Digital Commons Network^™

An Empirical Examination Of Maximum Entropy Estimation., Randall Charles Campbell

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Maximum entropy estimation is a relatively new estimation technique in econometrics. We carry out several Monte Carlo experiments using real data as a basis in order to understand the properties of the maximum entropy estimator. We compare the maximum entropy and generalized maximum entropy estimators to traditional estimation techniques in linear regression, binary choice, and multinomial choice models. In addition, we discuss maximum entropy estimation in censored and truncated regression models. We find that the generalized maximum entropy estimator dominates the logit estimator and the multinomial logit estimator in Monte Carlo experiments. The generalized maximum entropy estimator in discrete choice …

A Transformational Reengineering System That Supports Software Maintenance Using A Graph Representation For The Identification Of An Object-Oriented Software Architecture., Ramachenga Reddy Valasareddi

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The process of maintenance and enhancement of legacy software systems is a laborious and unavoidable task. Often these systems lack structure or modularity, as they were developed using programming languages and paradigms that do not incorporate object-oriented features and sound design principles. The software engineer's task can be simplified if tools are available to identify object like features in the code. These tools can help transform the non-object-oriented code to object oriented code. This research describes a comprehensive and systematic process for transformational reengineering of legacy systems. Research in reengineering is mainly focused on clustering techniques that group procedures present …

Tourism And Place In Treasure Beach, Jamaica: Imagining Paradise And The Alternative., Michael J. Hawkins

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The tourism production system has been generating images of the Jamaican landscape and culture since the mid-nineteenth century. This system consists of those individuals and corporate entities who produce and market the product itself, including travel writers, airlines, advertising agencies, hotel owners and government agencies; and the people, their culture, and elements of the landscape which are commodified as tourist attractions. The tourist gaze has traditionally focused on an idealized Caribbean landscape. Because of a shift in Western patterns of consumption, the focus of the gaze has shifted to emphasize the culture and people who inhabit the landscape. As the …

"A Perfect War": Politics And Parties In Louisiana, 1824--1861., John Michael Sacher

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

My dissertation explores Louisiana's political development from 1824 to 1861. Many antebellum state studies have been written, but none focus specifically on Louisiana. While sharing the rest of the South's commitment to slavery and cotton, Louisiana possessed atypical attributes including: a unique ethnic composition, a sugar cane crop dependent upon a protective tariff, and the presence of New Orleans, the South's foremost commercial city. Louisiana's antebellum political situation resulted from the interaction of these distinctive traits with the characteristics that Louisiana shared in common with the rest of the United States. The primary focus of this political narrative is the …

Preparing New Teachers To Use Technology: A Comparative Study Of Preservice Teacher Education Programs., Patricia Ann Duhon

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe and analyze the technology components in three teacher education programs, and to investigate the technological preparedness of recently graduated first-year elementary (K--5) teachers. The research questions addressed were: (a) How are the teacher education programs at each university in this study preparing students to integrate technology into their classrooms and instruction, and how do the programs compare? (b) How do recently graduated first-year teachers at each university rate their skills in using technology, and how do their ratings compare? (c) How and to what extent do recently graduated first-year teachers at …

Gaps In College Biology Students' Understanding Of Photosynthesis: Implications For Human Constructivist Learning Theory And College Classroom Practice., Phyllis Baudoin Griffard

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The main research question of this study was: What gaps in biochemical understanding are revealed by a range of university introductory biology students as they work through a critically acclaimed multimedia program on photosynthesis, and what are the corresponding implications for elaboration of the Ausubel-Novak-Gowin Learning Theory (ANG, now Human Constructivism)? Twelve students, mixed for ability, gender and ethnicity, were recruited from two sections of "Bio 101." Before and after instruction in photosynthesis, in-depth clinical interviews were conducted during which participants completed a range of cognitive tasks such as sorting, concept mapping, explaining and predicting. Some tasks involved interacting with …

Development Of Pseudostationary Phases For Separations In Electrokinetic Chromatography., Judson Leroy Haynes Iii

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The research presented in this dissertation covers pseudo-stationary phase development for separations in electrokinetic chromatography (EKC). Micelles and cyclodextrins have traditionally served as the most popular pseudo-stationary phases (PSPs) used in EKC. However, the development and implementation of PSPs, which have improved properties over traditional ones, are necessary to extend the utility of electrokinetic chromatography. This dissertation covers research contributions, chapter by chapter, to the area of PSP development made by the author. In addition to this, Chapter 1 covers a brief history of chromatography and the fundamentals of capillary electrophoresis and EKC. The first pseudo-stationary phase developed was a …

Input Manipulations, Working Memory, And Word Learning Abilities Of Children., Janice Elisabeth Horohov

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A storybook task was used to examine the word learning abilities of children with and without specific language impairment (SLI). Speech rate, sentence complexity and word type were manipulated within the narrative. A nonword repetition task also was used to examine the relation between working memory and word learning. Fifty-four children participated; a third were classified as SLI and the others served as either age-matched or language-matched controls. For comprehension, a significant main effect for word type was observed with verb scores higher than noun scores. Main effects for group, race, and rate also were observed and these were qualified …

The Influence Of Interpersonal Communication Variables On Group Attraction And Group Communication Satisfaction., Michelle Diane Kirtley

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This investigation explored the effects of the interpersonal communication concepts of willingness to communicate, self-monitoring, and loneliness on the group outcomes of group attraction and group communication satisfaction. Using the Willingness to Communicate Scale (McCroskey, & Richmond, 1990), Lennox and Wolfe's (1984) Revised Self-monitoring Scale, the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell, Peplau, & Cutrona, 1980), an adaptation of Byrne's (1969) original Interpersonal Judgment Scale, and an adaptation of Hecht's (1978) Communication Satisfaction Inventory, communication dispositions were analyzed in relationship to group attraction and group communication satisfaction. Consistent with expectations, the results show that loneliness mediated reported group communication satisfaction. Individuals …

The Effect Of Accurate/Inaccurate Teacher Instruction, High/Low Teacher Delivery, And On - /Off -Task Student Behavior On Musicians' Evaluation Of Teacher Effectiveness., Melissa Katia Madsen

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of accurate/inaccurate teacher instruction, high/low teacher delivery and on-/off-task student behavior on musicians' evaluations of teaching effectiveness. An additional purpose of this study was to determine whether differences in the musicians' evaluative responses of teacher effectiveness would occur due to differences in their experience level. Subjects (N = 168) were musicians and were grouped accordingly: (1) grades 6--8; (2) grades 9--12; (3) undergraduate; and (4) experienced teacher. The subjects viewed and evaluated a videotape of eight teaching segments for teacher effectiveness. The segments had been simulated by the investigator …

Another New South: Patterns Of Continuity In The Southern Naval Stores Industry., Robert Boone Outland Iii

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Analysis of southern naval stores production, an industry in many respects more representative of southern economic development than cotton textiles, reveals a pattern of continuity between the antebellum and post-war South. Naval stores manufacturing began in the colonial era but languished as a marginally-profitable business until the 1830s when new uses for spirits of turpentine resulted in increased demand and higher prices. Large turpentine operations developed almost exclusively in eastern North Carolina and the slaves, who performed most of the work, experienced distinct work patterns. By the 1850s, destructive gum-harvesting methods led to the depletion of North Carolina's longleaf pine …

The Dilemma Of Intellectual Property Piracy In China, Jennifer S. Fan

Articles

This Article analyzes the effectiveness of China's intellectual property laws and the role they play in China's foreign trade and investment. It gives an overview of how intellectual property laws developed in China and explains why they have been inadequate, especially with respect to the protection of the interests of U.S. companies. It then illustrates why America's response to the piracy of intellectual property has been largely ineffective. The Article explains why China's strides in intellectual property law have fallen short of expectations and offers alternative methods of protecting intellectual property rights in China.

The New Wild West: Measuring And Proving Fame And Dilution Under The Federal Trademark Dilution Act, Xuan-Thao Nguyen

Articles

The passage of the Federal Trademark Dilution Act of 1995 (the Dilution Act or Act) has been widely celebrated, as evidenced by the number of related articles, speeches and symposia. Commentators who applauded the adoption of the Dilution Act believed that a dilution claim would now be easier to prove by trademark owners against diluters because trademark owners would not have to establish the troublesome factual issue of consumer confusion. The courts have embraced the Act, and it has already proven to be an effective weapon for trademark owners. One court has even suggested trademark owners asserting claims of dilution …

Some Of Them Still Don't Get It: Hostile Work Environment Litigation In The Lower Courts, Eric Schnapper

Articles

This Article describes how the courts of appeals have decided sexual harassment cases in the five years since Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc., 510 US 17 (1993). In some circuits, events have unfolded largely as Justice Scalia anticipated: the trier of fact—ordinarily a jury—applies the hostile work environment standard announced in Meritor and elaborated upon in Harris.

Chain Gangs, Boogeymen And Other Real Prisons Of The Imagination, Lisa Kelly

Articles

This narrative is a fictionalized account of real legal, historical, and interpersonal issues rooted in the social construction of race.

Telemedicine And Integrated Health Care Delivery: Compounding Malpractice Liability, Patricia C. Kuszler

Articles

This Article considers how theories of medical negligence might be applied in the context of telemedicine and integrated delivery health plans. Part Two summarizes the history of telemedicine, its increasing breadth of application and opportunity and promise for the future. Part Three reviews traditional negligence principles and precedents and demonstrates how they might be applied when a telemedicine interaction results in negligence and harm to the patient. Part Four discusses evolving theories of shared liability applicable to health plans and managed care entities. Finally, Part Five demonstrates how shared liability theories will be applied to situations involving telemedicine technologies.

John Dewey, Art And Public Life, Mark Mattern

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

This article explores, criticizes, and extends John Dewey's arguments about art in relation to public life in a democracy. Dewey believed that art is a potent form of communication through which community is developed and political action undertaken. Although correct, Dewey erased conflict, negotiation and contestation From art, and failed to address the crucial role of power in the world of art. Three distinct kinds of political action through art are developed: pragmatic, deliberative, and confrontational.

Taking Indian Land Into Trust, Mary Jane Sheppard

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Policy And Science: A Review Essay Of Wilson's Consilience: The Unity Of Knowledge, Thomas Earl Geu

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Harm In The Application Of The Harmless Error Doctrine To The Constitutional Defect In In Re C.V., Denise M. Faehnrich

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Franchise Modification And Constitutional Confrontation: An Avoidable Crisis Of Consumer Expectations And Investor Trust, Daniel Wm. Fessler, Cynthia Mcarthur Morelli

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Phoenix Project: (Seriously) Renewing Public Trust In The American Justice System, Robert F. Blomquist

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Delisting Bias In Crsp’S Nasdaq Data And Its Implications For The Size Effect, Tyler Shumway, Vincent A. Warther

Faculty Publications

We investigate the bias in CRSP's Nasdaq data due to missing returns for delisted stocks. We find that the missing returns are large and negative on average, and that delisted stocks experience a substantial decrease in liquidity. We estimate that using a corrected return of −55 percent for missing performance-related delisting returns corrects the bias. We revisit previous work which finds a size effect among Nasdaq stocks. After correcting for the delisting bias, there is no evidence that there ever was a size effect on Nasdaq. Our results are inconsistent with most risk-based explanations of the size effect.

The Limits Of Discipline: Ownership And Hard Budget Constraints In The Transition Economies, Roman Frydman, Cheryl W. Gray, Marek P. Hessel, Andrzej Rapaczynski

Faculty Scholarship

This paper, based on a large sample of mid-sized manufacturing firms in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, argues that the imposition of financial discipline is not sufficient to remedy ownership and governance-related deficiencies of corporate performance. The study offers three main conclusions. First, we find that state enterprises represent a higher credit risk both because of their inferior economic performance and because of their lesser willingness or propensity to meet their payment obligations. Second, the brunt of the state firms' lower creditworthiness is borne by their state creditors, as state enterprises deflect the higher risk away from private creditors. …

Efficacy Of Beam-Hardening Correction For Vascular Morphometry Using 3d Conebeam Micro-Ct, Roger H. Johnson, Jiang Hsieh, Robert C. Molthen, Christopher A. Dawson

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Research Methods In Cognition And Emotion, W G. Parrott, Paula T. Hertel

Psychology Faculty Research

In this chapter we critically survey research methods used in the field of cognition and emotion. Research on cognition and emotion addresses a great variety of topics, which include the ways in which emotional states influence cognitive processes, the role of cognition in producing emotion, and folk categories and knowledge of emotion. So great is this variety that a brief chapter cannot address all the research methods that have contributed to the expansion of knowledge that has occurred in recent years; there are too many methods, and many are relevant only to particular specialized topics. Specialized research methods are discussed …

An Investigation Into The Implementation And Performance Of Spectrally Shaped Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex, David Lahiri Bhatoolaul

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex (OFDM) is a flexible, robust multi-carrier modulation scheme. The orthogonal spectral shaping and spacing of OFDM sub-carriers ensure that their spectra can be over-lapped without leading to undesirable inter-carrier interference. Conventional OFDM systems have non-band limited Sinc(x) shaped subcarrier spectra. An alternative form of OFDM, referred to hereafter as Spectrally Shaped OFDM, employs band limited Nyquist shaped sub-carrier spectra. The research described in this thesis investigates the strengths and weaknesses of Spectrally Shaped OFDM as a potential modulation scheme for future mobile radio applications. From this research a novel Digital Signal Processing architecture for modulating and …

Integration Of Faith And Learning In Christian Higher Education : Professional Development Of Teachers And Classroom Implementation, Constance Chibuzo Nwosu

Dissertations

Problem. Few studies have focused on effective professional development programs that enhance faith-learning implementation in the Christian higher education classroom, and little has been documented about what integration of faith and learning actually looks or sounds like in Christian higher education classrooms.

Purpose. This study had four purposes:

1. To describe the training processes used for preparing teachers in Christian higher education for implementing EFL in the classroom.
2. To compare these methodologies with Jesus’ training methodologies and research-based professional development programs.
3. To understand how teachers in Christian higher education classrooms defined IFL.
4. To identify and document some exemplary practices of faith …

Evolution Of Quaternary Intraplate Mafic Lavas Detailed Using Helium-3 Surface Exposure And Argon-40/Argon-39 Dating, And Elemental And Helium, Strontium, Neodymium And Lead Isotopic Signatures: Potrillo Volcanic Field, New Mexico, United States Of America And San Quintin Volcanic Field, Baja California Norte, Mexico, Wendi Joan Whitehead Williams

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Pleistocene Potrillo volcanic field (PVF) resides within the southern axis of the Rio Grande Rift, New Mexico, U.S.A., near the eastern extent of the Basin and Range Province. Its alkalic mafic volcanism has resulted in several hundred cones, flows and maars distributed over approximately 4,600 km2. Alignments are segregated into two halves relative to the East Robledo fault system that dissects this field. Three of the five maars have brought peridotitic and lower to upper crustal xenoliths to the surface; several older, non maar-related flows from the west half of the field host ultramafic clots. Stratigraphic relationships, 3He surface …

Natives And Academics: Researching And Writing About American Indians (Book Review), David E. Wilkins

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Review of the book, Natives and Academics: Researching and Writing About American Indians by Devon Mihesuah. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1998.