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2003

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The Epidemiology Of Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia Coli O157:H7 In Louisiana Cattle, And White-Tailed Deer, John Robert Dunn Jan 2003

The Epidemiology Of Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia Coli O157:H7 In Louisiana Cattle, And White-Tailed Deer, John Robert Dunn

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is an important human pathogen. Dairy cattle, beef cattle, and white-tailed deer (WTD) are involved in STEC O157:H7 transmission to humans. We conducted cross-sectional studies in Louisiana, using sensitive microbiological methods, in dairy cattle, beef cattle, and WTD to investigate the epidemiology of STEC O157:H7. Results of the dairy studies are as follows. In the point prevalence study, summer-time prevalence in herds was 38.5%, with a cow-level prevalence of 6.5%. Among positive herds, cow-level prevalence ranged from 3%-34.6%. Three of five herds sampled in the longitudinal study were positive. Cow-level prevalence increased during spring and …

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Optimization And Automation Of A Thermal Oyster Shucking Process, Daniel Edgar Martin Jan 2003

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 …

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The Effects Of Signals On Responding During Delayed Reinforcement, Michael E. Kelley Jan 2003

The Effects Of Signals On Responding During Delayed Reinforcement, Michael E. Kelley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Functional communication training (FCT) is a commonly used intervention for severe behavior disorders (e.g., Carr & Durand, 1985; Wacker et al., 1990). This treatment is designed to provide individuals with developmental disabilities with a repertoire of responses to attain reinforcement. However, caregivers may be unable or unwilling to provide immediate reinforcement when the treatment is implemented in the natural environment. Recent applied research on responding during delayed reinforcement suggests that responding may not persist when delays exceed 30 s (e.g., Fisher, Thompson, Hagopian, Bowman, & Krug, 2000; Hanley, Iwata, & Thompson, 2001). In contrast, results of basic research suggest that …

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Genome Analysis: Mutation Analysis Using Near Infrared Laser-Induced Fluorescence (Nir-Lif) And Single Molecule Detection In Microfluidic Devices, Musundi Ben Wabuyele Jan 2003

Genome Analysis: Mutation Analysis Using Near Infrared Laser-Induced Fluorescence (Nir-Lif) And Single Molecule Detection In Microfluidic Devices, Musundi Ben Wabuyele

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A number of genotyping methods have been developed for mutation analysis, each of which has its own unique advantage. DNA amplification via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) provides an unlimited supply of material for subsequent genetic analysis even in case where only a single copy of the DNA molecule is present in the sample. Research presented in this dissertation first examines the efficiency of in vitro amplification of single copy DNA with subsequent sequencing analysis of PCR product. The PCR products (amplicons) were investigated for possible alteration, distortions or mutations due to the amplification process. The sequencing data for single copy …

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The Relationship Between Selected Housing And Demographic Charateristics And Employment Status Among Rural, Low-Income Families, Ann Allgood Berry Jan 2003

The Relationship Between Selected Housing And Demographic Charateristics And Employment Status Among Rural, Low-Income Families, Ann Allgood Berry

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study was a secondary analysis of wave one data of the Rural Families Speak project, a multi-state longitudinal Agricultural Experiment Station project that focused on assessing changes in the well-being and functioning of rural low-income families in the context of welfare reform. Quantitative analysis was conducted to determine the housing situations of the families and the relationships of these factors with the family economic and cognitive well-being and employment circumstances of study participants. Discriminant analysis was used to develop a model to predict the employment circumstances (employed, not employed) of the participants. Housing costs usually take the first and …

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Collective Efficacy: A Framework For Understanding Classroom Teacher's Perceptions Of Integrating Physical Activity, Melissa Ann Park Jan 2003

Collective Efficacy: A Framework For Understanding Classroom Teacher's Perceptions Of Integrating Physical Activity, Melissa Ann Park

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Children’s physical inactivity is becoming an important health concern, and it has been suggested by professionals that school programs can be important in the effort to increase activity levels. Physical education specialists cannot achieve the goal of significantly increasing children’s activity in isolation, and it is apparent that whole school programs at the elementary level have the potential to foster active lifestyles. If those programs are to be successful, all school personnel must play a role, so it is important to find ways to facilitate their involvement. The purpose of this study was to use collective efficacy as a framework …

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Quantitative Inheritance Of Calpastatin Activity As An Assessment Measure For Meat Tenderness In Brahman Steers, Fuad Mohammad Tawfiq Odeh Jan 2003

Quantitative Inheritance Of Calpastatin Activity As An Assessment Measure For Meat Tenderness In Brahman Steers, Fuad Mohammad Tawfiq Odeh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Calpastatin activity at 24 h postmortem is inversely proportional to postmortem tenderization and accounts for a greater proportion of the variation in beef tenderness. Tenderness was determined by measurement of 24 h postmortem longissimus muscle calpastatin activity (CA) and Warner-Bratzler shear force after 7 and 14 d of steak aging. The quantitative inheritance of tenderness in Brahman steers was investigated phenotypically by Multiple Trait Derivative-Free Restricted Maximum Likelihood (MTDFREML) procedures and genotypically by using restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP), a microsatellite marker, and DNA sequence analyses. In experiment 1, MTDFREML was used to obtain the genetic parameters of tenderness traits …

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Perceived Fairness Of And Satisfaction With Employee Performance Appraisal, Marie Burns Walsh Jan 2003

Perceived Fairness Of And Satisfaction With Employee Performance Appraisal, Marie Burns Walsh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Employee performance appraisal is one of the most commonly used management tools in the United States. Over 90 percent of large organizations including 75 percent of state employment systems require some type of annual performance appraisal (Seldon, Ingraham & Jacobson, 2001). Performance appraisal is one of the most widely researched areas in industrial/organizational psychology (Murphy & Cleveland, 1993). However, the traditional research agenda has done little to improve the usefulness of performance appraisal as a managerial tool. Recent research has moved away from studies of rater accuracy and psychometric measures to themes of employee reactions towards performance appraisal as indicators …

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Exterior Accessibility Issues: A Study Of The Outdoor Spaces Connected With Housing Facilities At Louisiana State University, Frank Hardy Lewis Jan 2003

Exterior Accessibility Issues: A Study Of The Outdoor Spaces Connected With Housing Facilities At Louisiana State University, Frank Hardy Lewis

LSU Master's Theses

This document investigates Louisiana State University’s progress in becoming a fully accessible campus, specifically in regard to student housing and the surrounding amenities such as laundry facilities, dining facilities and recreational areas. The benchmarks used for determining this include the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Universal Design Handbook and surveys of other campuses that have made greater strides in this area. This document seeks to determine the extent to which Louisiana State University has become accessible for wheelchair users and bring to light examples of areas of difficulty in the housing cluster area. …

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Your Blues Ain't Like Mine: Exploring The Promotion And Tenure Process Of African American Female Professors At Select Research I Universities In The South, Tonetta Beloney-Morrison Jan 2003

Your Blues Ain't Like Mine: Exploring The Promotion And Tenure Process Of African American Female Professors At Select Research I Universities In The South, Tonetta Beloney-Morrison

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Using a qualitative approach with Black feminism as a theoretical framework, Your Blues Ain't Like Mine: Exploring the Promotion and Tenure Process of African American Female Professors at Select Research I Universities in the South is a compilation of oral histories from eight female, associate and full professors. The study focused on the promotion and tenure experiences of the participants and examined how day-to-day interactions with colleagues and departmental climate impact the promotion and tenure process. In the study, the participants provide candid, first-person accounts of their experiences, struggles and successes in the pursuit of promotion and tenure. Interviews were …

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Frank Ferko's The Hildegard Motets: A Conductor's Preparatory Guide, David Neil Childs Jan 2003

Frank Ferko's The Hildegard Motets: A Conductor's Preparatory Guide, David Neil Childs

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The music of Hildegard of Bingen has received much attention from Frank Ferko in the past decade, but his interest in the medieval mystic has not stopped there. At the heart of his intense affection for her music are the wonderful visions she expressed through this particular medium, but also through her vivid, and at times, abstruse, poetry. His Hildegard Organ Cycle (1996), a set of ten symphonic meditations on the visions from De operatione Det, and his Missa O Ecclesia: Communion (1999), are both examples of instrumental works that bear direct reference to the twelfth-century abbess' writings. The Hildegard …

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Tensile Strength And Bonding Characteristics Of Self-Compacting Concrete, Cristian Druta Jan 2003

Tensile Strength And Bonding Characteristics Of Self-Compacting Concrete, Cristian Druta

LSU Master's Theses

Self-compacting concrete, also referred to as self-consolidating concrete, is able to flow and consolidate under its own weight and is deaerated almost completely while flowing in the formwork. It is cohesive enough to fill the spaces of almost any size and shape without segregation or bleeding. This makes SCC particularly useful wherever placing is difficult, such as in heavily-reinforced concrete members or in complicated workforms. The objectives of this research were to compare the Splitting Tensile Strength and Compressive Strength values of self-compacting and normal concrete specimens and to examine the bonding between the coarse aggregate and the cement paste …

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An Evaluation Of Distributed Practice Using Constant Time Delay In The Acquisition Of Sight Words With Children, Kashunda Lynn Williams Jan 2003

An Evaluation Of Distributed Practice Using Constant Time Delay In The Acquisition Of Sight Words With Children, Kashunda Lynn Williams

LSU Master's Theses

Although, distributed practice has been demonstrated to be superior to massed practice for learning, studies examining the degree of distribution needed to obtain this effect remain lacking. This study extends prior research by (1) determining if there is a difference in distributed practice schedules, when the total time to practice remains constant, (2) determining which schedule produces the superior amount of learning, and (3) determining which schedule produces superior retention of learned materials across time. Study participants were general education elementary school students referred for reading assistance. The constant time delay procedure was used to teach the participants sight words. …

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Computer Assisted Screening Of Digital Mammogram Images, John Terry Sample Jan 2003

Computer Assisted Screening Of Digital Mammogram Images, John Terry Sample

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The use of computer systems to assist clinicians in digital mammography image screening has advantages over traditional methods. Computer algorithms can enhance the appearance of the images and highlight suspicious areas. Screening provides a more thorough examination of the images. Any computer system that does screening of digital mammograms contains components to address multiple tasks such as: image segmentation, mass lesion detection and classification, and microcalcification detection and classification. This dissertation provides both effective and efficient improvements to existing algorithms, which segment mammogram images and locate mass lesions. In addition, we provide a new algorithm to evaluate and report the …

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The Influence Of Selected Factors On Burnout Among Faculty In Higher Education, Ronald R. Rush Jan 2003

The Influence Of Selected Factors On Burnout Among Faculty In Higher Education, Ronald R. Rush

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore demographic variables and job satisfaction and the relationship with burnout among higher education faculty. The sample included 248 tenured professors selected through simple random sampling techniques. A three-part instrument was used: the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-ES), which measured levels of burnout based on subscales of Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment; the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) and Job in General (JIG) scales, which indicated job satisfaction in areas of: Work on Present Job, Present Pay, Opportunities for Promotion, Supervision on Present Job, People in Present Job, and Job in General; and, a …

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A Path Analysis Of Binge Eating And Obesity In African Americans: Acculturation, Racism, Emotional Distress, Binge Eating, Body Dissatisfaction, Attitudes Towards Obesity, Dietary Restraint, Dietary Fat Intake, And Physical Activity, Joy Rose Kohlmaier Jan 2003

A Path Analysis Of Binge Eating And Obesity In African Americans: Acculturation, Racism, Emotional Distress, Binge Eating, Body Dissatisfaction, Attitudes Towards Obesity, Dietary Restraint, Dietary Fat Intake, And Physical Activity, Joy Rose Kohlmaier

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test a general stress-related health behavior model as it applied to binge eating and obesity in African Americans using path analysis. Acculturation, racism, emotional distress, binge eating, and obesity were among the variables related to this theory, and included in the model. Other variables that have been implicated in the study of obesity in African Americans were also included, such as; lack of body dissatisfaction, accepting attitudes towards obesity, decreased dietary restraint, increased dietary fat intake and decreased physical activity. The study sample was 325 African Americans, including 187 females with a mean …

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As The Ravens Watch: Exploring The Oracle, Kathryn Lavender Hunter Jan 2003

As The Ravens Watch: Exploring The Oracle, Kathryn Lavender Hunter

LSU Master's Theses

I believe in the process in which the artist never works alone but always in collaboration with the elements of chance. As an artist I live and work everyday collaborating with chance, from reading my cards to creating ethereal birds. As I sew pieces together, the thread becomes another element of the image by chance, stitches to lines, lines to pattern. Chance leads the birds to portraying their own personality as they are each created, one’s head tilts to the right while another sits tall with dignity. This work is about the connection to the subconscious, my connection to it …

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Adherence To Medical Regimens In Low-Income Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: The Influence Of Perceived Control Constructs, Erin L. O'Hea Jan 2003

Adherence To Medical Regimens In Low-Income Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: The Influence Of Perceived Control Constructs, Erin L. O'Hea

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Individuals with Type 2 diabetes often do not adhere to their treatment regimens (e.g., exercise, diet, medication, glucose monitoring). Non-adherence results in poor metabolic control, further morbidity and mortality, and increased health care utilization and costs. One common thread among many health-behavior-theories that attempt to explain non-adherence behaviors is the importance of perceived control. This psychosocial variable has most often been conceptualized as ‘health locus of control,’ which refers to the belief that one has the ability to influence or change one’s health outcomes. Inconsistent findings have been reported regarding the relationship of health locus of control and medical regimen …

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Imagining Corporate Culture: The Industrial Paternalism Of William Hesketh Lever At Port Sunlight, 1888-1925, Jeremy David Rowan Jan 2003

Imagining Corporate Culture: The Industrial Paternalism Of William Hesketh Lever At Port Sunlight, 1888-1925, Jeremy David Rowan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

At Lever Brothers soap company in Port Sunlight, U.K., William Lever, between 1888-1925, instituted employee benefits that preceded the welfare state. Yet, in addition to providing tangible benefits for the employees (including free medical care, pensions, an employee profit-sharing scheme), Lever also created a strong corporate identity for his employees by cultivating a strong company and personal image, one constructed in response to national discourses surrounding industrialization, empire, national identity, and economic decline. Lever offered his company as a solution to national concerns and thus posited his workers as participants in patriotic efforts and empire-building. He forged an effective company …

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Physical Function And Quality Of Life In The Very- And Oldest-Old: Gender Differences, Kellye A. Ferachi Jan 2003

Physical Function And Quality Of Life In The Very- And Oldest-Old: Gender Differences, Kellye A. Ferachi

LSU Master's Theses

Age is associated with deterioration in physical function (PF) and health-related quality of life (HRQL). Recent investigations suggest that a decrease in function may have a greater impact on perceived activities of daily living (ADL) competency in women than in men. The purpose of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that the association between PF and HRQL among older adults is influenced by gender. We examined 108 older adults aged 60 years or older, for PF (Continuous Scale-Physical Function Performance test (CS-PFP10) and Functional Status Index (FSI)) and HRQL (SF-36). In order to address this question we assigned subjects …

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Modeling A Mississippi River Diversion Into A Louisiana Wetland, Stephan Alexander Capps Jan 2003

Modeling A Mississippi River Diversion Into A Louisiana Wetland, Stephan Alexander Capps

LSU Master's Theses

Wetland loss has significant impacts. Numerous loss mechanisms have been hypothesized, and a greater number of solutions have been proposed. One proposed solution is to divert river water into a degraded area with the intent of increasing sedimentation, introducing nutrients, and/or decreasing salinity within the wetland. However, wetland hydraulics and hydrology are complex processes and any hydrologic modification may result in unintended consequences. Predicting these consequences can be problematic due to the complexity and difficulty associated with proper modeling of the hydraulics and topography. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the suitability of established one- and two-dimensional …

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"Science In Skirts": Representations Of Women In Science In The "B" Science Fiction Films Of The 1950s, Bonnie Noonan Jan 2003

"Science In Skirts": Representations Of Women In Science In The "B" Science Fiction Films Of The 1950s, Bonnie Noonan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project shows how central representations of women in science were to the “B” science fiction films of the 1950s and uses these films as valuable indicators for cultural analysis. I argue that the emergence of the modern American science fiction film in 1950 combined with the situation of post-W.W.II women in science to create a genre explicitly amenable to exploring the tension between a woman’s place in the home and her place in the work force, particularly in the fields of science. Out of a context of 114 “B” science fiction films produced between 1950 and 1966, I offer …

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Barriers To Adherence In A Free Medication Program For Low Income Individual With Type 2 Diabetes, Bhrett A. Mccabe Jan 2003

Barriers To Adherence In A Free Medication Program For Low Income Individual With Type 2 Diabetes, Bhrett A. Mccabe

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Diabetes self-management and treatment require significant patient involvement to maintain appropriate glucose control. Glucose control is directly related to adherence to a variety of regimens, of which medication adherence may be most important. Unfortunately, adherence to these regimens has been quite poor. Among low income patients, the strongest reason given for medication nonadherence has been the cost associated with purchasing medication. In 1999, the Louisiana State University Health Care Services Division instituted a free medication program for low income individuals with chronic illnesses, including diabetes. Despite removing this strongest barrier to adherence among low income patients, initial data from this …

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Black Willow (Salix Nigra) Use In Phytoremediation Techniques To Remove The Herbicide Bentazon From Shallow Groundwater, Robert Mark Conger Jan 2003

Black Willow (Salix Nigra) Use In Phytoremediation Techniques To Remove The Herbicide Bentazon From Shallow Groundwater, Robert Mark Conger

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Wetland environments have been impacted by the activities of man over the past several hundred years in North America. Industrialization into wetland areas has brought with it anthropogenic compounds that have been released into soils and groundwater. The use of phytoremediation to detoxify soil and groundwater began in the mid 1990's and has become a popular remediation technology. In 1994, a feasibility study for using phytoremediation in such an industrialized wetland area was conducted at a petrochemical facility at BASF Corporation, located about 20 kilometers south of Baton Rouge, Louisiana in Ascension Parish. The test site consisted of low level …

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How To Tell A Sea Story, Brock Yusef Hamlin Jan 2003

How To Tell A Sea Story, Brock Yusef Hamlin

LSU Master's Theses

A young African American adolescent named Lion is forced to leave his hometown of Rivertown, and join the navy. While in the navy, Lion acts an enforcer and collector for another sailor who runs an illegal money-lending operation on the ship. Lion also learns how to box and manages to fight his way to the Fifth Fleet championships. After winning the championship fight, the captain of the ship uses his influence to place Lion in a very competitive commissioning program. With the chance of becoming an officer, Lion changes his behavior, leading to serious conflict with old allies. He escapes …

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Modification Of The Nucleotide Cofactor-Binding Site Of Cytochrome P450 Reductase To Enhance Turnover With Nadh In Vivo, Calvin Lee Elmore Jan 2003

Modification Of The Nucleotide Cofactor-Binding Site Of Cytochrome P450 Reductase To Enhance Turnover With Nadh In Vivo, Calvin Lee Elmore

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase is the electron transfer partner for the cytochromes P450, heme oxygenase, and squalene monooxygenase, and is a component of the nitric oxide synthases and methionine synthase reductase. P450 reductase shows very high selectivity for NADPH and uses NADH only poorly. Substitution of tryptophan 677 with alanine (W677A) has been shown by others to yield a 3-fold increase in turnover with NADH, but profound inhibition by NADP+ makes the enzyme unsuitable for in vivo applications. In the present study site-directed mutagenesis of amino acids in the 2'-phosphate-binding site of the NADPH domain, coupled with the W677A substitution, was …

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Heavy Smokers Choose Large, Immediate Rewards With Large Penalties On A Simulated Task Of Gambling, Michael Shawn Businelle Jan 2003

Heavy Smokers Choose Large, Immediate Rewards With Large Penalties On A Simulated Task Of Gambling, Michael Shawn Businelle

LSU Master's Theses

The Gambling Task is a complex neuropsychological test (in the form of a card game) that examines the ability of individuals to assess potential immediate gains over long-term losses. Gambling Task performance has been examined in previous studies with individuals who are dependent on alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and amphetamine. These studies have shown that those who are dependent on the aforementioned substances perform more poorly on the Gambling Task than controls. Specifically, in relation to controls, drug/alcohol dependent individuals show impairment by tending to pick more cards that have large immediate gains and very large delayed punishers. The delayed punisher …

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Population Structure And Genetics Of Longevity In A Colony Of Dog Guides, John B. Cole Jan 2003

Population Structure And Genetics Of Longevity In A Colony Of Dog Guides, John B. Cole

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The objectives of this study were the description of changes in genetic diversity in a colony of dog guides since its founding, and the investigation of the genetics of longevity in that population. Two breeds of dog, German Shepherds (GS) and Labrador Retrievers (LR), were evaluated. There were rapid increases in average pairwise relationship in both breeds, although the average was approximately one-third higher in the GS population than in the LR population. A similar trend was observed for average inbreeding. In the current generation, relationship and inbreeding for all animals averaged 25.3% and 26.2% in GS and 15.5% and …

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Using Smart Growth Principles For Development In St. Landry Parish, Rebecca L. Scheffler Jan 2003

Using Smart Growth Principles For Development In St. Landry Parish, Rebecca L. Scheffler

LSU Master's Theses

Since the end of World War II, many American cities have seen an outward migration from their core into open spaces along the city’s edge. The urban/suburban sprawl phenomenon not only affects urban cores but the rural lands and open spaces surrounding them. As landscape architects, we study humans and their interactions with the environment and have an important position in making informed decisions about issues of sprawl and unmitigated growth in communities. This study was conducted to provide city and parish officials and planning boards with options for beneficial growth in St. Landry Parish, a rural parish in south …

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The Trouble With Girls: Autoethnography And The Classroom, Pamela Kay Autrey Jan 2003

The Trouble With Girls: Autoethnography And The Classroom, Pamela Kay Autrey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recent research suggests that many young women are undergoing a particularly difficult time during early adolescence, beginning with the transition to middle school (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University [CASA], 2003; Albert, Brown, & Flanigan, 2003; American Association of University Women, 1992). Employing autoethnography, I studied my experience as girl and woman, student and teacher, in elementary and middle schools and how these informed my pedagogical practices and knowledge as an elementary school teacher. Drawing upon feminist theory and cultural studies as well as research narratives, I argue for the inclusion of "kinderculture" in the …

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