Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of The Effect Of Energetic Flux Bombardment On Intensified Plasma-Assisted Processing., Albert Amatey Adjaottor

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

An investigation of the plasma nitriding mechanism under intensified conditions (average particle energy up to 1200 eV) was carried out using a triode configuration. The significance of the different physical processes taking place during intensified plasma nitriding, such as sputtering, implantation, defect generation, redeposition and diffusion were investigated experimentally, while theoretical predictions were obtained by using the TRIM (transport of ions in matter) code. A titanium-base alloy was selected as the substrate material. Sputtering yield in an inert atmosphere was found to exhibit three regimes as a function of incoming particle energy. The low energy and high energy regimes were …

Magnetic Measurements On Superconductors And Heavy Fermions., Donavan Weslee Hall

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Magnetization and de Haas - van Alphen (dHvA) measurements have been made on the high temperature superconductor Ba$\sb{0.6}$K$\sb{0.4}$BiO$\sb3$ and the heavy fermion CeB$\sb6$. First ever observations of the dHvA effect in Ba$\sb{0.6}$K$\sb{0.4}$BiO$\sb3$ are reported. Two dHvA spectrometers (pulsed field and field modulation) were used to measure two samples. Four frequencies are found in the field modulation data with the 11.6 kT orbit in good agreement with band structure calculations. The three lowest frequencies were measured with the pulsed field spectrometer. All dHvA measurements were made in the superconducting mixed state. These measurements indicate that Ba$\sb{0.6}$K$\sb{0.4}$BiO$\sb3$ has a Fermi surface. Magnetization …

Feature-Based Models For Three-Dimensional Data Fitting., Gregory Todd Dobson

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

There are numerous techniques available for fitting a surface to any supplied data set. The feature-based modeling technique takes advantage of the known, geometric shape of the data by deforming a model having this generic shape to approximate the data. The model is constructed as a rational B-spline surface with characteristic features superimposed on its definition. The first step in the fitting process is to align the model with a data set using the center of mass, principal axes and/or landmarks. Using this initial orientation, the position, rotation and scale parameters are optimized using a Newton-type optimization of a least …

Dna Wrapping And The Nature Of Interaction Between E. Coli Rna Polymerase And Promoter Dna., Parisa Jazbi

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Regulation of transcription most often occurs at the stage of initiation. RNA polymerase binding to the transcription start site, the promoter, is influenced by many nucleotide sequence elements. The predominant recognition sequences are those bound by the $\sigma$ subunit of RNA polymerase located at $-$10 and $-$35 relative to initiation site of most promoters. Another element involved in this regulation is intrinsic DNA curvature. In this study, the contribution of intrinsically curved DNA immediately upstream of the promoter to the interaction between Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and this DNA was examined. DNase I footprinting analysis confirmed that RNA polymerase wraps …

Identification And Quantification Of S-(2-(N(7)-Guanyl)Ethyl)Glutathione Dna Adduct In Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) After Exposure To 1,2-Dichloroethane., Ahmedin Muktar Jemal

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The main goal of the study was to provide the basic technical frame work for the use of native fish species as environmental sentinels for potential human exposure to genotoxic agents in general and to 1,2-dichloroethane (ethylene dichloride) in particular. First, LC/MS/ESI/ID and LC/MS/MS/ESI/ID methods for detection and quantification of S- (2-(N$\sp7$-guanyl)ethyl) glutathione DNA adduct from biological samples was developed. The methods were tested by exposing groups of rats with three dose levels of 1,2-dibromoethane. They allowed detection of $\sim$1 adduct in 10$\sp7$ bases. Second, the formation and persistence of DNA adduct in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) from 1,2-dichloroethane exposure …

Teacher Conceptions And The Curriculum: A Longitudinal, Multicase Study Of College Chemistry Teaching., Charles J. Killebrew

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Strategic innovations and interventions to reform college science teaching will be required to promote the retention and achievement of those students who might otherwise elect to defect at the entry-level courses. The extent to which this can be achieved will depend upon educational research into ways that the science curriculum can be restructured to accomplish the dual function of enhancing science literacy while promoting recruitment to scientific careers. To explore these issues, four introductory college chemistry classes were observed over a period of two years. The classes were designated either as traditional or conceptual. Selection into these categories was based …

The Effects Of The Louisiana Systemic Initiative Project On Two Rural School Districts In Louisiana., Tanya Maria Jones

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study provides a description and analysis of the effects of a mathematics reform initiative on classrooms in two rural communities. It describes the sites, details interactions that take place in the classroom, and enumerates teachers' perceptions of the change. A mixed methodology was used to support the findings. Qualitative data were collected through classroom observations and interviews and quantitative data were gathered through questionnaires. Quantitative results indicated that teachers who participate in the training have the opportunity to learn more about new teaching strategies in mathematics and are likely to change their teaching practices in mathematics. Findings reflected that …

Design And Analysis Of Optical Interconnection Networks For Parallel Computation., Yueming Li

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

In this doctoral research, we propose several novel protocols and topologies for the interconnection of massively parallel processors. These new technologies achieve considerable improvements in system performance and structure simplicity. Currently, synchronous protocols are used in optical TDM buses. The major disadvantage of a synchronous protocol is the waste of packet slots. To offset this inherent drawback of synchronous TDM, a pipelined asynchronous TDM optical bus is proposed. The simulation results show that the performance of the proposed bus is significantly better than that of known pipelined synchronous TDM optical buses. Practically, the computation power of the plain TDM protocol …

Pest Status And Management Of Beet Armyworm, Spodoptera Exigua (Hubner), On Cotton In Louisiana., Victor James Mascarenhas

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Field cage studies were conducted to measure the effects of late season beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), infestations (0, 1, 3, and 6 egg masses per 5.1 row m) on defoliation, fruit damage, and yield of cotton. Light penetration through the canopy was significantly higher in infested plots. Although a trend for increased numbers of damaged fruiting forms with increases in egg mass density was observed, there were no significant differences between infested and control plots. There were no significant differences in the cumulative number of shed fruiting forms or yield between infested and control plots. Field tests were conducted …

Tickets To His Head: Larry Gelbart (1928-) As Writer And Adaptor., Jules Adolphe Malarcher Iii

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Larry Gelbart (1928-) has dominated the field of comedy writing in the latter half of the twentieth century the way George S. Kaufman (1889-1961) dominated the first half. Comedy, according to Gelbart, is a "tic--a way of making myself comfortable. I can't imagine not having comedy to lean on. I tend to write things with a circus-like atmosphere. In my mind, there's a circus--three rings--all the time.". The three comedy rings in his head may be classified according to the areas where his unique talents especially emerge: (1) talent to adapt comedy from one medium to another, or from one …

Suburbanization Of Office Space: A Case Study Of Houston, Texas., Dmitry Vadimovich Mesyanzhinov

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Since the 1950s, the service sector of the U.S. economy has experienced remarkable growth. Significantly, new jobs in business and professional services and in similar information-processing occupations required new workplaces. Consequently, thousands of office complexes were built in American cities. Displaying a clean break with the past trend, the majority of the new office complexes were constructed in suburban locations, outside the CBDs of most major cities. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationships between office complexes and urban labor markets/urban spatial structure. The scope of the empirical work is confined to office suburbanization in Houston, Texas …

Metamorphosis Of The Hawaiian Stream Goby Sicyopterus Stimpsoni: A Structural, Functional, And Behavioral Analysis., Heiko Lars Schoenfuss

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The endemic goby Sicyopterus stimpsoni is unique among five species of Hawaiian freshwater fishes because it undergoes rapid metamorphosis of cranial structures during postlarval development. These fishes are amphidromous and return after a prolonged stay in the ocean to streams where they are confined to estuaries until completion of cranial restructuring. Within 48 hours after entering fresh water, head width increases significantly, while total length and head length remains unchanged. Weight decreases by approximately 15% during this period. The upper lip enlarges greatly, and the mouth position shifts from terminal to nearly ventral. Shape analysis of radiographs taken from a …

Educational Plans Of Community College Students: An Expansion Of Two College Choice Models., Lisa M. Smith-Vosper

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if the factors posited by previous researchers to affect predisposition to attend college in high school students also affect the predisposition to transfer in the two-year college student population, and to investigate whether or not an expansion of the Hossler and Gallagher (1987) three-phase model of college choice and the Hossler and Stage (1992) Model of High School Students' Predisposition to College would yield great benefits. This analogy uses variables that have been advanced as effectual in the predisposition stage of the college choice process on the selected student population. The problem …

Aerenchyma Development In The Freshwater Marsh Species Sagittaria Lancifolia L., Elisabeth Ellen Schussler

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Aerenchyma tissue consists of gas channels that provide a pathway for O$\sb2$ transport to waterlogged roots. Aerenchyma gas spaces are formed by cell separation or cell lysis during development. Light microscopy was used to determine how aerenchyma develops in Sagittaria lancifolia, a freshwater marsh species, when plants were grown in hydroponic solution. Petiole aerenchyma was formed by cell separation caused by differential cell expansion and division. In the root cortex, certain radial files of cells separated slightly from adjacent files and then lysed to form gas spaces. Development of root aerenchyma was characterized in S. lancifolia, Zea mays, and Oryza …

Characterization Of Monomer-Containing Monolayer Films On Au Surfaces., Robert J. Willicut

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Exploration into the nature of ultrathin, surface-confined films capable of electronic conduction has been the primary purpose of this dissertation. Specifically, the confinement of pyrrole monomer to Au surfaces through organosulfur linkages has been investigated. The synthesis of these new $\omega$-(N-pyrrolyl)alkanethiols is described herein. Cyclic voltammetry was utilized in this work to polymerize the monolayers and characterize the resulting films. Voltammetric analysis yielded currents in the correct potential region for poly(N-alkylpyrrole) charging/discharging. Other electrochemical studies revealed the ability of strong nucleophiles and electroinactive diluents to quench surface-confined polymer formation though they did not affect oxidation of the monomer. Exchange experiments …

The Production Of Glucooligosaccharides By Leuconostoc Mesenteroides Atcc 13146 And Lipomyces Starkeyi Atcc 74054., Sun Kyun Yoo

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Glucooligosaccharides of less than DP 10 were produced either by mixed cultures of Leuconostoc mesenteroides ATCC 13146 and L. starkeyi ATCC 74054, or by an acceptor reaction produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides ATCC 13146. The yields of glucooligosaccharides produced by mixed culture and acceptor reaction reached up to 49 and 90% of theoretical yield. The composition of carbohydrates at the end of fermentation by mixed culture was 31.4% oligosaccharides, 17.6% dextran, 31.4% mannitol, 2.1% fructose, and 2.4% of sucrose. The composition of carbohydrates at the end of fermentation by acceptor reaction was 32.7% pannose, 30.4% branched isomaltotetraose (DP 4), 21.7% branched …

A Feminist Study Of African American Art In New Orleans: Considerations Of Aesthetics, Art History And Art Criticism., Harriet Joanne Walker

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

How students are taught to think about what is considered "art" and who are "artists" contributes to their sense of self within the world. It can confine them to accept a system that devalues and excludes or it can inspire them to explore the political dimensions of art, to recognize social contradictions, and to contribute to cultural dialogue. The purpose of this study is to provide content for an art curriculum that develops the intellectual capabilities and broadens the critical consciousness of students. The study of aesthetics, art history, and art criticism offer possibilities for understanding the multiple social, historical, …

The Development Of A New Deal Land Policy: Fergus County, Montana (1900-1945)., Melissa Gilbert Wiedenfeld

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Encouraged by the Enlarged Homestead Act, higher than average rainfall, and various boosters, thousands of Americans homesteaded in Montana and the northern Great Plains during the 1910s. The agricultural economy boomed during World War I, but the post-war contraction during the 1920s, coupled with drought, caused serious economic problems for farmers. In response to the problems in the agricultural economy, a Land Utilization movement emerged, led by agricultural economists such as Lewis C. Gray. Land utilizationists believed that a readjustment of land use would correct the problems in the agricultural economy. Toward that end they sought changes in federal land …

Fluorescence Lifetime Discrimination Of Near-Infrared Dye-Labeled Oligonucleotide Fragments Separated By Capillary Gel Electrophoresis For Base-Calling Applications In Dna Sequencing., Benjamin Leighton Legendre Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The research presented in this dissertation involves the construction of a near-infrared time-correlated single photon counting system which utilizes a mode-locked Ti:sapphire or pulsed diode laser as the excitation source and single photon avalanche diode as the photodetector and the subsequent study of two simple algorithms, the Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE) and the Rapid Lifetime Determination (RLD) methods, for fluorescence lifetime determination. The purpose of this research is to aid in the development of a low cost, highly efficient, and high throughput device for DNA sequencing which utilizes near-IR fluorophores which have similar absorption and emission properties but possess unique …

Franz Liszt's Transcription Of Johann Sebastian Bach's Prelude And Fugue In A Minor (Bwv 543)., Tingwen Tina Shao

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Franz Liszt's piano transcription of Johann Sebastian Bach's Prelude and Fugue in A Minor for organ (BWV 543) is the primary focus of this study. Liszt was a great admirer of Bach's works; therefore, his transcription is very true to the original, changes being made only to make the organ work more playable on the piano. Chapter One sketches the important roles of both composers in keyboard literature. Chapter Two includes information on Bach as an organist and transcriber during the Weimar (1708-1717) and Leipzig (1723-1750) periods. Chapter Three focuses on Liszt as an organist and his personal ideas for …

A Descriptive Catalogue Of The Organ Works Of Guy Bovet., Val Jeanne Phillips

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Guy Bovet, b. 1942, has a compositional output including over 130 instrumental and vocal works. His organ compositions are comparatively few. Nonetheless, these are of great value to the recital organist looking for new material, the church organist looking for material, the church organist looking for meritorious psalm- and hymn-tune settings, and for the organ student of one to three years needing challenging but not-too-difficult music (some of which can be played on one manual with no pedals), clearly marked with registration instructions. This composer/performer/teacher/writer/scholar, winner of numerous competitions in performance and improvisation, was born into a family well-known in …

Franz Liszt's Piano Transcriptions Of "Sonetto 104 Del Petrarca"., Nam Yeung

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This paper focuses on the similarities and differences between the two versions of Franz Liszt's piano transcriptions of the Sonetto 104 del Petrarca. Chapter One provides a brief overview of Franz Liszt as a pianist, composer, teacher, conductor, and piano transcriber. Chapter Two discusses Liszt as a song transcriber and includes the titles of some of his important song transcriptions. Chapter Three includes the chronological order of different versions of Sonetto 104 del Petrarca. Chapter Four contains information about the first piano transcription of Sonetto 104 del Petrarca (the 1846 version). Chapter Five contrasts the similarities and differences between the …

A Study Of Ralph Vaughan Williams's "An Oxford Elegy" And "Epithalamion"., Robert Joseph Taylor

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Choral music occupies a central place in the compositional output of Ralph Vaughan Williams. Some pieces, such as the Sea Symphony (1909), Five Mystical Songs (1911), Mass in G minor (1922), and Serenade to Music (1938), have become standards in the choral repertoire. Others, such as Sancta Civitas (1925), Dona Nobis Pacem (1936) and Hodie (1954), may be less familiar, but have still received considerable critical acclaim. A few pieces remain relatively unknown even to choral conductors. Two choral works, Epithalamion (1957) and An Oxford Elegy (1949), fall into this latter category. This monograph is the first detailed study of …

Quality Disconfirmation As A Predictor Of Patient Satisfaction Of Nursing Service In Selected Units In Taiwan, Republic Of China., Shieu-Ming Chou

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Parenting A Hospitalized Preterm Infant: A Phenomenological Study., Margaret Parker Findlay

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Adolescent Mothers' Experience With Infant Health Care Utilization., Kimberly Lynn Ray

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Statutory Causes Of Public School Teacher Dismissal: 1986-1996., Clara Lemmond Swader

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Feminist Issues In "Scarecrow And Mrs. King" And In "Lois And Clark"., Sharon E. Broussard

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

"Feminist Issues in Scarecrow and Mrs. King and in Lois and Clark" looks at television portrayals of female leads in the female-male investigative team. The two series, which aired ten years apart, were chosen for their escapist and fantasy qualities. One hypothesis of this research was that the latter show, Lois and Clark, would exhibit more feminist tendencies. Episodes from each series were examined for events and dialogue significant to the presentation of the female lead. These events and dialogue were arranged into four categories: female-female relationships, female-male relationships, romantic involvements, and professional relationships. An encompassing element was also addressed …

Spectrum 1997, Saint Mary's College Of California

The Undergraduate Spectrum

No abstract provided.

The Perceptions Students Have About Transitioning From A Small Rural K-8 School District (Tamaroa) To A Larger Community High School (Pinckneyville) In Southern Illinois, Robert J. Hamerski

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field study was to ascertain the perceptions of former Tamaroa, Illinois, Grade School students regarding their transition to Pinckneyville High School. The research questions were:

1. How successful were former Tamaroa Grade School eighth graders at Pinckneyville High School as evidenced by perceived high school academic standing?

2. What are the perceptions of former Tamaroa Grade School students regarding issues related to the importance of completing high school?

3. What are the perceptions of former Tamaroa Grade School students attending Pinckneyville High School regarding adjustments needed to perform well academically in high school and graduating?

4. …