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LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

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Artificial Grammar Learning In A Dual Task Paradigm., Barbara Cochran Jan 1996

Artificial Grammar Learning In A Dual Task Paradigm., Barbara Cochran

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A series of experiments explored the effects of performing concurrent secondary tasks on learning letter strings created with a finite state artificial grammar. Experiments 1-2 compared a task which disrupted organized encoding to a task which simply required holding information in memory while encoding strings, as well as to two control tasks. Participants performing the disruptive task were worse at judging the grammaticality of test strings than were participants in the two single task control groups. Performance of the memory load group fell between the disruptive task group and the control groups, but was not significantly different from either. Experiments …


Ion Transport In The Freshwater Bivalve, Corbicula Fluminea (Muller)., Huiyuan Zheng Jan 1996

Ion Transport In The Freshwater Bivalve, Corbicula Fluminea (Muller)., Huiyuan Zheng

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Corbicula fluminea (Muller) maintains hydromineral balance in dilute media by active transepithelial transport of Na and Cl. Cl uptake depended on external (Cl) and displayed saturable kinetics. The transport capacity in pondwater(PW)-acclimated animals was 7.00 $\pm$ 0.51 $\mu$eq(g dry tissue $\cdot$ h)$\sp{-1}$ and the transport affinity 0.21 $\pm$ 0.08 mM. Prolonged salt depletion increased Cl transport capacity without changing the affinity. In PW-acclimated C. fluminea, Na and Cl transport were independent, and were stimulated by serotonin. In salt depleted (SD)animals, Na transport was partially Cl-dependent but Cl transport was Na-independent. Acetazolamide increased Na and Cl efflux. Both serotonin and acetazolamide …


Border Crossers And Coyotes: A Reception Study Of Latin American And Latina/O Literatures., Delia Maria Poey Jan 1996

Border Crossers And Coyotes: A Reception Study Of Latin American And Latina/O Literatures., Delia Maria Poey

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Since the 1970s, there has been an ongoing debate within the humanities regarding the canon and curricular reform. Moving beyond questions of advocacy and the dichotomy of center and periphery (without diminishing the necessity of these), Border Crossers and Coyotes: A Reception Study of Latin American and Latina/o Literatures surveys the various ways which marginalized texts enter U.S. academic discourse as well as analyzing the conflicts inherent in these border crossings. The study proposes the position of the coyote, a person who transports undocumented workers across the U.S./Mexico border for profit, as analogous to that of the critic/teacher. Employing a …


James Joyce's "Ulysses" And World War I., Ann Hingle Martin Jan 1996

James Joyce's "Ulysses" And World War I., Ann Hingle Martin

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The final words of Ulysses underline the text's position on the cusp of the pre- and postwar eras. Joyce was emphatic that Molly's "Yes" be immediately followed by those crucial coordinates: centerlineTrieste--Zurich--Paris. centerline 1914-1921. Where does this unsettling epitaph point us? In the direction of history, clearly; we are nudged toward the text's and its nail-paring creator's autobiography. Even the shallowest knowledge of recent history will indicate the centrality of those towns, during those years, to "all those wretched quarrels ... erroneouslv supposed to be about a punctilio of honour and a flag" (526). Even the shallowest knowledge of recent …


The Increase In Shaft Capacity With Time For Friction Piles Driven Into Saturated Clay., Hani Hasan Titi Jan 1996

The Increase In Shaft Capacity With Time For Friction Piles Driven Into Saturated Clay., Hani Hasan Titi

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A general method for predicting pile setup, or the increase in the load carrying capacity of friction piles driven into saturated clay, was developed. The solution is based on the HiSS modeling approach, the strain path method, and the theory of nonlinear porous media. The ability of this method was demonstrated by predicting the field behavior of pile segment models during driving, subsequent consolidation, and load testing. Numerical simulations were performed on pile segment models because of the availability of field experimental tests necessary for verification and evaluation schemes. The method was also applied to investigate the behavior of full-scale …


Tertiary Recovery Of Oil By Up-Dip Gas Injection., Tammy Theresa Bourgoyne Jan 1996

Tertiary Recovery Of Oil By Up-Dip Gas Injection., Tammy Theresa Bourgoyne

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A tertiary gas injection process denotes the mobilization of waterflood residual oil by gas invasion; whereas, secondary gas injection denotes the displacement of a continuous oil phase by gas. The term up-dip gas injection implies that the gas is injected in the crest of the structure in order to displace fluid down-dip where it can be recovered in a production well; whereas, an attic oil recovery process usually implies a cyclic injection/recovery process using a single well. The objective of this study is to develop a technique for modelling relative permeability in a tertiary gas injection process occurring in a …


Wordsworth's Mother Tongue: Identification, Separation, And Recognition., Robert C. Hale Jan 1996

Wordsworth's Mother Tongue: Identification, Separation, And Recognition., Robert C. Hale

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This psychoanalytic study complicates prevailing notions about William Wordsworth's representations of mothers. Wordsworth does not invariably conflate mothers with Nature or consistently construct women as silent objects of male quest. Rather, he explores a variety of mothers' voices, often associating them with language acquisition and poetic composition. In early work he acknowledges mothers' significance directly and creates more vocal mothers, while in later work and revisions he often conceals mothers' significance and depicts more object-like mothers. In the 1805 version of book two of The Prelude, Wordsworth recalls himself as a "blessed babe" who recognizes his mother as a separate …


The Treatment Utility Of Functional Analyses For Disruptive Classroom Behavior., Carmen D. Broussard Jan 1996

The Treatment Utility Of Functional Analyses For Disruptive Classroom Behavior., Carmen D. Broussard

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Disruptive classroom behaviors are a frequent referral problem in school settings. Although there are several intervention approaches that are commonly used in classroom settings, no standard methodology exists for developing interventions to decrease behavior problems. The primary purpose of this investigation was to develop interventions based upon a functional analysis of disruptive behavior of developmentally normal children in classroom settings, and to analyze treatment effectiveness. Functional analyses which investigated the effect of peer attention, teacher attention, and negative reinforcement (escape) were conducted with five participants. The variable maintaining disruptive classroom behavior was peer attention for all participants. Following the functional …


A Case-Based Reasoning Approach To Bankruptcy Prediction Modeling., Stephanie Mattox Bryant Jan 1996

A Case-Based Reasoning Approach To Bankruptcy Prediction Modeling., Stephanie Mattox Bryant

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study examines the usefulness of an artificial intelligence method, case-based reasoning (CBR), in predicting corporate bankruptcy. Based on prior research, CBR is believed to be a viable method of predicting bankruptcy. Hypotheses are developed to test the usefulness of a CBR system and to compare the accuracy of such a system to the model considered to be the benchmark model in bankruptcy prediction, Ohlson's (1980) nine-factor logistic regression (logit) model. Sample data consisting of manufacturing and industrial firms is drawn from the Compustat database in a 20:1 ratio of nonbankrupt to bankrupt firms, consistent with Ohlson's (1980) proportions. Three …


On-Line Steady-State Gain Identification For On-Line Optimization Of Multivariable Constrained Chemical Processes., Umesh Kishore Chitnis Jan 1996

On-Line Steady-State Gain Identification For On-Line Optimization Of Multivariable Constrained Chemical Processes., Umesh Kishore Chitnis

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The Amoco Model IV Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) (McFarlane et al, 1993) was augmented with Lee & Groves Model (1985) to provide for a simple but realistic product distribution model. This enabled a better and realistic on-line optimization of the FCCU. A Supervisory Multivariable Constrained Optimization (SMCO) algorithm was applied to this augmented model. It was observed that the FCC unit is optimized successfully, without violating any constraints. The parabolic error-penalizing function, incorporated in the algorithm allowed the constraints to asymptotically approach the limits without violating them. The on-line optimization to FCC unit led to maximizing of the feeds, …


Expression Of A Designed Cecropin Analog Gene Using A Baculovirus Vector., Kyusam Choi Jan 1996

Expression Of A Designed Cecropin Analog Gene Using A Baculovirus Vector., Kyusam Choi

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Cecropins are basic, amphipathic peptides with antibacterial activity against many Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. By retaining the positively charged, amphipathic characteristic of cecropin B, a cecropin analog S1, in which 54% of amino acid residues were substituted, was synthesized and shown to possess a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. To determine expression of the cecropin analog S1 in Sf9 cells, two gene constructs were designed, and inserted into Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus under the control of the polyhedrin promoter. One construct, pBS1, consisted of a gene encoding the analog peptide, so that the gene was intended for expression in …


Thiamine, Riboflavin, And Sensory Stability Of Irradiated Brown Rice., Linda Chamberlain Douglas Jan 1996

Thiamine, Riboflavin, And Sensory Stability Of Irradiated Brown Rice., Linda Chamberlain Douglas

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

While brown rice is nutritionally superior to white rice, it is not shelf stable, becoming rancid in a matter of weeks. Preservation by refrigeration or freezing is expensive and not universally available. Therefore, other preservation methods, such as aqueous ethanol extraction of lipids, have been studied to overcome this problem, but these methods also have limitations. The effects of gamma-irradiation on the physicochemical properties and lipase activity in brown rice has been well documented. Gamma-irradiation has been shown to reduce lipase activity, presumably preserving sensory quality. A sensory study of 2 Louisiana grown varieties (Mars and Lemont) of irradiated brown …


Investigating The Antecedents Of Youth Unemployment: Individual, Family, And Neighborhood Factors., Mary Smalley Delamatre Jan 1996

Investigating The Antecedents Of Youth Unemployment: Individual, Family, And Neighborhood Factors., Mary Smalley Delamatre

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Young adults are two to three times more likely to be unemployed than older adults, and African-American and poorly educated youths are disproportionately unemployed (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1995a). The goal of the present study was to identify precursors of youth unemployment that could be targets of interventions. This longitudinal study explored the relationship between individual, family, and neighborhood factors, measured during junior high and high school, and the employment status of 19-year-old males. Participants were individuals participating in the Pittsburgh Youth Study, a longitudinal study of prosocial and antisocial behavior. This random sample of 506 males were 7th …


Influence Peddling And The Municipal Market: An Investigation Of Political Contributions And Accounting Disclosures., Steven M. Filling Jan 1996

Influence Peddling And The Municipal Market: An Investigation Of Political Contributions And Accounting Disclosures., Steven M. Filling

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The municipal bond market is widely perceived to be amenable to influence peddling between parties to bond transactions. One of the primary concerns of both regulators and investors is the relationship between political contributions by bond market participants and the volume and profitability of bond market business engaged in by those participants. This study uses publicly available data from the state of Louisiana to provide evidence concerning the relationship between contributions made by bond market participants and bond business awarded or influenced by recipients of those contributions. Contributions by bond market players to officials likely to possess influence over bond …


An Examination Of The Effects Of Increased Response Requirement And Delay On Reinforcer Selection., Teresa Lynne George Jan 1996

An Examination Of The Effects Of Increased Response Requirement And Delay On Reinforcer Selection., Teresa Lynne George

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the effect that increased response requirement, or effort, (Study 1) and delay to reinforcement (Study 2) have on reinforcer selection and response allocation. A reinforcer assessment using a token system was conducted within the classroom setting to determine high and low preference stimuli. The independent variable (effort or delay) was systematically manipulated for high preference stimuli. The results for eight participants indicated that increased levels of effort and delay independently influenced reinforcer preference and response allocation. The results revealed highly idiosyncratic responding to the different levels of the independent variables. The findings for increased response requirement are …


Delights Of The Night And Pleasures Of The Void: Vampirism And Entropy In Nineteenth-Century Literature., Michael James Dennison Jan 1996

Delights Of The Night And Pleasures Of The Void: Vampirism And Entropy In Nineteenth-Century Literature., Michael James Dennison

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation explores the figure of the vampire in the nineteenth century as a metaphor of disorder, especially as interpreted through the root metaphor of the second law of thermodynamics, also known as entropy. The theoretical approach used in the reading of several vampire texts is an entropy theory of literature, a mostly aesthetic approach of relevance to a comparatist study on vampirism and entropy. Chapter One considers the female vampire in one of her earliest nineteenth-century incarnations, the seductive Clarimonde of Theophile Gautier's La Morte amoureuse. Chapter Two is a study of the vampire women in Edgar Allan Poe's …


Extraction And Analysis Of Triazines In Fish Tissues Following A Toxic Exposure: Environmental Factors Affecting Atrazine Toxicity In Fish., Patricia Simmons Gaunt Jan 1996

Extraction And Analysis Of Triazines In Fish Tissues Following A Toxic Exposure: Environmental Factors Affecting Atrazine Toxicity In Fish., Patricia Simmons Gaunt

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Rapid, generic, and environmentally friendly methods for extraction and detection of the pesticides atrazine, cyanazine, metribuzin, and simazine were developed for use in monitoring the cause of pesticide related or suspect fish kills. Further, environmental hypoxia and elevated temperature were studied as possible contributors to the toxicity of atrazine in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and as synergistic factors to be considered in investigating fish kill events. Incurred residues from the exposure of catfish to atrazine alone or hypoxia or elevated temperature and atrazine were also analyzed. A commercial enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) was utilized as a screening method for the presence …


A Polynomial Invariant Of Links In A Solid Torus., Jaehoo Park Kim Jan 1996

A Polynomial Invariant Of Links In A Solid Torus., Jaehoo Park Kim

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A polynomial invariant of links in a solid torus is defined through an algebra $H\sb{n}({1\over2}$). $H\sb{n}({1\over2}$) modulo by an ideal is the type-B Hecke algebra. This invariant satisfies the $S\sb3$-skein relation as in the 1-trivial links case of dicromatic link invariant discovered by J. Hoste and M. Kidwell. A link in the solid torus is isotopic to a closed braid which is a braid in the braid group of the annulus. We find an invariant of links through a represention $\pi$ of the braid group of the annulus to the algebra $H\sb{n}({1\over2}$). A trace map X is defined on a …


Characterization Of Variant Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Long Terminal Repeat Sequences., Charles Richard Madden Jan 1996

Characterization Of Variant Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Long Terminal Repeat Sequences., Charles Richard Madden

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is the causative agent of a persistent disease in horses. The long terminal repeat (LTR) region of EIAV contains the enhancer and promoter elements necessary for transcription of the proviral genome. The LTR is also prone to a high degree of sequence variability between different virus isolates. Sequence alignments of LTR variants from both tissue culture-adapted strains of the virus as well as sequential horse isolates showed a high degree of sequence variability between variants. Sequence variability was further localized to a hypervariable region approximately 60 bp upstream of the TATA box. This region contained …


The Effects Of Timber Management Activities On Understory Plant Succession In Young Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda) Plantations., Donald Paul Reed Jan 1996

The Effects Of Timber Management Activities On Understory Plant Succession In Young Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda) Plantations., Donald Paul Reed

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

An understory vegetative succession study was conducted on the LSU Lee Memorial Forest near Bogalusa, Louisiana. Research blocks were established within fifteen-year-old overstocked loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands, in specific areas classified as with or without a history of prescribed burning for the current timber rotation. Silvicultural treatments involved precommercially thinning randomly selected blocks to various stand densities, along with the establishment of unthinned control areas. Growth rates of residual trees were determined from tree diameter measurements, on all timbered plots. Burn-history areas received a further treatment, involving the mechanical destruction of all timber on specified areas, followed by site-preparation …


Dinitropyrenes: Nitroreduction Processes And Evaluation Of Indices Of Exposure., Matthew Jerome Krautmann Jan 1996

Dinitropyrenes: Nitroreduction Processes And Evaluation Of Indices Of Exposure., Matthew Jerome Krautmann

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Investigations were conducted to identify biomarkers of exposure to dinitropyrenes (DNPs), which are mutagenic and carcinogenic residues of incomplete combustion. One possible biomarker, a DNP-protoporphyrin IX adduct, was not found in analytically useful quantities in liver tissue or in bile. Clastogenicity, a biomarker of effect, also was found to be absent in marrow cells following subchronic exposure of rats to DNPs by gavage. Solubility studies, used as a basis for dosing guidelines, revealed that DNPs are relatively insoluble in both aqueous and lipid tissue compartments. Calculated log P values indicated that the reduced metabolites of DNPs probably are more soluble …


Social Skills In Adults With Severe Disabilities., Linda Ann Leblanc Jan 1996

Social Skills In Adults With Severe Disabilities., Linda Ann Leblanc

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Recently, the concepts of social competence and social skills have become important aspects of the evolving definitions of mental retardation (Siperstein, 1992). However, few studies have focused on social behavior in adults with severe developmental disabilities, despite the proliferation of research in assessment and training of social skills with other populations. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with Severe Retardation (MESSIER)--a scale designed to measure social skills in adults with severe developmental disabilities. A reliable and valid measure of social skills for this population would be useful in determining target behaviors …


The Effect Of Demand Forecasting On Production Policies And Coordination In Periodic Review Production Systems., Chih-Ming Lee Jan 1996

The Effect Of Demand Forecasting On Production Policies And Coordination In Periodic Review Production Systems., Chih-Ming Lee

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

We consider a sequential decision process in a periodic review production system. At the beginning of each period, marketing decides how much money to be invested in demand forecasting. After its decision, marketing obtains the forecast and passes the forecast to production, which then determines production quantity. Centralized and decentralized models are formulated. In the centralized model, the two divisions make their decisions by considering the total profit of the company. In the decentralized model, marketing pays production a unit transfer price for every product sold. Three types of policies about the unit transfer price are considered. In the company …


Jordan Algebras And Lie Semigroups., Yongdo Lim Jan 1996

Jordan Algebras And Lie Semigroups., Yongdo Lim

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

For a Euclidean Jordan algebra V with the corresponding symmetric cone $\Omega$, we consider the semigroup $\Gamma\sb{\Omega}$ of elements in the automorphism group $G(T\sb{\Omega})$ of the tube domain $V$ + $i\Omega$ which can be extended to $\Omega$ and maps $\Omega$ into itself. A study of this semigroup was first worked out by Koufany in connection to Jordan algebra theory and Lie theory of semigroups. In this work we give a new proof of Koufany's results and generalize up to infinite dimensional Jordan algebras, so called $JB$-algebras. One of the nice examples of the semigroup $\Gamma\sb{\Omega}$ is from the Jordan algebra …


Characterization Of Physiological Changes In Roots Grown In Spaceflight Conditions: A Comparison Of Nutrient Delivery Technologies., David Marshall Porterfield Jan 1996

Characterization Of Physiological Changes In Roots Grown In Spaceflight Conditions: A Comparison Of Nutrient Delivery Technologies., David Marshall Porterfield

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The best strategy for providing food and maintaining the environment on long-duration space missions is a bioregenerative life support system based on the growth of higher plants. Before such a system can be implemented, a better understanding of plant growth in space will have to be achieved. Little is known about the role of gravity-dependent physical processes in normal physiological function. A series of ground-based and spaceflight experiments was conducted to examine root oxygen availability in microgravity nutrient delivery systems. In spaceflight experiments Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. plants were analyzed for changes in root medium redox potential and root alcohol …


Students' Understanding Of The Interaction Between Charged Conductors., Chitra Guruswamy Jan 1996

Students' Understanding Of The Interaction Between Charged Conductors., Chitra Guruswamy

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation describes an investigation into students' understanding of the interaction between two charged conductors. The study consists of two parts. The first part is based on interviews and written tests conducted with students in an algebra-trigonometry-based physics course. Results from several tasks are reported. Two of the tasks involve a pair of identical conductors that are given an initial charge, are made to touch each other, and are then separated. In the first task, students were asked to predict the final charges on each conductor. In the second, they were asked to predict the final positions of the charges …


Interrelationships Between Meloidogyne Incognita And Rotylenchulus Reniformis On Soybean., Salliana Ryan Stetina Jan 1996

Interrelationships Between Meloidogyne Incognita And Rotylenchulus Reniformis On Soybean., Salliana Ryan Stetina

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The replacement series approach was used to evaluate competition between Meloidogyne incognita (Mi) and Rotylenchulus reniformis (Rr). In greenhouse tests, soil in pots containing 'Davis' soybean was not infested or infested with 1,000 vermiform nematodes in the following Mi:Rr ratios: 100:0, 75:25, 5:50, 25:75, and 0:100. After 86 days, relative nematode yields (RNYs) (number of each species in mixed culture divided by number in nonmixed culture) were calculated based on soil populations. Calculated values were plotted and the resulting line compared with a reference line representing equal inter- and intraspecific competition. RNYs for Mi were higher than predicted where Mi …


Paleoindicators Of Changing Water Conditions In Louisiana Estuaries., Michael Lewis Parsons Jan 1996

Paleoindicators Of Changing Water Conditions In Louisiana Estuaries., Michael Lewis Parsons

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Sediment cores were collected to study the development of eutrophication and hydrological changes in coastal Louisiana. The cores were taken at marsh sites hypothesized to be influenced primarily by riverine inputs (Fourleague Bay-FLB), localized activities (Terrebonne Bay-TSMP), and both riverine and localized processes (Airplane Lake-APL). The sediment cores represented time frames ranging from 330 years (APL) to 70 years (TSMP) BP according to core dating results. Sediment core samples were analyzed for diatoms, other microfossils, pigments, biogenic silica, and sediment characteristics. Additionally, land use records were utilized as a proxy of anthropogenic activities, and to aid in the interpretation of …


Using Interactive Desk-Top Videoconferencing As A Distance Learning Tool For Program Development And Support: An Ethnographic Case Study Of Two Family Literacy Sites., Geetanjali Soni Jan 1996

Using Interactive Desk-Top Videoconferencing As A Distance Learning Tool For Program Development And Support: An Ethnographic Case Study Of Two Family Literacy Sites., Geetanjali Soni

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This ethnographic study provides a description and analysis of the use of videoconferencing to teach an eight-week parenting class to parents enrolled in two family literacy programs. It describes the sites, details interactions that take place during videoconferencing, and investigates parents affective response to the technology. Data were collected through participant observation, interviews, video-recordings, and questionnaires. Results indicated cross-site differences in the existing program, in affective responses of users, and in interactions during the technology-mediated classes. Findings showed that the parenting classes were successful. Factors that influence effectiveness of videoconferencing instruction are discussed. Results indicated that technological factors such as …


An-Archy And Justice: An Introduction To Emmanuel Levinas's Political Thought., William Paul Simmons Jan 1996

An-Archy And Justice: An Introduction To Emmanuel Levinas's Political Thought., William Paul Simmons

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Emmanuel Levinas's political thought is best understood as a tension between an-archy and justice. Levinas claims that the aim of philosophy has most often been a search for an arche, or a neuter term that accounts for all of reality. Levinas argues that the reduction of reality to an arche obliterates all transcendence and subordinates man to a totality. Against the predominance of totality in the Western tradition, Levinas proposes a philosophy of transcendence. This transcendence is not found in the direct relationship with God, but in the face of the other person, the Other. Since the face of the …