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LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

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Exploring Organizational Learning Of The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service: A Qualitative Study Involving Parish Chairs Of Less Than Three Years Experience., Cathy Hirsch Hamilton Jan 2001

Exploring Organizational Learning Of The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service: A Qualitative Study Involving Parish Chairs Of Less Than Three Years Experience., Cathy Hirsch Hamilton

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This qualitative study was designed to facilitate the description, analysis and utilization of continual learning within the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service (LCES). The research linked exploration of a learning culture within an organization with the reflective practice of participatory action research methodology. Learning organizations promote knowledge sharing that allows for individual learning to make the transition into collective organizational learning. In order for transformative learning to occur, individuals must reflect on their actions to make sense of an experience. Explaining and thinking about what one is doing makes tacit knowledge explicit, therefore able to be shared and used for change. …


Epidemiology Of Salmonella In The Green Iguana (Iguana Iguana)., Mark Anthony Mitchell Jan 2001

Epidemiology Of Salmonella In The Green Iguana (Iguana Iguana)., Mark Anthony Mitchell

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The incidence of iguana-associated salmonellosis reported in humans during the 1990's is a public health concern. This research is the first attempt to describe the epidemiology of Salmonella in the green iguana. Seasonal prevalence of Salmonella in green iguanas and their environment were estimated at a commercial iguana farm in El Salvador. The prevalence of Salmonella was lower in adult iguanas (44%) than in yearlings (50%) (Odds ratio (OR): 0.77, 95% Confidence Intervals (CI): 0.6--0.96) and higher in male iguanas (50%) than females (41%) (OR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2--1.8). Salmonella recovery was lower in the fall (41%) sampling period than …


Space Geodetic Constraints On Plate Rigidity And Global Plate Motions., Giovanni Federico Sella Jan 2001

Space Geodetic Constraints On Plate Rigidity And Global Plate Motions., Giovanni Federico Sella

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has emerged over the last 10 years as the premier space geodetic technique for geologic observation with the benefits of both accuracy and economy. GPS data from more than 260 stations were processed utilizing GIPSY-OASIS software, and all available RINEX files for these stations beginning on January 1, 1993. The uniform processing strategy, combined with a rigorous independent error estimate of site velocities and the broad geographical distribution of these sites resulted in a global high-precision surface velocity data set. This data set has been used to: (1) compare the effects of different GPS antenna …


The Remote Neuropsychological Assessment -Category Test: Development And Validation Of A Computerized, Internet -Based Neuropsychological Assessment Measure., Jeffrey Nicholas Browndyke Jan 2001

The Remote Neuropsychological Assessment -Category Test: Development And Validation Of A Computerized, Internet -Based Neuropsychological Assessment Measure., Jeffrey Nicholas Browndyke

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

In the current investigation, a prototype for the remote assessment of cognitive skills, the "remote neuropsychological assessment (RNA) model," was proposed, and the development and validation of a computerized, Internet-based neuropsychological assessment measure was undertaken to demonstrate the utility and effectiveness of this untapped model of assessment delivery. The Remote Neuropsychological Assessment-Category Test (RNA-CT), a test of abstract concept formation administered via the World Wide Web (WWW), was developed and contrasted with a conventional, non-computerized version of the measure---the Booklet Category Test (BCT). Traditional and novel measurement variables from both measures were compared in a randomized group design of normal …


Transition To Work: A Study Of New College Graduates., Carolyn Carter Collins Jan 2001

Transition To Work: A Study Of New College Graduates., Carolyn Carter Collins

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The success of the transition to work is affected by many factors, including the organization entry process itself. Research shows that the first year of employment is a critical time period and the organizational entry process is not dearly understood. The central focus of this study was to determine what exactly do new college graduates encounter as they enter the workplace, and does that experience affect their opinions and attitudes. Further, do women and African Americans have a similar or different experiences than white males in the transition process. An exploratory descriptive study of a random sample of Louisiana State …


Analysis And Mathematical Modeling Of Autonomously Oscillating Yeast Cultures., Abdelqader M. Zamamiri Jan 2001

Analysis And Mathematical Modeling Of Autonomously Oscillating Yeast Cultures., Abdelqader M. Zamamiri

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The conditions that precede the onset of autonomous oscillations in continuous yeast cultures were studied in three different types of experiments. It was found that the final state of the culture depends on the protocol used to start-up the reactor. Reaching the desired operating point by slow dilution rate changes gave rise to different final states, two oscillatory states and one steady state, depending on the rate of change in dilution rate. The multiplicity of stable states at a single operating point is not explained by current distributed models and points towards a segregated mechanism of these oscillations. The ability …


Novel Formulation And Application Of Model Predictive Control., Guang-Yan Zhu Jan 2001

Novel Formulation And Application Of Model Predictive Control., Guang-Yan Zhu

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Model predictive control (MPC) has been extensively studied in academia and widely accepted in industry. This research has focused on the novel formulation of model predictive controllers for systems that can be decomposed according to their nonlinearity properties and several novel MPC applications including bioreactors modeled by population balance equations (PBE), gas pipeline networks, and cryogenic distillation columns. Two applications from air separation industries are studied. A representative gas pipeline network is modeled based on first principles. The full-order model is ill-conditioned, and reduced-order models are constructed using time-scale decomposition arguments. A linear model predictive control (LMPC) strategy is then …


It Rarely Occurs: Mock Juror Reactions To A Physician's Defense In A Lack Of Informed Consent Case., Douglas J. Zickafoose Jan 2001

It Rarely Occurs: Mock Juror Reactions To A Physician's Defense In A Lack Of Informed Consent Case., Douglas J. Zickafoose

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Three experiments examine how expressions of probability concerning why a risk involved in a medical procedure was not disclosed influence mock juror decisions (e.g., liability, culpability, and damage awards). Across all three experiments, no differences were found in mock juror judgments of liability due to the probability expression used, be it verbal, quantitative, percentage, or frequency. Furthermore, differences in mean damage awards were only found when psychological uncertainty was manipulated using a frequency expression. However, an examination of the median damage awards suggests that some expressions of probability are likely to result in higher damage awards than others. Thus, while …


Meiofaunal Colonization Of Artificial Substrates., Nazan Atilla Jan 2001

Meiofaunal Colonization Of Artificial Substrates., Nazan Atilla

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Meiofaunal colonization of artificial substrates was investigated in a shallow estuarine embayment. Meiofauna colonized various artificial substrates rapidly, at a rate of 1000 individuals collector-1 day -1 regardless of season, suggesting that high abundances of meiofauna commonly exist in the water column. These water-column meiofauna may be important in fish diets and may serve as a dispersing pool that aids recolonization after disturbance events. Colonization of artificial substrates by transient meiofauna of unknown origin(s) occurred through the water column. To determine the source of meiofauna colonizing artificial substrates, sediment and pier-piling meiofauna were sampled and compared to artificial-substrate colonists. Assemblages …


Activist Advertising: Case Studies Of United Colors Of Benetton's Aids -Related Company Promotion., Heidi Jolene Brough Jan 2001

Activist Advertising: Case Studies Of United Colors Of Benetton's Aids -Related Company Promotion., Heidi Jolene Brough

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study explores how advertising and company promotion may be used to address social issues. In particular, I examine how the clothing company United Colors of Benetton attempted to position itself within the AIDS crisis. Specifically, this study investigates through case studies how the Benetton Group used activist advertising and company promotion to bring about social change concerning AIDS-related issues. I also attempt to account for the controversy that the promotion elicited through establishing the anomalous status of the company's promotion within traditional advertising efforts. The study begins with information concerning the AIDS crisis and AIDS activism and then moves …


John Tyler Before The Presidency: Principles And Politics Of A Southern Planter., Christopher Joseph Leahy Jan 2001

John Tyler Before The Presidency: Principles And Politics Of A Southern Planter., Christopher Joseph Leahy

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation explores the political career and personal life of John Tyler from 1790 to 1840. Tyler, the tenth president of the United States, was born into an influential planter family that lived in the Tidewater region of Virginia. His father, for whom he was named, instilled in him a devotion to principle and political service and an appreciation for the role of Virginia in America's history. The elder Tyler, a prominent politician and judge, was also an admirer of Thomas Jefferson and an ardent republican. Tyler dedicated himself to a career in politics imbued with the belief that men …


A Comparison Of Faculty Perceptions Of University Technology Transfer By Level Of Institutional Success In The Technology Transfer Process., Paula T. Jacobi Jan 2001

A Comparison Of Faculty Perceptions Of University Technology Transfer By Level Of Institutional Success In The Technology Transfer Process., Paula T. Jacobi

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to gather information concerning faculty perceptions of university technology transfer and to compare the perceptions of faculty towards university involvement in technology transfer activities by the relative success of the institutions in technology transfer. The objectives were to describe selected faculty at two land grant universities in the southern portion of the United States. The study was designed to describe faculty based on certain personal, professional, and demographic characteristics, and to compare faculty at an institution defined as successful in technology transfer and an institution that is relatively unsuccessful on certain selected measures. Participants' …


A Drifter Study Of Advection, Deformations, And Patch Variances With Application To Larval Transport And Dispersal In Barataria Bay, Louisiana., Terry L. Schaefer Jan 2001

A Drifter Study Of Advection, Deformations, And Patch Variances With Application To Larval Transport And Dispersal In Barataria Bay, Louisiana., Terry L. Schaefer

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Field studies were conducted to characterize flow fields and their effect on larval transport and retention within Barataria Bay, Louisiana. Drifter tracking and passive larval sampling was conducted monthly during the spring and summer months from 1994 through 1996. Fifteen drifter tracking sessions were conducted over full tidal cycles (diurnal). Drifter positions were determined approximately every thirty minutes using a GPS receiver. A spline interpolation was used to estimate drifter positions at synchronous five-minute intervals. An analytical methodology of Okubo and coworkers was used to compute deformations; and changes in patch variances from the drifter positions. Mean tidal advection and …


Characteristics And Use Of Thin Metals On Modified Glass Substrates., Sonya Latrice Caston Pierre Jan 2001

Characteristics And Use Of Thin Metals On Modified Glass Substrates., Sonya Latrice Caston Pierre

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Ultra-thin films of Au are formed on glass by thermal evaporation of Au onto a silane-modified glass surface. Monolayers of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane on glass (APS/glass) are outstanding surfaces for the formation of adherent, electrically conductive, smooth, and highly oriented Au films. Scanning tunneling microscopy images indicate that ultra-thin Au films are highly conductive and have a significant {111} texture, and X-ray diffraction studies confirm the latter. In addition, Au films on APS/glass surface are not removed by tape tests, pointing to a strong chemical interaction between the Au and amine surface. Unlike metal adhesion promoters, APS layer does not diffuse through …


Coming Home: Black Return Migration To The Yazoo -Mississippi Delta., Robert Norman Brown Ii Jan 2001

Coming Home: Black Return Migration To The Yazoo -Mississippi Delta., Robert Norman Brown Ii

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Between 1910 and 1970, African Americans moved out of South in one of the largest movements in human history. Today, many of these migrants, and their descendents, are coming home. Some estimates hold that more than nine million black Southerners left the South for new lives in the North and West. The migration reached its peak in the 1950s, and began to slow in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, African Americans began returning to the American South. With major shifts in the United States economy, a change that began in the early 1970s, jobs began to leave the traditional …


Home And Classroom Learning Environment Correlates Of Academic Self -Efficacy In Middle School Mathematics., Thaddeus Theodore Claiborne Jan 2001

Home And Classroom Learning Environment Correlates Of Academic Self -Efficacy In Middle School Mathematics., Thaddeus Theodore Claiborne

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the relationship between home and classroom learning environment characteristics and middle school students' self-efficacy beliefs about mathematics. Specifically, the study examined linkages between sources of efficacy in the home and classroom learning environments and the strength of students' self-efficacy beliefs in mathematics. Social cognitive theory includes self-efficacy beliefs as a major source of human agency and functioning (Bandura, 1997). Enactive mastery experiences, vicarious learning (modeling), verbal persuasion, and physiological/affective states (emotional arousal) are four sources of human efficacy. While numerous studies have been completed linking self-efficacy to learning and achievement (Pajares, 1996b), no studies within schools were …


A New Testament Geography: Description, Perspectives, And Implications For The Field Of Geography., George Alphin Jan 2001

A New Testament Geography: Description, Perspectives, And Implications For The Field Of Geography., George Alphin

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The general purpose of this study is to relate the fields of geography and religion at both the academic and the practical levels. Primarily, it investigates the New Testament description of the land and its human occupancy. Secondarily, it identifies New Testament attitudes toward geography and suggests implications for its study and practice. It describes the geography, both physical and human, for each of the five classes of the document's book in a separate chapter. The chapter on the synoptic gospels discusses mountains, weather, biogeography, agriculture, occupations, and urban geography. Four kinds of soil reveal different responses to the word. …


Neither Natchez Nor Tara: An Environmental Historial Geography Of The Upper Pearl River Basin Of Mississippi, Protohistoric Period To 1940., Frederick William Sunderman Jan 2001

Neither Natchez Nor Tara: An Environmental Historial Geography Of The Upper Pearl River Basin Of Mississippi, Protohistoric Period To 1940., Frederick William Sunderman

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study examines the contrasting themes of land degradation and environmental stewardship of farming enterprises in the regional context of the Upper Pearl River Basin of Mississippi. Both the previous imagery and analysis of Southern Cotton Belt agriculture emphasize the profligate nature of farming practices. The contribution this study makes is to amend both the stock images and macro-analyses of Southern cotton culture. Analysis at the sub-regional level demonstrates that many farmers actually practiced sound land management techniques. Reconstructing the experiences of farmers in the Upper Pearl River Basin provides examples of ways in which regional distinctions amend widely conceived …


Kinetic And Mechanistic Studies Of A Bimetallic Hydroformylation Catalyst., Novella Nicole Bridges Jan 2001

Kinetic And Mechanistic Studies Of A Bimetallic Hydroformylation Catalyst., Novella Nicole Bridges

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Dicationic bimetallic rhodium complexes based on the novel binucleating tetraphosphine ligand system racemic-Et2PCH2CH 2P(Ph)CH2P(Ph) CH2CH2PEt2, et,ph-P4, are highly active and selective hydroformylation catalysts that make use of bimetallic cooperativity to operate. In situ FT-IR and NMR studies indicate that the most active catalyst is the unique dinuclear dicationic hydrido-carbonyl Rh(+2) oxidation state complex, [racemic-Rh 2H2(mu-CO)2(CO)2(et,ph-P4) 2+]. A kinetic study was performed to determine the rate orders of the dinuclear dicationic catalyst, and the substrate (1-hexene). The rate orders were found to be one for both components. The study was also performed to test the hypothesis of a bis-acyl species, which …


Design, Fabrication, And Testing Of Cross Flow Micro Heat Exchangers., Chad Randall Harris Jan 2001

Design, Fabrication, And Testing Of Cross Flow Micro Heat Exchangers., Chad Randall Harris

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Cross flow micro heat exchangers were designed to maximize heat transfer from a liquid (water) to a gas (air) for a given frontal area while holding the pressure drop across the heat exchanger of each fluid to values characteristic of conventional scale heat exchangers (car radiators). The cross flow micro heat exchanger design is unique since it produces a very high rate of heat transfer/volume between dissimilar fluids with low fluid pressure drops. Predicted performance for two types of cross flow micro heat exchangers is compared to each other and to current innovative car radiators. Although the cross flow micro …


Superfast Dynamics Of Bipyridinium Ions At Interfaces And Polar Solutions., Yixiang Huang Jan 2001

Superfast Dynamics Of Bipyridinium Ions At Interfaces And Polar Solutions., Yixiang Huang

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The super-fast dynamics of solutes in polar solvents and at solid-liquid interface is investigated by femtosecond time-resolved Raman scattering (RRS) and computer simulation of molecular dynamics (MD). Femtosecond RRS is used to investigate four bipyridinium radicals in aqueous solution: methylviologen monocation MV+, benzylviologen monocation, 4,4'-bipyridinium-N,N'-di(propylsulfonate) monoanion and N,N'-ethylene-2,2' -bipyridinium monocation. Time-resolution of the dynamics of the four radicals is carried out by a pump and probe technique using the time-dependent transient intensity of Stokes and anti-Stokes RRS of C-C stretching mode. It is found that the lifetime of the electronic excited state B3u is less than 350 fs and the …


Modified Mesoporous Silicates For Metal Adsorption., Allison Majorie Naquin Jan 2001

Modified Mesoporous Silicates For Metal Adsorption., Allison Majorie Naquin

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Mesoporous silica materials, commonly called Hexagonal Mesoporous Sieves (HMS), are used to adsorb copper, lead, and mercury from aqueous solution. To increase metal adsorption, organic ligands with high metal affinity are grafted to the surface of the HMS materials. Three ligands were used in this research: 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MP), 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (AM), and p-(aminoethylaminomethyl)phenethyltrimethoxysilane (AB). The physical properties of HMS include large surface area and an ordered system of pores. These properties are believed to increase the extraction capabilities of the material by increasing the molar content of the chelating ligand and by making the ligand more accessible. The purpose of this …


From The Shadow Of Reagan: George Bush And The End Of The Cold War., Christopher Alan Maynard Jan 2001

From The Shadow Of Reagan: George Bush And The End Of The Cold War., Christopher Alan Maynard

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

George Bush entered the presidency constantly compared and contrasted with his predecessor, Ronald Reagan. Lacking Reagan's eloquence and adept use of the media, Bush was lambasted by the press as Reagan's "lapdog" and labeled a "wimp." The press pushed Bush to establish themes to match policy goals and to use the bully pulpit to lead the national debate on issues. His refusal prompted journalists to characterize the Bush presidency as lacking an agenda. Reagan's success with the media and Bush's failure have produced a misconception about the successes and failures of each president's policies. Thus, the period usually is referred …


Teacher Personal And School Culture Characteristics In Effective Schools: Toward A Model Of A Professional Learning Community., Dianne Fuselier Olivier Jan 2001

Teacher Personal And School Culture Characteristics In Effective Schools: Toward A Model Of A Professional Learning Community., Dianne Fuselier Olivier

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore personal and organizational factors within schools operating as professional learning communities and the relationships of these variables with intent to stay in teaching and organizational effectiveness. A conceptual framework, a Professional Learning Community Model, was developed to organize and conceptualize linkages among school culture, teacher self-efficacy, collective efficacy, human caring, intent to stay, and organizational effectiveness. Original measures were developed to assess teacher self-efficacy and collective efficacy and revisions/modifications of measures were used for school culture, human caring, and intent to stay. The study used a large sample and quantitative data analysis …


Theatre At Caffe Cino: The Aesthetics And Politics Of Revolt, 1958--1968., Wendell Corbin Stone Jan 2001

Theatre At Caffe Cino: The Aesthetics And Politics Of Revolt, 1958--1968., Wendell Corbin Stone

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Often considered the first off-off-Broadway theatre, Caffe Cino opened in December 1958 on a quiet street in New York's Greenwich Village. As proprietor Joseph Cino later explained, his goal was to provide a venue in which friends could enjoy coffee, conversation, and artistic events (including lectures, art displays, poetry readings, and play readings). Because of their popularity, the play readings quickly developed into fully-staged performances and supplanted all other artistic endeavors. By the early 1960s, the Caffe offered a demanding production schedule, with performances at 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. every day and additional performances at 1:00 a.m. on the …


Toward A Reconceptualization Of The Integration Of Culture And Language In The Korean Efl Classroom., Seung Bin Roh Jan 2001

Toward A Reconceptualization Of The Integration Of Culture And Language In The Korean Efl Classroom., Seung Bin Roh

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Many Korean EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students do not have sufficient opportunity to learn cultural knowledge and information in their classrooms. EFL teachers also tend to ignore the teaching of culture. Even though culture is taught, it simply delivers "fact-only" information rather than cultural awareness by comparing native with target culture. Teaching target cultural knowledge and information should be delivered within the native cultural frame, and teaching of culture must be an integral part of teaching and learning English. For the effective integration of culture in EFL classes apart from conveying simply "fact-only" information, this research advocates the …


Indium Arsenide/Gallium Arsenide Quantum Dots And Nanomesas: Multimillion-Atom Molecular Dynamics Solutions On Parallel Architectures., Xiaotao Su Jan 2001

Indium Arsenide/Gallium Arsenide Quantum Dots And Nanomesas: Multimillion-Atom Molecular Dynamics Solutions On Parallel Architectures., Xiaotao Su

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Multimillion-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed to study the flat InAs overlayers with self-limiting thickness on GaAs square nanomesas. The in-plane lattice constant of InAs layers parallel to the InAs/GaAs(001) interface starts to exceed the InAs bulk value at 12th monolayer (ML) and the hydrostatic stresses in InAs layers become tensile above ∼12 th ML. As a result, it is not favorable to have InAs overlayers thicker than 12 ML. This may explain the experimental findings of the growth of flat InAs overlayers with self-limiting thickness of ∼11 ML on GaAs nanomesas. We have also examined the lateral …


Control Of Supply Chain Systems By Kanban Mechanism., Shaojun Wang Jan 2001

Control Of Supply Chain Systems By Kanban Mechanism., Shaojun Wang

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This research studies the control mechanism of a supply chain system to operate it efficiently and economically under the just-in-time (JIT) philosophy. To implement a JIT system, kanbans are employed to link different plants' production processes in a supply pipeline. Supply chain models may be categorized into single-stage, multi-stage, and assembly-line types of production systems. In order to operate efficiently and economically, the number of kanbans, the manufacturing batch size, the number of batches, and the total quantity over one period are determined optimally for these types of supply chains. The kanban operation at each stage is scheduled to minimize …


The Geometry Of Electronically -Excited States: Vibronic Intensity Distributions And Bond Length Changes., Dorothy Marie Wood Jan 2001

The Geometry Of Electronically -Excited States: Vibronic Intensity Distributions And Bond Length Changes., Dorothy Marie Wood

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

An exact power series expression has been obtained for the Franck-Condon integral (FCI) in the harmonic approximation. This expression is a function of a parameter Delta where Delta → 0 as the frequencies of vibration in the two combining electronic states approach equality. These two characteristics, that of a power series in Delta and the fact that Delta → 0 in certain situations, permit truncation of various functions involving FCI's. Such truncation was performed for the ratio S2v'0'' /S2v'-1 0'' , where the S2v'v'' are the FCI's, and the subscripts, in the usual notation, denote the vibrational quantum numbers in …


Robust Control Of Uncertain Time -Delay Systems., Yun-Ping Huang Jan 2001

Robust Control Of Uncertain Time -Delay Systems., Yun-Ping Huang

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Time-delay systems are common in industries. Direct analysis and synthesis of control systems with time delays are complicated and approximation methods such as Pade approximation are usually applied. However, the issues of control system robustness with respect to model uncertainties and approximation errors have not been sufficiently addressed. This dissertation focus on robustness of time-delay systems, especially robustness with respect to time delays, which has been discussed extensively using Lyapunov second method. We propose two methods in this dissertation to reformulate the problems into standard mu or Hinfinity problems. The first method involves representing the systems in linear functional transformation …