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LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

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Mass Spectrometry Of Biomolecules. Part A: Gas-Phase Thermochemical And Structure Determinations Of Mononucleotides. Part B: Analysis Of Hydrophobic Peptides And Proteins By Matrix -Assisted Laser Desorption /Ionization Time -Of -Flight Mass Spectrometry., Kari Beth Green-Church Jan 1999

Mass Spectrometry Of Biomolecules. Part A: Gas-Phase Thermochemical And Structure Determinations Of Mononucleotides. Part B: Analysis Of Hydrophobic Peptides And Proteins By Matrix -Assisted Laser Desorption /Ionization Time -Of -Flight Mass Spectrometry., Kari Beth Green-Church

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The use of mass spectrometry for thermochemical and structural determinations of mononucleotides is presented in Part A of this work, and the analysis of hydrophobic peptides and proteins are presented in Part B of this work. The goal of Part A is to examine thermochemical and structural properties of (deoxy)nucleoside 5'- and 3'-monophosphates. Part A consists of three groups of experiments. The first set of experiments utilized the kinetic method with a fast-atom bombardment source and a double focusing sector mass analyzer. Conformational analysis and semi-empirical calculations of mononucleotides were performed for the second set of experiments. The third set …


Capability Of Recombinant Insect Viruses For Environmental Persistence And Transport., Yihua Lee Jan 1999

Capability Of Recombinant Insect Viruses For Environmental Persistence And Transport., Yihua Lee

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Wild-type and recombinant nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs) were compared with respect to their capability to produce epizootics in Trichoplusis ni (Hubner) larvae infesting collards in a greenhouse microcosm. Viruses tested were variants of Autographa californica (Speyer) NPV (AcNPV): wild-type virus (AcNPV.WT), AcNPV expressing a scorpion toxin (AcNPV.AaIT), and AcNPV expressing juvenile hormone esterase (AcJHE.SG). Epizootics of AcNPV.WT lasted 8 weeks after a single viral release in the replicated, greenhouse micro-plots. AcJHE.SG epizootics also lasted 8 weeks after viral release, but this virus and AcNPV.AaIT were both out-competed by AcNPV.WT. AcNPV.AaIT was no longer detected in the T. ni population by the fourth …


Executive Compensation, Performance, Board And Ownership Structure: A Simultaneous Equations Approach., Ayalew A. Lulseged Jan 1999

Executive Compensation, Performance, Board And Ownership Structure: A Simultaneous Equations Approach., Ayalew A. Lulseged

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Incentive contracts and monitoring by boards of directors and blockholders are alternative internal mechanisms to ensure that managers act in the interests of shareholders. Most prior research on compensation and performance ignores endogeneity among board, ownership and compensation structure (mix of pay) variables. Ignoring the endogeneity leads to inconsistent parameter estimates. I address the endogeneity problem by using a simultaneous equations model. The three equations in the system are mix of pay, compensation and performance. The results are consistent with efficient contracting. Mix of pay depends on characteristics of the firm and alternative governance mechanisms. The relation between stockholders and …


College Students' Understanding Of Stereochemistry: Difficulties In Learning And Critical Junctures., Gary Lester Lyon Jan 1999

College Students' Understanding Of Stereochemistry: Difficulties In Learning And Critical Junctures., Gary Lester Lyon

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Because stereochemistry is an important part of both high school and college chemistry curricula, a study of difficulties experienced by students in the learning of stereochemistry was undertaken in a one-semester college organic chemistry course. This study, conducted over the course of two semesters with more than two hundred students, utilized clinical interviews, concept maps, and student journals to identify these difficulties, which were then tabulated and categorized. Although student journals were not a productive source of information, the types of difficulties that emerged from the concept maps were compared and contrasted with those that emerged from the clinical interviews. …


College Choice: Psychological Factors Influencing *Postsecondary Aspirations And Expectations Of Ninth-Grade Students., Stuart Earle Johnson Jan 1999

College Choice: Psychological Factors Influencing *Postsecondary Aspirations And Expectations Of Ninth-Grade Students., Stuart Earle Johnson

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between several variables which help to explain the process by which adolescents decide to pursue a college education. Previous models were enhanced by including important theoretical constructs well documented in social cognitive and attributional theories as elements of human agency. The psychological constructs, self-efficacy and locus of control were the primary focus of attention as independent variables and for their significance as mediating variables affecting the relationship between previously identified factors attributed to students' postsecondary attendance decisions, and students' college aspirations and expectations. Particular attention was given to the college choice …


Classification Of Text Documents Using A Logical Analysis Approach., Salvador Nieto Sanchez Jan 1999

Classification Of Text Documents Using A Logical Analysis Approach., Salvador Nieto Sanchez

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The main problem investigated in this dissertation is as follows: Given are two samples of documents each from one of two disjoint collections of documents. The question is how to obtain a set of patterns of text features that make a document in the two samples (and other unclassified documents) to be classified correctly in one and only one document class. A sample of 2,897 documents from the TIPSTER collection was used to investigate this problem. This problem was divided into the following four subproblems. The first subproblem consists of identifying the set keywords to describe the documents' content. Computational …


Holocene Environmental Change In Mainland Southeast Asia: Pollen And Charcoal Records From Cambodia., Andrew Lee Maxwell Jan 1999

Holocene Environmental Change In Mainland Southeast Asia: Pollen And Charcoal Records From Cambodia., Andrew Lee Maxwell

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Major Holocene environmental changes in continental Southeast Asia are reconstructed using proxy data derived from analysis of 14C-dated changes in pollen, microscopic charcoal, and organic/inorganic carbon in sediment cores taken from permanent, closed-basin, volcanic lakes in Ratanakiri Province, northeastern Cambodia. Analysis focuses on the history of monsoon climate and land use, inferred from changes in vegetation, fire regime, and lake conditions. These data provide the first well dated palynological record, covering most of the Holocene and continuous up to the present, from an upland site in mainland Southeast Asia. The record from a 15-meter core retrieved from Yeak Kara Lake, …


Cryopreservation Of Gametes And Larvae Of The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica., Carmen G. Paniagua-Chavez Jan 1999

Cryopreservation Of Gametes And Larvae Of The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica., Carmen G. Paniagua-Chavez

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Storage of gametes and larvae offers benefits for research and commercial oyster production and should be applicable in the hatchery at a commercial scale. We optimized refrigerated storage of eastern oyster sperm. Significant differences were found in the motility of sperm suspended in artificial sea water (ASW) of different osmotic pressures (P < 0.001). The highest motility was found in undiluted sperm and the lowest in 1:31 dilution. The greatest larval survival at 12 h (48%) was obtained with sperm diluted in calcium-free Hanks' balanced salt solution (C-F HBSS). Thus, for storage of longer than 1 d, it is best to leave samples undiluted. However, when sperm samples are diluted, it is best to maintain high sperm concentrations and to use C-F HBSS as an extender. Samples were frozen at -2.5°C/min, held for 5 min at -30°C, and plunged in liquid nitrogen using 10% propylene glycol (PG) as the cryoprotectant for sperm and 10% or 15% PG for trochophore larvae. Motility and fertilizing ability of thawed sperm were affected by cryoprotectant concentration and thawing temperature (P = 0.0001). Larval survival was affected by the concentration of larvae per straw (P = 0.0011). Frozen samples were transported to an oyster hatchery at Grand Isle, Louisiana. After 4 months, 1,000 oysters from the control group, 230 oysters produced from thawed sperm, and 850 oysters from thawed larvae were found. Oysters produced from thawed larvae developed normally in the hatchery, demonstrating opportunities for use of cryopreservation in research and aquaculture. Flow cytometry with the fluorescent dyes Sybr-14 and propidium iodide (PI) was used to assess membrane damage of thawed sperm, and rhodamine 123 and PI were used to assess mitochondrial function. Preliminary studies of cryopreservation of oyster eggs were performed. Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) was used to identify viable eggs. Dimethyl sulfoxide (0.88 M and 1.75 M) and sucrose (0.12 M and 0.25 M) were the least toxic cryoprotectants evaluated. The cooling rate yielding least damage to eggs was -1.5°C per min. However, only an average of 14 eggs (out of 200) were stained with FDA in thawed samples and none were fertilizable.


Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind: A Gis Study Of Changes In Cemetery Locations In Southeastern Louisiana From An Archaeological And Geographical Perspective, 1930--1997., Cindy Ann Nance Jan 1999

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind: A Gis Study Of Changes In Cemetery Locations In Southeastern Louisiana From An Archaeological And Geographical Perspective, 1930--1997., Cindy Ann Nance

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Cemeteries in southeastern Louisiana are in varying stages of use---from presently in use and maintained to no longer visible on the surface. The abandonment of traditional cemeteries in southeastern Louisiana illustrates evolving settlement patterns. Earlier settlement patterns were dependent on physiographic and cultural landscape features. As settlement patterns evolve, the preferred locations of cemeteries change. As a recent participant in the nationwide preference for urban-associated Memorial Parks, is Louisiana in the process of abandoning traditional cemetery landscapes? Six factors that contribute to the abandonment of traditional cemeteries from 1930 to 1997 are presented in this study. Evolving communities, demographic shifts, …


Curriculum And The Holocaust: Competing Sites Of Memory And *Representation., Marla Beth Morris Jan 1999

Curriculum And The Holocaust: Competing Sites Of Memory And *Representation., Marla Beth Morris

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Curriculum theory is a call to understanding. My call as a curriculum theorist is to attempt to understand work around the Holocaust. This study examines the ways in which the Holocaust gets represented in texts written by historians as well as texts written by novelists. I argue that memory is the larger category under which history is subsumed; history is the systematization of memory. Although historians draw on archives and are constrained by their discipline, nevertheless they operate out of their own memories. Psychological transference, repression, denial, projection and reversal shape historians' memories and therefore determine, to a certain extent, …


Addressing The Problems Of Beginning Teachers: An Evaluation Of Teacher Induction Programs., Daphene O. Singleton Jan 1999

Addressing The Problems Of Beginning Teachers: An Evaluation Of Teacher Induction Programs., Daphene O. Singleton

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to identify the characteristics of effective teacher induction programs, (2) to determine the relationship between teacher induction and retention in a northeastern Louisiana school district, and (3) determine if teacher induction practices in that district are useful to new/beginning teachers. A pilot study was conducted, and a validity panel of experts validated the content and face validity of the survey and interview instruments developed for the various participants. The participants included the superintendent Central Office staff persons, selected principals, and new/beginning teachers. There was some discrepancy between the responses of the teachers …


Instantaneous Learning Neural Networks., Kun Won Tang Jan 1999

Instantaneous Learning Neural Networks., Kun Won Tang

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Instantaneous learning is a desirable feature in neural networks. This type of learning enables the network to be trained very quickly, typically in just one or two passes of the training set as opposed to hundreds or even thousands of passes for networks trained by an iterative process, such as the error backpropagation (BP) algorithm. This dissertation first reviews several existing types of neural networks with instantaneous learning capability. It then proposes a new network called the Fuzzy Classification (FC) Neural Network that can be trained with two passes of the training samples. The first pass assigns the synaptic weights …


The Performance Of Prekindergarten Children On Representational Tasks Across Levels Of Displacement., Emily Flake Smith Jan 1999

The Performance Of Prekindergarten Children On Representational Tasks Across Levels Of Displacement., Emily Flake Smith

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This investigation was guided by Nelson's (1996) experiential theory and the Situational-Discourse-Semantic (SDS) model of Norris and Hoffman (1993, 1997, in press) which was used to establish predictions regarding the representational difficulty of each of the task conditions. Subjects were 32 four-year-old children enrolled in four prekindergarten programs located within a small city in southern Louisiana and represented both lower and middle SES populations. The tasks required subjects to represent knowledge of the bedtime routine, ranging from personal enactments with props through generation of stories and event scripts for hypothetical situations. Performances were analyzed for content in terms of event …


The Effects Of Rumen Undegradable Choline In The Nutrition And Metabolism Of Dairy Cows., Fernando Vazquez Jan 1999

The Effects Of Rumen Undegradable Choline In The Nutrition And Metabolism Of Dairy Cows., Fernando Vazquez

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study was conducted to determine whether supplemental rumen protected choline could improve lactation performance and lipid metabolism in cows in negative energy balance. In experiment 1, 19 primiparous Holstein cows were randomly assigned to dietary treatments consisting of either a control ration or control plus 15 g/d of supplemental rumen-protected choline (60 g/d of Cap-Shure, Balchem Corp., Slate Hill, NY). Close-up and early lactation rations were formulated from a grass hay and corn silage forage base, respectively, with a corn-soy concentrate, whole cottonseed. and alfalfa hay included as appropriate to meet nutrient requirements. Cows were milked twice daily. Cows …


Multimillion Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Adhesion And Nanoindentation Of Silicon Nitride., Phillip Judson Walsh Jan 1999

Multimillion Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Adhesion And Nanoindentation Of Silicon Nitride., Phillip Judson Walsh

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Multi-million atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of nanoindentation of silicon nitride and amorphization and fracture of silicon diselenide nanowires are performed on massively parallel architectures. System sizes range from 75,803 atoms to over 10 million atoms. The process of amorphization and fracture in silicon diselenide nanowires is followed using configuration space images in smaller wires and local stress and temperature calculations in larger wires. A structural transformation in the nanowire cross sections is investigated. The nanowires are found to contract in one direction perpendicular to the applied strain while expanding in the other, so that initially circular nanowires are transformed …


The Miskito Settlement Landscape Of Eastern Honduras, With Emphasis On The Moravian Contribution., Benjamin Farr Tillman Jan 1999

The Miskito Settlement Landscape Of Eastern Honduras, With Emphasis On The Moravian Contribution., Benjamin Farr Tillman

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation documents the influence of Moravian missionary activities on the Miskito settlement landscape in eastern Honduras---particularly in the areas of settlement morphology, housing, agriculture, and cemeteries. Upon their arrival to the Mosquito Coast in 1849, the missionaries employed a three pronged approach consisting of proselyting, medical treatment, and education to convert the majority of the indigenous population. The missionaries' resulting influence was a significant component and major cultural force in the development of a distinctive Protestant region within Catholic Central America. Moravian contributions to the settlement landscape in sixty-four Miskito villages of eastern Honduras were documented through field observations …


Effect Of Rice Cultural Practices On Rotational Crop Herbicide Carryover And Imazethapyr Efficacy., Wei Zhang Jan 1999

Effect Of Rice Cultural Practices On Rotational Crop Herbicide Carryover And Imazethapyr Efficacy., Wei Zhang

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A two-year study was conducted to evaluate the possible interaction between rotational crop herbicides and herbicides used in water-seeded rice culture. Rice growth and yield reduction with rotational crop herbicides were not affected by the rice herbicides. However, the combination of molinate or thiobencarb with fluometuron, imazethapyr, metolachlor, or norflurazon at low residue levels further reduced rice heading compared with the corresponding rotational crop herbicide alone. Fluometuron and metolachlor residues at 1 to 2 half-lives have potential to injure rice and reduce rice yield in a water-seeded culture. Norflurazon injured rice and reduced rice yield at a residue level as …


The Potential Of High Oryzanol Rice Bran Oil As An Antioxidant In Whole Milk Powder., Jackin Njagi Nanua Jan 1999

The Potential Of High Oryzanol Rice Bran Oil As An Antioxidant In Whole Milk Powder., Jackin Njagi Nanua

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Lipid autoxidation of whole milk powder (WMP) during storage lowers its organoleptic quality and causes accumulation of oxidation products. This study evaluated the effectiveness of high-oryzanol (2.5%) rice bran oil (RBO) as an antioxidant in WMP. The powder was fortified with 0.1% and 0.2% RBO and its oxidation studied during accelerated storage at 45°C and 0.31 water activity for 40 days. Free radicals were determined by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Oxidation was estimated by determining thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and cholesterol oxidation products using gas chromatography. The effect of RBO on flavor and consumer preference of freshly manufactured milk …


Machine -Cell Location Problems For Multiproduct Flowlines., Junfang Yu Jan 1999

Machine -Cell Location Problems For Multiproduct Flowlines., Junfang Yu

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Jobs (parts) and machines are usually grouped into part-families and machine-cells in a flexible, cellular manufacturing system to minimize the flows of all work-in-processes (WIP). As a result of this grouping, some parts may need processing on some machines that are not in their own cells. The parts requiring machines in other cells are called 'exceptional parts,' and the corresponding machines are called ' bottleneck machines.' Usually, there are two ways to deal with this inter-cell flow problem: using a material handling system to move the exceptional parts among the cells or duplicating the bottleneck machine(s) for the corresponding exceptional …


Enhancing The Process Of Testing Object -Oriented Systems., Ihssan Salim Alkadi Jan 1999

Enhancing The Process Of Testing Object -Oriented Systems., Ihssan Salim Alkadi

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Testing is a crucial step in the overall system development process. Using testing techniques that support features of the underlying software paradigm more effectively tests program than do testing techniques that support features of other paradigms. Systems developed with the object-oriented paradigm require techniques that support object-oriented features such as inheritance, data abstraction, encapsulation, and dynamic binding. Many techniques that are used to test systems developed with the structured paradigm are not sufficient for the testing of object-oriented systems. The goal of this research is to develop methods that will improve the process of testing object-oriented systems. Specifically, emphasis is …


Quantitative Modeling And Information System Support For Just -In -Time Partnership., Faisal Badi Al-Khateeb Jan 1999

Quantitative Modeling And Information System Support For Just -In -Time Partnership., Faisal Badi Al-Khateeb

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Just-in-Time (JIT) supply calls for frequent, small deliveries, which arrive on time, with the quantity and quality required. For JIT to be effective there should be a cooperative relationship between the buyer and the supplier. They should work together to enhance their competitive positions in the market place. This study extends the quantitative models published in the literature to provide more realistic models for JIT operations and evaluates the costs and benefits of JIT partnerships to help in the negotiation process between the partners. We provide a new model for the optimization of the joint total relevant cost of the …


On The Numerical Solution Of The Cylindrical Poisson Equation For Isolated Self -Gravitating Systems., Howard Saul Cohl Jan 1999

On The Numerical Solution Of The Cylindrical Poisson Equation For Isolated Self -Gravitating Systems., Howard Saul Cohl

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation addresses the need for an accurate and efficient technique which solves the Poisson equation for arbitrarily complex, isolated, self-gravitating fluid systems. Generally speaking, a potential solver is composed of two distinct pieces: a boundary solver and an interior solver. The boundary solver computes the potential, phi(xB) on a surface which bounds some finite volume of space, V, and contains an isolated mass-density distribution, rho(x). Given rho(x) and phi(xB), the interior solver computes the potential phi(x) everywhere within V. Herein, we describe the development of a numerical technique which efficiently solves Poisson's equation in cylindrical coordinates on massively parallel …


The Formation Of Short Period Binary Star Systems From Stable, Self-Gravitating, Gaseous Bars., John E. Cazes Jr Jan 1999

The Formation Of Short Period Binary Star Systems From Stable, Self-Gravitating, Gaseous Bars., John E. Cazes Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Although we have a general understanding of how stars form, and there. are accepted theories that explain the formation of long-period binaries, we do not yet understand how short period binaries form. Here we present simulations that clearly demonstrate how such systems may form naturally from dense interstellar gas clouds. First, we present two models of compressible, self-gravitating fluid configurations with bar-like structures and supersonic internal motions. Both models have been constructed via dynamical simulations that have started from initially axisymmetric, rapidly rotating polytropes that were known to be dynamically unstable toward the development of a bar-like or two-armed spiral …


Clarinet Concertos By Post World War Ii Generation Norwegian Composers: Bjorn Kruse, Olav Berg, And Rolf Wallin., Beverly Ann Gibson Jan 1999

Clarinet Concertos By Post World War Ii Generation Norwegian Composers: Bjorn Kruse, Olav Berg, And Rolf Wallin., Beverly Ann Gibson

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A substantial body of Norwegian clarinet literature exists that is infrequently performed outside of the Scandinavian countries and Europe. A new generation of composers emerged in the 1980s who have made visible their own individual approaches to composition. This monograph focuses on a selection of clarinet concertos composed by Bjorn Kruse (b. 1946), Olav Berg (b. 1949), and Rolf Wallin (b. 1957) which represent the most extensive pieces for clarinet in the respective composers' outputs to date and have been awarded prizes in composition contests. The composers have distinguished themselves as leading figures in the contemporary music scene in Norway, …


Community Structure And The Effects Of Experimental Fires On Hardwood Shrub Species In Southeastern Longleaf Pine Savannas., Paul Boguslaw Drewa Jan 1999

Community Structure And The Effects Of Experimental Fires On Hardwood Shrub Species In Southeastern Longleaf Pine Savannas., Paul Boguslaw Drewa

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The main objective of this dissertation is to describe and examine how altering fire regimes in southeastern longleaf pine savannas may affect the abundances and distributions of indigenous plant species. In chapter one, I investigate whether herbs, compared to shrubs, have greater utility in delineating communities along elevation gradients of several meters in longleaf pine savannas. Herbaceous and shrub abundance data were analyzed separately for areas in Louisiana and Florida using cluster analysis and ordination. In Louisiana, three plant communities were sharply delineated and strongly correlated with gradients in elevation, surface soil moisture, and other surface soil properties. Herbaceous species …


Crossing Over: An Oral History Of The Desegregation Experience Of Public School Personnel In East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana., Douglas Raymond Davis Jan 1999

Crossing Over: An Oral History Of The Desegregation Experience Of Public School Personnel In East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana., Douglas Raymond Davis

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The Fall of 1970 marked an important change in the East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System. In the previous 1969--70 school year, only three thousand out of twenty-three thousand African American children in the district attended school with White children. In 1970, the number rose to nearly nineteen thousand. In addition, for the first time, school personnel, busses, and extra curricular activities were desegregated. Over six-hundred teachers began the 1970 school year teaching in schools that were previously and predominantly another race. This event, known as the "cross-over," is the subject of this dissertation. The historical study of the …


The Effect Of *Modeling And Tempo Gradations As Practice Techniques On The Performance Of High School Instrumentalists., Paul Thomas Henley Jan 1999

The Effect Of *Modeling And Tempo Gradations As Practice Techniques On The Performance Of High School Instrumentalists., Paul Thomas Henley

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of modeling conditions and tempo gradations as practice techniques on the performance of high school instrumentalists. Specifically, the independent variables of this study were model versus no model; and steady increase of tempo versus performance speed tempo versus alternating (slower and faster) tempos. Subjects (N = 60) were high school wind instrumentalists from the Midwest and the South. Subjects sight-read an etude, practiced the same etude six times using one of six distinct practice conditions, which were combinations of the two independent variables, and performed a posttest on the same …


Effects Of Winter Burning And Structural Marsh Management On Bird And Plant Communities Of The Gulf Coast Chenier Plain., Steven Walter Gabrey Jan 1999

Effects Of Winter Burning And Structural Marsh Management On Bird And Plant Communities Of The Gulf Coast Chenier Plain., Steven Walter Gabrey

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Many Gulf Coast Chenier Plain marshes are managed through a combination of winter burning and structural marsh management (SMM) to improve habitats for waterfowl and furbearers and reduce wetland loss. These practices are controversial because of concerns regarding ability to achieve goals coupled with potential negative effects on other marsh processes or organisms. I investigated the effects of winter burning and SMM on bird and plant communities of Chenier Plain marshes in southwest Louisiana. I recorded bird and plant species abundance and vegetation structure in experimental burned and unburned marshes over two winters and three breeding seasons. Vegetation structure (visual …


Pine-Polyethylene (Wood -Polymer) Composites: Synthesis And Mechanical Behavior Characterization., Parviz S. Razi Jan 1999

Pine-Polyethylene (Wood -Polymer) Composites: Synthesis And Mechanical Behavior Characterization., Parviz S. Razi

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Processing of recycled wood chips, recently produced after extraction of creosote from telephone posts and railroad crossties, and combining them with a recycled polymer for the synthesis of novel composite materials would initiate a new trend toward preservation of natural resources. The challenge is taken in this work to produce and study the properties of such materials for further advancement of science. In the present study, addition of pine wood chips to HDPE reduced the tensile strength and break strain in tensile loading. Smaller wood chips generally resulted in smaller reductions. Peak load, modulus of rupture and stiffness were slightly …


Women's Health Issues In Baccalaureate Nursing Curricula., Karen Basham Moody Jan 1999

Women's Health Issues In Baccalaureate Nursing Curricula., Karen Basham Moody

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if, and how, selected women's health issues are included in baccalaureate nursing curricula in the United States. The study also assessed nursing faculty's perceptions of the importance of these selected women's health issues to nursing curricula. Two hundred sixty baccalaureate nursing programs were randomly selected from a population of 604 1998 National League for Nursing accredited baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States. A three-part researcher developed women's health survey instrument was used for data collection. The instrument consisted of questions pertaining to 19 women's health issues which were selected through …