Digital Commons Network^™

Using Technology To Provide More Objective Grading And Compliance With "No Child Left Behind", Kevin Suhr

Graduate Research Papers

In January of 2001, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act. "The act redefines the federal role in K-12 education and will help close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers. It is based on four basic principles: stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work" (No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 2003). The passing of the No Child Left Behind Act has added pressure to schools and departments around the country to meet …

Diabetes Education: Overview, Obstacles, And Opportunities, Mary Ann Steffensmeier

Graduate Research Papers

The slogan "if you build it they will come" became a popular marketing phrase in Iowa after the movie "Field of Dreams." One area of health education that would like to see this type of business growth in Iowa is diabetes self-management education. In Iowa, thirty-eight state certified self-management programs exists (Iowa Department of Public Health, 2001a). These programs have been built to meet the standards of the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) for providing quality diabetes education programs. The IDPH's standards are quite similar to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) standards. The ADA has 65 certified programs ("Education …

Factors Related To Physical Activity Behaviors In Young People, Julie Simonson

Graduate Research Papers

Physical activity behaviors in young people are complex and multi-dimensional in nature. The number of children meeting minimum physical activity standards is low, and the prevalence of overweight among youth in the United States is rapidly increasing. This is true in spite of published research showing the positive psychological and physical health benefits of regular physical activity. Reasons for the declining number of children meeting minimum physical activity standards vary widely, and include both demographic and environmental factors. Subsequent knowledge gained through additional research on these determinants and improved educational programs could prove beneficial in increasing physical activity levels in …

A Historical Review Of The School-Based Health Center In Black Hawk County, Diane Lemon Weliver Hoffman

Graduate Research Papers

School-based health centers can provide primary and preventive health care services to students and families while reducing lost school and work time, removing barriers to health care, and promoting family involvement. The research indicates by utilizing a multidisciplinary staff, with interest in prevention and expertise in adolescent health care, anticipatory guidance and appropriate interventions can increase efficiency and effectiveness of preventive health care (Brindis, Kapphahn, McCarter, & Wolfe, 1995; Brindis & Sanghvi, 1997; Key, 2002; Santelli, Morreale, Wigton, & Grason, 1996; Shuler, 2000; Wang, 2000). In addition to staff, the location of the health center also helps to promote and …

Adolescent Depression : Implications For The High School Counselor, Mary C. Zierke

Graduate Research Papers

For many teenagers, today depression is more thanjust a case of the blues. An estimated 6 - 30% percent of teenagers suffer from clinical depression. Life is not always happy and carefree, and for many adolescents, these are not the best years of their lives. Given the prevalence and seriousness of adolescent depression, it is important that teenagers suffering from this disorder receive quick and effective treatment. Since most teenagers spend a majority of their day in schools, school counselors play a critical role in addressing teenage depression. The importance of this paper was to examine the causes for depression …

The Fate Of Nitrogen In The Marshland Upwelling System, Jeremy Fontenot

LSU Master's Theses

The Marshland Upwelling System (MUS) is an alternative method for coastal dwellers to treat their wastewater. Past studies have dealt with the removal of fecal pathogens from wastewater. However the objectives of this research were to: 1) evaluate the treatment capability of the MUS under high hydraulic loadings and cool temperatures with respect to CBOD₅, TKN, TAN, NO₂^--N, NO₃^--N, TP, and PO₄-P, and 2) determine the ideal flowrate and injection frequency to achieve satisfactory nitrogen removal without hydraulic failure. The artificial wastewater study was performed to evaluate the treatment of …

The Evaluation Of A Family Literacy Program, Katrina Denise Hopkins

LSU Master's Theses

Based on the literacy need in the state of Louisiana, this project was interested in whether the Ready to Learn: Between the Lions literacy workshop could equip parents to enhance and develop their child’s literacy skills and to enhance family literacy interactions. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness and usefulness of a Ready to Learn literacy workshop in two Baton Rouge Head Start preschool centers, Banks and Southern University. Participants attended workshops once a month from January to April, lasting approximately 30 minutes each. The workshop was evaluated using a pretest/posttest instrument consisting of seven likert-type …

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, …

Reducing Phosphorus Runoff Using Poultry Litter Derived From Phytase-Amended Diets, Anserd Julius Foster

LSU Master's Theses

Surface-applied poultry litter generated using a phytase-amended diet may release less phosphorus (P) to runoff water than does litter from a conventional diet. The release of soluble reactive (SRP) and total dissolved P (TDP) from litter generated under conventional and phytase-amended diets was examined in three studies: 1) batch desorption, 2) flow-through cell, and 3) field micro-plot. In Study 1, samples of litter (10 from conventional, C, and 20 from phytase-amended, A, diets) were extracted with water at litter: water ratios from 1:5 to 1:200. Phosphorus in A litter was significantly less at the 1:10 extraction ratio; however, there was …

A Screening Assessment Of Solidification/Stabilization For Storm Water Residuals, Erin Ezell Krielow

LSU Master's Theses

Metal species infused particulate matter associated with urban rainfall-runoff is a unique and profuse source of pollution. Generated from urban activities, such as traffic activity and vehicular/infrastructure abrasion, contaminated residual material is deposited to roadways during dry weather and transported to surrounding environments and/or best management practice (BMP) treatment facilities during wet-weather events. These particulates range in size from 1 ƒÝm to 10000 ƒÝm and are contaminated with metal species that originate from such sources as vehicular body wear (Cu), tire wear (Zn), and brake dust (Pb). Depending on the efficiencies of the BMP treatment facilities, these containment systems have …

Development And Implementation Of Fine Structure Aerosol Spectrum Coagulation Kernels And Deposition Mechanisms Using Advanced Nodal Method In The Caerot Code, Hyeongkae Park

LSU Master's Theses

Aerosol transport in confined spaces was studied via numerical simulation using the dynamic aerosol equation, which is Boltzmann?s transport equation at the hydrodynamic limit. Until recent years, there existed no comprehensive computational tool to predict the spatial distribution and time evolution of aerosol size spectrum. A previously developed code, INDASOL3D, solves the dynamic aerosol equation by using a homogenized control-volume based finite difference method applying the group sectional method on the coagulation dynamics. However, quantitative correctness has not been satisfactory. In this thesis, two new codes (SAEROSA, and CAEROT) were developed. SAEROSA computes the time evolution of the size spectrum …

Surface Water Pesticide Contamination In The Upper Terrebonne Basin Of Louisiana, John S. Walther

LSU Master's Theses

Triazine herbicides are the most heavily used pesticides in the United States. Atrazine and Simazine are the primary triazine herbicides used for broadleaf weed control in the production of corn, sugarcane, and sorghum. Recent monitoring studies of surface waters in the Upper Terrebonne Basin of Louisiana indicate elevated amounts of triazines are running off fields and entering drinking water supplies. Atrazine has been classified as a possible carcinogen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Recent epidemiological studies have revealed increases in breast cancer and pre-term births following exposure to triazines at levels detected in drinking water. Non-point source pollution …

Relative Costs Of Infill Vs. Suburban Residential Developments: A Case Study Of The Greater Baton Rouge Area, John Lawrence Brian

LSU Master's Theses

Driven by the accumulation of vacated buildings along with the need to reconstruct vacant urban areas and neighborhoods, the need to establish infill as the primary means of development in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan area is apparent. As suburban tendencies have increased, the core of our city has diminished. The principles of smart growth and infill development have been created in response these very problems. The methods have proven successful nationwide, but is the process feasible in Baton Rouge area? The answer to this very question goes well beyond yes or no. Many variables must be evaluated; the positives and …

Developing Risk Assessment Maps For Schistosoma Haematobium In Kenya Based On Climate Grids And Remotely Sensed Data, Kelsey Lee Mcnally

LSU Master's Theses

It is important to be able to predict the potential spread of water borne diseases when building dams or redirecting rivers. This study was designed to test whether the use of a growing degree day (GDD) climate model and remotely sensed data (RS) within a geographic information system (GIS), could be used to predict both the distribution and severity of Schistosoma haematobium. Growing degree days are defined as the number of degrees centigrade over the minimum temperature required for development. The base temperature and the number of GDD required to complete one generation varies for each species. A monthly climate …

Factors Affecting Participation In City Recycling Programs, Stacy Marie Lockhart

LSU Master's Theses

Recycling consists of diverting or recovering materials from the solid waste stream that would otherwise end up returning to the environment as a potential source of pollution. These collected materials are then used as raw materials in the manufacture or assembly of a new product or package. Over the years the amount of municipal solid waste being generated per person has steadily increased. Waste disposal costs are also increasing, making recycling even more important. To address this issue cities are developing recycling policies or plans. The type of plan varies according to the area; as of this time there are …

Treatment Of Mixtures Of Methyl Ethyl Ketone (Mek) And Toluene Using Continuous And Sequencing Batch Operated Biofilters, Jorge C. Atoche

LSU Master's Theses

During the past decade, biofiltration has increasingly been applied as an air pollution control technology to minimize or eliminate emissions of volatile organic compounds from industrial sources. Although of the ability of this technology to maintain high removal efficiency during relatively steady conditions has been well established for many waste streams, a limitation of this technology has been its inability to maintain high removal efficiency during transient loading conditions typical of industrial operations. In the research described herein, a conventional continuous-flow biofilter (CFB) and a sequencing batch biofilter (SBB) were operated for more than 295 days to treat a model …

Strength Properties Of Granular Materials, Brenda Novoa-Martinez

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis presents the results of the experimental work conducted on glass beads in order to investigate the effects of particle size, confining pressure, and surface roughness on the strength properties of the particulate media. Conventional triaxial compression tests were conducted to investigate those effects. Three different sizes of beads were tested: small (diameter = 0.75 – 1.00 mm), medium (diameter = 1.55 – 1.85 mm), and large (diameter = 3.30 – 3.60 mm). The glass beads were subjected to three different confining pressures: 25-, 100-, and 400-kPa. Smooth and etched beads were tested; the etched surface was achieved by …

Reforming Securities Class Actions From The Bench: Judging Fiduciaries And Fiduciary Judging, Lisa L. Casey

Journal Articles

The attorneys' fees awarded to plaintiffs’ counsel in securities fraud class actions have generated controversy for years. Critics have claimed that enormous fee awards come at the expense of defrauded investors and simply spur extortionate lawsuits against issuers and other potential deep pocket defendants. Commentators also have raised concerns that plaintiffs' class action lawyers manipulated class representatives, persons who had little incentive to monitor class counsel’s activities.

To address these concerns, Congress enacted the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act ("PSLRA"). Among other things, the statute sought to protect absent class members by giving control of the litigation to lead plaintiffs …

A Textual Analysis Of The Portrayal Of Parents In Young Adult Literature, Kathryn L. Reisetter Houck

Graduate Research Papers

This research examined the way in which parents are portrayed in young adult literature. Textual analysis was the methodology used to sort and code the 24 books that met the researcher's criteria, which were that books had to be published within the last decade and characters had to be from two-parent, intact families. By looking at the themes, the researcher attempted to interpret the information and draw inferences. The research yielded some surprising results as to how parents are portrayed. in the majority of young adult novels, parents are present at least to some degree. They are typically portrayed in …

A Different Kind Of "Republican Moment" In Environmental Law, Richard J. Lazarus

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The purpose of this Essay is to propose and discuss the possibility that the nation currently faces another, albeit very different, "republican moment" that may well test the future of environmental protection laws in the United States. This new "moment" has as its modifier an uppercase "Republican" rather than a lowercase "republican." While the latter "republican" invokes the political tradition referred to as "civic republicanism," the former "Republican" refers instead to the current National Republican Party. The "moment" facing environmental law is the virtually unprecedented ascendancy of the Republican Party in all three branches of the federal government.

Factors Affecting Ammonium Uptake In Streams - An Inter-Biome Perspective, Jackson R. Webster, Patrick J. Mulholland, Jennifer L. Tanks, H. Maurice Valett, Walter K. Dodds, Bruce J. Peterson, William B. Bowden, Clifford N. Dahm, Stuart Findlay, Stanley V. Gregory, Nancy B. Grimm, Stephen K. Hamilton, Sherri L. Johnson, Eugenia Marti, William H. Mcdowell, Judy L. Meyer, Donna D. Morrall, Steven A. Thomas, Wilfred M. Wollheim

Faculty Publications

The Lotic Intersite Nitrogen experiment (LINX) was a coordinated study of the relationships between North American biomes and factors governing ammonium uptake in streams. Our objective was to relate inter-biome variability of ammonium uptake to physical, chemical and biological processes. 2. Data were collected from 11 streams ranging from arctic to tropical and from desert to rainforest. Measurements at each site included physical, hydraulic and chemical characteristics, biological parameters, whole-stream metabolism and ammonium uptake. Ammonium uptake was measured by injection of '5~-ammonium and downstream measurements of 15N-ammonium concentration. 3. We found no general, statistically significant relationships that explained the variability …

“Head Start Works Because We Do”: Head Start Programs, Community Action Agencies, And The Struggle Over Unionization, Eloise Pasachoff

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In the summer of 2002, the city of Boston watched a fierce battle unfold between low-wage workers who provide child care and the social service agencies that employ them. Boston requires its city contractors to pay more than twice the federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour to their employees, according to the terms of the city's "living wage" ordinance. The social service agencies, which receive government subsidies to run their child care programs, claimed that they could not afford to pay this rate. These agencies mounted an intense legal and political campaign, arguing that they would be forced to …

Nutrients Algae And Beneficial Use Support Assessment Of The Boulder River, John M. Dearment

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Enforcing Settlements In Federal Civil Actions, Jeffrey A. Parness, Matthew Walker

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Settlements of federal civil actions may, but need not, be subject to later judicial enforcement. As recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court in Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Insurance Co., one significant limitation on enforcement proceedings is subject matter jurisdiciton because federal district courts are courts of limited jurisdiction. Under Kokkonen, enforcement jurisdiction may be independent, but usually is ancillary because state law claims typically are involved where there is no diversity of citizenship. Ancillary enforcement powers may be exercised by district courts either where claims were initially presented for adjudication and disputes arising from later settlements are factually interdependent, or …

Federalizing Birth Certificate Procedures, Jeffrey A. Parness

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

A natural father is usually afforded under American law the unique "opportunity... to develop a relationship with his offspring" born to an unwed mother as a result of consensual sexual intercourse. This paternity opportunity interest often merits federal constitutional due process protection. Its enforcement, however, is often impaired by unfair state paternity designation procedures, especially in birth certificate settings. Inadequate procedures cause systematic losses of parental rights for "many responsible" natural fathers. Under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment, Congress can act to enforce better male parental rights. It should now unify certain birth certificate practices for all children born …

Old-Fashioned Pregnancy, Newly-Fashioned Paternity, Jeffrey A. Parness

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

This paper explores contemporary American laws on paternity as of the time of the live birth of a child conceived through sexual intercourse. In doing so it necessarily examines the roles of biological ties in all determinations of legal parenthood. It does not speak directly to legal paternity arising from the use of reproductive technology; to legal fatherhood arising long after birth for reasons unrelated to biology; or, to actual fatherhood, which remains unrecognized under law. It does assume that there can be no legal paternity of an unborn child, though there certainly may be prospective legal paternity that prompts …

The Silence Of The Labs, Don J. Deyoung

Defense Horizons

Something important to the Nation’s defense has vanished, yet the top Pentagon brass never noticed. Not the stuff of headlines, this loss would not arouse public concern, especially during these times of terrorist massacres, anthrax attacks, corporate scandal, and war. Nevertheless, like the miner’s canary that is first to die with the rush of an ill wind, this loss is a warning.

In the span of 18 months, the Department of Defense (DOD) lost a key part of its 25-year-old ability to perform fiber optics research at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), the only site with this world-class defense capability. …

Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses, Jeffery A. Goad, J Nguyen

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) viruses are diverse and include arenaviruses, bunyaviruses, filoviruses, and flaviviruses. Lassa fever, South American hemorrhagic fever (HF), Rift Valley HF, Crimean-Congo HF, Ebola, Marburg, yellow fever, and dengue fever are well known examples of the hemorrhagic fever viruses. They are often difficult to diagnose and treat resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Transmission varies from vector borne to person-to-person. The common clinical presentation includes fever, myalgia, microvascular damage, and hemorrahage as well as a history of travel to the tropics. If VHF is suspected, strict infection control procedures must be implemented to prevent the spread of …

Diverging Trends In Worker Health And Safety Protection And Participation In Canada, 1985-2000, Eric Tucker

Articles & Book Chapters

Despite the comprehensiveness of neo-liberal restructuring in Canada, it has not proceeded uniformly in its timing or outcomes across regulatory fields and political jurisdictions. The example of occupational health and safety (OHS) regulation is instructive. This article compares recent OHS developments in five Canadian jurisdictions, Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario and the Federal jurisdiction. It finds that despite the adoption of a common model by all jurisdictions, there has recently been considerable divergence in the way that the elements of worker participation and protection have been combined. Modified power resource theory is used to explain a portion of this …

Ethical Finance In Britain: A Neglected Prerequisite For Sustainability, Benjamin J. Richardson

Articles & Book Chapters

Financial institutions play a central role in capital and debt markets, providing the finance that shapes development patterns, and thus environmental pressures. Environmental law has traditionally focused on development itself, but not the capital allocation function. Consequently, the underlying market dynamics and growth imperatives are not adequately addressed. To achieve sustainable development in Britain, new legal tools and policies to promote ethical financing in the financial services sector are necessary. This article explains why ethical financing is important to sustainability, surveys the range of financial institutions in Britain relevant to ethical finance, and makes recommendations to improve the regulatory and …