Digital Commons Network^™

The Horse And The Castle, Angela D. Roe

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the production of my thesis film, “The Horse and The Castle.” I will explore the choices taken in each step of the production, from the writing process to post-production and finishing. Each area — writing, directing, production design, cinematography, editing, and sound — contained a multitude of decisions that helped to achieve my final vision for the film.

Wandering Souls Of The Graveyard, Brandon Rizzuto

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The collection of essays is based on my experiences in professional football while working with the New Orleans VooDoo during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. The collection of stories encompasses my personal journey with football players, administrators, and owners during the two seasons I worked for the team. All the names of the characters have been changed.

A Hierarchical Bayesian Model For The Unmixing Analysis Of Compositional Data Subject To Unit-Sum Constraints, Shiyong Yu

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Modeling of compositional data is emerging as an active area in statistics. It is assumed that compositional data represent the convex linear mixing of definite numbers of independent sources usually referred to as end members. A generic problem in practice is to appropriately separate the end members and quantify their fractions from compositional data subject to nonnegative and unit-sum constraints. A number of methods essentially related to polytope expansion have been proposed. However, these deterministic methods have some potential problems.

In this study, a hierarchical Bayesian model was formulated, and the algorithms were coded in MATLAB^Ò. A test …

Confirmation Of Prophecy By Proxy: Audience Anticipation And Reception Of The 2014 Movie Left Behind And Its Relevance To The Dispensational Premillennialist Worldview, Andrew R. Burns

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Media has the potential to legitimize or spread a belief system to the general public. The 2014 movie Left Behind is an example of a deliberate attempt at promoting the belief system referred to as dispensational premillennialism (DPM), or belief in the imminent rapture of Christians. Producers of Left Behind (2014) sought to promote DPM to the general public, hoping for a mass conversion. Online discussion and interviews were gathered and interpreted qualitatively. Content analysis of audience anticipation and reception show believers were as concerned with the conversion of the general public via this movie than the movie itself. Differences …

Here I Am And Here I’M Not: Queer Women’S Use Of Temporary Urban Spaces In Post-Katrina New Orleans, Vigdís María Hermannsdóttir

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis builds on previous work on the relationship between queer identities and urban space. Drawing from an analysis of two recurring New Orleans-based queer women’s events, I examine how lesbians and queer women not only use but also actively produce social spaces of their own through participation in events organized specifically for lesbians and queer women. Using qualitative methods, I examine the ephemeral and transient quality of lesbian and queer women’s social spaces in post-Katrina New Orleans and the processes through which such spaces come into being. I argue that lesbian and queer women’s production of ephemeral social spaces …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Testing Direct And Reciprocal Effects On Maternal Depression, Erin L. Neill

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Children exposed to trauma experience many negative outcomes including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Fortunately, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for PTSD. Theoretically it may be that not only do children do better in treatment when their parents are involved, but that there is also a reciprocal relationship such that as children improve their parents feel better as well (and vice a versa). Using data from a randomized trial (Scheeringa & Weems, 2014), this thesis used Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) to test if change in child PTSD symptoms mediates change in parent depression symptoms, and vice a versa, across …

Isthmus=Anchovy, Bradford C. Willingham

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Interested in the serendipitous encounters found in day to day experiences, I aim to complicate the framework that we are born into through the cross pollination of commodity trends, present tense and personal narrative. While these “mash-ups” dwell in the intersections between the real, the fictive and the fantastical, they attempt to put mystery back into the things that we are familiar with. My interest in language as a constructive and deconstructive tool opens spaces where the interloping of texts and objects confuse semantic routine. My sculptures operate within systems constructed through free association, absurdity, and humor: spaces where art …

Discreet Feminism: Neil Gaiman’S Subversion Of The Patriarchal Society In American Gods, Christopher P. Thompson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Neil Gaiman’s use of a hyper-masculine American culture in American Gods sheds light upon the multiple issues surrounding a misogynistic society in which women are treated as sexual objects and punished for their independence as sexual beings. Gaiman’s efforts at highlighting these issues are discreet and hidden under layers of patriarchal expectations, but through the use of his protagonist, Shadow, Gaiman is able to provide an alternative to the society he represents. While he successfully illustrates this more “ideal” society, his endeavors fall short and are almost imperceptible throughout his novel. Gaiman’s work in American Gods, while lacking in its …

Commutative N-Ary Arithmetic, Aram Bingham

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Motivated by primality and integer factorization, this thesis introduces generalizations of standard binary multiplication to commutative n-ary operations based upon geometric construction and representation. This class of operations are constructed to preserve commutativity and identity so that binary multiplication is included as a special case, in order to preserve relationships with ordinary multiplicative number theory. This leads to a study of their expression in terms of elementary symmetric polynomials, and connections are made to results from the theory of polyadic (n-ary) groups. Higher order operations yield wider factorization and representation possibilities which correspond to reductions in the set of primes …

Esc, Craig E. Branum

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

My artwork is about the impact of the digital revolution on every aspect of life, such as relationships, war, and self image. I explore this in the creation of sculptures that represent abstracted globes or video game worlds, digital animations concerning the virtual and simulated, and prints as allegories for embodied post-human experience. The visual themes of my work are bitmapped patterns, early computer graphics, and twenty-sided dice.

The Cuddle Club, Joseph C. Harmon

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

With The Cuddle Club, I intended to make a film that sought to examine intimacy as it relates to the extremes; in the film I subvert expectations of intimacy to make the audience reconsider why we draw our physical boundaries where we do. And while everybody may need a little cuddle every now and then, men have no right to touch women without their express permission.

This paper will be an examination of the story behind the story. Of my thoughts on the process of creating my thesis film The Cuddle Club as it pertains to the screenwriting, preproduction, production …

"Pray For Me And My Kids": Correspondence Between Rural Black Women And White Northern Women During The Civil Rights Movement, Pamela N. Walker

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the experiences of rural black women in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement by examining correspondence of the grassroots anti-poverty organization the Box Project. The Box Project, founded in 1962 by white Vermont resident and radical activist Virginia Naeve, provided direct relief to black families living in Mississippi but also opened positive and clandestine lines of communication between southern black women and outsiders, most often white women. The efforts of the Box Project have been largely left out of the dialogue surrounding Civil Rights, which has often been dominated by leading figures, major events and national organizations. …

Technology And Big Data Meet The Risk Of Terrorism In An Era Of Predictive Policing And Blanket Surveillance, Alexandra C. Patti

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Surveillance studies suffer from a near-total lack of empirical data, partially due to the highly secretive nature of surveillance programs. However, documents leaked by Edward Snowden in June of 2013 provided unprecedented proof of top-secret American data mining initiatives that covertly monitor electronic communications, collect, and store previously unfathomable quantities of data. These documents presented an ideal opportunity for testing theory against data to better understand contemporary surveillance. This qualitative content analysis compared themes of technology, privacy, national security, and legality in the NSA documents to those found in sets of publicly available government reports, laws, and guidelines, finding inconsistencies …

Entrepreneurs, John A. Patton

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, I will cover the process of making my thesis film, Entrepreneurs. Specific facets of this process include writing, directing, production design, cinematography, editing, sound, and technology. I will detail the goals initially set for each facet, the approach taken during production, and the results that led to the finished product. I will then evaluate the overall success of the project.

Arkansans, Jennifer A. Bulmanski

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A collection of short stories written by Jennifer Bulmanski.

Alsobrook, Harvey S. Bartlett Iii

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

N/A

If Not Now: An Account Of The Challenges And Experiences Of Writing, Directing, And Editing A Graduate Thesis Film, Tylyn S. Anson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, I will catalog and describe my process involved in the creation of my thesis film If Not Now. In the main body of the paper I will cover the topics of Writing, Casting, Directing, Production Design, Cinematography, Editing, and Sound, as well as Technology and Workflow. Special emphasis will be placed on Writing, Directing, Editing, and Sound. The Analysis section will discuss the overall effectiveness of my goals to communicate a story about self-identity and community, as well as the film's artistic merit and quality.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Applied To The Analysis Of Blood Flow Through Central Aortic To Pulmonary Artery Shunts, Carey Celestin Jr

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research utilizes CFD to analyze blood flow through pathways representative of central shunts, commonly used as part of the Fontan procedure to treat cyanotic heart disease. In the first part of this research, a parametric study of steady, Newtonian blood flow through parabolic pathways was performed to demonstrate the effect that flow pathway curvature has on wall shear stress distribution and flow energy losses. In the second part, blood flow through two shunts obtained via biplane angiograms is simulated. Pressure boundary conditions were obtained via catheterization. Results showed that wall shear stresses were of sufficient magnitude to initiate platelet …

Copper Kingdom, Eric J. Gremillion

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper thoroughly examines the production of the thesis film Copper Kingdom. From writing, directing, production design, editing, to cinematography, sound, and workflow, each aspect of the creation of Copper Kingdom is carefully detailed, with insights regarding the decisions made throughout the filmmaking process.

New Dion-Jacobson And Ruddlesden- Popper Layered Perovskites Prepared By Topochemical Methods, Dariush Montasserasadi

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Layered perovskites can be classified in three major groups: Dion-Jacobson AA′_n-1B_nO_3n+1, Ruddlesden-Popper A₂A′_n-1B_nO_3n+1,and Aurivillius phase (Bi₂O₂)A′_n-1B_nO_3n+1. (A: Alkali metal, Alkali-earth metal; A′: Lanthanides and Bi; B: Ti, Nb, Ta; n: thickness of slabs). For more than two decades researchers have shown much interest in this series because of their magnetic and electrical properties. Tuning synthesis parameters such as temperature, time, and host structure can be used to direct such properties. Low temperature synthetic methods (topochemical methods) allow …

Essays On The Impact Of Institutional Investors On Firms' Liquidity And Payout Policy, Munira Ismail

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of 2 essays in the area of corporate finance. The title of my first essay is “Impact of Institutional Investors on Firms’ Financial Constraint and Liquidity”. We can find ample evidences in existing literature which show that institutional investors play a vital role in the corporate world. Many researchers have linked institutional investors to activism, monitoring benefits, mitigating the cost of debt using government bond, spin off activities and improving information asymmetry problem. In the first essay, I would like to add another dimension to institutional investors’ literature by examining institutional investors’ role in mitigating financial constraint …

Dante, Damnation, And The Undead: How The Conception Of Hell Has Changed In Western Literature From Dante's Inferno To The Zombie Apocalypse, Isabelle M. Whitman

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Dante's Inferno defined hell in Western literature for centuries; it was a physical place for sinners, they were subjected to physical torments, and it was in the afterlife. Dante’s depiction was firmly rooted in Christian theology. However, as fears and morals change, ideas of hell evolve as well. With the popularity of the zombie and other apocalypse narratives, these ideas return to the notion of physical torment and earthly places. In poetry, novels, theater, television, and film, writers examine different interpretations of hell, punishment, and redemption as metaphors for modern sins. In Sartre’s Huis clos, hell is a windowless …

Development Of A Quantitative Methodology To Forecast Naval Warship Propulsion Architectures, Brian S. Waller

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This paper is an investigation into a quantitative selection process of either a mechanical or electrical system architecture for the transmission of propulsion power in naval combatant vessels. A database of historical naval ship characteristics was statistically analyzed to determine if there were any predominant ship parameters that could be used to predict whether a ship should be designed with a mechanical power transmission system or an electric one. A Principal Component Analysis was performed to determine the minimum number of dimensions required to define the relationship between the propulsion transmission architecture and the independent variables. Combining the results of …

Characterization And Transplantation Of Felid Spermatogonial Stem Cells, Robin H. Powell

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) self-renew and differentiate into spermatozoa throughout the life of the male. SSC transplantation is a potential method for the propagation of genetically important males. These cells have been isolated in different mammalian species using specific cell surface markers, but not in felines.

The goal of this study was to explore a relevant strategy for conservation of endangered felids by characterizing domestic cat (Felis catus) SSCs and assessing their ability for self-renewal after transplantation. Firstly, SSC and pluripotent surface markers, identified in non-feline species, were tested for expression in mixed germ cells from adults by …

Swamp Surburbia And Rebellion Against A Culture Of Crime: The Birth Of Black Skateboarding In The Big Easy, Aubrey Edwards

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research addresses a significant gap in previous work on the formation of urban and suburban black skateboarding subcultures. By using data generated through oral histories, photographs, mapping, and literature review, this study explores why black youth initially began skateboarding in New Orleans in the mid-2000s. In contrast to the scholarly literature and local popular perception, this visual anthropological study aims to provide an alternative origin story of black skateboarding in Post-Katrina New Orleans, and to examine the continuing popularity of the sport within the young black community.

Never Getting Back: Creating The Title Role In Rajiv Joseph's Bengal Tiger At The Baghdad Zoo, John H. Neisler

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis documents my rehearsal and performance of the role of Tiger in Rajiv Joseph’s Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, including research, character analysis, role development, rehearsal journal, and an evaluation of my performance. Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was produced by the UNO Department of Film and Theatre, under the direction of David W. Hoover. The play was performed at the Robert E. Nims Theatre of the Performing Arts October 2 - 4, 9 - 11 at 7:30pm, and October 12, 2014 at 2:30pm. The play was performed at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival …

The Stars Of David, Eric B. Millman

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Stars of David is based on the true story of a woman whose love of baseball stood above all. Set in the midst of the Great Depression, Jackie Austin, disgusted by the chauvinistic expectations of her impoverished father, sets off on her own to play for whatever team that will have her. That team proves to be the barnstorming House of David Baseball Club, an ascetic religious commune struggling to regain past glory after a decade of tragedy and shame. Outsiders and freaks to the rest of the world, these new "Stars" of David must learn to work together …

A Grounded Theory Study To Describe Approaches Gay K-8 Teachers Take To Living Openly At Work, Diana M. Ward

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Even though living openly is associated with better health, gay teachers are in an ambiguous position legally and socially when it comes to finding safe and successful ways to living openly while at work in K-8 schools. The purpose of this grounded theory study is to describe approaches gay teachers have found and employed to living openly in K-8 schools. From the interview data collected from eleven gay teachers, an identity development model was produced, which the researcher entitled The Gay Teacher's Workplace Visibility Process Model. No existing identity development models focus solely on the approaches gay teachers take …

How Play Therapists Integrate Knowledge Of Attachment Theory Into Clinical Practice: A Grounded Theory, Karen Marie Swanson Taheri

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The quality of the dynamics within individuals’ early relationships with their caregivers can impact the overall mental health, functioning, and quality of future relationships for those individuals (Aguilar, Sroufe, Egeland, & Carlson, 2000; Bowlby, 1988; Carlson, 1998; Cassidy & Shaver, 2008; Deklyen & Greenberg, 2008; Johnson & Whiffen, 2003; Levy & Orlans, 1998; Ogawa et al., 1997; Renken et al., 1989; Warren, Huston, Egeland, & Sroufe, 1997). Attachment Theory describes the nature, characteristics, and dynamics of the relationship between a child and caregiver, and delineates how an internal concept of self and self and others is created via those relationships …

An Exploratory Examination Of Spirituality And Black Student Academic Success At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Sheika N. Square

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has identified spirituality (Riggins, McNeal, & Herndon, 2008) as an important component of academic success for Black college students. Other factors researched include first year/ freshmen experiences, mentorships, faculty–student engagement (Caboni and Adisu, 2004), rigorous high-school curriculums, and summer bridge programs (Palmer, Moore, Davis, Hilton, 2010). Much of the research on college student success provides a comparison between Blacks, Whites, Asians, Latinos, and Native Americans (Caboni and Adisu, 2004; Carey, 2005; Palmer, Moore, Davis, Hilton, 2010; Townsend, 2007). However, few studies deal with Black students solely, and the influence of spirituality on the academic success within that one …