Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2003

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 8011 - 8040 of 8169

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Wood Laminated Composite Poles, Cheng Piao Jan 2003

Wood Laminated Composite Poles, Cheng Piao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Wood composite poles are new engineered products with polygonal shapes and bonded with synthetic resins. The poles have multiple advantages over the solid wood poles and are a promising solid pole substitute in power transmission, telecommunication, and cable TV services. The use of composite poles may reduce the cost both in materials and manipulation, and facilitate installation and treatment. It is necessary to evaluate the factors that affect their properties and construct theoretical and analytical models to analyze these properties. Experiments were conducted to investigate strip thickness and number of strips’ (NOS) effects on the flexural properties and shear stress …


Regional Water Quality Models For The Prediction Of Eutrophication Endpoints, Anindita Das Jan 2003

Regional Water Quality Models For The Prediction Of Eutrophication Endpoints, Anindita Das

LSU Master's Theses

Eutrophication is a process by which a waterbody progresses from its origin to its extinction. During this period, there is a gradual accumulation of nutrients and organic biomass, accompanied by a decrease in average depth of the water due to sediment accumulation, and an increase in primary productivity, usually in the form of dense algal blooms. Cultural eutrophication occurs when humans, through their various activities, greatly accelerate this process. Eutrophication can cause loss in species diversity, fish kills, and decrease the aesthetic value of a waterbody. The EPA is trying to prevent cultural eutrophication by setting standards for water quality …


The Impact Of Whole-Plant Instruction Preservice Elementary Teachers' Understanding Of Plant Science Principles, Christine Collins Hypolite Jan 2003

The Impact Of Whole-Plant Instruction Preservice Elementary Teachers' Understanding Of Plant Science Principles, Christine Collins Hypolite

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine how an inquiry-based, whole-plant instructional strategy would affect preservice elementary teachers’ understanding of plant science principles. This study probed: what preservice teachers know about plant biology concepts before and after instruction, their views of the interrelatedness of plant parts and the environment, how growing a plant affects preservice teachers’ understanding, and which types of activity-rich plant themes studies, if any, affect preservice elementary teachers’ understandings. The participants in the study were enrolled in two elementary science methods class sections at a state university. Each group was administered a preinstructional test at the …


Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Modulation And Inter-Carrier Interference Cancellation, Yao Xiao Jan 2003

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Modulation And Inter-Carrier Interference Cancellation, Yao Xiao

LSU Master's Theses

The Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technique, wireless channel models, and a pair of new intercarrier interference self-cancellation methods are investigated in this thesis. The first chapter addresses the history of OFDM, along with its principles and applications. Chapter two consists of three parts: the principal, the modern OFDM models, and the Peak to Average Power Ratio (PAPR) problem. Chapter two also summarizes possible PAPR solutions. Chapter three discusses a series of well-known wireless channel models, as well as the general formula for wireless channels. In Chapter four, ICI problem has been discussed, along with its existing solutions. Chapter five …


The Effect On Water Quality Of Riverine Input Into Coastal Wetlands, Robert Raymond Lane Jan 2003

The Effect On Water Quality Of Riverine Input Into Coastal Wetlands, Robert Raymond Lane

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on impact on water quality of two freshwater diversions, the Bonnet Carre Spillway and the Caernarvon freshwater diversion, as well as the Atchafalaya River Estuarine Complex. As water passed through the Bonnet Carre Spillway, there were reductions in total suspended sediment concentrations of 82-83%, in nitrite+nitrate of 28-42%, in total nitrogen (TN) of 26-30%, and in total phosphorus (TP) of 50-59%. The Si:N ratio generally increased and the N:P ratio decreased from the river to the plume edge in Lake Pontchartrain. At the Caernarvon diversion, there were reductions in concentrations of dissolved inorganic Si, N, and P …


The Impact Of A Life-Application Learning Instructional Program On Struggling Readers At The Middle School Level, Angelle Rae Stringer Jan 2003

The Impact Of A Life-Application Learning Instructional Program On Struggling Readers At The Middle School Level, Angelle Rae Stringer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This eight-week descriptive study examined the impact of the incorporation of a Life-Application Learning Methods Program on struggling middle school readers. Two questions were explored: 1) How did incorporating life–application learning into the middle school curriculum impact reading motivation?, and 2) How did incorporating life-application learning in the middle school curriculum impact the reading levels? Participants in the study were eight eighth-grade students considered to be struggling readers Qualitative methods were used for this study utilizing responses from a survey, two inventories, student journals, and researcher observations. Data gathered suggested that students are more likely to become motivated and engaged …


Psychosocial Predictors Of Visceral Adiposity, Paula C. Rhode Jan 2003

Psychosocial Predictors Of Visceral Adiposity, Paula C. Rhode

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Psychosocial factors are thought to influence health through primarily direct physiological mechanisms or the alteration of health related behaviors. Three factors hypothesized to negatively impact health include arousal, life stress, and depressive symptomatology. One recent theorist suggests that the interaction between psychological stress and stress hormones on the neuroendocrine system may result in adverse changes to body composition, most notably the increased deposition of visceral adipose tissue (Bjorntorp, 1993). The current study prospectively examined the relationship between self-reported stressful life events, depressive symptoms and trait arousal on the deposition of visceral fat, as measured by computerized tomography (CT). Subjects were …


Clear Sailing Agreements: A Special Form Of Collusion In Class Action Settlements, William D. Henderson Jan 2003

Clear Sailing Agreements: A Special Form Of Collusion In Class Action Settlements, William D. Henderson

Articles by Maurer Faculty

A clear sailing agreement (or clause) is a compromise in which a class action defendant agrees not to contest the class lawyer's petition for attorneys' fees. This Article argues that clear sailing provisions often facilitate collusive settlements in cases involving non-pecuniary relief or claims-made common funds that return all unclaimed monies to the defendant. Because these types of settlements present difficult valuation problems, trial courts lack a clear benchmark for calculating attorneys' fees. Defendants and class can exploit this uncertainty by presenting an inflated settlement value to the court (to justify higher attorneys' fees) while simultaneously reducing the true cost …


A Comparison Of Life Histories And Ecological Aspects Among Snappers (Pisces: Lutjanidae), Fernando Martinez-Andrade Jan 2003

A Comparison Of Life Histories And Ecological Aspects Among Snappers (Pisces: Lutjanidae), Fernando Martinez-Andrade

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

An extensive search for data on life-history and ecological variables was conducted for a representative number of the species within the family Lutjanidae. After creating different databases and standardizing all data, these variables were examined in statistical, correlation and graphic analyses. Additionally, a series of Principal Component Analyses were used to examine patterns among variables. Life-history variables included age at length zero, asymptotic length, maximum length, longevity, asymptotic weight, length at maturity, age at maturity, reproductive life span, growth rate and mortality rate. Ecological variables included latitudinal and vertical distribution, habitat selection (represented by substrate type), and spawning seasons. The …


Scalable Parallel Molecular Dynamics Algorithms For Organic Systems, Satyavani Vemparala Jan 2003

Scalable Parallel Molecular Dynamics Algorithms For Organic Systems, Satyavani Vemparala

LSU Master's Theses

A scalable parallel algorithm, Macro-Molecular Dynamics (MMD), has been developed for large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of organic macromolecules, based on space-time multi-resolution techniques and dynamic management of distributed lists. The algorithm also includes the calculation of long range forces using Fast Multipole Method (FMM). FMM is based on the octree data structure, in which each parent cell is divided into 8 child cells and this division continues until the cell size is equal to the non-bonded interaction cutoff length. Due to constant number of operations performed at each stage of the octree, the FMM algorithm scales as O(N). Design and …


Evaluation Of Computerized Reading Intervention, Jennifer Lynne Koenig Jan 2003

Evaluation Of Computerized Reading Intervention, Jennifer Lynne Koenig

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-based reading intervention with eight elementary school children. This program, called the Reading Center, utilizes repeated reading, listening passage preview, word drills, and comprehension questions. A multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the intervention effects on oral reading fluency. Results indicated growth in all eight children, with increases between 8.7 and 20 words per week for intervention passages. The implications of the results for the use of computer-delivered interventions are discussed.


The Transcendental Eigenvalue Problem And Its Application In System Identification, Kumar Vikram Singh Jan 2003

The Transcendental Eigenvalue Problem And Its Application In System Identification, Kumar Vikram Singh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

An accurate mathematical model is needed to solve direct and inverse problems related to engineering analysis and design. Inverse problems of identifying the physical parameters of a non-uniform continuous system based on the spectral data are still unsolved. Traditional methods, for the system identification purpose, describe the continuous structure by a certain discrete model. In dynamic analysis, finite element or finite difference approximation methods are frequently used and they lead to an algebraic eigenvalue problem. The characteristic equation associated with the algebraic eigenvalue problem is a polynomial. Whereas, the spectral characteristic of a continuous system is represented by certain transcendental …


The Integration Of A Formal Garden Curriculum Into Louisiana Public Elementary Schools, Leanna Lynn Smith Jan 2003

The Integration Of A Formal Garden Curriculum Into Louisiana Public Elementary Schools, Leanna Lynn Smith

LSU Master's Theses

School gardens have been and are in use today at schools around the United States to supplement their curriculum. Very little research, however, has been conducted to quantify the benefits that gardening provides to students. The first four chapters of a hands-on gardening curriculum (Junior Master Gardener Handbook Level One) were introduced into three East Baton Rouge Parish elementary schools the fall semester of 2002. Science achievement tests developed at Texas A&M University specifically for the Junior Master Gardener program, were given both before and after the students participated in the gardening activities to determine whether or not the activities …


Design Of Power Efficient Multicast Algorithms For Sparse Split Wdm Networks, Kavitha Devi Buddharaju Jan 2003

Design Of Power Efficient Multicast Algorithms For Sparse Split Wdm Networks, Kavitha Devi Buddharaju

LSU Master's Theses

Recent years witnessed tremendous increase in data traffic as new Internet applications were launched. Optical networks employing recent technologies such as DWDM and EDFA`s emerged as the most prominent and most promising solutions in terms of their ability to keep with the demand on bandwidth. However for a class of applications bandwidth is not the only important requirement, These applications require efficient multicast operations. They include data bases, audio/video conferencing, distributed computing etc. Multicasting in the optical domain however has its own unique set of problems. First, an optical signal can be split among the outputs of a node but …


Mathematical Modeling Analysis Of Floating Bead Biofilter Applications To Domestic Wastewater Treatment, Qiang Wu Jan 2003

Mathematical Modeling Analysis Of Floating Bead Biofilter Applications To Domestic Wastewater Treatment, Qiang Wu

LSU Master's Theses

Floating Bead Biofilters (FBFs) have been applied to aquacultural recirculating tanks and domestic wastewater treatment systems for controlling total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and total suspended solids (TSS). Support modified media in these FBFs provide a large surface area (1150~1475 m2/m3) so that the active biofilm can be retained in the FBF by attaching to the media surface. Understanding the theories involved in biofilm processes greatly helps in sizing, designing, and modeling of FBF systems. Fundamental biofilm processes like mass transport of various substrates into the biofilm and the substrate utilization within the biofilm were studied. A …


Developing Risk Assessment Maps For Schistosoma Haematobium In Kenya Based On Climate Grids And Remotely Sensed Data, Kelsey Lee Mcnally Jan 2003

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 …


On The Geometry And Topology Of Moduli Spaces Of Multi-Polygonal Linkages, Michael Edward Holcomb Jan 2003

On The Geometry And Topology Of Moduli Spaces Of Multi-Polygonal Linkages, Michael Edward Holcomb

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The geometric, topological, and symplectic properties of moduli spaces (spaces of configurations modulo rotations and translations) of polygonal linkages have been studied by Kapovich, Millson, and Kamiyama, et. al. One can form a polygonal linkage by taking two free linkages and identifying initial and terminal vertices. This can be generalized so that one takes three free linkages and identifies initial and terminal vertices. Then one obtains a linkage which contains multiple polygons, any two of which have shared edges. The geometric and topological properties of moduli spaces of these multi-polygonal linkages are studied. These spaces turn out to be compact …


The Relationship Between Elementary School Foreign Language Study In Grades Three Through Five And Academic Achievement On The Iowa Tests Of Basic Skills (Itbs) And The Fourth-Grade Louisiana Educational Assessment Program For The 21st Century (Leap 21) Test, Carolyn Joyce Taylor-Ward Jan 2003

The Relationship Between Elementary School Foreign Language Study In Grades Three Through Five And Academic Achievement On The Iowa Tests Of Basic Skills (Itbs) And The Fourth-Grade Louisiana Educational Assessment Program For The 21st Century (Leap 21) Test, Carolyn Joyce Taylor-Ward

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The passage of the federal educational legislation, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, established foreign languages as a core curricular content area. Nonetheless, educational policy makers at the state and local levels often opt to allocate greater resources and give instructional priority to content areas in which students, and ultimately the school systems themselves, are held accountable through high-stakes testing. Although foreign languages are designated as a core content area, instructional emphasis continues to be placed on curricular areas that factor into state educational accountability programs. The present study employed a mixed-methodology design. The primary goal was to explore …


Diffusion Of A Rodlike Virus In Complex Solutions, Randall Charles Cush Jan 2003

Diffusion Of A Rodlike Virus In Complex Solutions, Randall Charles Cush

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Entanglement phenomena in concentrated polymer solutions remain an interesting and challenging problem. It is still unclear how entanglement onset affects polymer chain motion at small distance scales. One way to study such motion is to follow the diffusion of a probe particle while increasing the concentration of the polymer. Many such studies have been done using probes ranging from linear and star polymers to various colloidal particles; however, relatively few studies have used rodlike probes. Rodlike probes are potentially more interesting due to the added information that may be gained by following rotational as well as translational diffusion. The anisotropic …


Off Road Vehicle Soil Suitability Analysis Within The Kisatchie National Forest, Jacqueline Avellanoza Prudente Jan 2003

Off Road Vehicle Soil Suitability Analysis Within The Kisatchie National Forest, Jacqueline Avellanoza Prudente

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Soil degradation due to improper use of off road vehicle (ORV) is among the major problems in the Kisatchie National Forest (KNF), especially in Catahoula (CRD), Evangeline Unit, Calcasieu (ERD), and Kisatchie Ranger (KRD) districts. The USDA-Forest Service (USFS) maintains designated trails within the forest, but many ORV users create their own trails. To address this issue, a research project was initiated in 2001 to assess the suitability of KNF soils for ORV traffic using Geographical Information System (GIS) software. The objectives were achieved by utilizing soil properties, rainfall events, soil trafficability ratings, Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), and infiltration parameters. …


Constraint Preserving Boundary Conditions For The Linearized Einstein Equations, Gioel Calabrese Jan 2003

Constraint Preserving Boundary Conditions For The Linearized Einstein Equations, Gioel Calabrese

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The successful construction of long time convergent finite difference schemes approximating highly gravitating systems in general relativity remains an elusive task. The presence of constraints and the introduction of artificial time-like boundaries contribute significantly to the difficulty of this problem. Whereas in the absence of boundaries the Bianchi identities ensure that the constraints vanish during evolution provided that they are satisfied initially, this is no longer true when time-like boundaries are introduced. In this work we consider the linearization around the Minkowski space-time in Cartesian coordinates of the generalized Einstein-Christoffel system and analyze different kinds of boundary conditions that are …


Design Of Optimal Equalizers And Precoders For Mimo Channels, Lijuan Li Jan 2003

Design Of Optimal Equalizers And Precoders For Mimo Channels, Lijuan Li

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Channel equalization has been extensively studied as a method of combating ISI and ICI for high speed MIMO data communication systems. This dissertation focuses on optimal channel equalization in the presence of non-white observation noises with unknown PSD but bounded power-norm. A worst-case approach to optimal design of channel equalizers leads to an equivalent optimal H-infinity filtering problem for the MIMO communication systems. An explicit design algorithm is derived which not only achieves the zero-forcing (ZF) condition, but also minimizes the RMS error between the transmitted symbols and the received symbols. The second part of this dissertation investigates the design …


Electrodeposition Of Nickel-Copper Alloys And Nickel-Copper-Alumina Nanocomposites Into Deep Recesses For Mems, Amrit Panda Jan 2003

Electrodeposition Of Nickel-Copper Alloys And Nickel-Copper-Alumina Nanocomposites Into Deep Recesses For Mems, Amrit Panda

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Electrodeposition is an important component in the fabrication of micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS). Nickel is the most commonly used material to produce three dimensional microstructures and few material alternatives have been demonstrated. In this dissertation, electrodeposited Ni-Cu alloys and nanocomposites are investigated as possible replacements for nickel in microsystems. Ni-Cu alloys are attractive for their corrosion resistance, magnetic and thermophysical properties. Alumina nanoparticulates included into metal matrices improve hardness and tribology of deposits. The Ni-Cu alloys and Ni-Cu-g-Al2O3 nanocomposites were electrodeposited from a citrate electrolyte, both at low and high pH. Electrodeposition experiments were performed in recessed microelectrodes 500 …


Characterization Of Native And Bypass Human Coronary Artery Plaque Deposits From The Same Heart: Investigation Of The Chemical Form Of Calcium In Human Coronary Artery Plaque Deposits, Serigne Thiam Jan 2003

Characterization Of Native And Bypass Human Coronary Artery Plaque Deposits From The Same Heart: Investigation Of The Chemical Form Of Calcium In Human Coronary Artery Plaque Deposits, Serigne Thiam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Gradual deposits of lipids, proteins, and calcium on the coronary arterial walls cause atherosclerosis, leading to blockage of the blood flow and possible heart attack. Despite many studies, the mechanism underlying these processes remains unclear. In this research, differences between native and bypass plaque deposits from the same heart were examined. In addition, the crystalline and the amorphous plaques within these native and bypass vessels were characterized. The techniques used to characterize the deposits included inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS), solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), etc. The results from the ICPMS technique showed that …


Biomechanical Effects Of Cyclic Loading On The Lower Back, Lakiesha Claude Jan 2003

Biomechanical Effects Of Cyclic Loading On The Lower Back, Lakiesha Claude

LSU Master's Theses

More than 30 million people in the United States may have low back pain at any time, and 10 million of them have chronic symptoms. Epidemiological studies indicate that along with axial compressive loads, other factors including repetitive twisting or lateral bending and lifting are significant risk factors for low-back disorders. Literature repeatedly confirms that cyclic occupational functions expose workers to a 10-fold increase in episodes of low back injury and pain. This study examined the biomechanical effects of cyclical loading on the lower back. Twenty in vivo feline preparations were subjected to passive cyclic loading at 20 N (n=6), …


Swimming Performance Of Juvenile Florida Pompano (Trachinotus Carolinus) And Atlantic Spadefish (Chaetodipterus Faber) Exposed To Sublethal Concentrations Of Ethylene Glycol And Methanol: Individual And Synergistic Effects, Mark Alan Stead Jan 2003

Swimming Performance Of Juvenile Florida Pompano (Trachinotus Carolinus) And Atlantic Spadefish (Chaetodipterus Faber) Exposed To Sublethal Concentrations Of Ethylene Glycol And Methanol: Individual And Synergistic Effects, Mark Alan Stead

LSU Master's Theses

Recently, new technology has pushed petrochemical exploration into increasingly deeper water (>305 m) at increased risks to marine fauna. One risk is from chemical additives used to enhance deepwater production such as ethylene glycol and methanol which are used during the production and treatment to prevent the formation of gas hydrates in deepwater wells and pipelines. Juvenile Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) were used in controlled experiments to test the effects of 3.0 % ethylene glycol (EG), 1.07 % methanol (MeOH) and a combination of the two chemicals(EG + MeOH) on swimming performance of individual fish. Swimming performance was evaluated …


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 …


Minimization Of Power Losses In Active Magnetic Bearing Control, Nader Motee Jan 2003

Minimization Of Power Losses In Active Magnetic Bearing Control, Nader Motee

LSU Master's Theses

A solution to the problem of AMB control with reduced electrical power losses will be presented in this thesis. The proposed control solution will be founded on the integrator backstepping technique, which decouples the rotor stabilization problem from the bias flux design problem. It further allows for the easy redesign of the control law to compensate for uncertainties in the AMB system. A class of nonlinear controllers will be developed that reduces the AMB power losses in comparison to standard fixed-bias controllers, while containing no control singularity. Control laws will be presented for the standard AMB operating mode where both …


Large Eddy Simulations Of Complex Turbulent Flows, Mayank Tyagi Jan 2003

Large Eddy Simulations Of Complex Turbulent Flows, Mayank Tyagi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation a solution methodology for complex turbulent flows of industrial interests is developed using a combination of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and Immersed Boundary Method (IBM) concepts. LES is an intermediate approach to turbulence simulation in which the onus of modeling of “universal” small scales is appropriately transferred to the resolution of “problem-dependent” large scales or eddies. IBM combines the efficiency inherent in using a fixed Cartesian grid to compute the fluid motion, along with the ease of tracking the immersed boundary at a set of moving Lagrangian points. Numerical code developed for this dissertation solves unsteady, filtered …


Group Theoretical Approach To Pairing And Non-Linear Phenomena In Atomic Nuclei, Kristina D. Launey Jan 2003

Group Theoretical Approach To Pairing And Non-Linear Phenomena In Atomic Nuclei, Kristina D. Launey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The symplectic sp(4) algebra provides a natural framework for studying proton-neutron (pn) and like-nucleon pairing correlations as well as higher-J pn interactions in nuclei when protons and neutrons occupy the same shell. While these correlations manifest themselves most clearly in the binding energies of 0+ ground states, they also have a large effect on the spectra of excited isobaric analog 0+ states. With a view towards nuclear structure applications, a fermion realization of sp(4) is explored and its q-deformed extension, sp(4)q, is constructed for single and multiple shells. The su(2)(q) substructures that enter are associated with isospin symmetry and with …