Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Determining University Enrollment Status: The Case Of High School Students Recruited To Attend Louisiana State University College Of Agriculture., Fredrick Muyia Nafukho

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a model existed that significantly increased the researcher's ability to accurately explain whether or not a recruited student in the College of Agriculture at LSU will enroll based upon the current recruitment strategies. The target population for this study consisted of 1,130 prospective freshmen recruited to attend the College of Agriculture in the fall 1997. A comparison of students who resided on the College of Agriculture's 1997 prospective freshmen data base, with the university undergraduate data base gave an accessible population of 226 students. The actual sample size was determined using …

Comparison Of Intervention Strategies Based On Experimental Analysis, Descriptive Analysis, And Reinforcer Assessment In Addressing Off-Task Classroom Behaviors., Lynn Habyan Lafleur

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Independent descriptive and experimental analyses as well as preferences assessments, were conducted. Descriptive analyses were conducted to identify baseline levels of off-task behavior, and to systematically describe the co-variation between off-task behaviors and peer attention, teacher attention, and the instructional task. Data on off-task behavior were analyzed by computing conditional probabilities associated with maintaining stimuli (e.g., peer attention). Intervention development was based on a simple contingency reversal. Experimental analyses were conducted to examine the extent to which off-task behavior was related to task difficulty or to consequences (i.e., peer attention) that were systematically programmed by the experimenter. Hypotheses and intervention …

Investigation Of Two Treatment Approaches For Improving College Students' Comprehension Of Science Text., Nancy L. Martino

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Many college freshmen are unable to read expository material at a level of proficiency necessary for understanding and integrating information from their textbooks. Providing intervention that addresses these deficits and results in rapid improvements is critical if these students are going to pass their current courses and remain in college. This study examined whether an instructional approach termed Communicative Reading Strategies (CRS) would result in improvement in the ability to comprehend expository text. CRS uses interactive strategies that teach students to comprehend a text as it is read. The CRS approach was compared to a skills approach that addressed similar …

An Investigation Of Worry And Its Relationship To Anxiety In A Non-Clinical Sample Of Adolescents., Denise Adair Powers

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The overall purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between worry and anxiety in a community sample of adolescents. As no psychometrically sound instruments for measuring parameters of worry in adolescents exist, the first purpose of this study was to devise a reliable and valid measure of worry for this population. The Worry Inventory for Adolescents (WIA) was administered to 606 adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18. Based on the factor analysis, the WIA was divided into twelve factors and yielded two scores, Number of Worries and Worry Severity. The WIA demonstrated good internal consistency, moderate …

Assessing The Reuse Potential Of Objects., Maria Lorna Reyes

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

In this research, we investigate whether reusable classes can be characterized by object-oriented (OO) software metrics. Three class-level reuse measures for the OO paradigm are defined: inheritance-based reuse, inter-application reuse by extension, and inter-application reuse as a server. Using data from a software company, we collected metrics on Smalltalk classes. Among the 20 metrics collected are cyclomatic complexity, Lorenz complexity, lines of code, class coupling, reuse ratio, specialization ratio and number of direct subclasses. We used stepwise regression to derive prediction models incorporating the 20 metrics as the independent variables and the reuse measures, applied separately, as the dependent variable. …

A Descriptive Assessment Model For Writing Programs: A Plan For Louisiana College., Linda Pettus Peevy

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Aware of the proliferation of discussion, activity, and even legislation regarding assessment of educational programs; informed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) regarding institutional effectiveness; and realizing that assessment efforts are a valid means of revealing programmatic strengths and weaknesses and, therefore, of suggesting where change is needed, the Louisiana College English faculty began in 1991 to study how best to assess the effectiveness of its core requirement in English, a three-semester writing program. The project that forms the basis for this dissertation had its inception in that endeavor. This descriptive study, designed to assess the effects …

Deviating Angular Feature For Image Recognition System Using The Improved Neural Network Classifier., Adisak Srinakarin

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The ability to recognize images makes it possible to abstractly conceptualize the world. Many in the field of machine learning have attempted to invent an image recognition system with the recognition capabilities of a human. This dissertation presents a method of modifications to existent image recognition systems, which greatly improves the efficiency of existing data imaging methods. This modification, the Deviating Angular Feature (DAF), has two obvious applications: (1) the recognition of handwritten numerals; and (2) the automatic identification of aircraft. Modifications of feature extraction and classification processes of current image recognition systems can leads to the systemic enhancement of …

Facilitating Knowledge Integration And Flexibility: The Effects Of Reflection And Exposure To Alternative Models., Lewis Garnet Roussel Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Three experiments investigated the effect of various kinds of reflection (within-task and post-task reflection) on learning a process control task. Also, two ways of providing learners with alternative ideas about task behavior, exposure to other's ideas and providing hints for task solution, were examined. The task involved a simulated "sugar production factory" in which the learners sought to control sugar production by manipulating workforce size. It was predicted that combining within-task reflection with exposure to alternative task ideas would lead to superior task performance through integration of experiential and reflective knowledge. Contrary to the prediction, within-task reflection consistently interfered with …

Biology And Ecology Of The Anopheles Quadrimaculatus Sibling Species Complex In Louisiana., Cynthia Roxanne Rutledge

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A polymerase chain reaction method for identifying individuals in the Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say sibling species complex was validated for wild mosquitoes from Louisiana and Mississippi. This method distinguished An. quadrimaculatus species A, B, C, and D by detecting species-specific differences in the 2nd internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA and was 100% specific and 95% sensitive. A polymerase chain reaction assay that detects differences in the second internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA was tested for its usefulness in identifying all immature stages of two representatives in the An. quadrimaculatus sibling species complex. The technique was successful in amplifying DNA …

The Effects Of An Enriched Environment On The Stereotypic Movement Of Individuals With Profound Mental Retardation., Brandi Braud Smiroldo

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The present study was an attempt to investigate the effects of a specific type of enriched environment on the stereotypic movements of individuals with severe and profound mental retardation. A multisensory room which contained visual, auditory, and tactile stimulation was used. Effects of brief exposure to the multisensory room was compared to effects of exposure to a placebo probe involving attention and access to tangibles and to no treatment controls. Comparisons were made during a 10-minute post-test session immediately following. No significant differences between groups on rate of stereotypic movements at post-test was noted, anecdotal information and review of raw …

Measurement Of The Cross Section For Elastic Scattering Of Electron Neutrinos On Electrons., Neville Dinyar Wadia

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

In this dissertation, we measure the cross section for the elastic scattering of electron neutrinos on electrons. We use data from the LSND experiment which is located at the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico. The neutrino beam is produced when an 800 MeV proton beam from a linear accelerator is incident on a target located 29.8 m from the detector. The LSND veto system allows us to reject charged cosmic-ray particles entering the detector with high efficiency. The detector consists of 180 tons of mineral oil, to which a small quantity of scintillator …

Remediation And Retention Of Students On First-Time Scholastic Drop (R&R)., Dee Anna Slavant

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The Remediation and Retention Program (R&R) was initiated at Louisiana State University at Alexandria to develop interventions that target first time scholastic drop students and facilitate the improvement of their overall academic performance and retention. The study was designed to provide support counseling and study skills remediation for students who self selected to readmit under the R&R Program. The study was formulated to evaluated the progress and retention rate of the R&R. Program. Objectives and results of the study included: (1) Describe the students who were placed on first time scholastic drop at LSUA. The average age was 21.97; 62.2% …

Teacher Selection Practices In Effective Elementary Schools Which Differ By Community Type And Socioeconomic Status Context., Amy Barham Westbrook

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The current study investigated teacher selection in elementary schools which differ by school type, community type, and socioeconomic status (SES). The qualities sought, procedures utilized, and problems encountered by principals during teacher selection were examined. Statistical analyses were used to determine whether school types differ significantly on variables regarding teacher selection. The present study involved collecting both qualitative and quantitative data, and was conducted in four phases. In Phase I, all elementary schools in the state were classified by community type, student body SES, and "effective" and "typical" status. Phase II consisted of 12 site visits to "effective" schools which …

Significance Of The Effect Of Nitrogen Application On The Engineered Bioremediation Of Crude Oil In A Salt Marsh., Paul Timothy Tate

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The biodegradation of the crude oil in a salt marsh was monitored by tracking the decline of the ratio of various components in the crude oil to a stable marker, hopane. In studies of mesocosms, addition of nitrogen as ammonium nitrate resulted in more rapid biodegradation of the oil at 0.10 significance. In field plots, addition of nitrogen was found to not significantly increase the rate of oil degradation over the rate in the control plots. The degradation of the oil is best described by a first order decay equation. The kinetic rate parameter k was 0.0054/day in the control …

The Effect Of Participation In The Occupational Safety And Health Administration's Voluntary Protection Programs On Injury/Illness Rates., Linda Diane Weems

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect participation in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) has on injury/illness rates (IIR). Data was obtained from OSHA's Office of Cooperative Programs for the companies participating in the VPP for the years 1983 through 1997. This data was summarized and analyzed to satisfy this study's objectives. Objective 1 was to describe and compare the companies participating in OSHA's VPP and their IIR with the average IIR reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the industries for each year of the program's existence from …

Stress And Strength Of Laminated Composite Containing A Circular Hole., Yi Zhao

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation is to study the stress and strength of a finite laminated plate containing a circular hole subjected to tension. Efforts were made in three aspects: theoretical modeling, computer simulation using finite element method, and experimental evaluation using unidirectional and crossply Scotchply laminates. The stress concentration factor, normal stress distribution and tensile strength of laminates with various hole sizes and gage lengths were investigated. Theoretically, two models were proposed to describe the normal stress distribution of a laminate with finite width and finite length. By defining a width correction function and a size correction function, the normal stress in …

The Nature Of Undergraduates' Conceptual Understanding Of Oxygen Transport And Utilization In Humans: Can Cardiopulmonary Simulation Software Enhance Learning Of Propositional Knowledge And/Or Diagnose Alternative Conceptions In Novices And Intermediates?, Dennis Robert Wissing

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the this research was to explore undergraduates' conceptual development for oxygen transport and utilization, as a component of a cardiopulmonary physiology and advanced respiratory care course in the allied health program. This exploration focused on the student's development of knowledge and the presence of alternative conceptions, prior to, during, and after completing cardiopulmonary physiology and advanced respiratory care courses. Using the simulation program, SimBioSysTM (Samsel, 1994), student-participants completed a series of laboratory exercises focusing on cardiopulmonary disease states. This study examined data gathered from: (1) a novice group receiving the simulation program prior to instruction, (2) a …

The Portrait Of A Psyche: Women's Underworld Journeys In Four Modern American Novels., Kristen Sifert

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Drawing from James Hillman's psychological reading of myth, this study traces the emergence of the ancient myth of Psyche in Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady, Caroline Gordon's The Women on the Porch, William Faulkner's Light in August, and Toni Morrison's Beloved. From the perspective of modern divisions, the novelists look forward to the wholeness of Psyche's reunion with Eros and the assumption of the mortal woman, yet their immediate focus is the transformative journey through the underworld. James elaborates the mythical impact of money; like the coins Psyche pays Charon, who detaches her from a sense of her …

Applications Of Band Ratioing At Fort Irwin, California., Alexander Wright Taylor

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation describes the results of two projects that demonstrate the power of band ratioing of remote sensing data. The first method, Band Ratio Differencing (BRD), challenges the more traditional techniques for detecting environmental disturbance of the surface in and terrains. These traditional techniques are inadequate because they cannot identify the nature of the change (physical, chemical, biological) or the processes (natural, anthropogenic) involved in causing the change. In contrast, BRD of Landsat TM data has the advantage of providing information about changes in the composition of alluvial surfaces. These compositional changes, when combined with empirical field data provides insight …

An Efficient Library For Parallel Ray Tracing And Animation, John Edward Stone

Masters Theses

"A parallel ray tracing library is presented for rendering high detail images of three dimensional geometry and computational fields. The library has been developed for use on distributed memory and shared memory parallel computers and can also run on sequential computers. Parallelism is achieved through the use of message passing and threads. It is shown that the library achieves almost linear scalability when run on large distributed memory parallel computers as well as large shared memory parallel computers.

Several applications of parallel rendering are explored including rendering of CAD models, animation, magnetic resonance imaging, and visualization of volumetric flow fields. …

A Case Of "Loving Hate", Michelle C. Loris

Psychology Faculty Publications

The case, "Loving Hate," clarifies the complicated dynamics of the eroticization of hate. These dynamics were forged for the adult sexual abuse survivor in the early abusive relationship where love was always accompanied by hate. In the therapeutic relationship, these dynamics are reenacted and experienced in the countertransference where the therapist feels the patient's unconscious pressure to turn this relationship into a kind of "hating mating." This case vignette is used to illustrate how the therapist's countertransference impasse impeded treatment. Explanation and analysis are offered in this case to suggest how by using the paradigm of Abuser, Victim, Bystander to …

Tectonic Caves Of Solai In The Kenyan Rift Valley, Robert A. Davis

International Journal of Speleology

Tectonic caves at Solai, Kenya, were explored in 1970. These lie in a complex geological area of the Great Rift Valley in columnar-faulted ignimbrite. Fissures are presumed to have been widened by later tectonic activity -e.g. the major earthquake of January, 1928. The caves and exploration are briefly described. Questions of formation, drainage and possibilities of steam reservoirs are discussed.

Recent Publications On Waders 71, Henk Koffijberg

Wader Study Group Bulletin

No abstract provided.

Recent Literature, Journal Of Field Ornithology

Journal of Field Ornithology

No abstract provided.

Variation In Mass, Wing, And Culmen With Age, Sex, And Season In The Mexican Jay, Jerram L. Brown, Nirmal Bhagabati

Journal of Field Ornithology

No abstract provided.

Rate Of Bird Collision With Power Lines: Effects Of Conductor-Marking And Static Wire-Marking, Guyonne F. Janss, Miguel Ferrer

Journal of Field Ornithology

No abstract provided.

Winter Report: December 1997-February 1998, Bill Pranty

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Salinity Action Plan : Wetland Vegetation Monitoring, 1997/1998, G. Ogden, R. H. Froend

Research outputs pre 2011

This report represents the vegetation component of a project designed to provide on-going monitoring of wetland salinity and biological resources in wetlands of the agricultural zone of south-west Western Australia. Maintenance of wetland biological diversity in the agricultural zone is one of the major objectives of the Salinity Action Plan. Due to their low position in the landscape, wetlands are the habitat most affected by salinisation...

Eye Health Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People: Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health Reviews: Number 1, Neil Thomson, Beverley Paterson

Research outputs pre 2011

As with many other aspects of health status, it is most probable that prior to the European settlement of Australia in 1788 the eye health of Australian Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders was excellent. In fact. their eye health was almost certainly better than that of Europeans of the time. There are no definite data from early post-settlement times, but this conclusion appears reasonable from the results of a number of thorough surveys conducted as late as the 1940s and 1950s ( 1-4) Despite finding some severe preventable problems, particularly trachoma (a form of infective conjunctivitis - see Appendix l …

Principles And Practices Of Esl Teachers: A Study Of Adults And Children, Michael P. Breen, Bernard Hird, Marion Milton, Rhonda Oliver, A. Thwaite

Research outputs pre 2011

The study reported here aimed to identify the particular practices and uncover the particular principles of a group of ESL teachers. Some of the teachers were working with adult learners and some were working with young children. The research aimed to answer three main questions:

1. What are the classroom practices of this group of language teachers?

2. What principles do they identify as underlying their work in the classroom?

3. What is the relationship between the principles they held and the practices they adopted?

The study also aimed to find out if there were similarities or differences between teachers …