Digital Commons Network^™

Control Of Transport Dynamics In Overlay Networks, Qishi Wu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Transport control is an important factor in the performance of Internet protocols, particularly in the next generation network applications involving computational steering, interactive visualization, instrument control, and transfer of large data sets. The widely deployed Transport Control Protocol is inadequate for these tasks due to its performance drawbacks. The purpose of this dissertation is to conduct a rigorous analytical study on the design and performance of transport protocols, and systematically develop a new class of protocols to overcome the limitations of current methods. Various sources of randomness exist in network performance measurements due to the stochastic nature of network traffic. …

Community Supervision Of Sex Offenders -- Integrating Probation And Clinical Treatment, Michael J. Jenuwine, Ronald Simmons, Edward Swies

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Deficit Politics And Democratic Unity: The Saga Of Tip O'Neill, Jim Wright, And The Conservative Democrats In The House Of Representatives During The Reagand Era, Karl Gerard Brandt

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Reagan Era featured partisan clashes, controversy over fiscal policy, and a time of trial for the Democratic Party and its claim of diversity. This dissertation examines the efforts of the House Democratic Leadership to build party unity and to enhance its operating methods in battles with the Reagan administration over fiscal policy and the future of the United States. The House Democratic Leadership was challenged by the conservative Democrats. In 1980, the conservatives formed the Conservative Democratic Forum (CDF). Acting as a quasi-third party, the CDF was instrumental in passage of Reagan's economic program in 1981. Afterwards, the CDF …

Immunological, Hematological, And Serum Biochemical Effects Of High Level Dietary Fish Oil And Vitamin E Supplementation In The Dog, Casey J. Leblanc

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Inflammation is a component of the innate immune response. However, severe or prolonged inflammation can be detrimental. Dietary n-3 fatty acid supplementation has proven clinical benefits in chronic inflammatory diseases, most likely due to reduced synthesis of inflammatory mediators and inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation and function. The purposes of this study were to characterize alterations in inflammatory mediator production, and lymphocyte proliferation, in dogs fed a diet consisting of 0.65% n-3 fatty acids (DMB) with an n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio of 3.4:1. Fifteen dogs were randomly assigned to one of three dietary groups for twelve weeks. Group Sunflower oil received …

Two Essays On Corporate Hedging: The Choice Of Instruments And Methods, Pinghsun Huang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines corporate use of derivative instruments and multi-period hedging methods. It studies the use of linear (e.g. futures) and nonlinear (e.g. options) derivatives in a sample of 382 U.S. non-financial firms (920 firm-year observations) between 1992 and 1996. It also measures the performance of stacked hedge techniques with applications to three investment assets (heating oil, light crude oil, and unleaded gasoline) and to three commercial commodities (British Pound, Deutsche Mark, and Swiss Franc). In a stacked hedge, corporations hedge the long-term exposures by repeatedly rolling nearby futures contracts until settlement. Analyzing the 382 firms, I find that both …

Glacial Deposits, Vol. 31, 2002-2003, Department Of Geography-Geology

Glacial Deposits

Newsletter of the Department of Geography-Geology

Evaluation Of Static Low Density Media Filters For Use In Domestic Wastewater Treatment, Cynthia Wagener

LSU Master's Theses

Static Low Density Media (SLDM) filters are submerged granular medium filters that contain a static matrix of floating media. These filters provide concurrent biological and physical treatment, and are therefore classified as bioclarifiers. Through different design and operation strategies, SLDM filters may be used for a variety of functions such as: solid-liquid separation alone, organic conversion and solids capture, nitrification and solids capture, and denitrification and solids capture. For operation as an aerobic unit, an external aeration strategy was developed to preserve the static nature of the bed. In this study, SLDM filters treated a highly variable flow domestic wastewater …

Fractal Compression And Analysis On Remotely Sensed Imagery, Ke Xiao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Remote sensing images contain huge amount of geographical information and reflect the complexity of geographical features and spatial structures. As the means of observing and describing geographical phenomena, the rapid development of remote sensing has provided an enormous amount of geographical information. The massive information is very useful in a variety of applications but the sheer bulk of this information has increased beyond what can be analyzed and used efficiently and effectively. This uneven increase in the technologies of gathering and analyzing information has created difficulties in its storage, transfer, and processing. Fractal geometry provides a means of describing and …

The Effect Of High Frequency Amplification On Subjective And Objective Benefit With Digital Hearing Instruments, Erica Lynn Fleck

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether amplifying beyond 3 kHz was beneficial to the user, whether the benefit was dependent on degree of loss, and whether subjective data reflected the benefit. Seventeen hearing impaired subjects were binaurally fitted with digital hearing instruments. Qualified subjects were divided into two groups, A and B. Group A had a pure tone average (3,4, and 6 kHz), of 55 dBHL or better. Group B had a pure tone average (3,4, and 6 kHz) greater than 55 dBHL but not exceeding 75 dBHL. Each subject was fit with two conditions (upward …

Drawing Of The Mind, Buddy Harper

LSU Master's Theses

The rules of drawing I have described are an outline to my method of working. It is to be used like the rules of a game. The thesis paper provides the viewer the basic parameters for looking at my work. The body of work is produced like two people playing a game of chess. I establish the rules and then I develop the work in an investigative manner.

Optimization And Automation Of A Thermal Oyster Shucking Process, Daniel Edgar Martin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Louisiana Gulf Coast oysters (Crassostrea virginica) were subjected to thermal shucking treatments to effect adductor muscle release from both left and right valves. The oysters were instrumented with thermocouples to monitor and record process temperatures in the oysters and on the shell. Following treatment, the oysters were evaluated for relaxation and release of the adductor muscle, meat quality and texture, and for the effect of the treatments on the storage life of the oysters as measured by total microbial plate counts. The treatments of many oysters resulted in a complete release of the adductor muscle from the shell while maintaining …

Dialogic Dogs And Phatic Felines: Speaking To And Through Our Pets, Nicole M. Dufour

LSU Master's Theses

While many pet owners acknowledge that they speak to their pet, Pet Communication has remained mostly overlooked by researchers. Through discourse analysis, this thesis is an attempt to analyze Pet Communication, which deals with human speech to a pet, about a pet, or through a pet. I analyze data which I transcribed in the waiting room of the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine Small Animal Clinic. Data were collected from conversations that took place between pet owners, between pet owners and the Clinic's staff, pet owners and their pets, and between staff and pets. These data were then …

Sensory Characteristics Of Flavored Milk Candies, Noemi Raquel Pavon

LSU Master's Theses

A natural milk candy, composed mainly of milk powder, has not been commercially sold in the U. S. market. The milk candy we developed contains calcium and other essential nutrients, which make it a potential food supplement for adults and children. This thesis research was designed to characterize sensory properties of flavored milk candies and to determine the consumer sensory profile driving product acceptance and purchase intent. A descriptive trained panel (n=12) developed a lexicon and evaluated 3 milk candies (plain, chocolate, and coffee) in triplicate using a 15-cm line scale. 335 adult consumers evaluated acceptability of appearance, size/shape, texture, …

Revisiting The Vast Wasteland, Fred H. Cate, Newton N. Minow

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Repeated Removal Of Mammalian Predators On Waterfowl Nest Success And Density, Kristen Dawn Chodachek

LSU Master's Theses

Low levels of nest success in the prairie pothole region are mainly attributed to changes in predator community and abundance. Removal of predators from large sites (≥ 4144 ha) has been an effective strategy for increasing nest success; however, trapping small sites (< 301 ha) is considered ineffective. I examined the effects of removing predators from 10, 259 ha sites in northeastern North Dakota during 2001-2002. Overall nest success for both years was greater on trapped sites (53.4%) than non-trapped sites (28.7%). Furthermore, daily survival rate was greater on removal sites, and was positively correlated with total predators removed. Differences in nest density were apparent between treatments with an increased nest density on trapped sites, however year had no effect. Pair densities did not differ between treatments, but a 2-fold increase for both trapped and non-trapped sites was found in spring 2002. Cost to produce one fledged duckling, combining all species ranged from $16-20. Overall, the results of this study indicate that repeated removal of predators on small sites is an effective strategy for increasing waterfowl production; however, feasibility will ultimately depend on the user group, budget limitations, landowner objectives, and public acceptance.

The Relationship Between Depression And Feeding Disorder Symptoms Among Persons With Severe And Profound Mental Retardation, Stephen Bradley Mayville

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, feeding disorders have been described in detail, and various assessment and treatment methods for these disorders have been reported. Within the literature, an emphasis has been placed on functional variables responsible for the onset and maintenance of feeding disorders, yet little has been reported on the relationship between feeding disorders and other forms of psychopathology. Therefore, the relationship between depression and feeding disorders was assessed. Three groups of individuals were compared across subscales and individual items on the Screening Tool for Feeding Problems (STEP) to assess for differences in problematic feeding behavior. Individuals who met diagnostic criteria …

Literacy As A Performing Art: A Phenomenological Study Of Oral Dramatic Reading, Neva Virginia Cramer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Based on semiotic, aesthetic response, reader response, and drama in education theories, this phenomenological study seeks to describe the literary experience of text through oral interpretation for middle to high SES, fourth and eighth grade students as compared to Low SES fourth and eighth grade students. Using the research methodology of Moustakas (1994) and data analysis of Teddlie (2000), this study proposes to describe and understand the relation of literary understanding and oral dramatic expression implicit in the descriptive paralinguistic and chronemic patternizations of the oral rendition of text and describe the act of reading as phenomenology. Descriptions of the …

The Impact Of Opt-In Privacy Rules On Retail Credit Markets: A Case Study Of Mbna, Fred H. Cate, Michael Staten

Articles by Maurer Faculty

U.S. privacy laws are increasingly moving from a presumption that consumers must object to ("opt out" of) uses of personal data they wish to prohibit to a requirement that they must explicitly consent ("opt in") to uses they wish to permit. Despite the growing reliance on opt-in rules, there has been little empirical research on their costs. This Article examines the impact of opt-in on MBNA Corporation, a diversified, multinational financial institution. The authors demonstrate that opt-in would raise account acquisition costs and lower profits, reduce the supply of credit and raise credit card prices, generate more offers to uninterested …

How Should Sports Organizations Handle A Crisis?: A Focus On Collegiate Institutions, Jamie Mabile Delatte

LSU Master's Theses

The sports industry is big business just like any other big business. Sports organizations face various crises just as corporate America does. A survey of 345 professional and college level sports organizations revealed that 70% of them experienced a crisis in 1997, while the Los Angeles Times reported that 220 college athletes were the focus of criminal charges in 1995. "Sports crises are clearly more frequent today than ever before," said Kathleen Hessert. Mike Paul agrees with that trend based on his research, attributing the trend to poor life choices away from the sport. What is a crisis? A crisis …

Cross-Cultural Construct Validation Of The Learning Transfer System Inventory In Tawian, Hsin-Chih Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Human Resource Development has historically made a large contribution to Taiwan's economic growth. Organizations in Taiwan perceive training as one of their top priorities to maintain their competitive advantage. Although many organizations have spent considerable money on training, there has been a lack of a comprehensive, generalizable, psychometrically-sound instrument to investigate transfer of learning in Taiwan. This study cross-culturally validated the constructs of the Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI) for use in Taiwan. By doing so, HRD practitioners in Taiwan can benefit by having an instrument to diagnose intervening variables and improve individual performance. The LTSI was translated through a …

Revenge Or Mercy? Some Thoughts About Survivor Opinion Evidence In Death Penalty Cases, Joseph L. Hoffmann

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Stereotyping Of Women In Television Advertisement, Vaishali Shrikhande

LSU Master's Theses

This study examined the portrayal of women in television commercials and documented the stereotypes associated with women in today’s television commercials. Content analysis was chosen as a method of inquiry for this study. Two hundred and twenty six advertisements were recorded from the three chosen networks, ABC, CBS and NBC. No local advertisements or public service announcements were included in the sample. Each advertisement was initially coded for the central figure, whether the central figure was a male or a female. In addition, each central figure in the advertisement was coded for the following categories: 1) age; 2) product use; …

Rotary Kiln Incineration Of Hazardous Wastes: Pilot-Scale Studies At Louisiana State University, John Sutherland Earle

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Studies of incineration of surrogates for hazardous wastes are conducted in the pilot-scale rotary kiln incinerator (RKI) at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The purpose of the research is to investigate methods of treating and destroying hazardous wastes in a cost-effective and environmentally sound way. The objective is to provide process data that will contribute to increased knowledge for RKI design and operation. The LSU facility is a College of Engineering Combustion Laboratory that is unique in its large size as a university laboratory. It is equipped with individual instruments for analysis of O₂, CO, …

Do Terraces And Coconut Mats Affect Seeds And Submerged Aquatic Vegetation At Sabine National Wildlife Refuge?, Aaron Bailey Caldwell

LSU Master's Theses

Terraces are a widely used wetland restoration tools in coastal Louisiana, yet the benefits of terraces are poorly documented. Like terraces, coconut mats also may increase abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), but their benefits are undocumented. I compared SAV and seed abundance in a marsh pond among three treatments: terrace, coconut mat, and marsh.

I evaluated terraces constructed in 1999 and coconut mats installed in 2001 in portions of unit 7 of Sabine National Wildlife Refuge that converted from emergent marsh to open water between 1956 and 1978. I randomly selected 3 terrace, marsh, and coconut mat stations. I …

The Price Of Macroeconomic Imprecision: How Should The Law Measure Inflation?, Jim Chen

UC Law Journal

Because no economy is forever free from price change, a legal system that seeks to maintain its vitality across the full range of macroeconomic conditions must adopt a proper measure of inflation. In areas such as taxation, economic regulation, and private contracting, the law's response to inflation constitutes a policymaking opportunity in its own right. In campaign finance and judicial compensation, the legal treatment of inflation may have constitutional consequences.

In spite of inflation's profound ramifications for the law, federal law has taken a seemingly haphzard approach toward its measurement. Federal statutes specifying one price index strongly favor the Bureau …

Marital Immunity, Intimate Relationships, And Improper Inferences: A New Law On Sexual Offenses By Intimates, Michelle J. Anderson

UC Law Journal

Today, to one degree or another, marital immunity for sexual offenses persists in over half the states. Underlying the marital rape immunity has been the assumption that when a woman enters into a marriage, she gives her ongoing consent to sexual intercourse. This Article argues that states must abolish this immunity to make the law formally neutral on the marital status of the parties. However, as this Article argues, such formal neutrality is insufficient. The ideology of ongoing consent underlying the marital rape immunity has infected the way the legal system treats sexual offenses among intimates who are not married. …

Consent Forms As Part Of The Informed Consent Process: Moving Away From "Medical Miranda", Victor Ali

UC Law Journal

This Note examines the current ills of the law of informed consent and seeks to address these problems by calling for change on two levels. From a theoretical perspective, informed consent can be improved through closer adherence to a collaborative, autonomyenhancing model of medical decision-making, rather than the current harm-avoidance approach. On a practical level, this Note advocates for changes to the manner in which consent forms are used. Specifically, consent forms should be used as tools to increase patients' understanding of and participation in medical decisions, in contrast to the commonly held view of such forms as waivers of …

Homicide On Holiday: Prosecutorial Discretion, Popular Culture, And The Boundaries Of The Criminal Law, Carolyn B. Ramsey

UC Law Journal

As tort reforms have decreased plaintiffs' opportunities to recover for injuries and deaths arising from popular "extreme" sports, prosecutors have become more willing to bring criminal charges against participants in these inherently dangerous sports. This Article explores the emerging tensions between the popularity of these sports and the prosecutorial decisions resulting in the charging and conviction of "extreme" sport athletes deemed responsible for recreational injuries and fatalities.

Demonstrating the increasing popularity of "extreme" sports and examples of injury and death resulting from them, this Article shows that tort reform and the economic influence of service providers, such as ski areas, …

Golden Gateway And The Search Of A Fairer Application Of California's Constitutional Right To Free Expression, Eileen K. Chauvet

UC Law Journal

Over twenty years after its landmark decision in Robins v. Pruneyard Shopping Center, the California Supreme Court revisited the issue of constitutionally protected speech on private property. The resulting plurality opinion in Golden Gateway Center, Inc. v. Golden Gateway Tenants Ass'n clarified that free expression on private property may be protected by the state constitution only when that private property is freely open to the public. While the case showed a strong desire by members of the court to return to free speech jurisprudence more in line with the First Amendmentrequiring state action before a constitutional claim could be madethere …

A Proposed Right Of Conscience For Government Attorneys, Ralph Nader, Alan Hirsch

UC Law Journal

Government lawyers may be discharged for failing to carry out an assignment that violates their conscience or their conception of the Constitution. This is regrettable, especially given the special role of the government lawyer as an officer of the court committed to the public interest. Drawing on a wide range of analogies involving lawyers and non-lawyers, public and private employees, and citizens outside of the workplace, the authors argue that recognizing a right to conscience for government lawyers would in no way compromise the effective functioning of the government. They propose specific statutory language, as well as a canon of …