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Effects Of A Screening Instrument And Parent Handouts On Physicians Recognition And Intervention Of Childrens Behavioral And Emotional Problems, Heather Rech Applegate

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the effects of a screening instrument and parent handouts on pediatric residents' recognition and intervention of children's behavioral and emotional problems. Four pediatric residents and 52 parent-child dyads attending a pediatric primary care clinic participated in the study. A multiple baseline design across residents was used. The effects of the interventions were assessed by measuring ten target behaviors of the pediatric residents. After being trained to use the screening instrument, residents' increased the number and variety of questions they asked regarding behavioral and emotional issues. Attempts at intervention by the residents showed small but reliable increases when …

Pathogenic Mechanisms Of Photobacterium Damselae Subspecies Piscicida In Hybrid Striped Bass, Ahmad A. Elkamel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Photobacterium damselae subspecies piscicida, previously known as Pasteurella piscicida, is an important pathogen of hybrid striped bass and many fish species cultured in brackish water in the United States, Japan, Europe, and the Mediterranean. The purpose of this study is to investigate virulence mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of this organism. The ability of P. damselae to survive/replicate within hybrid striped bass macrophages was evaluated with an in vitro killing assay. Results indicated that the numbers of bacteria recovered from macrophages at 3, 6, 12, and 18 hours of incubation increased significantly over time. In contrast, the numbers of …

Timber, Trade, And Transformation: A Historical Geography Of Mahogany In Honduras, Craig Stephen Revels

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Combining archival and field investigation, this study reconstructs the historical geography of mahogany in Honduras. Focusing on the north coast, its temporal focus stretches from the mid-eighteenth century through the last years of the nineteenth century. This incorporates the earliest stages of the commercial mahogany trade in Honduras, its decline and subsequent rebirth, its boom period in the mid-1800s, and its eventual decline. The initial chapters of the study address cultural aspects of the mahogany trade. The mahogany extraction process is examined in detail to provide a foundation for discussion of the expansion and development of the trade itself. With …

A Comparison Of Louisiana Secondary Career And Technical Teachers And Academic Teachers On Learning Type And Perception Of School Climate, Tracy Andries Beard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Louisiana public secondary school teachers' primary learning type and teaching area; and the influence of learning type and teaching area on the teacher's perception of school climate. A total of 293 Louisiana public secondary school teachers participated in the study. An instrument with three parts was used to collect data for this study: demographics, Learning Type Measure and Organizational Health Inventory. Over two-thirds of the respondents were female. Mean age was 43 years and mean teaching experience was 16.41 years. Over three-fourths of respondents were white while over 50% …

Dynamic Econometric Modeling Of The U.S. Wheat Grain Market, Carlos Walter Robledo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Structural-time series models have not gained much ground in commodity market modeling despite the overwhelming popularity of time series approaches in forecasting and dynamic analyses. This dissertation contributes by applying developments in seasonal cointegration and structural-time series analysis (e.g., Zellner and Palm (1974); Hsiao (1997); Lee (1992); Franses and Kunst (1999); Ghysels and Osborn, 2001) to the study of agricultural commodity markets. The focus is on three research themes. The first theme investigates the role of cointegration and seasonal cointegration for market data, an issue considered timely because most applications assume deterministic seasonal components. The second issue breaks new ground …

Modeling Canopy Structure Effects On Loblolly Pine Growth, Mauricio Jerez Rico

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined several aspects of canopy structure and their influence on growth of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations. Foliage distribution, crown hydraulic architecture, and the effect of chronological changes in canopy structure on stand development were explored as possible components of a future process-based model intended for management purposes. A model based on the Johnson’s SB distribution was developed to predict leaf area distribution of loblolly pine trees. This is a preliminary step for building a submodel capable of simulating chronological changes in canopy structure and stand growth. The model accurately predicted the cumulative distribution of leaf area …

Spatial Models Of Hawaiian Streams And Hawaiian Stream Fish Habital, James Elliott Parham

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A series of spatially based models of Hawaiian streams and stream fish habitats were developed to aid in the conservation of native fishes. The spatial models focused on the quantification of habitat for native fishes at three levels within a spatial hierarchy. First, at the reach level, the models classified the major geomorphological features of a stream and its watershed to determine the distribution of fish habitat within the different sections of the stream. The distribution of habitat was combined with habitat suitability criteria and the migratory abilities of the native fishes to quantify available habitat and predict expected community …

The Effect Of An Internship On Undergraduate Perceptions Of Career Related Skills And Interests At The University Of Connecticut, Cynthia F. Jones

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Career Resource Assistants (CRA's) deliver several of the comprehensive career services provided for students at the University of Connecticut through their participation in a structured internship program at Career Services. The literature in the field of career development shows that students usually gain crystallization of career interests and skills through participation in an experiential learning experience such as an internship.

The purpose of this practicum project was to determine whether the internship experience for CRA' s at Career Services provides the benefits traditionally associated with internship experiences for students. The research questions for the study were: "Will there be a …

Branch, Crown, Tree And Stand Water Flux In An 180-Year-Old Loblolly Pine Plantation After Thinning, Fertilization, And Throughfall Exclusion Treatments, Shufang Yu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Branch and tree sap flux density (SFD) was measured to evaluate the effects of thinning, fertilization, and throughfall exclusion treatments on water use by loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) trees. Variations in SFD at different radial xylem depths were also examined to improve estimates of tree water use from sap flux density measured in the outer sapwood. This study was conducted in an 18-year-old loblolly pine plantation in central Louisiana in 1999. The results revealed that SFD was higher in the outer xylem than in the inner xylem and large trees had higher SFD than small trees. Thinning increased daily …

A Comparison Of The Scores Of Students Taking A Business Course Via Internet And Students Taking A Traditional Classroom Delivered Course, David Lusk

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Limestone College is a small four-year liberal arts college that has a long-standing tradition of providing education to those people that desire a college degree, but because of their family and work responsibilities are not afforded the opportunity to attend traditionally delivered classroom courses. Limestone College has begun delivering non-traditional formatted courses via the internet. The Curriculum Committee felt that the web-based courses offered via the internet might not provide students with sufficient in-depth instruction or classroom interaction that would allow students to become proficient in the applications of the course material.

The Director of the Block Program at Limestone …

Comparison Of Scores Between Employees Who Ha Ve Taken The Safety Rescue Training Program Vs. Those Who Have Not Participated, Holly A. Word

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

A public utility was redefining employee safety training to achieve OSHA compliance standards. The problem was it was unknown if there was a difference in scores between employees who have taken the safety rescue training program and employees who did not participate.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a difference in mean scores obtained on the employee questionnaire between those who participated in safety training and those who did not participate. The research question was: " Is there a statistically significant difference in the scores obtained on the Employee Safety Assessment Questionnaire between employees who …

An Evaluation Of The Professional Development Of Credentialed Ministers Of The Assemblies Of God In Victoria, Australia, Brendan Roach

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The Assemblies of God (AOG) in Victoria is a diverse fellowship of Churches, ministers, and non-Church organizations. The fellowship has been growing in numbers and diversity significantly over the last 20 years. This diversity has made it increasingly difficult to run training programs that are relevant to individual needs. The problem is that the perceived professional development needs of AOG in Victoria ministers are unknown. It is also unknown if past professional development programs have met the perceived needs of the ministers.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceived needs of credentialed ministers of the AOG in …

Markov Models To Estimate And Describe Survival Time And Experience In Cohorts With High Euthanasia Frequency, Giselle Louise Hosgood

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Unique to survival analysis of veterinary clinical data is classification of observations from euthanized animals. The first study highlighted limitations of Kaplan-Meier product limit analysis (KM) of veterinary clinical data. Three data sets with different outcome proportions (alive, lost-to-follow-up, dead due to disease, dead due to other, euthanized due to disease, euthanized due to other) were used. Different classifications of observations from euthanized animals caused inconsistent conclusions of significant differences between strata within data sets. At times, ranking of median survival time estimates for strata was reversed. The KM was found inappropriate to evaluate observations from euthanized animals. This finding, …

Training Teachers To Meet The Needs Of Children With Exceptionalities In A Preschool Inclusion Program, Judith N. Levin

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to implement a teacher-training program for regular education teachers to meet the needs of pre-kindergarten children with exceptionalities in inclusion classrooms.

The writer planned seminars, workshops, and hands-on activities in which regular education teachers could participate. In addition, the writer presented information to the teachers about how to conduct observations of children, and how to develop accommodations to support Individual Education Plans.

An analysis of the data revealed that the teachers had a more positive attitude towards the value of inclusion after seeing the increased cognitive development of the children in inclusion classrooms. The teachers …

The Role Of Initial Coping Strategies On Subsequent Appointment Attendance In Individuals With Hiv: A Longitudinal Analysis, Deann Morris Johnson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

With advances in HIV treatment regimens, HIV has become a treatable chronic illness that requires extensive clinical management (Kelly, Otto-Salaj, Sikkema, Pinkerton, & Bloom, 1998). Nonadherence to HIV medical regimens is a primary reason for treatment failure. HIV medication regimens are complicated and require extensive time and effort from the patient (Friedland & Williams, 1999). Since the effectiveness of HIV medication regimens can be severely limited by poor adherence, much research has been conducted regarding the influence of psychosocial factors in adherence. However, this research has primarily focused on medication adherence and has not investigated psychosocial aspects associated with other …

Cementitious Stabilization Of Soils In The Presence Of Sulfate, Lan Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Winn Rock (anhydrite, CaSO4) comes from a quarry in Winn Parish in north Louisiana. Gravel from the quarry has been used extensively as a surface course on local parish and logging roads. Stabilization of these roads with Type I Portland cement followed by an overlay by asphaltic concrete sometimes resulted in heaving. The causes for heaving and possible solutions were investigated. In the laboratory 2" x 4" molds of Winn Rock containing soil were prepared and cured in water bath at 40°C, sealed plastic bag at room temperature, and air. Molds were prepared with 5% to 20% cementitious material. The …

"Los Motz E.L So": Words Melody, And Their Interaction In The Songs Of Folquet De Marseille, Nancy Ellen Washer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although the poems of the troubadours have been extensively studied almost since they were first composed and the troubadours themselves indicate that they tried to create interactions between the melodies and the words, the melodies and the interactions between the poems and melodies in the complete songs have been examined much less intensively. In this dissertation I delve into the songs of the late twelfth-century troubadour Folquet de Marseille whose thirteen songs surviving with their melodies provide a varied collection of a suitable size to permit intensive analysis of poetic and musical compositional practices and the interactions between the two. …

Adoption Of Best Management Practices In The Louisiana Dairy Industry, Noro C. Rahelizatovo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The traditional view of the agricultural community as a good steward of the environment has been challenged by increasing concerns about the complex relationship between agricultural production activities and environmental quality. Agriculture provides a large range of products to satisfy human needs. It has also been singled out as major source of water pollution. Largely improved surface water quality has been assessed in the U.S. since the enactment of the Clean Water Act. However, efforts to reduce water pollution continue, targeting discharges from identifiable sources of water pollution and diffused discharges from nonpoint sources. Agricultural producers are encouraged to voluntarily …

The Works Of Manuel Quiroga: A Catalogue, Ana Luque Fernandez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Manuel Quiroga Losada (1892-1961), violinist, composer, and artist, was one of the foremost figures of the first half of the 20th century. This study tries to bring to light his musical legacy, a long overdue task. Until now, all attempts to rediscover the figure of Quiroga have centered mainly on his career as a violinist, his recordings or his paintings, however not on his compositions. This document is an inventory of the forty-four pieces for violin solo, violin and piano, and violin and orchestra written by Quiroga. Manuel Quiroga mainly wrote for the violin in the form of short pieces …

Precursors For Copper Chemical Vapor Deposition, Muna Bufaroosha

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The main objective of this study was to synthesize precursors that are capable of producing copper films of high quality by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). We investigated some copper(I) and copper(II) complexes as precursors for chemical or photochemical vapor deposition. In chapter 2, we synthesized a series of Cu(hfac)₂(amine) adducts, where hfac^- is hexafluoroacetylacetonate and the amines are: dimethylamine, isopropylamine, allylamine, pyrrolidine, and piperidine. The efficiency of these adducts compared to Cu(hfac)₂(H₂O) as Cu-CVD precursors was examined under hydrogen. We found that among these amine adducts, Cu(hfac)₂(allylamine)₂ gave the best …

Clear-Cutting Eden: Representations Of Nature In Southern Fiction, 1930-1950, Christopher B. Rieger

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines how Southern literary representations of the natural world were influenced by, and influenced, the historical, social, and ecological changes of the 1930s and 1940s. Specifically, I examine the ways that nature is conceived of and portrayed by four authors of this era: Erskine Caldwell, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Zora Neale Hurston, and William Faulkner; through their works, I investigate the intersections of race, class, and gender with the natural environment. I argue that during this time of profound regional and national upheaval there exists a climate of professed binary oppositions and that these authors’ representations of nature in …

Motivational Processes And Performance: The Role Of Global And Facet Personality Traits, James Haven Martin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The conscientiousness and neuroticism dimensions of the Five Factor Model (FFM) have been shown to be predictive of performance (Barrick & Mount, 1991; Paunonen & Ashton, 2001). This research examined three relatively unexplored issues, including (a) the impact of conscientiousness and neuroticism on motivational processes and performance; (b) the criterion-related validity of facet measures of conscientiousness and neuroticism as predictors of motivation and performance; and (c) whether conscientiousness, neuroticism, and their facets impact changes in motivational processes between performance episodes. Undergraduate psychology students (N = 220) completed measures of self-set goals and self-efficacy beliefs on two occasions, prior to the …

Use Of Actigraphy To Objectively Measure Motor Restlessness In Restless Legs Syndrome, Tai Anderson Istre

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a disorder characterized by disagreeable leg sensations, usually prior to sleep onset, which cause an almost irresistible urge to move the legs. A characteristic feature of this disorder is that the movements are partially or completely relieved with leg motions. Attempts to find the underlying pathology have been unsuccessful. Thus, there are no objective physiological tests to diagnose this condition. Using the Suggested Immobilization Test (SIT), the current study attempted to validate a new and practical method for quantifying the motor symptoms of RLS, actigraphy. To this end, the SIT with actigraphy was evaluated for …

Fast Scalable Visualization Techniques For Interactive Billion-Particle Walkthrough, Xinlian Liu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research develops a comprehensive framework for interactive walkthrough involving one billion particles in an immersive virtual environment to enable interrogative visualization of large atomistic simulation data. As a mixture of scientific and engineering approaches, the framework is based on four key techniques: adaptive data compression based on space-filling curves, octree-based visibility and occlusion culling, predictive caching based on machine learning, and scalable data reduction based on parallel and distributed processing. In terms of parallel rendering, this system combines functional parallelism, data parallelism, and temporal parallelism to improve interactivity. The visualization framework will be applicable not only to material simulation, …

The Effects Of Local Hydrodynamics On Mass Transfer In Disordered Porous Media, Gang Guo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Interfacial mass transfer in disordered media was studied experimentally and numerically. The dissolution of solid benzoic acid spheres in packed columns showed the existence of spatial variations in mass transfer coefficients in monodisperse and polydisperse packings at the same overall Peclet number. The concept of a local Peclet number (single-particle average) was introduced to quantify the effect of local hydrodynamics on local mass transfer. Correlations between Sherwood number and Peclet number having the form Sh_i=A·(x_iPe)^m were used to quantify data from various sites in each packing. These experiments also showed that the exponent m varies …

Characterization Of Alligator, Ostrich And Emu Skins And Comparisons To Traditional Leathers, Terri M. Von Hoven

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Exotic skins and leathers have enjoyed a recent resurgence, as current fashion magazines illustrate. Louisiana would like to increase its niche in the exotic skins market by increasing alligator, ostrich and emu skin usage, mainly by inspiring designers to incorporate them into their repertoire. The possibilities are endless from apparel and trim to upholstery and other home furnishings to accessories; Louisiana exotic skins have significant market potential. In order to assist in these traditional textile applications, characterization of the various skin properties needs to be completed. The research was carried out in three stages. For the preliminary research, one emu …

Log-Derived Cation Exchange Capacity Of Shaly Sands : Application To Hydrocarbon Detection And Drilling Optimization, Gamze Ipek

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Researchers at Louisiana State University, LSU, have introduced several petrophysical models expressing the electric properties of shaly sands. These models, to be used for hydrocarbon detection, are based on the Waxman and Smits concept of supplementing the water conductivity with a clay counterions conductivity. The LSU models also utilize the Dual Water theory, which relates each conductivity term to a particular type of water, free and bound, each occupying a specific volume of the total pore space. The main difference between these models and the other shaly sand models is that the counterion conductivity is represented by a hypothetical sodium …

A Comparison Of Student Learning Outcomes In A Web-Based And Face-To-Face Applied Research Methods Course, Trula Morehead Nicholas

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem of focus in this study related to student learning outcomes in the Human Services Department, Bellingham campus at Western Washington University. The purpose of this study was to compare learning outcomes of students in a web-based applied research methods course to those of students in a face to- face applied research methods course.

The research question was "Do students who take the face-to face applied research methods class have higher quiz scores than students who take the web-based applied research methods class?" Using the research methodology literature focusing on distance education and web-based learning was reviewed.

A total …

The Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The Current Student Orientation At Herzing College, Atlanta, Sondra L. Savage

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem investigated was that an analysis of exit interviews of students dropping out of Herzing College suggested that the current student orientation program was not providing them with sufficient information about the college in which they needed to become well-informed about the school's policies, procedures, and services offered. Not being adequately informed was 2 a factor in students' decisions to withdraw from the program. Exit interviews are required when the students decide to withdraw from the program. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the current student orientation through the administration of a needs assessment instrument to analyze …

Development Of A Curriculum For Mercyhurst North East Students Enrolled In Technology Crime Classes, Art Amann

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem under investigation was that adult students engaged in law enforcement work were not receiving adequate education and training regarding technology crime. Information received by way of input from regional police chiefs and other criminal justice administrators supported this premise. The purpose of this study was to develop a curriculum for technology crime that would be available to criminal justice students at Mercyhurst College North East. The two research questions were: "What are the appropriate and valid criteria for the development of a curriculum for criminal justice technology training?", and "What are the valid and appropriate components and delivery …