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2004

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Towards Automation Of Forensic Facial Reconstruction, Hemant Narendra Khatod Jan 2004

Towards Automation Of Forensic Facial Reconstruction, Hemant Narendra Khatod

LSU Master's Theses

Forensic facial reconstruction is a blend of art and science thus computerizing the process leads to numerous solutions. However, complete automation remains a challenge. This research concentrates on automating the first phase of forensic facial reconstruction which is automatic landmark detection by model fitting and extraction of feature points. Detection of landmarks is a challenging task since the skull orientation in a 3D scanned data cloud is generally arbitrary and unknown. To address the issue, well defined skull and mandible models with known geometric structure, features and orientation are (1) aligned and (2) fit to the scanned data. After model …

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From Guerrilla Theater To Media Warfare Abbie Hoffman's Riotous Revolution In America: A Myth, Bruce Eric France, Jr. Jan 2004

From Guerrilla Theater To Media Warfare Abbie Hoffman's Riotous Revolution In America: A Myth, Bruce Eric France, Jr.

LSU Master's Theses

The following thesis is a discussion of the radical activist Abbie Hoffman's theatrical work to revolutionize the United States. What the author does is explain the historical uniqueness of Hoffman's theatrical techniques as tools for social change. What made Abbie Hoffman such a unique character from that already bizarre and devastating time in the United States known as The Sixties was his ability to infuse pot with politics, fun with social activism and cultural change with his contemporary means of communication. He was able to excite and activate a whole generation of people who would otherwise drop out of society …

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Design Exploration: Totem As Alternative For Efficient And Socially Responsive Burial, Mark Evan Bazzell Jan 2004

Design Exploration: Totem As Alternative For Efficient And Socially Responsive Burial, Mark Evan Bazzell

LSU Master's Theses

American cities are facing unprecedented development pressures. Urban populations in particular are increasing and diversifying, land as a resource is becoming more valuable, and designers/developers are challenged to creatively maximize space for all land uses. As urban populations grow, space for burial of the dead may become limited thereby prompting communities to consider alternatives to traditional burial. The increase in numbers of cremation already points to this trend. In addition to the spatial limitation issues there also exist issues of social and cultural limitation. Ethnic diversity is rapidly increasing and within each group one finds different traditions and needs regarding …

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Is The Ecomap A Valid And Reliable Social Work Tool To Measure Social Support?, Alexandra R. Calix Jan 2004

Is The Ecomap A Valid And Reliable Social Work Tool To Measure Social Support?, Alexandra R. Calix

LSU Master's Theses

The ecomap, developed in 1975, is a tool used in social work practice to measure social support (Hartman, 1995). Although the ecomap is widely utilized, due in part to its ease of administration, it has not been validated in the literature as a reliable and valid tool in the measure of social support. This study aims to quantify the ecomap, explore its psychometric soundness, and begin the process of validation using two empirically validated social support measurement tools, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1988) and the Young Adult Social Support Inventory (YA-SSI) …

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Synthesis, Structure, And Tribological Behavior Of Nanocomposite Dlc Based Thin Films, Varshni Singh Jan 2004

Synthesis, Structure, And Tribological Behavior Of Nanocomposite Dlc Based Thin Films, Varshni Singh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films possess a combination of attractive properties and have been largely employed to modify the tribological behavior of materials. Nanocomposite, metal-containing DLC films are the new generation of these coatings providing tremendous potential to modify and tailor their properties expanding their applications in the field of nanotechnology. The present study investigates nanoscale effects on the tribological behavior of composite nanostructured DLC-based films and functional coatings. Three aspects were studied: (i) effect of Cr interlayer on a functionally gradient substrate; (ii) nanoparticulate Cr-containing DLC (Cr-DLC) films; and (iii) nanocomposite multilayered Cr/DLC coatings. Intensified plasma assisted nitriding produced a …

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Middlegate Japanese Gardens: Preservation, Private Property And Public Memory, Margaret Anne Legett Jan 2004

Middlegate Japanese Gardens: Preservation, Private Property And Public Memory, Margaret Anne Legett

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of thesis is to provide a preliminary history of Middlegate Japanese Gardens and to make public their significance as an example of the landscape architecture that was typical during the Country Place Era, and their significance within the community of Pass Christian and the City of New Orleans. As it now stands the story of Middlegate Japanese Gardens is not known in its own neighborhood. Between 1923 and 1929 New Orleans residents Rudolf Hecht and Lynne Watkins Hecht developed Middlegate Japanese Gardens at their summer home in Pass Christian, Mississippi. The Hecht’s built Middlegate Japanese gardens to perpetuate …

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Effective Literacy Instruction In The Elementary Grades, Marie Laurent Bergeron Jan 2004

Effective Literacy Instruction In The Elementary Grades, Marie Laurent Bergeron

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify elements present in effective literacy instruction, i.e., those elements that fostered reading, speaking, listening, thinking, writing, and metacognitive skills. By examining variables that promoted literacy acquisition and achievement, a detailed account resulted which described classroom practice as related to teacher beliefs, strategies, materials, and classroom climate. The primary method of qualitative analysis used for this study was the Developmental Research Sequence (DRS) Method (Spradley, 1980). Two classrooms with exemplary teachers were studied extensively. Data collection involved the use of primary sources (interviews, observations, and student and teacher work) and secondary sources (records, …

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A Qualitative Exploration Of Students' Experiences With Tutorial Learning, Angela Alexander Jan 2004

A Qualitative Exploration Of Students' Experiences With Tutorial Learning, Angela Alexander

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore how students perceive their tutorial learning experiences at the collegiate level in a campus-based center and to explore the personality preferences of the students who participate in tutoring, according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The study is designed to address tutoring from the perspective of the tutee’s experiences and to allow them to tell their story of how tutoring impacted their academic experience. The following research questions guide this study: 1. What are students’ perceptions of their tutorial learning experiences? 2. Are students’ perceptions of their tutorial learning experiences related to …

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Pattern-Based Model Transformation: A Metamodel-Based Approach To Model Evolution, Sheena Judson Miller Jan 2004

Pattern-Based Model Transformation: A Metamodel-Based Approach To Model Evolution, Sheena Judson Miller

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Software systems continue to grow in complexity at a rapid pace, creating systems that are complex to build and evolve. The problems that accompany changes in requirements, system upgrades, and error correction produce a desire for software evolution methods that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of adapting complex software to changes. As software systems evolve, design models must be modified to accommodate the required changes. Techniques that control the changes to models in a systematic manner are a key to model evolution. A process that improves the ability to effectively modify a design, thereby enhancing design qualities, supports the need …

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Mems Accelerometer: Proof Of Concept For Geotechnical Engineering Testing, Keith Nicholas Hoffman Jan 2004

Mems Accelerometer: Proof Of Concept For Geotechnical Engineering Testing, Keith Nicholas Hoffman

LSU Master's Theses

Geotechnical engineering materials are inherently variable, which leads to many simplifications when trying to model their behavior. The materials must always be characterized prior to any design work so that the engineer knows which direction he must progress to have a reliable design. Although subsurface characterization techniques and geotechnical design steadily improve, they are by no means infallible. The combination of geotechnical subsurface characterization along with geophysical techniques for improved design and construction monitoring has begun to surface as a viable alternative to the standard techniques in geotechnical engineering. This is important because there is a lack of Quality Control/Quality …

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Microsatellite Instability In Squamous Cell Carcinoma And Lichen Sclerosus Of The Vulva, Sidney Joseph Marlborough Jan 2004

Microsatellite Instability In Squamous Cell Carcinoma And Lichen Sclerosus Of The Vulva, Sidney Joseph Marlborough

LSU Master's Theses

The usefulness of detecting genomic instability in the form of microsatellite instability (MSI) has been examined in a number of cancers. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adjacent normal and lichen sclerosis (LS) samples were taken from patients with radical vulvectomies. Vulvar SCC samples were compared with adjacent normal samples using four oligonucleotide markers (BAT-25, BAT-26, D10S208 and D10S587) found to be informative with other carcinomas. Using polymerase chain reaction techniques, 30 vulvar SCC DNA samples were examined for MSI. BAT-26 displayed the highest level of MSI and was considered to be the most sensitive marker in studying vulvar SCC. There …

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Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization: Effect On Strength And Range Of Motion, John Frederick Burnside Jan 2004

Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization: Effect On Strength And Range Of Motion, John Frederick Burnside

LSU Master's Theses

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine strength changes in the knee measured throughout full range of motion following Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization. METHODS: 13 subjects underwent pre-screening for existing soft tissue lesions. Subjects performed multiple angle isometric strength testing at the knee (15°, 45°, 60°, 90°, 115° of knee flexion) prior to beginning a 4-week resistance training protocol. Subjects performed knee extension/flexion exercises (2x15) 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Following the training period, subjects were post tested using the same protocol as used in the pre-test. DATA ANALYSIS: A paired sample t-test was used …

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Development Of Chicken Polyclonal And Mouse Monoclonal-Based Enyzyme Immunoassays For The Detection Of Β-Cyclocitral In Catfish Pond Water, Cate Nakaweesa Munene Jan 2004

Development Of Chicken Polyclonal And Mouse Monoclonal-Based Enyzyme Immunoassays For The Detection Of Β-Cyclocitral In Catfish Pond Water, Cate Nakaweesa Munene

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Catfish industry faces a problem of off-flavors due to odorous compounds produced by cyanobacteria and blue-green algae. Beta-Cyclocitral imparts a hay-woody odor to pond water and fish tissues. At present there are no reliable pond treatment methods available to control these off-flavors. To monitor the levels of this compound for quality control, rapid, sensitive and inexpensive methods are needed. The major goal of this study was to develop enzyme-linked immunoflow assays based on monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies that are specific and sensitive enough to detect beta-cyclocitral in catfish pond water. Beta-Cyclocitral-PPD conjugate was prepared and used to immunize two …

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An Analysis Of Cardiovascular And Respiratory Mortality As A Function Of Ambient Ozone And Fine Particulate Matter In The Baton Rouge Air Quality Control Region, Thomas James Wiley Iv Jan 2004

An Analysis Of Cardiovascular And Respiratory Mortality As A Function Of Ambient Ozone And Fine Particulate Matter In The Baton Rouge Air Quality Control Region, Thomas James Wiley Iv

LSU Master's Theses

The Baton Rouge Air Quality Control Region has come under fire due to difficulties in reaching attainment of one-hour daily ozone limitations and its general perception as being a polluted place to live. Ozone is a reactive oxygen species which has been shown to result in damage to biological molecules and is detrimental to human physiology, especially in regards to cardio-respiratory structure and function. In the last decade, fine particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in mean aerodynamic diameter have been identified as a possible pollutant that is affecting public health at levels lower than the EPA’s established limits. PM2.5 …

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Improved Methods For The Isolation And Characterization Of Flavobacterium Columnare, Bradley Donovan Farmer Jan 2004

Improved Methods For The Isolation And Characterization Of Flavobacterium Columnare, Bradley Donovan Farmer

LSU Master's Theses

Columnaris disease, caused by the bacterium Flavobacterium columnare, is an economically significant problem in many warmwater fish species. Difficulties encountered in the isolation and culture of F. columnare have been an impediment to research on the organism and the disease it causes. The goal of this study was to improve the methods for isolation, culture, identification and maintenance of F. columnare. Following the evaluation of different culture media selective cytophaga agar was determined to be the optimum isolation medium, Flavobacterum columnare growth medium proved to be the optimum culture medium, and tryptone yeast extract agar with increased moisture was best …

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Bioethics? The Law And Biomedical Advance, Roger B. Dworkin Jan 2004

Bioethics? The Law And Biomedical Advance, Roger B. Dworkin

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

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Written Language Skills Of Middle And High School Students In An Alternative Program, Zuhar Rende Jan 2004

Written Language Skills Of Middle And High School Students In An Alternative Program, Zuhar Rende

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the written language skills of middle and high school students who were attending alternative programs in Southern California. The participants of this study were 114 students who were identified and served under Delinquency Prevention Program (DPP) and 83 students who were identified and served under Court Ordered Probation (COP). The Test of Written Language -3 (TOWL-3) (Hammill & Larsen, 1996) was administered to the participants in order to obtain written language measures. In addition, this study investigated whether any relationships exists between written language skills, academic measures and selected demographic characteristics of …

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Properties Of Borate-Treated Strandboard Bonded With Pmdi Resin, Yiqiang Zhou Jan 2004

Properties Of Borate-Treated Strandboard Bonded With Pmdi Resin, Yiqiang Zhou

LSU Master's Theses

Random strandboards from mixed southern wood species were manufactured using calcium borate (CB) and zinc borate (ZB) as chemical additives and polymeric methylene diphenylmethane disocyanate (pMDI) as resin. There were four target levels of borate loading and two levels of resin content. Panel properties, including modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), internal bond (IB) strength, linear expansion (LE), thickness swelling (TS), leachability, and swelling and strength retention properties under cyclic relative humidity, were measured. The influence of borate content, borate type, and resin content on various properties was analyzed. It was found that the addition of borate negatively …

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Difference In Sleep Disturbances Among Severely And Profoundly Retarded Adults With High Risk Behaviors, Carrie Jo Malone Jan 2004

Difference In Sleep Disturbances Among Severely And Profoundly Retarded Adults With High Risk Behaviors, Carrie Jo Malone

LSU Master's Theses

Individuals with intellectual disabilities have been linked to higher incidences of a variety of mental illnesses when compared to the general population (Rutter, Tizard, Yule, Graham, & Whitmore, 1976; and Borthwick-Duffy, 1994). Because of the symptoms associated with mental retardation; such as limited social skills, delayed or minimal communication skills, and maladaptive behaviors, mental illness can be difficult to assess when combined with an intellectual disability (Sovner, 1986). Currently there is no available mechanism for diagnosing sleep disorders in adults with severe and profound mental retardation. The purpose of the first study is to provide validation of the Diagnostic Assessment …

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An Economic Evaluation Of Using Management Zones In Cotton Production, Jose Antonio Cabrera-Davila Jan 2004

An Economic Evaluation Of Using Management Zones In Cotton Production, Jose Antonio Cabrera-Davila

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis examines the use of Precision Agriculture technologies to define Management Zones within a multicrop production system. It further evaluates the economic feasibility of implementing spatially variable insecticide applications against conventional blanket treatments with respect to insect pest management in cotton production. The use of geographical information systems was critical in the development of the different yield maps established to determine the level of consistency of management zones across crops over time. Several important concepts, such as data normalization, yield grid maps, inverse distance weighted and stability, were introduced throughout this research to: set the scale of measures to …

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Ethics And Literature: Love And Perception In Henry James, Sarah Hamilton Jan 2004

Ethics And Literature: Love And Perception In Henry James, Sarah Hamilton

LSU Master's Theses

In this paper I argue for the value of literature in ethical instruction. Following Martha Nussbaum, I argue that literature often promotes the kind of context-specific judgment, respect for the cognitive value of the emotions and empathy for others that are foundational to the kind of ethical judgment Nussbaum and I support. Like Nussbaum, I find that Henry James's novels evince these same ethical values and that his novels, especially the novels of the late phase, are therefore useful for ethical instruction. Unlike Nussbaum, however, I do not believe that James portrays erotic love as an emotion that is incompatible …

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Analysis Of Factors That Affect Responding In A Two-Response Chain In Children With Developmental Disabilities, Stephanie Ann Contrucci Kuhn Jan 2004

Analysis Of Factors That Affect Responding In A Two-Response Chain In Children With Developmental Disabilities, Stephanie Ann Contrucci Kuhn

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Behaviors that are appropriate, inappropriate, or a combination of both can be linked together in a behavior chain. When the contingencies for one response change (e.g., reinforcement is withheld for the last response in the chain; the last response is reinforced even if it occurs without the other responses in the chain) or the environmental conditions change (e.g., access to the reinforcer is available independent of responding), the other responses in the chain may be affected. Little is known about these types of effects on behavior chains. Several operant processes may disrupt behavior chains. The purpose of this study was …

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A Spatial Analysis Of The Smallpox Epidemic In Sheffield, United Kingdom, 1887-1888, Ann-Marie Cain Jan 2004

A Spatial Analysis Of The Smallpox Epidemic In Sheffield, United Kingdom, 1887-1888, Ann-Marie Cain

LSU Master's Theses

One of today's most fecund fields of research in medical geography involves using historical datasets from past epidemics and contemporary cadastre maps to plot the course of the contagion. The purpose is to study the spatial patterns of diseases that are rare or extinct today but still have large research value. The best example of this problem is smallpox. This project involves taking one of the most complete records of a smallpox epidemic, plotting the cases in a geographic information system (GIS), and exploring the spatial patterns using statistical software. As one of the most contagious and damaging diseases to …

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The Effects Of Reinforcement Magnitude On Functional Analysis Outcomes, Valerie Marie Volkert Jan 2004

The Effects Of Reinforcement Magnitude On Functional Analysis Outcomes, Valerie Marie Volkert

LSU Master's Theses

The functional analysis methodology developed by Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman (1982/1994) has been successfully used to identify the variables that maintain the problem behavior of individuals with developmental disabilities. However, in some cases, the results of functional analysis may be inconclusive. Altering parameters of reinforcement, such as the schedule, the quality, or magnitude of the reinforcer, may increase the likelihood of obtaining clear functional analysis results. Few studies have evaluated the effects of reinforcement magnitude on problem behavior even though basic findings indicate that this parameter may alter functional analysis outcomes. In fact, reinforcement magnitude has varied widely …

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Rates Of Molecular Evolution And Their Application To Neotropical Avian Biogeography, Christopher C. Witt Jan 2004

Rates Of Molecular Evolution And Their Application To Neotropical Avian Biogeography, Christopher C. Witt

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The tempo of evolution and the causes of rate variation among lineages are central foci of evolutionary biology. I evaluated two hypothesized sources of variation in molecular evolutionary rate, and I applied a variable molecular clock to estimate the timescale of diversification in three families of Neotropical birds. First, I examined the phylogenetic evidence for molecular punctuated equilibrium, the hypothesis that speciation drives accelerated molecular evolution. Recent findings that rates of DNA evolution and speciation are linked implicate molecular punctuated equilibrium as an important cause of rate variation among lineages. I used phylogenetic simulations to test this reported link, and …

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William Faulkner And The Oral Text, Gregory Alan Borse Jan 2004

William Faulkner And The Oral Text, Gregory Alan Borse

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The disjunction between the oral and the literate in the works of William Faulkner reveals the different ways these distinct modes of organization combine to structure a text. The oral in Faulkner's fiction makes its presence known not only as offset speech but also as a mode of action and narrative whose logic is conjunctive rather than disjunctive. According to the literate mode, a form organizes novelistic matter. According to the oral mode, forces that function as signs rather than organizers of their form rule the action and narrative. When the disjunction between the oral and the literate is so …

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Credibility And Authority On Internet Message-Boards, Ryan Goudelocke Jan 2004

Credibility And Authority On Internet Message-Boards, Ryan Goudelocke

LSU Master's Theses

This research aimed to provide some proof or refutation of the hypothesis that online communities develop specialized vocabularies, often technical jargon, and use elements of those vocabularies, here labeled “tokens,” to ascribe credibility and/or authority to other posters. The literature from a variety of communications fields relating to this topic was summarized as a progression from an early “limitations” model of computer-mediated communication (CMC) to a later “opportunities” model. The drawbacks of current research were outlined and some new paths were sketched, including the methodology employed here. Several discussions from different Web sites, each containing hundreds of posts, were tabulated …

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Consumer Sensory Characteristics Of Butter Cake Made From Wheat And Rice Flours, Ashley Elizabeth Bond Jan 2004

Consumer Sensory Characteristics Of Butter Cake Made From Wheat And Rice Flours, Ashley Elizabeth Bond

LSU Master's Theses

Rice is an important commodity in Louisiana and throughout the world. During the milling process, about 15% of rice kernels become broken. Louisiana produced approximately 2,011,000 hundred weights of broken rice kernels in 2002. Converting broken rice into rice-based products adds dollars back to broken rice. The market potential for rice in processed foods is huge. In the refrigerated and frozen baked foods category, it is approximately $14.3 billion; while in the baked snack foods and wholesale bakery foods category, it is approximately $31.4 billion. Approximately 1-2% of the United States population suffers from Celiac Spruce Disease, which is a …

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Book Review. Cases, Materials And Texts On Unjustified Enrichment, Ralph F. Gaebler Jan 2004

Book Review. Cases, Materials And Texts On Unjustified Enrichment, Ralph F. Gaebler

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

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Volatiles Associated With Formosan Subterranean Termites And Related Methods Development, Paul Mclaughlin Jan 2004

Volatiles Associated With Formosan Subterranean Termites And Related Methods Development, Paul Mclaughlin

LSU Master's Theses

An investigation was conducted to identify volatiles associated with active Formosan termites. Using a combined technique of short path thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPTD-GC/MS), qualitative comparisons were made between compounds detected in treatments containing active Formosan termites versus those detected in controls without Formosan termites. Except for dimethyl disulfide, none of the compounds were consistently detected in the treatments but not the controls for the four termite groups tested. However, in each of the three groups that dimethyl disulfide was detected, dead termites that were decomposing along with active termites were present. Therefore, none of the compounds could be classified …

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