, few studies have examined the influence of venous function on EPOC. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between measures of vascular function and EPOC. Measures of vascular function and VO2 recovery kinetics were examined in 20 individuals [age=22+2.41 yrs]. Nondominant forearm arterial inflow, venous capacitance …


A Comparison Of A High-Resolution Survey And A Three-Dimensional Seismic Survey In A Feature-Rich Region Of The Green Canyon Area, Gulf Of Mexico, Bruce Miles Samuel Jan 2004

A Comparison Of A High-Resolution Survey And A Three-Dimensional Seismic Survey In A Feature-Rich Region Of The Green Canyon Area, Gulf Of Mexico, Bruce Miles Samuel

LSU Master's Theses

Recent advances in Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) technology have revolutionized the positioning and accuracy of high-resolution deep sea mapping tools. Geologic hazard and engineering surveys by AUV’s are producing high-resolution data sets of a quality that has never before been seen. Three-dimensional (3D) seismic data, though traditionally used for only deep subsurface mapping of large areas, is now being reprocessed at a higher resolution and utilized in well site investigations and geologic hazard assessments. This study makes a comparison between a 3D seismic survey and an AUV high-resolution survey in order to determine the strengths and weaknesses of both of …


The Portrayals Of Minority Characters In Entertaining Animated Children's Programs, Siobhan Elizabeth Smith Jan 2004

The Portrayals Of Minority Characters In Entertaining Animated Children's Programs, Siobhan Elizabeth Smith

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to note, categorize, and discuss the stereotypes of African Americans in animated children’s cartoons. The purpose is also to compare them to see how they changed. A content analysis of two cartoons finds that characters do act in stereotypical ways. A quantitative analysis of 76 cartoons supports these findings. Overall, The Proud Family, a cartoon of the 21st century, is more stereotypical than Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, a cartoon from 30 years ago. Though primary characters display the same amount of stereotypical behavior, secondary characters show an increase in the amount of …


A Pedestrian Friendly Environment For Downtown Baton Rouge, Aya Miyakoda Jan 2004

A Pedestrian Friendly Environment For Downtown Baton Rouge, Aya Miyakoda

LSU Master's Theses

As the human population has increased, the consumption of natural resources has become a serious problem for our society. With the possibilities of severe oil shortages, there is a growing need to promote a society which better suits the requirements of pedestrians. At the same time, there is a big push for urban redevelopments to rebuild a strong city center in the United States. It is important that these new redevelopments take into account the changing needs of our society by providing a good pedestrian environment. The main objective of this thesis is to illustrate the fundamental elements that must …


Cranks, Libertarians, And Zealots: An Examination Of Opposition To Jefferson Davis In The Provisional And First Confederate Congresses, Tereal Wayne Edmondson Jan 2004

Cranks, Libertarians, And Zealots: An Examination Of Opposition To Jefferson Davis In The Provisional And First Confederate Congresses, Tereal Wayne Edmondson

LSU Master's Theses

While many historians have maintained that the Provisional and First Confederate Congresses both served as legislatures intent on obstructing Jefferson Davis's policies, these southern assemblies actually provided little notable resistance to the president. Congressmen who did oppose Davis's policies never coalesced into a formal opposition. This lack of cohesion resulted from two factors: the Confederacy's eschewal of political parties following secession from the Union and the inability of disgruntled solons to organize an oppositional faction thereafter. When objections to increased centralization of the war effort came, they were from individuals who acted alone or in small factions. Consequently, Davis had …


Freshwater And Nutrient Inputs To A Mississippi River Deltaic Estuary With River Re-Introduction, Emily Christina Grace Hyfield Jan 2004

Freshwater And Nutrient Inputs To A Mississippi River Deltaic Estuary With River Re-Introduction, Emily Christina Grace Hyfield

LSU Master's Theses

In this study, I quantified freshwater and nutrient inputs in the Breton Sound estuary which is receiving freshwater reintroduction in an effort to restore deteriorating wetlands. Almost all wetlands of the Mississippi deltaic plain are isolated from riverine input due to flood control levees along the Mississippi River. This has altered water and nutrient budgets and is a primary cause of the massive wetland loss in the delta. Maintenance of the delta depends on a healthy, functioning ecosystem which includes riverine input. The Breton Sound estuary is located southeast of New Orleans and until recently was hydrologically isolated from direct …


Tissue Interactions With Lasers And Liquid Nitrogen: A Novel Cryopreservation Method, Deepak Kandra Jan 2004

Tissue Interactions With Lasers And Liquid Nitrogen: A Novel Cryopreservation Method, Deepak Kandra

LSU Master's Theses

The importance of the imposed cooling rate in cryopreserving native cells and tissues has been long recognized in the field of cryobiology. When biological tissues are subjected to cooling rates in excess of thousands of degree C per minute, the characteristic structural and physical manifestations of the ice formed are such that the traditional damage due to ice formation at lower cooling rates are suppressed. Hence, achieving high cooling rates in tissues and cells of biologically relevant sizes (mm’s and cm’s) has been a long standing research problem. In the present study, we present a novel technique to achieve high …


Characteristics Of Hurricane Lili's Intensity Changes, Adele Marie Babin Jan 2004

Characteristics Of Hurricane Lili's Intensity Changes, Adele Marie Babin

LSU Master's Theses

Rapid intensity changes of Hurricane Lili in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) were studied in three distinct ways: climatology, satellite remote sensing, and surface meteorological and oceanographic measurements. Each research methodology provided insight about Hurricane Lili's intensity behavior. A climatology of rapid and explosive intensifications of hurricanes was developed using minimum central pressure observations for the Atlantic tropical cyclone record. Results showed these events were frequent, especially in the GOM. The majority of intensification events occurred ≤ 24 h before landfall, with a third to one-half ≤ 12 h. Lili emerged anomalous as the only hurricane to weaken at a …


Elemental: Promise Of Plenty, Bill Wolff Jan 2004

Elemental: Promise Of Plenty, Bill Wolff

LSU Master's Theses

This body of work is about human nature, and centers on issues of aggression, consumption and collapse. Five materials make up the exhibition, and each carries a specific metaphor: wood is flesh, brick represents collective history, rope is a metaphor for human activity, metal is control and salt is a quintessential commodity. Craft is used as a means to explore the boundary between natural and synthetic phenomena, as well as elevating the status of the base materials. The work is arranged to provide an environment and context for the viewer to respond.


Zooplankton Visualization System: Design And Real-Time Lossless Image Compression, Dattatreya Reddy Tetala Satya Surya Jan 2004

Zooplankton Visualization System: Design And Real-Time Lossless Image Compression, Dattatreya Reddy Tetala Satya Surya

LSU Master's Theses

In this thesis, I present a design of a small, self-contained, underwater plankton imaging system. I base the imaging system’s design on an embedded PC architecture based on PC/104-Plus standards to meet the compact size and low power requirements. I developed a simple graphical user interface to run on a real-time operating system to control the imaging system. I also address how a real-time image compression scheme implemented on an FPGA chip speeds up image transfer speeds of the imaging system. Since lossless compression of the image is required in order to retain all image details, I began with an …


Stepping Out Of Her Place: A New Look At Women's Roles During Selected Wars In U.S. History, Nicole Lynn Bowen Jan 2004

Stepping Out Of Her Place: A New Look At Women's Roles During Selected Wars In U.S. History, Nicole Lynn Bowen

LSU Master's Theses

Women are not included in high school history text books in a meaningful way, thus students are only learning about half of the experiences that shaped our nation. The ways in which history is represented as part of the social studies curriculum in secondary schools must be reconsidered. A history text that does not represent the experiences of women in a meaningful way does not provide a means for young women to "locate themselves in time," or meet many of the other standards of the National Council for the Social Studies. If young women and men are going to develop …


An Evaluation Of Methods Used To Obtain The Railroad Preemption Queue Clearance Time, Deeangela Renee Kenon Jan 2004

An Evaluation Of Methods Used To Obtain The Railroad Preemption Queue Clearance Time, Deeangela Renee Kenon

LSU Master's Theses

Because of the potential for serious train-vehicle accidents at or near railroad-highway grade crossings, preemption of traffic signals is a very important supplement to an active warning system. Preemption is the transfer of normal signal phasing to a special control mode with the purpose of clearing any vehicles that are queued within the dynamic envelope as the train approaches, and prohibiting signal phases that would allow additional vehicles in the track area while the train is present. The focus of this research was the determination of the Clear Track Green Interval (or the Queue Clearance Time). The clear track green …


A Case Study Of The National Advancement Plan At Louisiana State University As Implemented By The Lsu Foundation In The Memphis, Tennessee, Area, Elizabeth Nealy Jan 2004

A Case Study Of The National Advancement Plan At Louisiana State University As Implemented By The Lsu Foundation In The Memphis, Tennessee, Area, Elizabeth Nealy

LSU Master's Theses

Because university foundations are facing increased pressures as the result of declining funds and increased competition, they must learn to use more effectively a wide range of marketing activities and demographic segmentation. Prospect identification may be one such tool. The literature on non-profit philanthropy suggests that the demographic segmentation of alumni and prospect screening and subsequent identification may serve as appropriate criteria. This case study examines how giving levels, involvement levels and attitudes of donors may vary as a result of the implementation of the National Advancement Plan, a systematic peer screening model and communications tool developed for a university …


"Don't Pooh-Pooh Our Poo Poo": Penalty, Subsidy, And Refusal To Fund In The Aftermath Of National Endowment For The Arts V. Finley, James Gaddy Jan 2004

"Don't Pooh-Pooh Our Poo Poo": Penalty, Subsidy, And Refusal To Fund In The Aftermath Of National Endowment For The Arts V. Finley, James Gaddy

LSU Master's Theses

Legal scholars said the National Endowment for the Arts v. Finley decision would create a "chilling effect" in government subsidy programs, and it unlawfully expanded the government speech doctrine. By analyzing cases that subsequently use Finley for a substantive part of their rationale, this article argues the opposite: the courts have rejected the government's attempts to interpret the decision as one that allows viewpoint discrimination and have not allowed the government to further a broad reading of the decision. The article also argues that, under the government speech doctrine, Finley provides the controlling precedent for truly "hybrid speech" cases where …


Tyranny, Natural Law, And Secession, Geoffrey Plauche Jan 2004

Tyranny, Natural Law, And Secession, Geoffrey Plauche

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis is an examination of the problem of tyranny from the perspective of radical libertarianism. History is to be seen as a race and conflict between liberty and power. After a brief introduction, the second section of this thesis is devoted to sketching out a natural law and natural rights theory. With this as the foundation, the third section analyzes the seminal work of Étienne de la Boétie’s The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude in which he elucidates the nature of tyranny and the psychology of subjection. All governments, even the worst tyranny, rest upon general popular acceptance. Religious and …


Fecal Steroid Excretion Of Rats Fed Rice Bran Oil And Oryzanol, Zhaoli Dai Jan 2004

Fecal Steroid Excretion Of Rats Fed Rice Bran Oil And Oryzanol, Zhaoli Dai

LSU Master's Theses

Rice bran oil (RBO) has been considered healthy cooking oil with potent effects to reduce the risks of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. The relatively high level of unsaponifiable components contributes to the healthy benefits of RBO. This study investigated the possibility that the cholesterol-lowering effects of oryzanol are through increased fecal steroid excretion. The objective was to compare fecal cholesterol and bile acid excretion as well as bioavailability among different forms of oryzanol. The correlation between bioactivity and bioavailability of oryzanol was investigated as well. Forty-seven female breeder rats were used as animal models. Oryzanol was added to an …


True Image, Janet K. Link Jan 2004

True Image, Janet K. Link

LSU Master's Theses

A still-life is often the painted record of a complex arrangement of objects. My aim in making the visual portion of TRUE IMAGE is to turn this sort of still-life inside out. Rather than arranging a collection of objects and making a painted or drawn image of the set up, I made simple images of things and arranged them with actual objects into three larger tableaux. The subjects of the paintings and drawings are these: checkerboards, objects, portraits, and shadows. The subjects of the tableaux are work (LABOR), home (DOMUS), and church (ECCLESIA). Viewed as a whole the exhibition asks …


Estimation Of Living Body Weight Based On Measurements Of Anterior Superior Iliac Spine Breadth And Stature, Jaime A. Suskewicz Jan 2004

Estimation Of Living Body Weight Based On Measurements Of Anterior Superior Iliac Spine Breadth And Stature, Jaime A. Suskewicz

LSU Master's Theses

Standard identification criteria for creating a decedent’s biological profile typically include ancestry, sex, age, and stature, but not body weight. Body weight information may not only assist in creating a more complete biological profile but may also provide insight into other forensic considerations, such as taphonomy and body transport and disposal. The current study seeks to establish multiple regression equations for the prediction of living body weight in skeletal remains. Specifically, the measurements of anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) breadth and stature are assessed with regard to living weight. Research was carried out on both a skeletal sample and a …


A Stage Targeted Physical Activity Intervention Among A Predominantly African American Low Income Medical Population, Dorothy Whitehead Jan 2004

A Stage Targeted Physical Activity Intervention Among A Predominantly African American Low Income Medical Population, Dorothy Whitehead

LSU Master's Theses

Despite the numerous health benefits, there is a high prevalence of physical inactivity and associated chronic diseases in the U.S., particularly among low income African Americans. Past studies indicate that mailed, stage-matched physical activity promotion materials are effective, low cost, and show potential for reaching hard to reach groups. However, this has not been examined in a low-income African American population. The current study utilized a low-cost, mailed intervention to promote physical activity among a low income African American primary care population (N=207). The sample was predominantly female (82.6%), African American (69.1%), and overweight (81.3%). At baseline, all participants completed …


Zinnias, Carlyle Wolfe Jan 2004

Zinnias, Carlyle Wolfe

LSU Master's Theses

Impermanence. Quiet. Words. Unfolding. Specificity. Abundance. Pattern. Compilation. Faithfulness. Vulnerability. Obedience. Atmosphere. Begun with a coffee can full of flowers, this work is an exploration of art making, self, and nature.


My Maiden Cowboy Names: Poems, Victoria Brockmeier Jan 2004

My Maiden Cowboy Names: Poems, Victoria Brockmeier

LSU Master's Theses

On the title: for a dichotomy of vulnerability and resistance; for self as plural and/or changeable; for acts of claiming. To hint at tone, setting, and content. On sound: to shape a poem's mood, and because these pieces should leave your mouth a little tired if you read them out loud. On lineation: to highlight the near-misses in language-ambiguities, double meanings, troublesome literalization-and to see these not as pitfalls but as opportunities. On stanza and strophe breaks: if a stanza is a room, the breaks between must be doorways, and who wants to sit down and rest in a doorway? …


Commitment To Displaying Positive Emotions At Work: An Examination Of Individual And Situational Antecedents, Meredith H. Croyle Jan 2004

Commitment To Displaying Positive Emotions At Work: An Examination Of Individual And Situational Antecedents, Meredith H. Croyle

LSU Master's Theses

Studies show that employee emotional displays impact customer behaviors and attitudes (Grandey, Fisk, Mattila, & Sideman, 2002; Pugh, 2001; Tsai, 2001). However, the factors influencing employees' emotional displays have not received much attention. More specifically, research suggests a need to more fully understand the motivational processes underlying employees' emotional displays, particularly in customer service where positive emotional displays are related to customer behaviors and sales performance (Brown & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1994; Diefendorff & Gosserand, in press; Grandey, Fisk, Matilla, & Sideman, 2002; Pugh, 2001; Tsai, 2001). To this end, this investigation examined an expectancy theory model of commitment to positive emotional …


Assessing Landscape-Level Impacts Of Red Imported Fire Ants On Native Faunal Communities In Pine-Dominated Forests, Keri Elizabeth Landry Jan 2004

Assessing Landscape-Level Impacts Of Red Imported Fire Ants On Native Faunal Communities In Pine-Dominated Forests, Keri Elizabeth Landry

LSU Master's Theses

Since the accidental introduction of red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren, RIFA) into Mobile, Alabama in the 1930’s, the invasion of this species into other areas across the southeast has increased drastically. RIFA have been implicated in the disruption of ecosystems and decreases in biodiversity. Most research on effects of RIFA on vertebrates and invertebrates have focused on small spatial scales and single species. I examined established populations of RIFA in relation to native ground-dwelling arthropods and small mammal communities in longleaf-pine and pine-hardwood forests. I evaluated the efficacy of using Amdro® to control RIFA and determined the effect …


Towards Automation Of Forensic Facial Reconstruction, Hemant Narendra Khatod Jan 2004

Towards Automation Of Forensic Facial Reconstruction, Hemant Narendra Khatod

LSU Master's Theses

Forensic facial reconstruction is a blend of art and science thus computerizing the process leads to numerous solutions. However, complete automation remains a challenge. This research concentrates on automating the first phase of forensic facial reconstruction which is automatic landmark detection by model fitting and extraction of feature points. Detection of landmarks is a challenging task since the skull orientation in a 3D scanned data cloud is generally arbitrary and unknown. To address the issue, well defined skull and mandible models with known geometric structure, features and orientation are (1) aligned and (2) fit to the scanned data. After model …


From Guerrilla Theater To Media Warfare Abbie Hoffman's Riotous Revolution In America: A Myth, Bruce Eric France, Jr. Jan 2004

From Guerrilla Theater To Media Warfare Abbie Hoffman's Riotous Revolution In America: A Myth, Bruce Eric France, Jr.

LSU Master's Theses

The following thesis is a discussion of the radical activist Abbie Hoffman's theatrical work to revolutionize the United States. What the author does is explain the historical uniqueness of Hoffman's theatrical techniques as tools for social change. What made Abbie Hoffman such a unique character from that already bizarre and devastating time in the United States known as The Sixties was his ability to infuse pot with politics, fun with social activism and cultural change with his contemporary means of communication. He was able to excite and activate a whole generation of people who would otherwise drop out of society …


Irrationality And Human Reasoning, Michael Aristidou Jan 2004

Irrationality And Human Reasoning, Michael Aristidou

LSU Master's Theses

In his account of intentional interpretation, Donald Davidson assumes that people are mostly rational. Several psychological experiments though, reveal that human beings deviate drastically from the normative standards of rationality. Therefore, some psychologists arrive to the conclusion that humans are mostly irrational. In this thesis, I raise some objections to both points of view. On the one hand, ascribing rationality to humans in an a priori manner seems a suspicious position to adopt, considering the empirical data that show otherwise. On the other hand, the validity of the experiments and what exactly they test can also be put in question, …


Numerical And Experimental Investigation Of Transport Processes In Biological Systems, Yimeng He Jan 2004

Numerical And Experimental Investigation Of Transport Processes In Biological Systems, Yimeng He

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis focuses on optimization techniques for transport process during the cryopreservation of biological systems. In the first part of this thesis, a well established shape independent Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) technique was used to measure the dehydration response during freezing of Pacific oyster sperm cells. Volumetric shrinkage during freezing of diploid and tetraploid pacific oyster sperm cell suspensions was obtained at cooling rates of 5 and 20 ˚C/min in the presence of extracellular ice and CPAs. By fitting a model of water transport to the experimentally obtained volumetric shrinkage data the best fit membrane permeability parameters (Lpg and …