Digital Commons Network^™

The Importance Of Zooplankton In The Diets Of Blue Runner (Caranx Crysos) Near Offshore Petroleum Platforms In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Sean Francis Keenan

LSU Master's Theses

Blue runner (Caranx crysos), common around offshore petroleum platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, were found to forage extensively on meso- and macro-zooplankton during the summer months. Larval decapods and stomatopods, hyperiid amphipods, pteropods, and larval and juvenile fishes were common components of their diet. Feeding periodicity results suggest that blue runner around platforms were capable of feeding throughout the night at the same intensity as the day. Size selectivity indicated that larger prey, such as fish were consumed during the night and smaller decapod crustaceans were consumed during the day. Blue runner collected from open waters away from platforms …

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 …

Effects Of Repeat Sampling In The U.S. Waterfowl Parts Collection Survey, Jesse G. Oetgen

LSU Master's Theses

Age ratio estimates obtained annually by the Cooperative Waterfowl Parts Collection Survey (PCS) serve as important estimates of annual waterfowl recruitment. To determine if age and sex ratios are biased due to repeat sampling of hunters across years, I examined PCS data collected from 1991-2000. Mean seasonal harvest increased with number of consecutive years hunters responded to the PCS. Proportions of juveniles in the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) harvest and harvest of all species combined decreased with increasing seasonal harvest level. Proportions of males in the harvest increased with increasing harvest level. Proportions of juveniles in the harvest of hunters responding …

An Analysis Of The Impacts Of Land Use Change And Greenspace On Runoff Rates In An Urbanized Watershed, Kelly Anne Niemeyer

Student Work

This study utilizes the HEC-1 hydrologic model interface within the Watershed Modeling System (WMS) software program to analyze the impacts of urban development and greenspace within a sub-basin of the Papillion Creek Watershed in eastern Nebraska. The sub-basin, located in Douglas County, Nebraska, is currently 30% developed. Four additional land use scenarios were created. The first three scenarios represent a progression of land development from current to complete development. The fourth depicts a completely developed sub-basin with an added greenspace system. Digital terrain data was used within WMS to delineate the basin and its sub-basins. Runoff rates were generated for …

Effects Of Harvesting On Herbaceous Layer Diversity Of A Central Appalachian Hardwood Forest, Frank S. Gilliam

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Clearcutting is a common harvesting practice in many eastern hardwood forests. Among the vegetation strata of these forests, the herbaceous layer is potentially the most sensitive in its response to harvest-mediated disturbances and has the highest species diversity. Thus, it is important to understand the response of herbaceous layer diversity to forest harvesting. Previous work on clearcut and mature stands at the Fernow Experimental Forest (FEF), West Virginia, has shown that, although, harvesting did not alter appreciably herbaceous layer cover, it influenced the relationship of cover to biotic and abiotic factors, such as tree density and soil nutrients, respectively. The …

Inventing The Gothic Subject: Revolution, Secularization, And The Discourse Of Suffering, Diane Hoeveler

English Faculty Research and Publications

In 1816, Byron's Childe Harold bemoaned: "What deep wounds ever closed without a scar?/The heart's bleed longest, and but heal to wear/That which disfigures it" (III, 84), a fitting expression of the culture's fascination with psychic, emotional, and historical traumas. Felicia Hemans used these exact lines as an epigraph to her poem "The Indian City" in 1828, suggesting again the fascination with suffering that permeated the texts produced by this literary community.

Proteolytic Specificity Of Lactobacillus Delbrueckii Subsp. Bulgaricus Influences Functional Properties Of Mozzarella Cheese, B. S. Oommen, Donald J. Mcmahon, C. J. Oberg, Jeff Broadbent, M. Strickland

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella cheeses were manufactured from 2% fat milk and aged for 21 d. Treatments included cheeses made with one of three different strains of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus in combination with a single strain of Streptococcus thermophilus. A fourth, control treatment consisted of cheeses made with only S. thermophilus. Although total proteolytic ability of these strains, as indicated by the o-phthaldialdehyde analysis, was similar in each of the three strains of L. bulgaricus, these strains exhibited different proteolytic specificities toward the peptide, αs1-CN (f 1-23). On the basis of their αs1-CN (f 1-23) cleavage patterns …

Intégration Des Approches Biomécaniques Et Ergonomiques Pour L'Évaluation Des Effets D'Une Pratique Libre De Tâches De Manutention, Micheline Gagnon, Monique Lortie

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Problématique de santé et sécurité et pertinence du projet

II est très difficile d'instrumenter le terrain et d'évaluer certains aspects de la manutention, en particulier son apprentissage dans un contexte de formation. Il est nécessaire de développer des outils d'évaluation plus précis et validés, et d'améliorer notre compréhension des facteurs qui jouent un rôle important en manutention pour développer des stratégies de prévention efficaces.

Objectifs

Trois objectifs principaux étaient visés: 1) Élaborer des outils permettant d'évaluer l'assimilation de la formation. 2) Évaluer l'impact d'une pratique libre, non directive afin de dissocier les changements temporaires dus à la pratique de ceux …

Lombalgies Et Accidents Musculosquelettiques Chez Les Pompiers : Identification Et Analyse Des Situations À Risque Lors De L'Accès Aux Véhicules Et De La Manutention D'Outils, Denis Giguère, Denis Marchand

Rapports de recherche scientifique

La nature du travail des pompiers est propice à l’apparition de problèmes musculo-squelettiques. Les statistiques de la CSST montrent que les foulures et les entorses viennent au premier rang du type de lésion, le dos en est la cible principale suivi des pieds et des chevilles et les agents causals les plus souvent impliqués sont les mouvements du corps, les surfaces de travail et les véhicules. Une étude de l’IRSST (Cloutier et Champoux, 1996) révèle l’existence d’un scénario d’accident, parmi d’autres, impliquant « un effort excessif » et dont les résultats sont des douleurs et des entorses, en particulier au …

Étude Préliminaire De La Friction Des Planchers Recouverts De Matière Grasse, André Massicotte, François Quirion

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Au cours des cinq dernières années, les chutes par glissades ont été la cause de plus de 32000 cas de lésions professionnelles au Québec. Ce type d’accidents est généralement associé à une mauvaise résistance au glissement des planchers, particulièrement dans les services alimentaires où les planchers sont exposés à la matière grasse.

De juin à novembre 2001, QInc a réalisé une étude préliminaire visant à évaluer l’impact de l’entretien et de l’encrassement sur la résistance au glissement des planchers de grès exposés à la matière grasse et à l’usure depuis plusieurs années.

Une procédure a été mise au point afin …

The Bible Code, John A. Tvedtnes

Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011

Review of The Bible Code (1997), by Michael Drosnin

Conception Et Développement D'Un Nouveau Mesureur De Charge Des Boulons D'Ancrage, Hani S. Mitri

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Click here for the English version of this report

Une nouvelle technologie permettant de mesurer la charge axiale des boulons d'ancrage mécaniques et des « rebars » (boulons à la résine) dans les mines souterraines a été conçue et développée en laboratoire. Cette technologie repose sur un système désigné du nom de SAFEBOLT (Stress And Force Evaluator in BOLTs), qui réunit trois composantes : 1) le mesureur de charge SAFEBOLT installé dans la tête des boulons, 2) un module d'affichage et 3) un câble de raccordement. Un banc d'essai adapté a été construit en laboratoire afin d'assurer le calibrage et …

Non - Legitimate Illness, Embodied Experience And The Moral Career: The Case Of Me/Cfs, Tracey Collett

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

The condition known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is an illness of unknown aetiology which affects over 150 000 persons in the UK. Whilst the cause of the condition is the subject of intense medical debate, the official view is that it is a form of atypical depression or somatisation disorder. This view is at odds with the views of many sufferers who claim that ME/CFS is a pathological disease that renders them severely incapacitated. Sufferers' maintain that, because their condition is regarded as a minor, psychological illness, its' severity is not recognised. Thus, rather than being …

An Empirical Analysis Of Takeover Predictions In The Uk: Application Of Artificial Neural Networks And Logistic Regression, Asim Yuzbasioglu

Plymouth Business School Theses

This study undertakes an empirical analysis of takeover predictions in the UK. The objectives of this research are twofold. First, whether it is possible to predict or identity takeover targets before they receive any takeover bid. Second, to test whether it is possible to improve prediction outcome by extending firm specific characteristics such as corporate governance variables as well as employing a different technique that has started becoming an established analytical tool by its extensive application in corporate finance field. In order to test the first objective, Logistic Regression (LR) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) have been applied as modelling …

A Model-Based Definition Of The Generic Remanufacturing Business Process, Winifred Ijomah

Plymouth Business School Theses

Remanufacturing is a process of bringing used products to a "like-new" functional state by rebuilding and replacing their component parts. The practice has a low profile in world economies, however, studies indicate that it obtains cost savings in the region of 20% to 80%, as well as quality similar to that of an equivalent "new" product. In fact, in excess of 73,000 firms are engaged in some sort of remanufacturing in the United States alone. The key remanufacturing issues are the ambiguity in its definition and the scarcity of its analytic models. The objective of the research was to address …

Wavelength Assignment In All-Optical Networks For Mesh Topologies, Prabhulaiah Bijja

LSU Master's Theses

All-Optical Networks employing Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) are believed to be the next generation networks that can meet the ever-increasing demand for bandwidth of the end users. This thesis presents some new heuristics for wavelength assignment and converter placement in mesh topologies. Our heuristics try to assign the wavelengths in an efficient manner that results in very low blocking probability. We propose novel static and dynamic assignment schemes that outperform the assignments reported in the literature even when converters are used. The proposed on-line scheme called "Round-Robin" assignment outperforms previously proposed strategies such as first-fit and random assignment schemes. …

Space And Organizations: The Ecology Of Rural Ngos In San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Patricia Marie Campion

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The field of organizational ecology has been reduced to studies of population dynamics. Ecology, however, is a much broader field, that includes relational, spatial, and temporal dimensions. It allows us to combine existing theories of organizations to study their distribution across space. I combine insights from the new institutionalism, population ecology, and resource-dependence theory, to investigate the factors that influence the location of NGO activities in the state of San Luis Potosí­, Mexico. I conducted interviews and participant observation in 51 rural NGOs. The uneven distribution of NGOs in the state is not the result of their strategy to reach …

Development Of Diagnostic Tools For Detecting Expression Of Resistance-Associated Esterases In The Tobacco Budworm, Heliothis Virescens (F.), Huazhang Huang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Esterase-based metabolic resistance was studied using biochemical and biological assays with organophosphate (OP)- and pyrethroid (PYR)- resistant tobacco budworms, Heliothis virescens. In biochemical assays, results suggest that: (1) esterase activities toward all substrates used were enhanced in both resistant strains compared with the susceptible strain, suggesting that esterases were involved in resistance; (2) esterase profiles differed depending on the strain and substrate used, and these differences were visualized by using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; 3) esterase activities toward some pyrethroid substrates were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.01) in the PYR-R strain than those in the OP-R strain. These results suggest …

Wash, Karin Eberhardt Watts

LSU Master's Theses

In this body of work, Wash, I translate the negative aspects of life in a positive, vibrant way. The physical and psychological sensations of life supply me with an intuitive frame of reference providing a point of departure for visual expression. Digital scanning and imaging techniques allow me to develop an immediate intimacy with the organic and inorganic objects, while I methodically examine, alter and reconfigure their forms. Graphic elements suggest symbolic interpretation from eastern studies and are sometimes enhanced with letterforms and photographic images representing the difficult articulation of thoughts. I synchronize this re-orchestration with the deciphering and close …

Phylogeny Of Ericameria, Chrysothamnus And Related Genera (Asteraceae : Astereae) Based On Nuclear Ribosomal Dna Sequence Data, Roland P. Roberts

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Phylogenetic relationships and classification of Chrysothamnus, Ericameria, Xylothamia and related genera were investigated. The internal transcribed spacer and 3' external transcribed spacers (ITS and ETS) of the nuclear ribosomal (nr) DNA were analyzed separately and combined employing different optimality criteria. These analyses indicated that the previous classifications and hypotheses of relationships were not monophyletic. Chrysothamnus, Ericameria, Xylothamia, and related genera were placed in separate lineages irrespective of data set and optimality criteria. Chrysothamnus species, as traditionally delimited, were resolved in four, not necessarily closely related lineages affiliated with the Solidagininae. Previous sectional classification of Chrysothamnus based primarily on morphology was …

"Getting Above Your Raising" : The Role Of Social Class And Status In The Fiction Of Lee Smith, Sharon Elizabeth Colley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of social class and status in the fiction of contemporary novelist and short story writer, Lee Smith. As discussed in the Introduction, the study defines social class broadly, not limiting it to production, but also not discarding its economic underpinning. Max Weber's definition of class as "life chances" provides the starting point; any resources that can improve a person's position in the market place positively impact their "life chances." The resources appearing most often in Smith's fiction include economic capital and property, as well as education, family connections and occupational status. The discussion also builds …

Multidemensional Goals Of Farmers In The Beef Cattle An Dairy Industries, Aydin Basarir

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Farm firm decision making processes have long been of concern to agricultural economists. The concept of maximizing utility rather than profit is an important concept in multidimensional goal research. The prevalence of low or negative net returns in Louisiana beef and dairy production leads to the hypothesis that goals other than profit maximization compete strongly in producers' decisions. The objective of this study is to determine the hierarchy of goals that motivate beef and dairy producers and evaluate them in a multi-dimensional framework. Seven goals were evaluated in producer decision making: Maintain and Conserve Land, Maximize Profit, Increase Farm Size, …

Development Of Catalytic Processes For Aromatic Amides And Carboxylic Acids, Yujun Song

LSU Master's Theses

New catalysts were prepared and studied for: (1) a model amidation with a hindered amine, diethylamine (DEA), to N,N¡¯-diethyltoluamide (DEET); (2) the oxidation of m-xylene (MX) to DEET¡¯s alkylaromatic precursor, m-toluic acid (MTA). In both cases the goal was to reduce waste associated with current processes. Thermodynamic analyses showed that the amidation to produce DEET from MTA and DEA was an equilibrium limited reaction with equilibrium constants (Ke) less than 41 at temperatures below 320¡ÆC. The kinetics on silica-supported titanium (¥³) (triethanolaminato)-isopropoxide (Tyzor TE), calcium hydroxyapatites and silica supported tungsten heteropolyacids were studied using a continuous reactor. Both porous hydroxyapatites …

Does Archieving Social Policy Goals Insure Positive Outcomes: From Welfare Reliance Of Wage Work In Rural Louisiana, Lydia Bentin Blalock

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research was Wave II of a longitudinal, qualitative study designed to describe the outcomes of welfare reform legislation on rural families in Louisiana as they tried to comply with provisions of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. This particular study looked at a subset of women (n=12) from Wave II and explored two questions: (a) Whether the decline in Louisiana welfare caseloads translated into rural women finding and keeping jobs; and (b) What is the likelihood that the women employed at the time of this study will be able to sustain their work efforts and …

Visco-Elastic Creep In The Lumbar Spine Associated With Static Flexion: A Feline Model, Guntulu Selen Hatipkarasulu

LSU Master's Theses

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have become a major health concern with the industrial revolution and technological advances. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently estimated the cost of MSDs at $13 to $20 billion annually. Back, spine, and spinal cord disorders add up to 60% of the total MSD injuries. Based on pervious studies, it is known that lumbar ligaments play a limited or little role in stabilizing the spine; where as the musculature around the spine is the major stabilizing structure. However, repetitive or prolonged static displacement or load induces creep in passive tissues of the spine …

Transformation Of Paradise: Geographical Perspectives On Tourism Development On A Small Carribbean Island (Utila, Honduras), Frances Heyward Currin

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis addresses the recent development of tourism on Utila, the westernmost island of the Bay Islands of Caribbean, Honduras. Especially during the 1990s, international tourists, mostly Europeans and North Americans, were attracted to the island because it was a relatively inexpensive place to dive on a beautiful fringing reef and to enjoy other benefits of a tropical beach community. Larger nearby islands, Roatán and Guanaja, had developed something of a tourism industry earlier. A review of the economic and culture history of Utila reveals that modern islanders -- English-speaking Anglo- and Afro-Caribbeans originally from the Cayman Islands were preadapted …

Fecal Coliform Decay And Regrowth Kinetics In An Anaerobic Dairy Wastewater Environment, Shufang Liu

LSU Master's Theses

The kinetics of fecal coliforms (FC) decay and regrowth were analyzed under laboratory conditions using filtered dairy wastewater under anaerobic conditions. The mean specific growth rates during the regrowth phase, µr , in the batch study were 1.79, 1.46, and 1.27d-1 for initial organic carbon concentrations of 478, 235 and 127 mg/L COD, respectively. The substrate concentrations had a significant impact on the FC regrowth. A maximum specific growth rate (mmax) of 1.92 d-1, and half-saturated coefficient (ks) of 60.92mg/L were determined from these data. The mean dark FC decay rate coefficients, kd , at 35oC in the batch study …

Bayesian Updating Of Simulated Household Travel Survey Data For Small/Medium Metropolitan Areas, Sirisha Murthy Kothuri

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis tests an approach for generating simulated travel survey data that has local characteristics incorporated in it. Travel survey data are generally required for estimating and calibrating travel demand models for a region. The high cost associated with travel surveys puts them beyond the budget of most small/medium MPOs. Therefore simulation of travel survey data provides a viable alternative for these data starved regions to generate data. The simulated data is produced by combining socio-demographic data along with a national survey data set. Updating the simulated data distributions with the distributions obtained by surveying a small sample of local …

The Effects Of Stimulant Medication On The Social Behavior Of Children With Adhd During Times Of Play, Robert, Jr. H. Larue

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Psychomotor stimulants are the most commonly prescribed medications for the treatment of ADHD in children and adults. A vast literature has evolved concerning the efficacy and potential side effects of these drugs. Although stimulants are generally regarded as safe and effective, there is concern that potential problems may have been overlooked. Specifically, there is some literature indicating that, at least in some cases, stimulant medications may produce significant disruptions in social behavior. To investigate these effects, a number of different measurements were employed with preschool children, including direct observations during times of play, a social reinforcer assessment and a number …

Relationship Between Neuropsychological Deficits And Cerebral Perfusion Abnormalities In Cocaine Abusers, Karen A. Tucker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between the severity of cocaine/alcohol use, neuropsychological functioning, and cerebral blood flow abnormalities. Cocaine users (n = 60) and control subjects (n = 13) were administered a battery of neuropsychological tests that yielded the following factors: Attention/Executive Functioning, Memory, Simple Motor, and Sensorimotor. Participants were assessed for decreased cerebral blood flow with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Examination of group differences indicated that cocaine users performed significantly worse than controls on the Memory and Sensorimotor factors. The frequency/duration of cocaine use, alcohol use, and a combination of both substances were …